Torah Portion Summary

The nineteenth reading from the Torah is named Terumah. In Exodus 25:2, the LORD commanded Moses to "tell the sons of Israel to [take] a contribution for Me." Terumah is a word with no real English equivalent. In the Torah, terumah refers to a certain type of offering dedicated to the Temple, like a tithe or firstfruits offering. Terumah means "contribution," "portion," "gift," or "freewill offering."

In this week's parashah, the LORD asks for help "from every man whose heart moves him" to provide materials for the Mishkan kodesh (holy Tabernacle), a structure that would symbolize His Presence among the Israelites during their sojourn to the land of Canaan. (The word mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן) comes from a root (שָׁכַן) meaning "to dwell" and from which the word shekhinah (שְׁכִינָה) is derived.) This holy tent was intended to be "God's dwelling place among the people" where sacrifices were offered and God would communicate with the people through Moses and the Kohen Gadol (High Priest).

Detailed instructions for constructing the Mishkan were given to Moses in this portion. This layout would later became the model for the Bet Hamikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem, and even for synagogue architecture in later days. It consisted of three main parts:

1. The Outer Court: Called the chatzer which contains the altar for blood sacrifices and the bronze laver used by the priests, and a tent-like structure called the ohel that was divided into two separate chambers:
2. The Holy Place:haKodesh is an outer chamber into which only priests who performed sacred duties had access (which contained the shulchan (table of showbread), the menorah (lampstand) and mizbeach HaKatoret (the altar of incense)
3. The Holy of Holies:kodesh ha'kodeshim is the innermost chamber which only the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) entered on Yom Kippur, and which contained the aron ha'brit (the Ark of the Covenant that held the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments).

Haftarh Portion Summary

In the Torah reading, the Israelites began constructing the Mishkan, the "portable Temple" that would move from place to place with the people in the desert. In the Haftarah, King Solomon directed the Jewish people to begin constructing the Holy Temple which was designed to be a "resting place" for the Divine Presence in Jerusalem.

The idea of the Temple came from King David, who transformed the concept of the Mishkan into a vision of a "House for the LORD." David was prevented from building the Holy Temple, however, because he was a man of war, and the task was therefore given to his son Solomon, who began its construction in the 480th year after the Exodus from Egypt, during the fourth year of his reign. It was modeled after the Mishkan, though proportionately it was twice the size and a porch-like feature was added, along with a three-story extension extending all around the building. The entire structure was constructed without the aid of iron tools, since iron is often used in warfare, and the Temple was created to establish life and peace for people. God promised Solomon the Temple would remain standing only if the Jewish people would remain faithful to Him. In 586 BC, the Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. It had stood for 410 years.

As the Midrash says, "The land of Israel is situated in the center of the world, and Jerusalem in the center of the land of Israel, and the Temple in the center of Jerusalem, and the Holy of Holies in the center of the Temple, and the foundation-stone on which the world was grounded, is situated in front of the ark"(Midrash Tillin Terumah, Kedoshim). In this connection it may be added that the phrase, sha'alu shalom Yirushalayim, "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (from Psalm 122:6) actually suggests the Messiah Yeshua. The word sha'alu actually means "ask" (as in ask a sheilah, a question). Shalom is a Name of Yeshua, since He indeed is Sar Shalom (the Prince of Peace). The word Jerusalem means "teaching of peace" (the "Jeru" at the beginning comes from the same root as Torah, which means teaching), so the phrase could be construed as "ask about the Prince of Peace and His Teaching." At any rate, we know that Yeshua is indeed the King of Jerusalem (Matt. 5:35) who will soon return to reign over all the earth.

B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary

The Torah appeals, in the Name of the Lord, that we should be charitable people, reflecting his heart of kindness. Indeed giving to others imparts the blessing of God: "Take for Me an offering" (וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה), the Scripture states, rather than "Give for Me an offering," since we receive more than we give through acts of charity (Exod. 25:1-2). The early sages explained that when we give tzedakah (charity), it may seem like we giving something from our own substance for the sake of another, but in truth we are actually taking, since we are spiritually receiving back much more than we give (both in this life and especially in the world to come).

The reward we get in return for our giving is always far greater than whatever we originally gave (Mal. 3:10), and this implies that giving is really a kind of "taking..." This agrees with Yeshua's teaching: "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38). Likewise he said, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (Matt. 25:40). "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed" (Prov. 19:17). The sages consider the act of giving to others as one of the greatest of the commandments, since it is the essence of God to give to His creation, and it is through analogous giving that we are enabled to see the Divine Presence, as it is written in the Scripture, "I will see your face in tzedakah" (Psalm 17:15).

The Brit Chadashah readings pertain to the blessings of giving tzedakah even while under the terms of the New Covenant. It is written that "God loves a compassionate (ἵλεως) giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). Followers of the Messiah Yeshua are to be marked by goodness (טוֹבָה) expressed in generosity (נְדִיבוּת). The fruit of the Spirit (פְּרִי הָרוּחַ) listed in Galatians 5:22-23 fulfills the requirements of the Law, but they constitute the supernatural outgrowth of the grace and love of God in the heart of one who trusts in Yeshua as Messiah (see John 15:1-8). Our lives are sanctified in the manner in which they were initially justified: wholly by faith in the love and grace of God.

One of the middot ha-lev (qualities of heart) of the righteous soul is to be giving to others. This is simply part of the ethos of the Jewish soul. Rabbi Asi says, "Charity equals in importance to all other mitzvot combined." And Rabbi Yehudah likewise says, "Ten hard things have been created in the world. The rock is hard, but iron shatters it. Iron is hard, but fire softens it. Fire is powerful, but water extinguishes it. Water is heavy, but clouds carry it. Clouds are thick, but wind scatters them. Wind is strong, but a body resists it. The body is strong, but fear crushes it. Fear is powerful, but wine banishes it. Wine is strong, but sleep works it off. Death is stronger than all, yet tzedakah (charity) delivers from death, as is written, צְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת - "Charity delivers from death" (Prov. 10:2).

All Portions this week (LINK)
Torah	Haftarah	B'rit Chadashah
Exodus 25:1-27:19	1 Kings 5:12-6:13	2 Corinthians 9:1-15
		Matthew 5:33-37
		Mark 12:35-44
COMMENTARY
Fruits of Torah	Torah Resource	Hebrews for Christians
Ardelle -ver1	Tim Hegg -part1	Torah Table Talk
Ardelle -ver2	Tim Hegg -part2	The Light of the Menorah
Ardelle -ver3		A Closer look at the Menorah
Ardelle -ver4		King David and the Mishkan
AUDIO COMMENTARY (Nehemia's Wall)
Portion	Torah Pearls	Prophet Pearls
Terumah