Thought of the Week: Terumah - 5786

Paresha: Terumah: 25:1–27:19 

To Me and For Me

“Daber el B’nei Yisroel, v’yikchu li terumah.” (Shemos 25:2)

Parshas Terumah begins with a call for individual Jews to step forward and donate the raw materials – gold, silver, and other items -, which were to be used in the building of the Mishkan. “Speak to the B’nei Yisroel,” says Hashem to Moshe, “and they shall set aside terumah for Me”.

Rashi comments that the word “li”, which would normally mean TO me’ is translated as FOR me in this setting. As the Sifsei Chachomim explains, all items in this world already belong to Hashem. Therefore, the terumah was not given to Hashem, who already possessed it, but rather was donated in His honor (lishmi). Rashi offers a similar translation for the word li later in this parsha (Shemos 25:8) when Hashem informs the B’nei Yisroel that His Shechinah (Divine Presence) will rest among them once the Mishkan is completed. “V’asu li Mikdash” is translated that the Jews should build a Mishkan FOR Hashem; dedicated to His honor.

The Koheles Yitzchos offers an interesting insight regarding the observation of Rashi that the meaning of the word li translates to lishmi – FOR my honor. He explains that if an individual gives charity to a poor person, the recipient of the tzedakah received assistance irrespective of the donor’s motives in giving the gift. It is therefore possible to donate to charity without the purest of intentions and nevertheless derive emotional and spiritual reward for the deed. When one is donating to the Mishkan, however, Hashem is not in need of the items being given. It is only the nedivas lev, the willingness to contribute generously that serves as a nachas ruach to Hashem. Therefore, the pasuk instructs us that when giving terumah to the Mishkan: li, since it being given to Hashem (who is not in need of the donations), see to it that your motives are sincere. Lishmi; give it for His sake, l’shem shamayim.

The word that precedes li, v’yikchu, (Shemos 25:2) requires careful study as well. We would normally translate the word to mean TAKE. Wouldn’t the word v’yitnu, and they should GIVE, be more appropriate? The pasuk would then read “v’yitnu li terumah, and they should give terumah to Me.” After all, the donor is giving the gift, not taking it.

Rashi seems to address this issue when he translates the word terumah as a portion that one sets aside (alternatively, terumah could mean ‘to lift’). According to this interpretation, the donor sets aside his gift, and only then presents it to the Mishkan. The Torah instructs us to lend significance to our donation by setting it aside for the purpose of the Mishkan. (The Torah may also be suggesting to us that setting aside

tzedakah), the donor is receiving a mitzvah and the gift of spiritual elevation – adding value and meaning to his or her life.

Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz and Torah.org.