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D'var Torah by Natalie Diamond - February 2007

Parsha T'rumah (Exodus 25:1 - 27:19)

This week's Torah portion is T'rumah (meaning gifts) and deals with the building of the Tabernacle. It describes in detail how this should be built - and when I say "detail", I mean "detail". We are talking about the size of the ark - how long it should be, how wide it should be, and how high it should be. The dimensions are given in cubits; and in case you don't know what a cubit is, I'll tell you - one cubit is the length of your forearm down to the tip of the middle finger. We are also told that the ark should be made of acacia wood and should be overlaid with pure gold - both inside and outside. The colors of the yarn that should be used for the cloth to make the tent over the Tabernacle are also spelled out as are the lengths of each cloth. The number of loops and clasps to hold each of the cloths are also listed . And so it goes on and on. After reading this, I asked myself, "What does this really mean to me in Poway, California in 2007 and why should I care?"

So I did some research and found that detail is really necessary if you want something to last. A quote from the well-known architect Mies van der Rohe, "God is in the details" ,stayed with me during my reading and helped me look beneath the surface of just measurements to find other meanings. Several of the books I referred to honed in on the second verse of this Torah portion which is "Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts; you should accept gifts for me from every person whose heart so moves him". Rabbi Maynard Bell writes that God doesn't want gifts from just anyone. He explains this by saying that the materials to be used to create the Tabernacle and to build a place of holiness must come from those who give their gifts from their own free will - from the heart. Rabbi Bruce Block expands on this by saying that the gifts that were asked for had to be voluntary gifts since they were to be given from the heart. He refers to this as the "cardiology" of giving. He also wonders if this cardiology of giving applies to gifts of Tzedakah since he thinks that gifts of Tzedakah are not voluntary since everyone is required by the Shulcan Aruch to give Tzedakah in an amount appropriate to our individual capacity to give. Also, giving Tzedakah is one of the many mitzvahs we are supposed to perform. He also wonders if attitude plays a part in the giving. Are you supposed to feel good about giving even though the giving itself is an obligation? (Perhaps we can talk about this at the end of my d'var Torah).

One of my favorite Torah interpreters, Maimonides, thought about this as well and wrote that "whoever gives with bad grace - even if he gives 1000 gold pieces - loses all the merit of his actions".

The Talmud provides insight on another of the phrases of the portion which tells us that "the ark was to be covered with gold inside and outside". We learn from this phrase that the wise man whose inside does not match his outside is really not genuinely wise. Or to say this another way in referring to gifts, they should always be given wholeheartedly.

As you can see my reading made me realize that the portion isn't just about measurements and the type of wood that should be used in building a sanctuary. It is also about "thinking outside of the box" as to what each individual phrase means. This reminded me why Torah scholars can read and discuss one page of the Torah for weeks - and also why our Torah Study Group has been meeting for 10 years and is only up to Leviticus!!

One more comment, however, from another favorite Torah interpreter, Rabbi Harvey Fields. He reminds us that no real achievement is possible without attention to detail. Musicians practice note after note, day after day, in order to play excellently. Athletes stretch, run, and lift weights in order to compete successfully. We could also name other instances where much detail and energy is required in order to succeed. Rabbi Fields goes on to say that genuine accomplishments like magnificent sanctuaries are the products of hard work and very close attention to detail every step of the way.

Now back to life in Poway in 2007 with the very real prospect of our own sanctuary being built and put to use this year. I am sure that the measurements of the walls and the floors were accurate and that much attention was paid to other details. And I hope that everyone who contributed to the building of the sanctuary either financially or otherwise did so with good grace and a caring heart. Thank you.