Torah Sparks
Exodus 25:1 – 27:19
Our Torah portion initiates the campaign for the construction of a sanctuary, a place in which to sense God’s abiding Presence, the Mishkan. God’s first instruction is that contributions be taken “from each person who heart prompts him to give.” (Ex. 25:2) This means that God hopes for voluntary contributions to be given for the sake of creating a sacred space for God. Rashi points out that once the Tabernacle (Mishkan) was built there would be obligatory contributions for its upkeep and for the sacred service.
But this first campaign – to actually build the sanctuary – had to be held on a voluntary basis. The Torah seeks out the generous motivation of each person, a motivation coming from the heart. This moment is significant. Up until now, when the Book of Exodus has referred to the human heart, it has overwhelmingly spoken of a hard heart (- Pharoah’s – mentioned too many times to cite). Pharoah’s heart was cruel and withholding. In its stubborn arrogance it was the source of endless suffering. Now, says the Torah, it is time to see what the human heart can accomplish if it allows itself to become soft, open and giving. (For a discussion of the one earlier exception to Pharoah’s hard heart – Aaron’s heart of happiness – as a basis for this sanctuary project, please see last year’s Torah Sparks for this portion.)
It is interesting that God can make a claim (regarding Pharoah) to be able to harden the human heart ( a topic discussed in Torah Sparks for Parashat Va’era, two years ago), but here God does not comparably take control of people in order to “soften” our hearts. Rather, God explicitly depends on our own decision to open our hearts and be generous. Only we can decide to be open-hearted.
The result, the Torah assures us, is that we will work together to build a dwelling place for God in our midst. May we continue to choose to open our hearts.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi David Greenstein
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