Thursday, February 11, 2016

Dvar Torah for Parshas Terumah

       Parshas Terumah begins a four-parsha discussion about the building of the Mishkan. Terumah begins with a discussion of the different utensils used in the Mishkan, along with the unique significance behind each one. The parsha continues with a description of the actual structure of the Mishkan and the surrounding courtyard. Further parshiyos discuss the clothing of the Kohanim, and the subsequent gathering of the necessary materials and construction of the Mishkan.
       At the beginning of the parsha, the Ramban does something he rarely does, he provides an introduction for the parsha (usually, he only provides introductions for seforim, not individual parshiyos). In it, he explains the purpose and importance of having a Mishkan. The following is his explanation.
       Only a few weeks prior, Hashem had appeared on Har Sinai in front of the entire Jewish People and spoken the Aseres Hadibros. He then gave over to Moshe the rest of the Torah privately, with instructions to give it over to the People. At that point, seeing how eager and excited Bnei Yisrael were to receive the Torah, Hashem officially made a Bris, a treaty with them that they would become His nation. The significance of this can’t be exaggerated. For Hashem, Ruler and Creator of the entire world, to choose one nation among all the people on the Earth to be considered and cared for as His is incomparable to any event in history.
       One of the promises Hashem made to Bnei Yisrael was, “וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּֽהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ “And you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy Nation” (Shemos 19:6). And because they were holy, they were worthy of having real holiness dwell among them. Therefore, while Moshe was still on Har Sinai, Hashem gave him the instructions on how to build the Mishkan, in order that He would be able to dwell among the nation. The most important part of the Mishkan was the utensil from where Hashem would “speak” from, the Aron (Ark) since that was the fulfillment of the Mishkan’s main purpose. Therefore, the Aron is the first utensil mentioned in the parsha.   
       The Shechinah that rested in the Mishkan was not just a sample size amount. When Hashem appeared in the Mishkan, it was exactly the same as when he appeared on Har Sinai! Matan Torah is the only time in history (so far) that Hashem appeared in His full Glory in this world; but this revelation existed every day inside the Mishkan, and subsequently, the Beis Hamikdash! What a person would see if he would go into the Kodesh Hakedoshim, where the Aron was housed, was the exact same thing he had seen on Har Sinai. The fire that came down and ate the korbanos that were brought on the mizbe’ach in the courtyard was the same fire. And the voice Moshe heard coming from between the Keruvim on top of the Aron when he spoke to Hashem was the same one he heard while he was on the mountain! (This voice however, stopped once it hit the curtain so no one else could hear. No one besides Moshe was worthy to speak directly with Hashem.) This was true as well in the Beis Hamikdash. Any expression of Hashem in either of these structures was equal to that expression when it was seen on Har Sinai.
       Perhaps this idea is better suited for Tisha B’av when we mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, but we are reading these parshiyos now, in the middle of the winter. Plus, it is always necessary to mourn our greatest loss. But perhaps we can now better understand what we have lost. In some ways it’s impossible to picture what happened at Har Sinai, but in some ways it is very easy. We have heard about how Bnei Yisrael saw sights and heard sounds that had never before been experienced. They watched as Hashem’s Cloud of Glory descended on the mountain and Moshe walked up to meet Him. They stood and shook as the Voice of Hashem surrounded them, teaching them the Torah they were so excited to receive. One thing we can understand from this description, this experience was larger than life.
       But what if it wasn’t? What if it could fit inside a building. What if every time someone brought a korban, that same fire appeared. What if every time the Menorah was lit, that same light shone through. And what if on Yom Kippur when the Kohen Gadol went into the Kodesh Hakedoshim, that same voice was being spoken (even if no one could hear it). Well, it did happen, in the Beis Hamikdash. That’s what we lost, and that’s what we hope to gain. The experience of Har Sinai every day. May we see it speedily in our days.


Shabbat Shalom!


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