Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Terumah 5772
Mishpatim 5772
Yisro 5772
Beshalach 5772
Vaera 5772
Terumah 5772
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In memory of Bennie Magy - Bentziyon ben Avraham v Elke Magy, who passed away Menachem Av 22, 5749 - August 23, 1989 and Rose Magy - Rivka Rayzel Bat Chayim Yaakov v'Chaya Tertza Arbit, who passed away Tamuz 2, 5765 - July 9, 2005. May their souls experience a lichtiger Gan Eden - an illuminated Garden of Eden and may their family only experience Simchas from now on. Sponsored by their son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Leslie Magy - Birmingham, Michigan.
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This week's YouParsha http://youtu.be/rEKs42CFvTU
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This week is Parshas Teruma, Exodus 25:1 - 27:19. It features the building of the Sanctuary in the Desert. The Parsha opens with an appeal for the various commodities required for its erection: gold, silver, copper, blue, scarlet and purple wool, linen, goat's hair, ram's skins dyed red, tachash skins (tachash is an extinct animal. Its skin was multicolored.), shittim wood (a type of dense cedar), spices for the incense and anointing oil and precious stones.
We are instructed to make a sanctuary for Hashem, "That He may dwell among us." The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe explained that this was not a commandment to construct a central meeting place for Divine worship, but rather a commandment to make our hearts a dwelling place for Hashem. This sanctuary is accomplished by converted our animal desires to G'dliness. It would follow therefore, that all of the above items may also be understood allegorically. These items will constitute the sanctuary of our heart, as follows:
Gold - In Hebrew, Zahav. Zahav also means love. Not just any love, but the fiery, deep compassionate love (to the point of lust) that a Jew has reserved only for Hashem.
Silver - Fear. Jews are not motivated by fear of punishment. We do, however, have a deeply rooted respect (G'd fearing) of the Almighty. It is interesting to note that silver was used primarily for two things, the sockets which served as a base for the walls of the sanctuary and the hooks that held the coverings together. The very base of a Jew’s service is fear and awe of the Almighty. It is also what holds it together.
Copper - Nichoshes is related to the word nachash - snake. The snake is analogous for sexual lust. Most of the copper came from mirrors that women donated. Moshe did not want to accept these because they were associated with licentiousness. Hashem instructed Moshe to accept them saying that these were of the most precious gifts. The Jews in Egypt toiled harshly. The men would come home exhausted. The women would prepare a good meal and adorn themselves for their husbands with the aid of these mirrors. An entire generation of Jews was their result.
Blue Wool - This blue wool is also used in the fringes of the Tzitzit. It is to remind us of the sapphire brickwork described in last week’s Parsha.
Scarlet and Purple Wool - If your sins are red like scarlet (or purple) I will whiten them. Hashem promises the Jewish people that all misdeeds can be corrected.
Linen - Linen grows in a single stalk and must be separated into threads. Unlike cotton or wool that must be spun into thread. The high Priest exclusively wore linen garments on Yom Kippur to indicate that even though there were numerous divisions amount Jews, they were essentially from one stalk.
Goat Hair - The goat is analogous for evil. (Don’t get excited all you devil worshippers. It had to come from somewhere). On Yom Kipper the scapegoat was pushed down a mountain to atone for the sins of the Jewish people. Goatskins were incorporated in the sanctuary to atone for sins.
Reddened Rams Skins - The ram first appears as a replacement sacrifice for Isaac. We are told that the Messianic era will be ushered in with the blowing of the horn of that animal.
Tachash - The Aramaic translation of the word tachash is Made beautiful by its colors. A multicolored garment is much more attractive than one that is monochromatic. Joseph’s precious coat had many colors. There are many correct ways to be Jews. There is no one dogmatic path for a Jew to reach their spiritual connection with Hashem. That is the beauty of it.
Shittim Wood - The root of the Hebrew word Shittim is the same as the word shtut - nonsense. Nonsense has two meanings beneath sense or above sense. The Talmud relates that Reb Simlaah would juggle three branches of myrtle to entertain brides at their weddings. Other rabbis criticized him because of this nonsensical behavior. When he passed away, a pillar of light separated his coffin from the people, an incident that very rarely happens. The rabbis reasoned that because Reb Simlaah went beyond the letter of the law to perform the mitzvah of entertaining brides, he achieved such a rare spiritual level. We have to turn the nonsense of the world to the supra rational of spirituality.
Oil - represents essence. Nothing remains of the olive once the oil is extracted. Oil permeates all substances. The oil is to be used "for the light." A Jew's essence is to illuminate the world.
Spices - These were used to produce a sweet smell. Smell is intangible. Everyone knows that milk and meat may not be prepared together. If one were to keep a piece of cheese next to a real smelly piece of garlic salami in the refrigerator, for a week or so, the cheese would smell like the salami. It would still be kosher because smell is intangible. The Cohen Gadol, high priest, would enter the holy of holies enveloped in a cloud of incense. One of the eleven spices actually smelled bad. However, mixed with the other ten ingredients, the bad was converted to one of the holiest services in the temple.
I welcome your comments
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Reb Levy Yitschock of Berdichev was once traveling with some companions. They queried him if he were G'd, what would he change? His response, "If I were G'd, I would understand everything that was being done, and change nothing!"
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The e-Parsha is sponsored:
In memory of my Mom - Doba bas Dovber Halevi Winters. Beloved Mother, Mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother. Niftar Teves 28, 5772
In memory of Pinchas (Pinky) ben Zev Salomon. Nifter Kislev 4, 5772. Beloved Husband, father and grandfather. Sponsored by Eddie and Susie Kresch and family and Salomon Chiropractic Center, 24777 Greenfield Rd, Southfield, (248) 557-1818.
In memory of Baila (Beulah) bas Petetz Michoel Rothschild - Beloved Mother, Mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother. Niftar Iyar 7, 5771.
In Memory of
Yoel Zev ben Yosef (Wilmos) Schwarcz. Niftar Menachem Av 6. 5771
May their families be comforted with all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
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