Parashat Terumah - Exodus 25:1-27:19 Nedivut - Generosity: “A Generous Spirit Sustains Me” (Psalms 51:14) Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler

(1) The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves them. (3) And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper.

(4) Anyone who gives tzedakah to a poor person with a scowl and causes another to be embarrassed, even if they gave them a thousand zuz, has destroyed and lost any merit thereby. Rather, one should give cheerfully, with happiness [to do so] and empathy for their plight, as it is said, (Job 30:25) Did I not weep for the unfortunate? Did I not grieve for the needy? And one should speak to them words of comfort and consolation, as it is said, (Job 29:13) [I received the blessing of the lost,] I gladdened the heart of the widow.

One should follow the attributes of the Holy Blessed One. Just as God clothes the naked, as it is written: “And the Eternal God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy Blessed One visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Eternal appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy Blessed One consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy Blessed One buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.

There exists in the universe a One who guides all... That force is God (blessed is God's name). Similarly, a person is a microcosm: for a human being likewise possesses a certain principle which governs all the forces of the body... This parallel exists except for the following... [In a human being,] the heart benefits the organs under its control, and those benefits return tot he heart. Not so with the universe. God gives governance and power but does not receive anything in return. Whatever is given is given like a person who has no selfishness but is naturally generous and imitating divine ways.

The Sages taught that acts of kindness are superior to charity in three respects: Charity can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with their person and with their money. Charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both for the poor and for the rich. Charity is given to the living, while acts of kindness are performed both for the living and for the dead.

The verse states concerning the Ark: “From within and from without you shall cover it” (Exodus 25:11). Rava said: This alludes to the idea that any Torah scholar whose inside is not like their outside, i.e., whose outward expression of righteousness is insincere, is not to be considered a Torah scholar.

"This is the Torah: a human being" (Numbers 19:14), for all the Torah is in every person spiritually.

(17) Each plank shall have two tenons/hands, parallel to each other; do the same with all the planks of the Tabernacle.

(14) A generous spirit sustains me.