BS”D
Volume 39, No. 19
1 Adar 5785
March 1, 2025

Sponsored by
Mrs. Rochelle Dimont and family
on the yahrzeit of
father-in-law and grandfather
Harav Shmuel Elchanan ben Harav Binyomin Dimont a”h

In this week’s Parashah, we read about the commandment to build a Mishkan / Tabernacle. The Gemara (Berachot 55a) relates: Betzalel, the lead artisan of the Mishkan, is named for his wisdom. When Hashem told Moshe, “Go tell Betzalel to make me a Mishkan, Aron, and Keilim / implements,” Moshe went and reversed the order, telling Betzalel, “Make Keilim, an Aron, and a Mishkan.” Betzalel replied, “Our teacher Moshe! When one builds a house, he builds the house first and then puts furniture in it. Yet you are telling me to make the furniture first and then the house! Where will I store the Keilim until the Mishkan is made?” Moshe answered, “Indeed, Hashem told me to make the Mishkan and then the Keilim. Were you perhaps B’tzel Kel / in the shadow of G-d–a play on the name ‘Betzalel’–and so you knew?” [Until here from the Gemara]

R’ Yaakov Moshe Charlap z”l (1882-1951; rabbi of Yerushalayim’s Sha’arei Chessed neighborhood and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mercaz Harav) explains: There is an expression, “Last in deed was first in thought.” (We say this, for example, about Shabbat, in the poem Lecha Dodi. Shabbat was created last, but it was first in G-d’s “thought.”) Here, the ultimate goal of building the Mishkan was not the structure itself, but its contents; therefore Hashem said, “Make me a Mishkan, Aron, and Keilim”–the Mishkan first in deed and the Keilim last in deed, but first in tought. Of course, Moshe knew that the Keilim should be made last. However, being very attuned to G-d’s “thoughts,” he understood that the Keilim were the essence of the Mishkan, and he focused on them in transmitting Hashem’s command to Betzalel.

When Betzalel “corrected” Moshe, Moshe said to him, “Were you perhaps B’tzel Kel / in the shadow of G-d.” Shadows create contrast that enables us to tolerate and even use an otherwise blinding light. You, Betzalel, are apparently able to see that the bright light of the Keilim–first in Hashem’s thought–needed to be filtered by being inside the Mishkan–first in deed. This parallels Creation itself, for our Sages say that Hashem “thought” of creating the world with the Attribute of Justice, but He saw that it could not be tolerated. Therefore, in practice He tempered the Attribute of Justice by filtering it through the Attribute of Mercy. This understanding is the wisdom of Betzalel to which the Gemara quoted above refers.

R’ Charlap continues: The Geulah / ultimate redemption will also dazzle us like a blinding light, as we read (Yeshayah 60:1), “Arise! Shine! For your light has arrived, and the glory of Hashem has shone upon you.” Therefore, R’ Charlap writes based on the Zohar, the Geulah needs to be accompanied by shadows, which enable us to tolerate the great light. These shadows may take the form of support from the nations of the world–such as when King Cyrus of Persia supported the construction of the Second Temple or, in modern times, when the nations supported the creation of a Jewish homeland. Sometimes, to our sorrow, these shadows take the form of painful losses.

R’ Charlap adds: When we see shadows, i.e., when we see that the redemption appears to be coming about through natural means (e.g., the support of foreign nations) that conceal the miracles taking place, we should not view that as diminishing the redemption’s light. To the contrary, we should see it as nature being elevated. This is what the Gemara (Yoma 29a) means when it says: “Esther is the end of all miracles.” Before the Purim story, we were accustomed to open miracles that did not occur within nature; they overpowered nature. Megillat Esther, in contrast, is the ultimate story of a miracle occurring completely within nature. It represents the “perfection” of miracles, so-to-speak, and hence it is the climax, the “end,” of all miracles. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Mei Marom p.82)

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“Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them take for Me a Terumah / donation.” (25:2)

A Midrash asks: Why does Parashat Terumah follow Parashat Mishpatim? The Midrash answers: Thus it is written (Tehilim 119:121), “I practiced Mishpat / justice and Tzeddek / righteousness.” [Until here from the Midrash]

R’ Yitzchak Klein z”l Hy”d (rabbi of Kosice, Slovakia; killed in the Holocaust) explains: The word Tzeddek (literally, “righteousness”) reminds us of Tzedakah / charity. Some people rationalize earning money dishonestly by saying that they will donate the profits to charity. No! says the Midrash. Parashat Terumah, which deals with making donations to the Mishkan, follows Parashat Mishpatim, which consists primarily of laws concerning financial dealings. “Mishpat” must precede “Tzedakah,” the Midrash is teaching.

