Parsha Vayakhel - Giving from the heart

Parsha Vayakhel

Exodus 35:5. “Take ye from among you an offering (terumah) unto the Lord, whosoever is of willing heart, let him bring it, the Lord’s offering (terumat).  .  .  . ."  Exodus 35:21.  “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and brought the Lord’s offering (terumat).  .  .  .”

Jewish tradition distinguishes between two types of generosity: terumah and tzedakah.  The first is the giving that comes spontaneously from the heart, from neither obligation nor guilt, but from a feeling – nedivut ha’lev - that stirs deep within.

May we be blessed to practice generosity and receive the gift of the presence of God dwelling among us.

Parshat Terumah - Giving from the heart

 Parshat Terumah – Ex. 25:2, 8 “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved.  .  .  .  And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”

God is everywhere and in everything.  Taking a closer look at the Hebrew, the word terumah, translated as gift, comes from the root meaning “to elevate.” The Hebrew, mikdash, translated as sanctuary, comes from the root kuf, daled, shin, which means holy.  The Hebrew for dwell comes from the root shin, kuf, nun, which indicates a moving dynamic presence, not tied to a fixed location.   What makes a place holy for us and how do we open ourselves to let God in?  

Let us dedicate our practice to giving from the heart, elevating our souls, and bringing the Holy into our lives.  

Inspired by Cantor Florence Friedman