Parshas Terumah: Living with Hashem

דבר אל־בני ישראל ויקחו־לי תרומה מאת כל־איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את־תרומתי

Speak to the B’nei Yisrael and have them take for Me a terumah-offering. From every man whose heart impels him to generosity shall you take My terumah-offering

One of the minhagim which the Chasam Sofer zt’l was “lihashmid uliharog” about was the placement of the bima in the middle of the shul. The reform movement came along and moved it to the front. He would not walk into a shul that had the bimah up in the front near the aron.

The Mahari Assad (Yehuda Ya’ale) discusses the subconscious meaning of why it was that the Reform movement made this change:

We know that the bimah represents the mizbayach. In the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash, there were two mizbaychos- the mizbayach hapnimi (hazahav) which was hidden from plain view, only seen when the kohen went in to do the avoda. That avodah was only done twice a day- in the morning and afternoon when the ketores was brought. The second one was the mizbayach hachitzon (hanechoshes). That one was in full view. Even a non-kohen could watch that avodah happening. It was used all day long, constantly. All the korbanos being brought by the multitudes were brought there. It was the place of the main avodah.

The Mahari Assad suggests that the Reform moved the bimah to the front of the shul because they wanted to change the symbolism of the bimah. Instead of it representing the outer mizbayach which was in the center for all to see, it would now be up front near the aron referring to the inner mizbayach. This would give the new message that the avodah of a Jew is only for certain times, and only to be performed by the elite, hidden away from the world’s view. But everyone else can, rachmana litzlan, do what they want, where they want and when they want it.

But we believe that it is exactly the opposite. The bimah continues to represent the mizbayach hachitzon which is front and center for all to see at all times and for every Yid to be involved with. The avodah of a Yid is not only while in shul but actually wherever one is at all times. Even one that cannot actually perform the avodah can still contribute to it, witness it and be inspired by it.

The Kli Yakar writes that the mizbayach hachitzon represents the guf- the body of a person. The mizbayach hapnimi represents the neshama. Part of this idea is that serving Hashem is not just for the neshama but also for the guf.

The Midrash writes, דבר אל־בני ישראל ויקחו־לי תרומה- Speak to the B’nei Yisrael and have them take for Me a terumah-offering. -  בשביל שאדור ביניכם  "ועשו לי מקדש" כביכול אמר הקב"ה קחו – Hakadosh Boruch Hu tells us to take for Him Terumah, and to make for Him a Mikdash. Why? בשביל שאדור ביניכם- “so that I can live within you”. The relationship that Hashem desires to have with us is not only for special occasions, but rather a constant connection of every breath and every moment. The month of Adar is a hint to this idea of בשביל שאדור ביניכם.

The hailiger Rizhiner Rebbe zt”l had a chassid that read somewhere that if one has a tainis dibbur for forty days, they can merit to speak with Eliyahu Hanavi, so the chassid tried this. After forty days, the chassid was dejected because the segulah didn’t work. He went to the Rizhiner all upset, “Rebbe, I was so careful; why didn’t it work?” The rebbe didn’t answer him. So the chassid got up to leave and on his way out, he saw the horses and carriage of the rebbe waiting outside, and he stopped for a moment to admire them. Suddenly, the rebbe walked out and started to pet the horse, straining its hair. The chassid was shocked! “This is avodas Hashem of the rebbe? What is the rebbe doing?” The rebbe responded, “do you think that this just any ordinary horse? This horse has not spoke any words for forty days!” The chassid understood the rebbe’s message. Even a horse doesn’t talk devorim betailim. But that is not the question- it is not what we do, but rather the motivation. Are we doing this to come closer to Hashem? Are we bringing Hashem into our lives or are we remaining like the horse doing things that don’t really change us and allow us to grow in our relationship?

Good Shabbos,  מרדכי אפפעל