Weekly Parsha

This Week Study is sponsored anonymously in honor of our kehilat Kodesh Community. May G-d Bless us all with much success, good health and peaceful home.

Exodus 25:1 - 27:19

Terumah (תְּרוּמָה‎ — Hebrew for "gift" or "offering," the twelfth wordand first distinctive word in the parashah) is the nineteenth weekly Torah portion.

This week's Torah reading is an architect's or interior designer's dream portion. It begins with the Almighty commanding Moses to tell the Jewish people to bring an offering of the materials necessary for the construction of the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary.

The Torah continues with the details for constructing the Ark, the Table, the Menorah, the Tabernacle (the central area of worship containing the Ark, the Menorah, the Incense Altar, and the Table), the Beams composing the walls of the Tabernacle, the Cloth partition (separating the Holy of Holies where the Ark rested from the remaining Sanctuary part of the Tabernacle), the Altar and the Enclosure for the Tabernacle (surrounding curtains forming a rectangle within which was a large area approximately 15x larger than the Tabernacle).

The Torah states regarding the portable Sanctuary that traveled with the Israelites during the 40 years in the desert:

"You shall place the Table outside the Partition, and the Menorah opposite the Table on the south side of the Tabernacle, and the Table you shall place on the north side" (Exodus 26:35).

It would have been much more concise to say, "Place the Table outside the partition on the north side."  What lesson for life is the Torah coming to teach us from the placement of these furnishings?

The Table and the Menorah represent two aspects of life.  The Table and the Showbread (which rested on it) represent the physical aspect of life, the food we need for survival; the Menorah represents the spiritual aspect.

When life begins, the infant knows only his physical needs and their gratification.  The juvenile mind cannot conceptualize or understand spirituality.  We thus begin life with our physical and material drives being dominant.  When one reaches the age of reason, the spiritual aspects of life sets in, and should achieve primacy.  The physical needs should eventually become subordinate to the spiritual.  Inasmuch as one cannot achieve spiritual goals unless one is physically healthy, one must provide the body with all its essential needs.  However, this should not be as in childhood, when satisfying one's hunger or resting to overcome weariness were dominant.

This is why the Torah goes out of its way to describe the placement of the Table and the Menorah.  The beginning of life is indeed with the Table, but at some later date, the Menorah must be given primacy.  After that, the Table is still very much a part of life, but is now subordinate to the Menorah.  Maturity is not limited to intellectual progress, but requires that spirituality becomes the goal of life while the physical requirements are only the means.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

He who provides for this life, but makes no provision for eternity ... is wise for a moment, but a fool forever!

It's not enough that we do our best -- sometimes we have to do what's required.

Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential.

Shabbat Shalom!

Mazal Tov 

Bianca Welikson
Warren Amar 

Prayer list

"Nahum ben Bracha"
"Julia bas Maggie (Miriam)"
"Adira (Heidi) bas Sarah"

Pray for the  "Refuah Shleima"  (rapid recovery) of "  our community" . May G-d deliver us from this crisis quickly and grant a full recovery to those who are sick, Amen!

Covid won't stop our learning 

We are pleased to announce the  American Jewish College's  FREE Learning Program .

Please contact Rabbi Tank's WhatsApp at +1 (917) 834-4770 to inform that you want to join the English, French, Spanish or Portuguese daily study group.

The wise man seizes the opportunity to do mitzvot" (King Solomon). The lazy person says -- someday I'll do it.

Be a Partner

Join Our Campaign