Weekly Sidra: Terumah (Gift)
Torah Portion: Shemot / Exodus 25:1-27:19
Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 66:1-24

Terumah or Trumah (תרומה — Hebrew for "gift" or “offering,” the twelfth word and first distinctive word in the parasha / sidra) is the nineteenth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the Book of Exodus. It constitutes Shemot / Exodus 25:1–27:19. “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. “ Shemot 25:2

This week’s reading deals with the construction of the Beit HaMikdash (The Jewish Holy Temple), from every person whose heart so moves him.  This begs the question were there those whose hearts were not moved to give to the work?  Why is it important that terumah should be accepted from every person asher yidvenu libo – “whose heart so moves him”? And what does it this phrase actually mean?

The giving of tzedakah is a mitzvah, a Divine Commandment, an act required of a believing and committed Jew. It is the generous deed and not the generous thought which matters. May we deduce from God’s words that if a person’s heart does not move him or her, that the person is exempt from giving tzedakah? Certainly not!

Rabbi Ya’akov Aigar explains that when it came to the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the Torah designated two different types of donations. One of them is referred to in Exodus 25:2: "Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him." This refers to the type of gift that we offer spontaneously whenever we become aware of God’s Presence and goodness to us. This type of contribution is optional and comes from the heart.

The major construction of the Mishkan, however, came from another source: "And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them; gold, silver and copper…" (Ex. 25:3-8) (Iturei Torah / Gems of Torah) These gifts were unconditional. Every Israelite was obligated to help build the Mishkan. To do so was Divinely mandated and an obligation they dared not ignore.

Synagogue dues structures function in the same way. They set the minimum amount that each family needs to contribute in order to maintain the congregation and community. But the health, well-being, and future of congregations also depend on their members making more than the minimal contribution. Synagogues only flourish if the hearts of their members move them to make additional free will contributions to sustain the community.

Rabbi Shaul of Tarsus reminds us that "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

When we do so we live up to the word and spirit of the God’s word as recorded in the Torah: "Let them build Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them." (Ex. 25:8)