Parshas Trumah
In 25:32 it says, "מקשה תיעשה המנורה" - the Menorah should be made of a solid piece.
Rashi explains that you should not make it in pieces that you then attach together, but from one solid piece.
The menorah is symbolic of wisdom - Torah knowledge. חכמה, wisdom, cannot come from partial information, knowledge in piecemeal fashion, putting things together. If you have bits and pieces of information, you might know some things, but that does not make you into a חכם.
You have to work hard and get the whole picture. learn it all, get the whole Torah, get the whole of whatever it is you are studying, understand it completely, the whole concept.
That is the way to acheive wisdom, just as the Menorah had to be of one piece.
Showing posts with label Trumah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trumah. Show all posts
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Trumah: promises of donations
Parshat Trumah
In 25:3 it says, "וזאת התרומה אשר תקחו מאתם" - this is the donation that you should take from them.
Rashi comments that it was all בנדבה - given generously. If that is the case, why does it keep says "Tikchu" you should take from them? they are donating it? They are coming and giving it to Moshe, so why does he have to go take it?
People make donations, during an appeal in shul for example, but they are lazy about actually getting around to making good on it. The Treasurer has to remind people that they have not yet paid. He has to keep nudging and even to take it from them.
When you are building the Beis Hamikdash, the Mishkan, a Shul, a Tzedaka project, etc., you cannot just sit back and rely on the promises people make as to whether they will donate and how much. If you rely on their promises, your project will never get off the ground.
You have to go get the money. Make them actually pay up. People promise to donate, but when they have to pay, they get reluctant,. It is difficult to pay out.
They donated generously, but you still have to go take it from them.
In 25:3 it says, "וזאת התרומה אשר תקחו מאתם" - this is the donation that you should take from them.
Rashi comments that it was all בנדבה - given generously. If that is the case, why does it keep says "Tikchu" you should take from them? they are donating it? They are coming and giving it to Moshe, so why does he have to go take it?
People make donations, during an appeal in shul for example, but they are lazy about actually getting around to making good on it. The Treasurer has to remind people that they have not yet paid. He has to keep nudging and even to take it from them.
When you are building the Beis Hamikdash, the Mishkan, a Shul, a Tzedaka project, etc., you cannot just sit back and rely on the promises people make as to whether they will donate and how much. If you rely on their promises, your project will never get off the ground.
You have to go get the money. Make them actually pay up. People promise to donate, but when they have to pay, they get reluctant,. It is difficult to pay out.
They donated generously, but you still have to go take it from them.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
details of the construction
Parshat T'rumah
Why does the Torah have to describe in such great detail the contruction specifications of the mishkan? This was a one-time requirment, as the Beit Hamikdash was contructed differently.
Why was it so important go inform us of all the specifics? Unless you are an engineer or an architect, it is all pretty boring. Why not write down the generals - build x for this and y for that, etc. use these materials, etc.. Why all the specifics?
We often find many things transmitted without having been specifically written in detail in the Torah. Why was this written in such great detail?
Why does the Torah have to describe in such great detail the contruction specifications of the mishkan? This was a one-time requirment, as the Beit Hamikdash was contructed differently.
Why was it so important go inform us of all the specifics? Unless you are an engineer or an architect, it is all pretty boring. Why not write down the generals - build x for this and y for that, etc. use these materials, etc.. Why all the specifics?
We often find many things transmitted without having been specifically written in detail in the Torah. Why was this written in such great detail?
removing the poles
Parshat T'rumah
When describing the construction specifications of the Aron, the Torah says poles must be made to carry the Aron and placed in the rings on the side of the Aron. In 25:15 it says, "בטבעות הארון יהיו הבדים לא יסורו ממנו" - in the rings of the aron will be placed the poles, they should not be removed from it. Rashi adds "Forever" meaning the poles have to remain forever in the rings of the aron.
This means there is always going to be a prohibition against one removing them, even when the aron is sitting in the Beit Hamikdash and is not in transit.
What is the purpose of the poles during this majority of the time where the aron is not in transit? Why are they so important that there is a specific issur against removing them?
Furthermore, why require such an issur when physically they were constructed in a way that made them impossible to remove (the tips were wider than the size of the ring, so there was no way the poles could be removed)?
Why are these poles so important?
Do you have any thoughts on this?
When describing the construction specifications of the Aron, the Torah says poles must be made to carry the Aron and placed in the rings on the side of the Aron. In 25:15 it says, "בטבעות הארון יהיו הבדים לא יסורו ממנו" - in the rings of the aron will be placed the poles, they should not be removed from it. Rashi adds "Forever" meaning the poles have to remain forever in the rings of the aron.
This means there is always going to be a prohibition against one removing them, even when the aron is sitting in the Beit Hamikdash and is not in transit.
What is the purpose of the poles during this majority of the time where the aron is not in transit? Why are they so important that there is a specific issur against removing them?
Furthermore, why require such an issur when physically they were constructed in a way that made them impossible to remove (the tips were wider than the size of the ring, so there was no way the poles could be removed)?
Why are these poles so important?
Do you have any thoughts on this?
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