Published February 21, 2010
Parshat T’ruma brings us, once again, to the perennial question of what is better, to take or to give? Which, of course, elicits the immediate (Jewish) response of, “What kind of question is that?” Being of generous sorts and wishing to think of ourselves as Ba’alei Chesed - doing selflessly for the good of others - we tend to retort instantly that “giving” is the preferred response.
So why does the Torah tell us that each member of Bnei Yisrael should take - if he so desires - a portion (T’ruma) of his possessions and allocate it to become “My portion”, a dedicated contribution to Hashem for the building of the Sanctuary (Sh’mot 25:1-2)? Surely, the command should have been, to give or to donate to the Mishkan.
The well-known answer is that those who give do indeed take satisfaction, if not consequent reward, for their utilitarian deeds. Even more so, the building of the Mishkan engendered a situation whereby the Sh’china eventually dwelt amongst every Jew. Could we not “take” a better step forward than that?
Perhaps R. Hirsch understood it best when he explained that the Hebrew root of the term “T’ruma” is “Ram”, meaning to lift up. Clearly, and so sublimely, he is telling us the simple but quintessential fact that when an individual makes a voluntary communal offering in the service of Hashem, he takes upon himself a means of elevating his personality to the loftiest of spiritual heights.
Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff
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