Parshas Terumah 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Feb 21
- 2 min read
וזאת התרומה אשר תקחו מאתם זהב וכסף ונחשת ... (כה-ג)
Several times, the Medrash comments that whenever it says the word "זאת" in the Torah it is a remez for Torah, אין זאת אלא תורה as it says (towards the beginning of Chukas) "זאת התורה". Accordingly, here as well, the verse is a remez for Torah, that the terumah, the donation, that Hashem sought from the Jewish people is their zos, their Torah. Indeed, the Ramban famously writes that the Shechina resting on the Aron in the Mishkan was the same revelation of Shechina that was at Matan Torah on Har Sinai, indicating that the source of the Mishkan’s sanctity was the kedushah of the Torah contained within the Aron.
The posuk states: "ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם" - we should make a Mishkan for Hashem and He shall dwell inside it. However, Chazal comment that it does not say "בתוכו" inside of it, but "בתוכם", inside of them. R’ Chaim Volozhiner zt”l (Nefesh HaChaim) elaborates that the ikar tachlis of building the Mishkan was so that the Shechina should rest inside us, the Jewish people; the Mishkan was just a mashal for what and who we are supposed to be. The Malbim in Sefer Shmuel makes an astounding assertion. He writes that just as the Aron HaKodesh in the Kodesh HaKodashim was the repository of the luchos and a Sefer Torah, that is, Torah ShebiKesav, the Talmid Chacham is an Aron Kodesh for Torah SheBaal Peh. This is the vision Hashem has for His nation, and it is incumbent upon us to turn it into reality.
The approaching holiday of Purim is a day of kabolas haTorah. "קימו וקבלו היהודים - קימו מה שקיבלו כבר". In the aftermath of the great miracles that were wrought for them, the Jews in the times of Mordechai and Esther reaffirmed their connection and fealty to the Torah, and the Medrash Tanchuma on Parshas Noach clarifies that this refers particularly to Torah SheBaal Peh.
This is the donation Hashem really wants from us, that we should become Aronei Kodesh for the heilige Torah, VeZos HaTerumah, give Me your Torah, your effort and ameilus and Chiddushim and sevaros! Fashion yourselves into an abode for the Shechina to descend upon you! That is the real terumah that I want: טוב לי תורת פיך - פיך דייקא - מאלפי זהב וכסף!