* TORAH WEEKLY * Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion and Haftorah. Plus Ani Ma'amin - The Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith. Parshas Terumah For the week ending 4 Adar Rishon 5755 3 & 4 February 1995 =========================================================================== This issue is dedicated in the memory of Rochel bas R' Avrohom Boruch HaLevi by her son, Jeremy Rose, of London =========================================================================== Summary Hashem commands Moshe to build a Mishkan (Sanctuary) and supplies him with detailed instructions. The Bnei Yisrael are asked to contribute precious metals and stones, fabrics, skins, oil, and spices. In the Mishkan's outer courtyard is an Altar for the burnt offerings and a laver for washing. The Tent of Meeting is divided by a curtain into two chambers. The outer chamber is accessible only to the Kohanim, the descendants of Aaron. This contains the Table of showbreads, the Menorah, and the Golden Altar for incense. The innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, can only be entered by the Kohen Gadol, and only once a year, on Yom Kippur. Here is the Ark that held the Ten Commandments inscribed on the two tablets of stone which Hashem gave to the Jewish nation on Mt. Sinai. All of the utensils and vessels, as well as the construction of the Mishkan, are described in detail. =========================================================================== Commentaries "Take for Me an offering" (25:2). "I have given you a good `deal' (lit. `taking') _ My Torah, do not forsake it" (Tehillim, 132 8-10). The Torah can be looked at just as one would look at one's business affairs: If you have a bad week in business, you don't close up the shop! Because if you close the business and give up working completely you will surely sink lower and lower, until you hit the bottom. Similarly in learning Torah, even though there will be times when a person will be unsuccessful in his efforts, and will feel very despondent, he must continue to try harder and harder with an implacable will, for if a person forsakes his learning, and `closes up the shop', this will certainly be his undoing. (Rabbi Dovid m'Kotzk) "And they shall make a Sanctuary for Me, so I may dwell in them" (25:8). The Torah's choice of the words "so I may dwell in them" is unusual, for more correctly it should have written "so I may dwell in it" -- in the Sanctuary. However the real meaning is that every Jew should make his heart into a Sanctuary where Hashem will dwell. "And they shall make -- their hearts into a Sanctuary for Me, so I may dwell in them." (The Alshich) "You shall cover it (the Aron) with pure gold, from within and without, and you shall make on it a gold crown all around (25:11). The Aron HaKodesh (Holy Ark) represents the Torah scholar. He must be as golden on the inside as he is on the outside _ his inner character must be consistent with his public demeanor. Then the Torah will be his crown and he will be a crown for the Torah. (Adapted from Rabbeinu Chananel) "The staves shall remain in the rings of the Ark, they may not be removed from it" (25:15). In the description of the Aron HaKodesh, the Holy Ark, the Torah tells us that the carrying staves of the Aron are never to be separated from the Aron itself. These staves represent the financial supporters of Torah _ just as the staves of the Aron cannot be removed, so are the Torah's supporters and benefactors inseparable from Torah scholarship. However, the Aron never really needed the staves because, not only did it bear its own weight, but it would lift up those who were `carrying' it. When Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, the founder of Telshe Yeshiva, got married, his father-in- law, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Neviezer, wanted to support him so that he could devote himself to study and become a Gadol B'Torah (great Torah scholar). As Rabbi Gordon's family began to grow, he became increasingly uncomfortable with the feeling that he was burdening his father-in-law, and frequently asked Reb Avraham to allow him to accept one of the rabbinical positions that were then being offered to him. Despite difficult financial times, Reb Avraham refused to let him accept and insisted that he carry on studying. Reb Avraham's wife asked her husband how long he intended to support their daughter and son-in-law, he replied, "My dear wife, who knows who is supporting whom..." When finally Rabbi Gordon was offered the Rabbinate of Eisheshok, his father-in-law felt he could not restrain him from accepting such an important post. The day after the Gordon family left for Eisheshok, Reb Avraham Yitzchak, Rabbi Gordon's father-in-law, passed away. It then became clear who had been supporting whom...The Aron carries those who `carry' it. (Adapted from Rabbi Zev Leff -- "Outlooks and Insights") =========================================================================== Haftorah: 1 Melachim 5:26-6:13 "This Temple that you build _ if you follow My decrees, perform My statutes, and observe all My commandments..." (6:12). Just as the week's Parsha deals with the Mishkan, so the Haftorah describes the construction of the first Beis Hamikdash by Shlomo Hamelech. In this verse Hashem says to Shlomo: Don't think that the construction of My house is by mere material means; by the lavishing of silver and gold. These are mere illusions _ not the real Beis Hamikdash. Rather, "if you follow My decrees, and perform My statutes" _ this is what the Beis Hamikdash is really built of. And since the materials of its construction are spiritual, so the Beis Hamikdash, even after its physical destruction, even after its material components have disintegrated, continues to exist:"I will dwell within the Bnei Yisrael, and I will not forsake my people Yisrael..." (Kochav m'Yaakov) =========================================================================== Ani Ma'amin The Rambam's 13 principles of faith Principle #12: "I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Mashiach, and even though he may delay, nevertheless I anticipate every day that he will come." "As the chassan rejoices over the kallah, so shall your G-d rejoice over you." Yishayahu 62:5 If we prepare ourselves by learning and familiarizing ourselves with all the laws of service in the Beis Hamikdash, that this would bring our redemption closer. It's like a wedding. When the kallah (bride) is all dressed up, bedecked with jewels and ready to enter the chupah, and everyone is waiting for the chassan (groom), then he surely hurries to arrive. But if the kallah is not ready, the chassan is in no hurry, either. So it is with Hashem, Who describes Himself as the chassan of the Jewish people. If we are fully prepared, if we are adorned with all the Torah laws and with a knowledge of the rules of service in the Beis Hamikdash and we await the arrival of Hashem to dwell in our midst, then He will certainly hurry to be with us. Chafetz Chaim, Torah Ohr, Perek 10 =========================================================================== Where do YOU find TW* ? Mr. Mark Hampel writes: I've been receiving your Parsha Sheets in Shiloh (Israel) via fax, and enjoying them. Now I find myself back for a short time in Melbourne, Australia, and am receiving them via the Internet. Please don't stop sending to Shiloh, there are still chutznikim reading them there! TW finds its way all around the globe. E-Mail, fax, snail-mail, even Fedex and let us know where you found your copy. We'll share your responses with the other TW readers! *(Torah Weekly) =========================================================================== *************************************************************************** * Get ready for * * SUMMER IN ISRAEL `95 * * Look for details next week * * * * Can't wait for next week? * * For information NOW send E-Mail to Rabbi Zalman Corlin: RZCorlin@aol.com* *************************************************************************** SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion. dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi. ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism. parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion. os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach. os-alum - "Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter. judaismo - Spanish-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism. There is NEVER a charge for any of the above lists (though your local information provider, such as AOL, Prodigy or CompuServe, might charge a nominal fee). To subscribe to any of these lists, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name} to: listserv@jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il =========================================================================== Dedication opportunities are available for Torah Weekly Please contact us for details. =========================================================================== Jewish L EEEEEEEE Prepared by Ohr Somayach Institutions J L E 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103 J L Exchange Jerusalem 91180, Israel J J L E Tel: 02-810315 Fax: 02-812890 JJJJ Learning EEEEEEEE Internet: newman@jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il =========================================================================== Written and Compiled by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair Production Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Production Design: Lev Seltzer =========================================================================== (C) 1995 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample of an issue.