Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Giving Teruma / Tithes – Parasha Teruma (Videos)

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...