Teruma 5634

תרל”ד

ויקחו לי תרומה. וקשה דהול”ל יתנו. 

(Shemos 25:2) “They shall take a donation for me”. The word “take” is difficult, it should say “give”

ופי’ רש”י ז”ל יפרישו לי מממונם נדבה. 

Rashi (25:2) Explains that the word teruma, means to separate from one’smoney a donation. (The word “take” in this context means to seperate)

ונראה שזה הבחי’ שפורש אדם דבר משלו ומבדילו להשי”ת חשוב לפניו יותר מגוף הנתינה. כי לי הכסף וכו’. 

It would seem that this concept of separating something which is actually one’s own and sanctifies it for HaShem is actually of greater value to HaShem than the actual donation. For (HaShem says Chagai 2:8) “Silver and Gold is Mine”. (Therefore the greatest gift is really the gift of oneself – giving one’s own desire to HaShem)

ואותו הנדיבות בשעת מעשה האדם להניח חפציו בעבור השי”ת הוא הלקיחה. 

This “donation” when a person foresaks their own desire or the sake of HaShem is called “Taking”. 

שע”י הלקיחה מתרומם הדבר להש”י. 

And it is through this “taking” that everything can be elevated to HaShem. (see above תרל”ג 2)

ונק’ תרומה כי מי עלה שמים. רק שע”י נדיבות האדם מתרומם הנדיבות עד השי”ת. 

This is called teruma donation (connected to the word uplifting), for who can ascend Heaven!? Rather (the only way of elevating things) is through this “separating” (of one’s own desire) of mankind, it can be elevated all the way up till HaShem.

ואיתא תרומה ניטלת במחשבה שע”י מחשבה ורצון טוב ניטלת ומתרוממת עד לשמים. 

(The Gemara Beitza 13b) explains that with one’s thoughts one can separate teruma – (even without expressly stating that it is teruma). This means that with oneos thoughts and good intention one can uplift something to Heaven.

ומצוה זו נוהגת בכל דבר להיות בו חלק להשי”ת. 

This mitzva of seperating a part, applies (not only to teruma and the time of the Mishkan, but also) in every actiona person does. That (if one cannot sanctfy oneos entire action) nevertheless at least a part of it should be sactified for the sake of HaShem.

ועשו לי מקדש כו’ הוא בכל מעשה האדם. 

this is the meaning of the words “they shall make ועשו a Mikdash for me”, (the word ועשו is in present tense which means that it applies) in everything a person does.

ואיתא עין טוב וכו’ ועין רע א’ מס’. 

The Mishna (Terumos 4:3) says that one who gives teruma –  generously give one fortieth, one who gives with stingly is one sixtieth.  

כי כשיש משהו רצון להשי”ת שלא יהי’ פחות מס’ שיתבטל ברצונות החצוניים רק א’ מס’ נשמר להניח מקום לחול עליו ש”ש. 

This teaches us that in whatever actions we do, at the very least one sixtieth of the action must be done for the sake of Heaven, in order that the name of Heaven can rest on it, for anything less than that becomes nullified with the other external  desires.  

(In halachik terminology one sixtieth becomes nullified, for example milk into meat that is less than one sixtieth, does not forbid the meat. So too if a person has at least one sixtieth set aside for HaShem that is able to uplift the rest).

עי”ז מתרומם המעשה כולו. 

And from that little bit, (the one sixtieth that has been set aside, it can affect the rest), and elevate the entire action.

מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו כו’ פי’ מכל מיני נדיבות ורצונות שנמצאים בלב האדם יפרשו תרומה:

“From every כל person whose heart is uplifted”, (the word כל means that) every generosity and desire that is in one’s heart, there must be a part of it that is separated as a teruma. (This can be found in every action and every part of the person).

הרוצה שיתקיימו נכסיו יטע בהן אדר.

The Gemara (Beitza 15b) says that one who wants his properties to be preserved should plant among them an eder אדר tree.

