Teruma 5633

תרל”ג

ויקחו לי כו’ במד’ לקח טוב נתתי לכם כו’. 

“You shall take a teruma for me”, (see above תרל”א Midrash Shemos Rabba 33:1) quoting the pasuk (Mishlei 4:2) “I have given you a good לקח instruction (connected to the word ויקחו)” 

דקשה מה ויקחו. ויתנו הול”ל. אך כי איך יוכל אדם ב”ו ליתן דבר מה להש”י. רק הרצון ולקיחת נפש האדם לנתינה זו. זה עיקר המכוון. 

There is a difficulty that is being addressed in the Midrash: Why is the word ויקחו “they shall take” used, it should say “they shall give”? However the idea being taught here is that how can it be that a physical person can actually give a gift to HaShem (The entire world is HaShem’s)? However it is through a person “taking” his very essence – one’s desire for the sake of this gift to HaShem. This is the main intention.

והיינו דכ’ לקח טוב. שכל המצות ומעש”ט. העיקר הרצון לעשותם. ועל ידי זה מתרומם המצוה עד השי”ת.

 This is therefore the meaning of “a good לקח”, that the main point when one does any mitzvos and good deeds is that they should be done with the desire to do them. And it is through this desire (to do them properly by putting aside one’s personal gains) that lifts up the mitzva all the way till HaShem.

כי וודאי השי”ת עשה להיות אלו המצות תלוין במעשה האדם. שיתעורר ע”י מעשה זו עד השי”ת ממש. אבל האדם צריך לידע כי הוא רחוק מהמצוה מאוד. 

Now the way HaShem designed the world is that the mitzvas are dependent on our actions, that they can awaken and cause such a great effect. Yet a person still needs to realise that they are really very far from the mitzva.

(Even though one is causing such a big effect in the upper worlds, all the way till HaShem yet one still needs to be cognisant of the lowliness of man and the elevatedness of HaShem).

וע”י ביטול עצמותו אל קדושת המצוה ולהתבונן בזכי’ זו. אשר ע”י מעשיו מגיע תקונין בכל העולמות עד השי”ת ממש. 

It is through thislevel of nullification of oneseld to the holiness of the mitzva and contemplating this gift, that through one’s actions it can effect and uplift all the worlds all the way to HaShem. (The contemplation is on the fact that even though one is aware of how unworthy they are, nevertheless HaShem has given us the opportunity to effect such big changes with our actions) 

וצריך האדם למסור נפשו ומאודו בכל מצוה בכוונה הנ”ל. וע”י זה מתרומם המצוה יותר ע”י השי”ת. וזה שכתוב ויקחו לי תרומה וכו’.

This requires a sacrificing of one’s very self, in every mitzva and focusing on this point. It is through the self sacrifice that ethe mitzva is elevated all the way to HaShem. this is the meaning of “They shall take for me לי” (As our sages explained “for me” means for the sake of HaShem completely, ie self sacrifice – mesirut nefesh.) (Becasue one is aware how lowly they are,  and also that nullifies all of one’s own will to HaShem).

ובכל דבר העיקר ההתחלה והרצון. ואח”כ השי”ת מסייע שיוכל האדם לעשות המצוה גם בפועל. וז”ש לאל גומר עלי. וז”ש נמכר עמו לסייע כפי רצון האדם כנ”ל 

This is how it is in everything that one does, the main thing is the start, and after that HaShem helps the person do the mitzva in action. As it says “For the G-d that completes for me” (the completion and effect of the mitzva is really all HaShem’s doing). this is the meaning of the Midrash, where HaShem says “I have sold Myself with the Torah”, that HaShem helps to complete the action in propotion to the desire of the one doing it. (For now the fulfillment of the Torah is dependent on the actions of Bnei Yisrael).

[במדרש] בו זהב אין בו כסף וכו’ ואינו מובן כי יוכל אדם ליקח כסף וזהב ושדה וכרם. 

The Midrash states further that when a person buys gold it does not include silver (Gold and silver are referring to love and fear), when a person buys fields the don’t include vineyards, yet the Torah has all these points together. 

What is the Midrash teaching us, surely if one has money they can buy all these things, what is the uniqueness of the Torah?

אבל הפירוש כי בגוף הזהב אין כסף וכו’ אבל מקח שנתתי לכם יש בו הכל בנקודה אחת. 

However the explanation is that in physical things the actual gold does not contain silver, whereas with the Torah in the same point there is everyhting. (In physical things each force opposes and detracts from the other force, however when it comes to Torah in the very same force, another force doesn’t oppose it, but rather contributes to the greater service of HaShem).

והוא להגיד לאדם שלא יתרחק ע”י שמבין שאין מעשיו מגיעים להשי”ת. רק להאמין כי השי”ת ממלא כל עלמין. וכל רצון אמת שיש בכל איש ישראל מגיע אליו ממש. 

this teaches us that one need not feel distanced from HaShem when one thinks about how insignificant one’s actions are, and one begins to think that they don’t actually reach HaShem. However one needs to have emuna that HaShem fills the entire worlds (from the very lowest to the very highest) and if so any action that is done with a real desire for the truth actually really reaches HaShem! 

(through the contemplation on HaShem beng everywhere, one realises that one can connect to Him from any place).

