Frequently we find ourselves stuck in the rat race of life. Days and weeks can go by and our life starts to feel like one long, monotonous cycle. How can we break it up? How can we find some serenity and meaning?
One solution can be to take a few minutes each day and think about the “why” of our existence--What am I looking to accomplish in life? Or, we can create a long-term solution by dedicating a space in our home (for example, a comfortable chair) where we go daily for peace and quiet. We can also bring meaning into our life by designating a percentage of our income to charity, marking it for a higher purpose than just our own personal needs.
However, we can still challenge ourselves by asking, is this enough?
Let’s look closely at this week’s Torah portion, Terumah. In the first few verses, G-d tells us to “take for Me” a donation to help build the Sanctuary. A few verses later, G-d says, “make for Me” a Sanctuary.
Why is G-d using the term “Me?” It sounds childish, and if we think about it, we cannot even fulfill these commands. Here’s why it’s not practical: Let’s say that I give $100 toward G-d’s building fund that I “took for You;” the money now becomes G-d’s. I can now only use G-d’s money to fulfill the second command, to build the edifice. How can I “build it for You” when it actually already belongs to G-d?
Either I use my money and build Your temple, or I use Your money to build Your Temple, but then the Temple is not mine.
One way to explain this is that there is more to give than just handing over money. There is a deeper type of giving. First, we set aside money for the donation, then we elevate that donation. In order to make the donation more meaningful, more is required from us than just writing a check.
Using the dedicated space in our home as we suggested is an example. Once the space is designated, the area essentially becomes a sanctuary in our home. Does that mean that this space becomes “holy?”
The verses teach us that the designation is not enough; we have the ability to transform the space into a holy place, not only studying there, but doing so with intention. Just donating our money is not enough; we should also get involved in the causes to which we are donating. Our hearts and souls have to get involved, not only our checkbooks.
This is what G-d is telling us. Give to ME and build for ME are really two steps in transforming our environment around us: 1- we separate. 2 – we elevate.
Shabbat Shalom