This portion, Terumah, begins with God telling Moses to ask the people for gifts, or offerings (terumah) to build the tabernacle. Moses is told to accept gifts from everyone who gives one willingly; all who give with heart.
This is very different from giving tzedakah. We are commanded to give tzedakah – we are invited to give terumah. Tzedakah is an obligation – something we do out of a sense of justice and righteousness. The giving is not to benefit us, rather we give to benefit others. Maimonides teaches that it is better to give anonymously – to not know who the recipient will be and for them not to know who we are. We should give tzedakah without personal investment.
On the other hand, terumah is an offering made by choice and with one’s heart. It is a unique type of investment; an investment in and commitment to the organization, person, or institution to which one gives the gift.
When God instructed Moses to accept the gifts of all, it was a key turning point in bringing the many persons who had left Egypt together into a people. For they now had a common goal. Each of them shared investment in the development of the Mishkan.
When the Mishkan was dedicated, there was not a plaque stating that the gold for the menorah was donated by the Levi family or that the stone for the alter was given by the tribe of Simeon. There was no pre-opening reception for the “big givers”. Rather, each person’s contribution was combined with those of the other donors, making the total greater than the sum of its parts.
No one’s terumah was identifiable – the message was “it took a village to raise a mishkan.” Each contributor felt a part of the community; each was as invested and as valued as the person standing next to him or her.
This tradition is often seen in many congregations when a Torah scroll is commissioned or repaired. Often the money is raised for such a venture by offering congregants a chance to buy a portion, a verse, a word, even a letter, providing contribution levels from large to small enough that even a child can make an investment. The congregants are invited to help the sofer fill in a letter – truly making the Torah one they are vested in creating. The congregation becomes stronger and more connected after such an experience.
Contributions to a community or institution are made in many ways. Organizations routinely give deference and recognition to those who can give large financial gifts to an organization. We give less thought as to how to recognize those who give from the heart, even knowing their gifts are not of great monetary significance. These individuals also give as an expression of caring, commitment and community.
Our challenge, even at times of great financial need, is to ensure they feel their gift is of great value.If we don’t we stand to lose so much. We run the risk of disenfranchising people and shrinking our community and its energy.
Moses was taught to accept the gifts of all whose hearts moved them to bring one. He was not told to recognize or value one gift over another. May we always remember to do the same.
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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