Trumah 5761
Feb 25 - March 03, 2001 - by Reb Yosef

We Are Part of Each Other

In this Parashah, God sets out all sorts of instructions about how to build the Ark for carrying the tablets from Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai), and the construction of the Tabernacle, and many other things. 

The Torah says (Perek Chav-Hay - Chapter 25): 

1.  Hashem spoke to Moses, saying:

2. Speak to the Children of Israel and let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion:

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that this commandment was received by the people but fulfilled as a part of the community.  In other words, these gifts that were used to build all the things God commanded were not given to God - they were given to all the people - the community of B'nei Yisrael (the Children of Israel). 

I think there is a wonderful lesson in this for us to think about and help us to be better Jews and better human beings.  It is important for us to remember that we must be committed to each other and to all Jews because this is what God told us to do.