Shabbos Parashas Terumah - 5775

Shabbos Parashas Terumah - 5775

Rabbi Hal Miller They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them. [Shemos 25:8]

Like everything that I show you, the form of the Tabernacle and the form of all its vessels, and so shall you do. [25:9]

There are commandments in the Torah that only applied to the generation in which they

were given, and there are commandments that apply to all future generations as well.

Are we commanded now to "make a Sanctuary for Me"?

Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 95, says that it is "in force when the majority of Israelites are

settled in their homeland." While this comment does not tell us that it applies today, it

does say that it was not restricted to the days of Moshe Rabbeinu and Kings David

and Solomon.

Rashi, on the second verse says, "and so shall you do" means "in future generations"

and explains it by showing that King Solomon made a new set of utensils for his

Temple, following the steps set forth in our parsha in the time of Moshe. Ramban says

that this is no proof, that the size of the Temple did not match that of Moshe's tent

structure so Solomon was not following the example. Ramban says that the phrase

"so that I may dwell among them" is the key. But what does this mean?

Abarbanel asks a question, "Why did the Almighty command us regarding the

construction of the tabernacle saying, 'I shall dwell among them' as if He were a

circumscribed corporeal being limited in space when this is the opposite of the truth?"

Many commentators deal with the idea that any human-constructed Sanctuary would

be able to contain G-d, who is infinite. Rav Hirsch, for example, says,"the phrase

'and I shall dwell in them' means that His blessing will be in our midst." Abarbanel

adds that people had begun to believe that G-d was remote from them in heaven,

not caring what happened on earth, and to correct this belief, "He commanded them

to make a Tabernacle, as if to imply that He dwelt in their midst."

From these comments we might think that the purpose of the Sanctuary is to house

G-d's blessings and to be a constant reminder to us of His Kingship. Certainly the

latter is a valuable result of having the Sanctuary, but we are still left with questions.

Why would we have to limit blessings to a specific place? Why is this tent the way

to remind us of G-d's presence?

Rav Moshe Feinstein writes, "it would appear that the holiness of the Sanctuary has

to emanate from Hashem, and that humans can only build a physical structure which

Hashem then makes into a Sanctuary by causing His Presence to dwell in it."

Now we have a way to understand both Rashi and Ramban, and at the same time to

answer Abarbanel's question. The Sanctuary is not holy of its own accord, and we

humans do not make it so by building it. If we follow G-d's commandments to build it,

He will sanctify it. It applies to future generations, and the reason is so G-d can dwell

with us. He will not dwell in a box, regardless of how it is made nor for what purpose.

He will dwell in the space which we create for Him, which of necessity is a non-physical

space. We must build this place in our hearts, meaning in our souls. Only then will He

sanctify the place we make, and only then will He dwell among us.

With this understanding, we can say that the command certainly applies today, and

always will. But what of the physical? Does that apply now as well? For this we go

back to Sefer HaChinuch. He writes, "It is one of the precepts that are not imposed on

any individual, but rather on the entire community. When the Temple will be rebuilt, soon

in our days, a positive precept will be fulfilled."

In other words, there are two aspects to this mitzva. One is directed to individuals, to

build a Sanctuary in the heart and soul. The second is to the community to rebuild the

physical place. We do not have the power yet to accomplish the second, which makes

the first all the more important today.