Terumah: Discipline and Yearning Oh Lord Prepare me to be Your sanctuary Pure and holy, tried and true. And in thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for you. (You can hear the melody here.) I’ve always been moved by this hymn (originally Christian) adopted and set to music in this version at Romemu, in New York City. The Hebrew verses we sing at Romemu come from this week’s parsha. Their definition: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.” (Chapter 25, verse 8) What does it mean to be a living sanctuary? What does it look like to be a walking, talking mikdash, or sacred dwelling space? According to Parshat Terumah, the creation of the mikdash – and by extension, the mikdash itself -- is a dance between a generous offering of love and a disciplined commitment. This has direct implications for our own practice and the sanctuaries we construct within ourselves. Generosity of the Heart 2. Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.
בּדַ ּבֵר אֶל ְּבנֵי יִׂש ְָראֵל ְויִקְחּו לִי ּתְ רּומָה ֵמאֵת ּכָל אִיׁש ֲאׁשֶר י ִּדְ בֶּנּו לִּבֹו ּתִ קְחּו אֶת ּתְ רּומָתִ י:
Right at the start of the parsha, God is clear that this sanctuary will be constructed in tandem with the hearts of the children of Israel. Although requested (with extreme specificity) by God, the mysterious “x” factor of the Mikdash is the choice of offerings
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