Last week was Shabbat Shekelim – the Shabbat of Shekels. This special Shabbat, which always occurs just before the first of Adar, was traditionally the time when each adult male in the community contributed a half shekel to the community coffers. This obligatory contribution, made small enough so that every member could give, was used to sustain the community meeting place and ritual space.
This week we read Parshat Terumah which begins with a call for gifts of the heart. Unlike the obligatory support for the basic needs for the community this parsha reminds us that we have an invitation to go above and beyond in our work and our gifts. It also, in the first few sentences, reminds us that though each one of us has the choice to make a gift beyond the requirement for basic community support, the entire community must work to collect gifts.
It is, as author and Biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman notes, an interesting paradox. As most successful solicitors know, it is hard to invite others to give without making a gift of one’s own. Is this responsibility to collect from others a not so subtle reminder to also make a gift?
Parshat Terumah reminds us to stretch a bit to bring our best to the community. It also teaches that giving to support and enrich the community is an important way to express one’s love for and commitment to community and G-d.
May each one of us continue to deepen our connections in ways that enrich ourselves and our community.
Prior to her position with the Grinspoon Foundation, Iris served as a synagogue educator in Syracuse NY, the Central New York PJ Library Program Coordinator and as a national consultant for PJ Library.
Iris holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education and Reading, and Advanced Certification in School Leadership and Administration. Her experience as a secular educator and educational leader in congregational and community settings spans over 20 years. She is also a lay leader in Jewish organizations on the local and national levels. Iris served as the President of CAJE – the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, which was the largest member organization for Jewish educators in the country.
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