ע”פ הגמ’ שנכסים נקראו ע”ש שנכסין מזה ונגלה לזה.

It states the properties are so called נכסים for it disconnected to the word “cover”. This is because property is revealed to one person but hidden from another.

וצריך האדם למסור כל חפציו להיות מתקיימין במדת ההצנע. 

And a person needs to (be prepared to) give away all one’s property so that they will be preserved with the trait of hiddenness (humility).

והעצה לזה להיות הרצון באמת להשי”ת בלבד. 

the way to do this, (and affect one’s property) is that one’s desire in all one’s actions should truly be only for the sake of HaShem. 

והכלל כי אם השי”ת מסייע להאדם שלא לגלות מעשיו. הוא סימן שהוא לש”ש באמת. 

And the general rule (that one can see if his actions are really done for the sake of Heaven) is when HaShem helps a person actually reveal what he’s done. This is a sign that he has performed his actions for the sake of Heaven.

(even though sometimes one has to do things in public, for example teaching torah in public. Nevertheless by doing that for the sake of Heaven, HaShem helps them not be affected by external things). 

וכמשמתערב רצונות אחרים אינו מתקיים במקום המכוסה:

However when one combines other (personal) desires into one’s actions, then they don’t last even in the hidden place. 

ושכנתי בתוכם כו’ ככל וכו’ תבנית כו’ וכן תעשו.

(Shemos 25:8-9) “I will dwell amongst them…Exactly as I show you..the pattern…so shall you make it.” 

הלשון מהופך. 

This is written the wrong way around (it should rather say “Make it as I show you etc…”)?

וי”ל כי איך יכולין בנ”י לעשות משכן להש”י כאשר אמרו במדרש שתמה מרע”ה 

We can explain it as follows. Really it is difficult to understand how can Bnei Yisrael make an actual physical dwelling place for HaShem? And Moshe actually asked HaShem this very question (Midrash Shemos Rabba 33:8)

והשיבו הקב”ה אף א’ מהם יכול לעשותו. 

HaShem responded that each an every one of Bnei Yisrael can make it (כל איש).

ומ”מ וודאי נעשה כ”ז ע”י התחברות נדבות בנ”י ואז יש לכל א’ חלק שיכול גם א’ לעשותו. 

However the only way one person can have such an effect is by connecting his generosity, to Bnei Yisrael as a whole. Then each person has something unique that they are contributing.

וז”ש מאת כל איש לכנוס עצמו בכלל ישראל. 

This is the meaning of the words כל איש, that this individual איש must be a part of the כל, the entire nation. (Only once the individualis part of the whole, then they can contribute their own unique contribution)

אבל עכ”ז בנ”י נתנו רק הנדבה אך הכלל שע”י מעט הנדיבות של איש ישראל חל עליו ש”ש. 

Even though Bnei Yisrael gave just their own (seemingly insignificant) generosity, nevertheless this little bit was done for the sake of Heaven, and merited HaShem’s presence to rest upon it.

כי כל מעשה האדם לברר בחי’ השראת השכינה שיש בכ”מ. כמ”ש במ”א. 

For every action that a person does, should be to reveal HaShem’s presence in everything. as we have written elsewhere (see above תרל”ג 2). 

(Since in this little bit that they are doing there is the purity of their intention it is able to connect to everyone else’s pure intentions and uplift the entire action. With these pure intentions something physical can actually be a Mishkan for HaShem)

ועי”ז יכול האדם אח”כ לעשות יותר ומברר כח השראת השכינה יותר. ועושה יותר עד אין שיעור. 

And through doing (this little bit for the sake of Heaven) one is able to afterwards (build on it) and reveal the presence of HaShem more and more, to no end. (Doing one mitzva causes another mitzva)

וז”ש ועשו כו’ ושכנתי כו’ ככל כו’. ועי”ז וכן תעשו אח”כ בכל השלימות והבן:

This therefore is the reason why the words “and so you shall do” are at the end, for there is a continuation, by each action gaining more and more to reach perfection.