Parshas Terumah
1. At the beginning of today's Parsha, the word "תרומה" ("offering") appears three times: a) "ויקחו לי תרומה" ("They shall take for Me an offering"); b) "אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי" ("From everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My offering"); c) "וזאת התרומה אשר תקחו מאתם זהב וכסף ונחושת" ("And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver and copper"). On this the Gemara says1 that the three offerings are: "תרומת בקע לגלגולת שנעשו מהם האדנים" ("the offering of a beka per head, from which the sockets were made") — an offering in which every Jew had to give a half-shekel, from which the sockets (the bases of the Mishkan) were made; "תרומת המזבח בקע לגלגולת לקופות לקנות מהם קרבנות ציבור" ("the offering for the altar, a beka per head, for the chests, from which to purchase communal offerings") — the offering of the half-shekel which every Jew had to give, from which the communal offerings were bought; "תרומת המשכן נדבת כל אחד ואחד" ("the offering for the Mishkan, the free-will donation of each and every person") — the offering for the Mishkan and its vessels.
There is, however, a difference between them. The offerings that were used for the sacrifices and for the sockets were a beka per head — half a shekel for each person, everyone equal. But the offering for the Mishkan and its vessels had no fixed sum; rather, each person gave as much as he wanted to give.
We must therefore understand: why are the offering for the sacrifices and the offering for the sockets different from the offering for the other needs of the Mishkan?
2. That the offering for the altar was a beka per head, equal for everyone, is understandable, because the offering for the altar was for the purpose of "לכפר על נפשותיכם" ("to atone for your souls") (as Rashi explains, that this refers to the offering for the altar, from which communal sacrifices were bought, "שהקרבנות לכפרה הם באים" — "for the sacrifices come for atonement"), that is, an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, as stated in the Yerushalmi and in the Midrash.
The sin of the Golden Calf was a general, collective sin, which affected not only those who took part in it, but also the tribe of Levi, who did not take part in that sin, and even Moshe Rabbeinu — who at the time of the deed was not even within those four cubits at all, i.e., he did not even fall into the category of "מי שיש בידו למחות כו׳" ("one who is able to protest, etc.") (one who, with his abilities, could have prevented it). Nevertheless, the sin affected him as well, as it is written: "לך רד" ("Go, descend"), and our Sages, of blessed memory, said2: "רד מגדולתך" ("Descend from your greatness").
Since the sin of the Golden Calf was a matter in which the entire Jewish people, as a complete collective, fell, i.e., it was a general corruption, therefore the rectification and the atonement for it also had to come through a general matter, which everyone had to give equally — because it was a matter of the Jewish people as a whole.
3. To understand this matter in greater detail:
It is known that the sin of the Golden Calf is of the same category as the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. Through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge "ירדה זוהמא לעולם" ("impurity descended into the world"), "ובשעת מתן תורה פסקה זוהמתן ועל ידי חטא העגל חזרה" ("and at the time of the Giving of the Torah their impurity ceased, and through the sin of the Calf it returned")3. From this it is understood that one can understand the matter of the sin of the Golden Calf more clearly by contemplating what the sin of the Tree of Knowledge consisted of, and the matter of the Giving of the Torah.
At the beginning of Creation, "עולם על מילואו נברא" ("the world was created in its fullness")4, and "עיקר שכינה בתחתונים היתה" ("the principal dwelling of the Shechinah was in the lower realms")5. Through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, impurity descended into the world, and because of this the world was not a vessel for revealed G‑dliness. As is known, even though "קיימו האבות כל התורה עד שלא ניתנה" ("the Patriarchs fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given"), this was nevertheless not connected with the physicality of the world in an inward manner, because spirituality and physicality were far from one another — spirituality could not reside within physicality in an inward way, in a manner of being absorbed6.
The accomplishment of the Giving of the Torah was that the impurity departed, a refinement took place in the world, and therefore Torah and mitzvos can exist in physical things in an inward way — one can make of physicality a vessel for G‑dliness.
The sin of the Golden Calf reawakened the impurity of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge in the world as a whole.
The accomplishment of the Giving of the Torah certainly remained even after the sin of the Golden Calf7, for even now there is a distinction between Jews and, to differentiate, non-Jews. Among Jews, Torah and mitzvos in physicality have remained even now, and their purpose is to join and unite physicality with G‑dliness. Nevertheless, a certain measure of impurity returned, and this impurity is not only in particular individuals and particular matters, but also in the world as a whole.
The rectification for the sin of the Golden Calf is the half-shekel, regarding which it is written: "זה יתנו" ("This they shall give"). "זה" ("this") is an expression of revelation, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "כל אחד ואחד מראה באצבעו ואומר זה א־לי" ("each and every one pointed with his finger and said, 'This is my G‑d'")8. That is, through the half-shekel and the service of the sacrifices — and in the present time through the service of prayer, which was instituted in place of the sacrifices — the impurity is removed, and revealed G‑dliness is drawn back down into the world.
