Make for me a sacred
place, so that I may dwell within you.
(Exodus 25:8)
It has long been said that it is better to give than to
receive. Apparently, the latest social
science confirms this ancient truth.
Psychologist Liz Dunn recently published some revealing research in the
journal Science. In her study, she gave envelopes containing
money to students at the University of British Columbia and told them that by
day’s end, they had to either spend the money on something they wanted or
purchase a gift for someone else. When
Dunn interviewed the students later, the results were clear: those who gifted
others were significantly happier than those who kept the money for themselves.
In this week’s Torah portion, Terumah, God asks the Israelites to bring gifts, which will be used
in the construction of the mishkan,
the portable sanctuary that they will carry through the desert for the next
forty years. God tells Moses: “Accept
gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him.” And the people respond with extraordinary
generosity, bringing forth beautiful fabrics, tanned skins, fine wood, oil for
lighting, precious stones and, above all, gold, which will be used to cast the
sacred vessels.
Why does God request such offerings? Lest one think that the Holy One needs a
luxurious dwelling place, the Rabbis point to the wording of Exodus 25:8: “Let
them make for me a sacred place, so that I may dwell among them.” God does not
ask for a sanctuary in order to dwell in
it; instead, God suggests that
through the building process—which invokes the people’s generosity—God will
dwell among them.
In other words, God asks for our gifts because God knows
that the very act of giving opens the heart of the giver and thus creates the
possibility of intimacy. When we share
what we have with others, we raise ourselves (the name of the portion, Terumah—a donation—comes from a Hebrew
root meaning “to lift up”) in holiness. Through
giving, we draw upon our own higher angels and invite the Divine into our
lives.
In other words, it really is better—healthier and holier—to give than to receive.
In that spirit, I will end with Rabbi Yael Levy’s poetic
interpretation of the portion:
Bring
me gifts of what you love,
Gifts
of beauty, radiance, and joy.
Bring
me gifts of what you value - what you hold most precious and dear.
And
make for me a sacred place that I might dwell within you.
Know
that it is not your gold and silver I desire,
Nor
your dolphin skins, copper, or jewels.
What
I am asking for is your generosity,
Your willingness to give.
For
I am seeking intimacy:
Make for me a sacred place by opening your heart
And lifting up the work of your hands.
Create a space for my presence
By honoring your beauty and offering your gifts.
And
while I am present in the boundless, the spectacular, the transcendent, the
grand,
My
desire is to live among you
In
the intricacies of your everyday.
So
please,
Light your lamps,
Set your tables,
And invite me in.
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