Parasha Terumah (Exodus 25:1–27:19) 2-26-17

Feb 26, 2017 http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=112924 This week’s Torah portion is not immediately compelling but it helps to believe that God wrote it if you want inspiration to study it. Imagine you have created a Torah state wherein citizens study the weekly Torah portion. Would non-Jews have much interest in this Torah portion? In a Torah state, non-Jewish residents would be a weakness. Anyone who didn’t study the Torah portion would be a weakness. Cohesion and strength require unity.

* This week’s Torah portion is not immediately compelling but it helps to believe that God wrote it if you want inspiration to study it. Imagine you have created a Torah state wherein citizens study the weekly Torah portion. Would non-Jews have much interest in this Torah portion? In a Torah state, non-Jewish residents would be a weakness. Anyone who didn’t study the Torah portion would be a weakness. Cohesion and strength require unity.

* The parasha starts with God saying let people give from their heart to build the sanctuary. There aren’t many instances in Torah where you just give from your heart. Normally, a donation is required whether your heart is in it or not.

* The key verse to me is 25.8: “The shall build a sanctuary for me so that I might dwell among them.” What do we build in our own lives so that God can dwell among us? There’s a different feeling when you walk by a church or a synagogue than when you walk by a liquor shop. Have you ever stepped foot in a Catholic church? It’s far more ornate, typically, than a Protestant church or synagogue. When one thinks of religious art, one thinks of Catholicism. Protestantism is all heart. Judaism and Catholicism are much more physical.