From this it is understood that both the sin of the Golden Calf and its rectification are general, collective matters.
4. With this we will understand several laws that applied to the half-shekel:
a) The money that each person gave became public money. Each person gave his own money, but he had to give it away in such a manner that it would cease to be private money, nor even a partnership of several individuals, but rather communal money.
b) With the money of the half-shekel, specifically communal sacrifices were bought.
The Rambam, in his introduction to the Commentary on the Mishnah (Seder Kodashim), explains that there are four kinds of sacrifices: a) communal sacrifices; b) an individual's sacrifice; c) a communal sacrifice resembling an individual's sacrifice; d) an individual's sacrifice resembling a communal sacrifice.
Communal sacrifices are those sacrifices which have a fixed time and are offered by the community as a whole, such as the daily offerings and the additional (Mussaf) offerings. Individual sacrifices are those which have no fixed time, and each person offers them as an individual. A communal sacrifice resembling an individual's sacrifice is one offered by the community, but which has no fixed time, such as the bull brought for an unwitting communal error (פר העלם דבר). An individual's sacrifice resembling a communal sacrifice is one offered by an individual, but which has a fixed time, such as the Pesach offering.
An individual's sacrifice, and also an individual's sacrifice resembling a communal one, were not bought with the money of the half-shekel. Regarding a communal sacrifice resembling an individual's sacrifice, there is a difference of opinion9, and the halachah is that for these, too, money was not taken from the half-shekel; only for actual communal sacrifices was money taken from the half-shekel.
The inner reason for both laws: since the half-shekel was a general, collective matter, it had to be communal money, and it was used for actual communal sacrifices.
5. This is the explanation of why everyone gave equally to the offering for the altar. But regarding the offering for the sockets, it is not understood: why did this, too, specifically have to be a beka per head?
Even less understood: the sockets are, after all, a part of the Mishkan. It follows that both offerings (the offering for the sockets and the offering for the Mishkan) were only for the sake of the Mishkan and its vessels (in which respect they are distinguished from the offering for the altar). Why, then, are they themselves divided into two separate offerings, which differ also in their laws — the offering for the Mishkan is "איש כפי אשר ידבנו לבו" ("each man as his heart moves him"), while the offering for the sockets is "a beka per head"?
6. The Yerushalmi explains, regarding each of the three mentions of "offering" in the verse, which offering it alludes to: "ויקחו לי תרומה" refers to the offering for the sockets; "תקחו את תרומתי" — to the offering for the altar; "וזאת התרומה אשר תקחו מאתם וגו׳" — to the offering for the Mishkan.
The manner of derivation from the verse is: regarding "And this is the offering that you shall take from them" it says "gold, silver and copper, etc." — all thirteen or fifteen materials — and so this refers to the donation for the Mishkan. Regarding the verse "you shall take My offering" it says "whose heart moves him"; therefore it refers to the sacrifices, in which the thought of the heart is relevant (and similarly the prayers, which were instituted corresponding to the daily offerings — prayer is "עבודה שבלב" ("the service of the heart")10; the essence of prayer is thought).
There remains the verse "ויקחו לי תרומה," which refers to the sockets. Accordingly, the word "לי" ("for Me") is stated specifically in connection with the offering for the sockets.
In truth, "ויקחו לי" ("take for Me") applies to all three offerings, and more deeply, to the entirety of Torah and mitzvos, as stated in Tanya in the name of the Zohar11, that through Torah and mitzvos there is "ויקחו לי" — "אותי אתם לוקחים" ("it is Me that you are taking"). Nevertheless, the word "לי" is stated explicitly specifically regarding the sockets.
We see from this a further difference between the sockets and the other parts of the Mishkan (and the sacrifices): specifically in the sockets the "לי" ("for Me") is revealed — "וכל מקום שנאמר לי אינו זז לעולם" ("and wherever 'for Me' is stated, it never moves")12.
7. The difference between the sockets and the other parts of the Mishkan, in both of the above-mentioned differences, will be understood by first explaining the matter of the sockets in the soul of man.
On the verse "ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם" ("They shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within them"), our Sages note13: "בתוכו לא נאמר אלא בתוכם, בתוך כל אחד ואחד מישראל" ("It does not say 'within it,' but 'within them' — within each and every Jew"). Consequently, it is understood that in the spiritual Mishkan and Sanctuary within every Jew, too, there are all the parts of the Mishkan, including the part of the sockets.
8. The sockets were the lowest part of the Mishkan. Nevertheless, it was specifically they that were the foundation of the entire Mishkan, including the beams and the curtains, even though those were higher than the sockets.
In man's service, the matter of the sockets is lowliness and self-nullification (bittul).
