Mishkan, Terumah and Higher

On God.
These words are sung in the Shabbat and holy days during Musaf: Holy, holy, holy, the universe is filled with His radiance.

There is not quadrant or even an infinitesimal speck in the most remote regions of the cosmos that does not contain the essence of the Almighty. The universe is filled with Him.

In Terumah, there is an elaborate description on creating and maintaining a “Place” or Mishkan where the presence of the Holy One can be found. In fact the parsaha is devoted to sorting out the specific details of how to construct this dwelling place for God. Furthermore, we label the most proximate place of God as the Shechina. Shechina is the “Place “ where the Holy One, blessed be He, can be most strongly felt. Both words — the Shechina and Mishkan – have the same Hebrew root. They indicate a location where God is found.

Question: Did we not just say that there is no place in the universe where Divine sparks cannot be found? Why then build a Mishkan for God? Why specify a word indicting the presence of God?

The decision to have a Mishkan, or dwelling place on earth, dedicated to God was a reaction against the Golden Calf in the wilderness. Because the Jewish people acted on impulse to have an image of God, something they could point to as a physical presence of the Almighty, God responded by giving the specific dimensions of a Mishkan for the Shechina on earth thus satisfying this human need.

The Shechina is not limited to a space. It is only the human awareness of the Presence of the Divine One.

In Psalm 26 David asks, "Who will stand in the place Holiness?"
Note that the question is not, Who will ascend to the place of God? but, who will stand there? In other words, only if our eyes are truly open and yearning for God will find ourselves in a place of holiness. When we search for God every act will be elevated to the plane of holiness. We become souls aflame.

Midrash: A king had a daughter who fell in love and married a man from a distant town. The king, happy at the wedding, made a single request of his daughter. “I love you and will miss you. There is a part of me that wishes I could stop you from moving away but I know you must follow your heart, your love. Please set aside a room for me at your new home so that I may come to visit with you.”
This is the Mishkan.

On people. V-asu, "and they will make," is in the plural form. Every Jew was responsible to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan. The Mishkan was destined to be a structure that every member of B’nai Israel built and owned.

Further on, there is an opportunity to give more for the Mishkan. This time, unlike the last, is optional. The Torah states, "from every person whose heart moves him you shall take My portion.” (25:2)

Idea: Our self image is chiseled from the actions of our hands. We find self-definition by the things we do. When we act in harmony with God; when we choose the path of mitzvot; when we go beyond the boundaries of tzedaka and reach instead for gemilut hasadim,* acts of righteousness, we form an positive self image that makes us happy.

Working in synchronicity with God brings joy. Suggested by the Torah is that when we give our self toward a higher purpose our life becomes elevated.

That is why the Torah also says Vayikhu Lee Teruma, "Take for Me teruma." Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zl, explained that when we do acts of kindness our dark side, or Yetzer Hara, works against us. The building of the Mishkan taught that when we behave with generosity we grow in moral stature. That is why Feinstein interpreted this pasuk as, You will take as you will give. When we give we receive something far greater…..

As recorded in the Talmud, Baba Batra 11a, King Munbaz said, "My fathers stored their wealth below; I have stored mine above." King Munbaz knew that his life and spiritual side had so much more value when he acted out of goodness and with a full heart. His investment was not in his treasury but with God.

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* Tzedaka is our responsibility, our obligation. Gemilut Hasadim is a way of approaching life. Gemilut Hasadim means acting kindly, stretching beyond the boundaries of what is expected by doing good things.