After the story of the Pharaoh, the plagues, and the Exodus from Egypt, followed by commandments and mishpatim, this week’s parsha (Terumah, Exodus chapters 25 through 27:19) is quite a departure.
While Moses is still up on the mountain, he is told to take a terumah, offering, from all of those whose hearts make them willing. And gets a lot of information about how it is to be used.
On Erev Shabbat, Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa goes into that, and perhaps even a bit of the ‘why’ — given that this happens before the failure of the ‘golden calf’:
During the Sabbath day study, Mark addresses some of the challenges we might have in studying a set of detailed instructions such as these. Is it a lot of repetition, ‘boring’ even? Why does the Creator spend so much effort giving us so much information that might even seem a bit redundant at times?
Is it possible, undeniable even, that He might intend to make a point – or even MANY points – in a way that we might just tend to gloss over?
Perhaps the answer has to do with the very idea of a “willing heart”, and the concept of ‘terumah’ itself.
One thing is certain – there is FAR MORE here than just:
“Terumah: Curtains and Sockets and Boards, O My”
The combined two-part podcast is here, via Hebrew Nation Radio.
