Parshas Teruma is well-known for Divrei Torah that speak of what it meant when God instructed Moshe to speak to Bnei Yisrael and “let them take for Me a portion from every man whose heart motivates him.” This leads to all sorts of discussions on topics as direct as what the Israelites had to donate (and from where) to more esoteric contemplations on intent and giving a gift to Hashem.
What Bnei Yisrael gave is important. The Torah lists 16 items: gold, silver, copper, turquoise, purple and scarlet wool, linen, goat hair, red-dyed ram skins, tacshish skins, acacia wood, oil for illumination, spices for anointment, the aromatic incense, shohen stones, and other stones. Then Hashem explained what it was for, which was the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
To be honest, the descriptions transcribed in Parshas Terumah are not particularly exciting unless you are a civil engineer or an artisan. While last week’s parsha was all laws, those still had a slight feel of narrative – the general style of the Torah up until now. Between cubits in height and cubits in width and repetitive counts of the number of rings and staves…well, Teruma becomes a more difficult parsha in which to focus one’s attention. Yet even as Hashem gave these directions, or as other generations have reviewed them, there are those who grow excited at these details… Ask for staves of acacia wood and Reuven the woodcutter is envisioning exactly how to shape the wood. Request rings of gold and Shimon the goldsmith is ready to take to his forge. Tell about the turquoise, purple, and scarlet threads, and Yehuda the dyer knows just what ingredients are needed. Sarah the weaver can envision exactly how she needs to work her loom. Each of the men and women who stepped forward to help construct the Mishkan was continuing the standard of giving set by the beginning words of the parsha, that each person should give as his heart motivated him. They are giving from their hearts and their souls when they give from their creative energy.
In looking at the connection of Parshas Teruma’s opening request of donations given in free-will and the continuing three perakim (chapters) that highlight the need for artisan and artists, we are given an opportunity to assess our personal and communal priorities. Have we as a community looked askance at creative career paths, thinking of them as “bidieved” – well he has no other choice? Have we given our children opportunities to explore a desire for artistic expression? Do our communities facilitate these options, or do we guide our children into singular shoots?
Once upon a time, in the not nearly as distant a past as one might think, people specialized in creating. Each object that a household used needed someone to create it, whereas today we have our formulas and our factories. Each town or region needed their own special artisans and so we valued the craftsmen among us. Learning to do was given weight along side learning from books.
When the Torah describes the making of the ten curtains of the Mishkan as “twisted linen with turquoise, purple and scarlet wool – with a woven design of cherubim shall you make them,” this is a moment to stop and think with awe of the beauty of that curtain, the skill of that weaver, and the generosity of Hashem for giving that weaver the ability to see and transmit a piece of the Divine will.
It isn’t easy to see the benefit of encouraging what can seem to a structured world of mass manufacture that which seems to be frivolity. For those to whom Hashem has given the gift of creative soul – those who are able to look at a tree and see a stave, those who are able to match perfect colors – encouraging and channeling that need to create is critical to their avodas Hashem. Let us prepare now for a generation that can step forward and bring Hashem’s words to life.
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