Exodus 25:1-27:19 * 1 Kings 5:26-6:13 * Matthew 11:2-19

 This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY ON PARASHAT TERUMA
CHAYYEI YESHUA - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
IN SUMMARY
LOOKING AHEAD 

Questions and Commentary on Parashat Teruma

1. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering (teruma). From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering." Exodus 25:1-2

The word li "me" seems to be unnecessary. Would it not have been sufficient to say, "Take an offering?" What does this teach us?

Rabbi Jason Sobel

Midrash Tanchuma answers this question as follows,

"Speak to the children of Israel, and you will have them take a teruma offering for me." Anytime the blessed Holy One, uses the expression li ["to me"], it is in effect both in this world and the world to come." In what way? "The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is mine belongs to me [li] (Leviticus 25:2)," in this world and in the World to Come. "For every first-born belongs to me [li] (Numbers 3:13)," in this world and in the World to Come.  "The Levites shall belong to me [li] (Numbers 8:14), in this world and in the World to Come. And Israel because it is written "And you shall be to me [li] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6)," in this world and in the World to Come. "You will have them take a teruma offering for me [li] (Exodus 25:1)," in this world and in the world to come.

From this midrash we learn two things. First, the teruma offering is not something that is limited to this world. Even in the days of Messiah, God will still ask his people to give freely with a generous heart in recognition and appreciation of this kindness toward us.

Second, those who honor God by giving to divine purposes will not only be blessed in this world but also in the next. In reality, all we have is from God and ultimately everything belongs to God. It is just on loan to us as, for example, the land of Israel. Not using our God-given wealth to support God's work and help those in need is very foolish for the only lasting investment is the one we make in God's Kingdom.

Hillel assembled his students in a large lecture hall and asked them, "If an individual has a thousand dinars and gives three hundred for tzedaqa (charity), how much money will that person have left?" His students confident of their answer shouted in unison, "Seven hundred dinars." Hillel slowly shook his head. "No, you are all wrong.  For if a person has three hundred dinars engraved in God's annals, the reminder of the seven hundred is not left to the individual. Such a person cannot take that money to the grave, robbers may take it from him, fire may consume it and all that it can purchase. Therefore a person cannot count the money left in one's pocket to be permanent. It is only the money distributed toward tzedaqa - to feed the poor, or to cloth the poor, or to provide drinks to the thirsty - only this money has lasting eternal value. The correct answer to my question then is that there will be no money left. The only money that a person really has is the money he or she gives away on behalf of God to help others.

Avot de-Rabbi Natan 

Hillel's statement is very astute, and similar to the teaching of Messiah Yeshua in the Besorot: Yeshua said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21). The wise person freely and generously sets a side a portion of his or her wealth for God's work, like Israel did in this week's Torah portion, so that they might be blessed in this world and in the world in the World to Come. 

2. What is the connection between the construction of the Tabernacle, its furnishings and the Presence of God among the people of Israel?

Joshua Brumbach

This week's Torah portion, Parashat Teruma, centers on the instructions concerning the building of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) and its furnishings. This raises an interesting question. If the Bible's overall theme is about God's relationship with humanity through the Jewish people, then why is so much attention given to the details of objects? The answer is deeply connected to the purpose of the Mishkan, its services, and the manifest presence of the Divine.

The Torah states, "They shall make for me a Sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). The Hebrew name for the Tabernacle is Mishkan, which means "dwelling." As such, even the word Mishkan denotes God's presence that would dwell among the people of Israel. 

The medieval Jewish sage, Ibn Ezra, comments that "while Moses was still on Mt. Sinai, God commanded him concerning the tabernacle so that it would be a permanent place among the people for the glory that had rested on the mountain." Further, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch notes that the key to the Tabernacle is directly related to Israel's calling in verse 8. The Sanctuary represents Israel's obligation to sanctify itself in its personal life. When the nation carries out that primary responsibility, God responds by dwelling among them. God has always desired to tabernacle among his people. And the purpose of the Mishkan was to be a constant reminder of God's presence residing among the Jewish people. The Mishkan holds God's Shekhina (from the same word as Mishkan) - God's manifest presence on earth.

The author of Revelation writes that this presence of God among the Jewish people will continue beyond the second coming of the Messiah and even into the "New Jerusalem."  "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God'" (Revelation 21:3).  This promise echoes passages from the Torah in which God promises that he will be Israel's God, and that they shall be his people. This promise of Israel's unique relationship will continue into the World to Come.

David Nichol

Matthew 11:2-19 - The Nature of Yeshua's Salvation

In our passage, we find Yeshua teaching in the cities of the Galil when he is approached by some of John's, or Yochanan's, talmidim. Yochanan was a preacher who appears to have had a tremendous impact on the first century Yishuv. He was also Yeshua's cousin and among the first to recognize the nature of Yeshua's calling and identity (see Matthew 3:14; John 1:26-31). In our story, Yeshua had risen to prominence with a significant following in the Galil. Yochanan, however, was in prison for criticizing the quasi-king Herod. Somehow what Yeshua was doing, the timbre of his ministry, the flavor of his salvation, didn't match what Yochanan expected.

We don't know exactly what Yochanan was expecting, but we can surmise that it included glory for Israel, relief from oppression, and the righting of her relationship with God. He saw that as incongruous with the way things were: the Romans ruled, Israel was oppressed, and the government, including many in charge of the Temple, was corrupt. Yochanan, who went into the wilderness, living off the land and wearing uncomfortable clothes, sees Yeshua's ministry as less radical than his own! Perhaps racked with doubt as he sat in prison, or maybe to spur Yeshua into action, he sends two followers to ask Yeshua, "Are you the coming one or do we look for another?"

Yeshua does not directly answer his question, but invites the messengers to report what they see: "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the besora preached to them." In his response he shows that the work of the LORD is clearly evident, as seen by the miracles, which are connected with salvation by Isaiah (29:18-9). At the same time, he challenges Yochanan's vision for the redemption. Yeshua does not argue that salvation from the LORD is devoid of any political implications or without societal upheaval. Rather, he acknowledges that the kingdom will be "restored to Israel" (Acts 1:.6-8). But the timing and nature of the unfolding of the redemption is beyond us.

Perhaps Yochanan was expecting thunder, lightning, earthquakes and war. Yeshua, however, likened the kingdom of heaven to leaven working through dough and a mustard seed growing into a tree that provided shelter. He warns that there will be war and upheaval, but victory for the faithful will not come right away (Mark 13). He was less concerned about rebellion against the Romans and more concerned with the deaf, the blind, and the poor being healed, comforted and taught the good news of the kingdom. While we should, even must, expect God to set things right, we should remember that the way it will unfold will likely surprise us. In the meantime, we should not let our expectations blind us to our part in the redemption: healing the deaf and blind, providing for the poor and preaching the good news of the besora.

Parashat Teruma

1. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering (teruma). From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering." Exodus 25:1-2

The word li "me" seems to be unnecessary. Would it not have been sufficient to say, "Take an offering?" What does this teach us?

2. What is the connection between the construction of the Tabernacle, its furnishings and the Presence of God among the people of Israel?

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - PARASHAT TETZAVVEH-SHABBAT ZACHOR

Exodus 27:20-30:10
Deuteronomy 25:17-19
I Samuel 15:2-34
Matthew 11:20-30

UPCOMING YACHAD NETWORK EVENTS

3^rd Annual Young Leaders Shabbaton
Beverly Hills, CA ● June 8-9, 2007

6^th Annual Young Messianic Jewish Scholars Conference
Beverly Hills, CA ● June 8-9, 2007