| Terumah 5761 - March 2, 2001 |
Who Needs Nudniks?
Half the world are givers, and half the world are takers. The interesting
thing about this division is that the half you belong to has little or nothing
to do with how much you actually have.
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Terumah
Exodus 25:1-27:19
Torah Reading for Week of February 25 - March 3, 2001
If the very purpose of creation is embodied by the "Tabernacle"
constructed by the Children of Israel in the desert, then every detail
is of supreme importance to us. It is crucial that we know that the Menorah had 22 decorative goblets hammered into its design,
and that each of the 48 wall panels measured 10 cubits in length and 1.5 cubits in
width. It is necessary to define the 39 forms of creative work--from plowing to weaving to lighting to writing--involved
in the Tabernacle's construction. For here we have the prototype for our life's work of making our world and our lives a home for
G-d.
The Parshah in a Nutshell
Full Parshah summary with commentary
More on the Parshah from the Chassidic Masters
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The Old Man on the Island
“Remember, Reb Ze’ev,” were the Baal Shem Tov’s parting words to him,
“one must know how to properly answer a question. Weigh your words carefully
before you speak.” Rabbi Ze’ev had no idea what his Rebbe meant with
these words, but he kept them near to his heart, certain that their relevance
would be revealed to him before long.
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The Cosmology of Giving
Do not be deceived by the apparent simplicity. This diagram depicts the
conceptual framework underlying all of existence.
Although we can not know why the Almighty chose to create, since He did so
choose, we can, by studying the design of creation, fathom something of the
divine intent that produced it, vivifies it, and confers cosmological significance on
the most trifling of our actions.
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The Shushan Files
Therapist: They have a technique?
Angel: Basically, there are two tricks: One is consistency. You know, you
do something over and over again, and they take it for granted...
Therapist: And the other trick?
Angel: That's a matching game. Gets a little more complex, but still
pretty insipid. You match up behaviors with the features of objects. Eventually,
people start believing that everything follows a one-dimensional paradigm of
cause and effect. Isn't that crazy? It's a twenty-six dimensional universe and
these guys make it look like time has only one dimension!
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My Son's Short But Very Meaningful Life
It may seem odd that I am writing such a detailed letter. But I have noticed that it’s been very hard for people to talk about this, so I decided to step forward on my own and tell this story.
A person does not come into this world without a purpose. We believe that each individual is here to fulfill a mission. I will not have my Zalman remembered as a baby who lived for four weeks and died. I would therefore like to relate a few stories about our experiences during his short life.
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