Monday, Adar1- 3, 5784 / February 12, 2024

We are now in the Hebrew month Adar one.  This year, being a leap year, consists of 13 months. Thus, we have Adar one and Adar two. In a regular year we would now be only six weeks from Pesach, but this year we still have 10 weeks.

This week’s Parsha is Terumah. In this Parsha G-d commands Moshe to tell the Jewish people to make contributions towards the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Mishkan was a dwelling built for G-d, in which G-d’s presence will rest amongst the Jewish people.

The Mishkan was a temporary structure made out of wood, which traveled with them throughout their forty years in the desert. It was disassembled when they had to travel and erected wherever they camped. It was also used when they came into Israel, until they built a permanent structure.

The name of the Parsha, Terumah (an offering), refers to the donations which G-d asked them to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan. Instead of commanding Moshe to tell the people to “give” or “donate,” the Torah says to tell the people, “Take for me an offering.”

Q.  Why does the Torah use the expression take, It should have said, "Give to Me an offering."

A.Our sages explain that the Torah uses the expression “take” instead of “give” to teach us an important lesson about the concept of charity. 

When we give Tzedakah (charity) it seems to us that we are the givers and the needy are the receivers. G-d tells us that the truth is that the giver is really the one who is taking and receiving. The very mitzvah of charity-Tzedakah and the reward one gets for this mitzvah is much greater than what they gave. Thus, giving is really taking.

The Talmud explains this as follows: "More than the wealthy person does for the poor man; the poor person does for the wealthy one." The return one gets for the mitzvah of Tzedakah is of much greater value than what the receiver got.

The following passage is from the Talmud: Rabbi Yehuda says, "Ten hard things have been created in the world. The rock is hard, but iron shatters it. Iron is hard, but fire softens it. Fire is powerful, but water extinguishes it. Water is heavy, but clouds carry it. Clouds are thick, but wind scatters them.  The wind is strong, but the body resists it. The body is strong, but fear crushes it.  Fear is powerful, but wine banishes it. Wine is strong, but sleep works it off. Death is stronger than all, yet, Tzedakah-charity delivers from death, as is written, "Tzedakah saves from death."

Tzedakah is the most powerful thing in the world.

UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY