Terumah: The Gift of Contribution
Dear Friend,
You may have read that Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, recently said that by 2035 no nation will be as poor as any of the 35 that the World Bank now classifies as low-income, even adjusting for inflation. In other words, the world is getting better, much better, for just about everyone.
In large part this is due to wealthy nations and individuals—including Mr. Gates—contributing vast sums to promote health and education among less-fortunate nations.
What a great way to use wealth, something an increasing number of world’s richest people are discovering. It’s a secret we first learned in this week’s Torah portion over 3,000 years ago. This week we read how G‑d instructed our ancestors to donate “gold, silver and copper; blue, purple and scarlet wool,” and other materials to create what would be His home on earth: the Tabernacle.
The Talmud explains that riches were not created just for us to hoard and enjoy. Rather, they are a tool we can use to make the world a better, G‑dly place.
Our ancestors did it, billionaires are doing it, and we can do it too.
Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
My daughter is always complaining that “all the other mothers” always do their children’s projects and homework for them . . .
Imagine a house with three rooms: a large room where the bulk of your time is spent; a smaller chamber where precious occasions of the spirit are enjoyed; and a rarely visited sanctum that is the absolute center of your life.
The poles used to transport the ark were permanent fixtures. Why think of traveling when wanting to be at rest?
A thought-provoking poem shedding light on the week’s Torah portion. A great discussion starter.
The Jews are commanded to gather materials for the building of the Tabernacle. Moses is given specific directions for its construction; it must be easy to dismantle and reassemble. The ark, the showbread table and the menorah, the tapestries, beam structure, etc., are described in detail.
It is dawning on me that perhaps my methods of “connection” are not really that great.
This month, Adar l, is an added month in the Jewish leap year. This means we get a whole extra month of pure Purim joy.
Because we live with family members, there are innumerable opportunities for experiencing frustration, hurt and upset.
In honor of these women, let's take a look at some of the many hats they wear.
The feminine side of G-d, and the struggle for reunion.
Here’s a simple way to make your challah even more special, as a beautiful centerpiece for a special occasion.
I think this is a beautiful tradition, and I want to learn all I can about it. However, is it actually written in Torah to light a candle, or does it say only to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy?
“This,” they declared, in contrast to how most people thought a home should be furnished, “is interior decorating.”
In 1960, Dr. Velvl Greene began working for NASA as part of the Planetary Quarantine Division, which was charged with trying to find life on Mars. His conversations with the Rebbe took an interesting turn.
At the giving of the Torah, the Jewish people camped in front of the mountain, as one man with one heart.
Lara Dodo, of Ontario, Canada, had a wonderful weekend as one of more than several thousand participants in the annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchos (emissaries).
Miles of railway tracks, towering stadiums, sleek airport terminals and tons of snow stored from last winter are part of the gargantuan effort to ready the Russian city of Sochi and its environs for the millions of visitors expected for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The city’s native Jewish population—comprised mostly of a few hundred seniors—is rapidly dwindling, and it’s located more than 200 kilometers from Budapest, the closest vibrant Jewish community.
A much-needed increase in the number of rabbis in fatigues may soon become a reality in the United States. The Department of Defense issued a directive easing rules on beards and other displays of religious beliefs for military personnel in all branches of the armed forces.
Her life was anything but simple. The Chabad shluchah, or emissary, suffered from cystic fibrosis and received a double lung transplant in 2001. Yet the mother of six never let things get her down.
Esau said, “I have a lot.”
Jacob said, “I have all.” As in “all I need.”
Esau had a family of six. They were called “six souls.” Plural.
Jacob had a family of seventy. They were called “seventy soul.” Singular.
Esau lived in a granular, tossed-together, fragmented world in which he collected a lot of things ...