R’ Klein adds: This is why our verse says “Take for Me a Terumah.” When one gives charity, he should picture himself presenting it directly to Hashem Who, in the words of Yeshayah (61:8), “hates an offering [acquired] through robbery.” (Birkat Avraham)

Rashi comments: “For Me” means “Li’Shmi” / “for the glory of My Name.” [Until here from Rashi]

R’ Yosef Karo z”l (1488-1575; Greece and Eretz Yisrael; author of the Shulchan Aruch and other works) writes: It says in our Parashah, “Take a donation for Me,” and (verse 8), “Make a Sanctuary for Me.” These verses hint that every act done for a holy purpose should include a declaration, “I am doing this for a holy purpose.” This is similar to the custom that, when preparing a chair for Eliyahu Ha’navi at a Brit Milah, we speak the words, “This is the chair of Eliyahu Ha’navi.” (Maggid Meisharim)

Similarly, R’ Avraham Abele Gombiner z”l (influential Halachic authority; Poland; died 1682) writes: One should say about each item one buys for Shabbat, “This is in honor of Shabbat.” (Magen Avraham 250:1)

Our Sages say, “Engage in Torah study and Mitzvot even if it is not Li’shmah / with the proper intention, for by acting not Li’shmah, one will eventually act Li’shmah.”

R’ Yaakov Niman z”l (Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Ohr Yisrael in Lida, Poland and Petach Tikvah, Israel; died 1983) asks: Why, then, does Rashi emphasize here that donations toward building the Mishkan / Tabernacle should be given Li’shmah?

He answers: Our Sages teach that Hashem does not deny any person reward for his good deeds. Even a Mitzvah performed not Li’shmah is deserving of some reward, and that reward will be paid.

Nevertheless, writes R’ Niman, creating a place for the Shechinah / G-d’s Revelation to reside requires Li’shmah, as we read (25:8), “Make a Sanctuary for Me”–for My sake alone. (Darchei Mussar)

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“Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them take a donation for Me, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My donation.” (25:2)

Why does the verse switch from “a donation for Me” to “My donation”? R’ Gavriel Wolf Margolis z”l (1847-1935, rabbi of Grodna, Belarus, and later Boston, Massachusetts) explains: The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni states that a blessing rested on the donations for the Mishkan so that a small amount went very far. Indeed, this must be so, for how else could the fundraising be completed in only two days?! As a result, even those who otherwise could not afford to make meaningful contributions were able to make significant donations. “From every man whose heart motivates him”–whether he can afford a large donation or not–“you shall take My donation”–I, Hashem, will turn it into something meaningful. (Torat Gavriel)

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Shabbat

R’ Aharon Eliezer Zilberman shlita (Brooklyn, N.Y.) writes: When the Torah describes the sacrificial offerings brought in honor of Shabbat, it says (Bemidbar 28:10), “The Olah-offering of each Shabbat on its own Shabbat.” What is meant by “on its own Shabbat”? R’ Tzaddok Hakohen Rabinowitz z”l (1823-1900; Chassidic Rebbe in Lublin, Poland) explains that every Shabbat has its own unique holiness, as reflected in the fact that every Shabbat has a different Torah reading. In this vein, R’ Alexander Ziskind z”l (Grodno, Belarus; died 1794) writes in Yesod V’shoresh Ha’avodah (8:12) that a person should undertake some new service of Hashem every Shabbat. (R’ Alexander Ziskind explains that this new service need not be something dramatic or momentous; it could be something as simple as formulating a new insight on the Parashah or clarifying, through studying commentaries, a Talmudic passage that one did not understand clearly before. Other suggestions that R’ Alexander Ziskind offers include: making an effort every Shabbat to pray with more concentration, trying to purify one’s thoughts a little bit more each week, undertaking to dedicate oneself to more and higher quality Torah study, and committing to being a bit more honest in business each week.)

R’ Zilberman continues: R’ Chaim ben Attar z”l (1696-1743) writes in his work Ohr Ha’chaim (Bereishit 2:3) that Hashem created the world with only enough staying power to last for six days. Each week, when we observe Shabbat, the world is recreated for another six days. Thus, Chassidic works note, every Shabbat truly is unique; there never was a Shabbat like this one, and there never will be another like it.

R’ Zilberman concludes: Many works write that Shabbat is a time for Teshuvah. This need not refer to repenting from sins. Rather, if a person is always growing, he recognizes that his service of Hashem in the past, while appropriate for the level he was on at that time, was inadequate compared to his service today. This type of Teshuvah is attributed to R’ Sa’adiah Gaon z”l (882-942; Egypt, Eretz Yisrael and present-day Iraq; author of the earliest known work on Jewish Thought), and it is something that every person can practice as he grows with every Shabbat. (Ner Zahav p.662)