ואא”ז מו”ר ז”ל פי’ אל תעזובו את המקח שנתתי לכם דייקא. לזכור האדם כי המקח מהשי”ת ושגם לקיחת האדם לקיים המצוה גם כן רק מהשי”ת:

the Chidushei Harim furthermore explained the pasuk “Do not forsake my Torah”, this means: Do not forsake that I have given to you. Meaning that one needs to continually be remember that even the feeling that one has to do a mitzva, that first feeling is also from HaShem.

ברש”י ויקחו לי תרומה יפרישו לי מממונם נדבה כו’. פי’ שצריך האדם לתת מכל דבר חלק להשי”ת.

Rashi (Shemos 25:2) 

תרומה. הַפְרָשָׁה, יַפְרִישׁוּ לִי מִמָּמוֹנָם נְדָבָה:

תרומה is something set apart; the meaning is: let them set apart from their possessions a voluntary gift in My honour.

This means that in everything one does and all interactions there must bea part f it that is sepearted for HaShem. (even in the most physical actions)

ואף שדברי עוה”ז הם רחוקים מאוד. 

Even though the physical interactions with this world are so far from the holiness. (Nevertheless even the physical contains the life force of HaShem that gives it existence, and it too can be elevated)

אבל הרצון צריך להיות להשי”ת. 

However one’s desire (at the very least) should be for the sake of HaShem. 

(even though I am still stuck in physicality, but I want to elevate it, along with the entire world)

כמו שכ’ רש”י נדבה רצון טוב. וזה עצמו הנדבה הרצון להיות הרצון תמיד להשי”ת. 

As Rashi (Shemos 25:2) explains the word “gift נדבה” means a good intention, ie: that one’s intention is for the sake of Heaven.

והרצון גובר המעשה. 

Now with the correct intention it is able to overcome the physical action and uplift it.

כי כל מעשה האדם מעורר בעליונים והרצון ברצון עליון. 

Everything is paralleld in the upper worlds, so therefore one’s actions effect the world of action in the upper worlds. However one’s desire penetrates to much deeer place. The actual desire of HaShem

וידוע כי ברצון השי”ת מתהפך הכל ברגע. 

As is known the will of HaShem can change everything in an instant. (keter, erech apayim)

ולכן צריך האדם להאמין כי הכל תלוי ברצונו. 

Therefore one needs to believe that everything is dependent (and can be effected) through one’s desire (the desire can even change and elevate the physical action. As explained above)

ובזוה”ק פירש ענין המשכן על תפלת האדם בכל יום. והוא שצריך האדם לברר השראת השכינה בכל דבר. 

The Zohar (2:133a) explains how each part of the Mishkan is paralleld in our prayer every day. This means that man needs to bring out the G-dliness in everything

(everything has a part of HaShem that needs to be elevated)

כי וודאי מלא כל הארץ כבודו. 

For (Yeshay 6:3) “the world is filled with the glory of HaShem” (yet It is all hidden so how can we reveal it?)

אבל כפי אמונת האדם יוכל להרגיש השראת השכינה. ובבהמ”ק הי’ הדבר בפועל. ועתה הוא על ידי אמונה כנ”ל. 

However through one’s emuna one can actually feel the presence of HaShem. In the Beis Hamikdash HaShem’s presence was actually revealed openly, however nowadays the way to access this is through emuna.

(And on a certainlevel emuna is even greater than seeing, for one goes against one’s natural inclination to believe in what one sees)

וכל התפלה ע”ז שמעיד האדם כי הכל מחיות השי”ת.

Whenever we pray we are actually demonstrating that everything comes from the life force of HaShem. (when one requests physical things it demonstrates that one believes that it all comes from HaShem)

וכפי מה שנתברר להאדם כן יוכל לברר בכל דבר.

To the extent of one’s clarity of emuna, one can actually bring about more clarity

וכפי מה שאדם רוצה באמת לברר מלכותו ית’. כן יוכל להטות כל הדברים אליו ית’. כי לדברים גשמיים. אין להם רצון. וכל דבר צריך להיות לו רצון כי זה העיקר. ומזה הוכחה כי דברים אלו תלוים בהאדם שיש לו רצון. וברצונו יוכל להטות הכל אליו ית’ כנ”ל. 

And in as much as one desires, (as discussed above, it is dependent on one’s desire), to bring about the dominion of HaShem in the world, proportionately one is able to draw everything to HaShem. 

Now since the main thing is the desire (as dicussed above), and phyiscal things don’t have their own deisre, this proves that they are dependent on mankind to infuse them with desire and upliftthe G-dliness in them.

(the physical doesn’t have a desire, however one’s desire effects it,  connects and uplifts the spiritual element in that thing.)

וז”ש ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם בתוך כל אחד. וכמ”ש ז”ל שמרע”ה שאל איך יוכלו לעשות משכן לכבודו ית’. והשיבו השי”ת כי אף א’ מישראל יכול לעשותו. 

This is the meaning of “They shall make a Mikdash for me and I will dwell in them” Meaning that I will dwell in each and every one of Bnei Yisrael. And as our sages taugh us, Moshe asked HaShem how is it posible to make a dwelling place for HaShem? HaShem replied that every singel one of Bnei Yisrael is able to make a dwelling place (kol ish)

והוא השראת השכינה בכל דבר להיות האמונה קבוע שחיות הכל למעלה מהטבע וזה מקדש כנ”ל:

this (availabilty to each and every Jew) is the emuna that in everything there is the life force of HaShem hidden in nature. This is the concept of the Mikdash (the connection of the above to this world below).