The beams in the soul of man are the inner powers, intellect and emotions. Therefore they were ten cubits, corresponding to the ten powers of the soul14. The curtains are the encompassing (makif) powers.
The sockets are lower than all particular forms of service; this is the matter of lowliness and bittul of kabbalas ol (accepting the yoke of Heaven). Nevertheless, it is specifically this that is the foundation of the entire Mishkan, as we say: "ונפשי כעפר לכל תהי׳" ("and let my soul be like dust to all"), and specifically through this comes "פתח לבי בתורתך ובמצותיך תרדוף נפשי" ("open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul pursue Your mitzvos").
9. This is also the reason why the offering for the sockets was given only in the first year, whereas the other offerings were given later as well.
The point is: lowliness and bittul are the foundation and beginning of service; this one must have first of all, and afterwards, once one already has the foundation, one must work on the particular levels of service.
Therefore the beginning of the day's service is "מודה אני" ("I give thanks") and "הודו לה׳" ("Give thanks to G‑d"), because acknowledgment and bittul are the beginning and foundation of service, and afterwards come the particular levels: Pesukei DeZimrah, the blessings of the Shema, the Shema, etc.
10. Accordingly, we will understand both differences between the sockets and the other parts of the Mishkan:
In the inner forms of service — the beams and the curtains — there is a difference between one person and another, because each person must serve the A-lmighty with his own powers and faculties. But in the bittul of kabbalas ol, all are equal.
Through what does one "take" the very Essence — "לי" ("Me")? Specifically through bittul. "לא באש ה׳, לא ברעש ה׳ ולא ברוח ה׳" ("G‑d is not in the fire, G‑d is not in the noise, and G‑d is not in the wind"), but rather in "קול דממה דקה" ("a still, small voice") — "תמן קא אתי מלכא" ("there the King comes") (as these four matters in man's service are explained at length in the Hemshech 5672).
11. Although the foundation of service is kabbalas ol and bittul, nevertheless, as said earlier, this is only the foundation. The perfection of service is that one should give over to the A-lmighty also the inner powers, intellect and emotions. And in this one cannot fulfill one's obligation with a half-shekel; rather, it is as the law regarding sacrifices: "עשיר שהביא מנחת עני לא יצא" ("a wealthy man who brought a poor man's offering has not fulfilled his obligation")15. From each person it is demanded that he give over his entire intellect, together with all his emotions, to the A-lmighty.
On the other hand, it says there: "עני שהביא מנחת עשיר יצא" ("a poor man who brought a wealthy man's offering has fulfilled his obligation"), and as the commentators explain, this is not only "he has fulfilled his obligation" after the fact, but also from the outset, and even more: "תבוא עליו ברכה" ("may a blessing come upon him").
The meaning of this in spiritual terms is: even of one who is poor in knowledge, who is lacking in the study of the revealed Torah and even in the meticulous fulfillment of mitzvos — of him, too, it is demanded that he study the inner dimension of the Torah, "the wealthy man's offering," and this itself will bring that "a blessing will come upon him": he will become wealthy (make himself rich), "בשביל שתתעשר" ("so that you will become wealthy") — and "ואין עשיר אלא בדעת" ("there is no wealth except in knowledge") — he will be wealthy spiritually, in his faculties and abilities, and it will also descend into wealth in the plain physical sense, in children, life, and ample sustenance.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim, [OCR unclear: תשס״ו] and 5718)
12. On the verse "ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עומדים" ("And you shall make the beams for the Mishkan of acacia (shittim) wood, standing"), my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, our master, teacher and Rebbe16, explains that "שטים" (shittim) derives from "הטי׳" — a deviation.
There is a middle path, which is the path of intellect and comprehension, and deviating from the middle path is called "שטים," "שטות" (folly).
In this there are two modes: a) the deviation below intellect, the folly of the side opposite holiness, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "אין אדם עובר עבירה אלא אם כן נכנס בו רוח שטות" ("A person does not commit a sin unless a spirit of folly enters him")17; b) the deviation above intellect, the folly of holiness, along the lines of our Sages' saying: "אהני לי׳ שטותי׳ לסבא" ("The elder's 'folly' stood him in good stead")18.
The service of the Mishkan and the Sanctuary is to transform the folly of the side opposite holiness and make of it the folly of holiness. See there at length.
13. One cannot be satisfied with the middle path; one must specifically have the folly of holiness, above reason and understanding.
Had there not existed in the world the folly of the side opposite holiness, then the middle path would also have been sufficient. But since, through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, there came into the world as a whole impurity — the folly of the side opposite holiness — the means by which one can overcome it is specifically the folly of holiness.
Just as this is so in the world as a whole, so too with each individual: if he has sinned, caused a blemish, and transgressed the path — or even only one of these three things — he then cannot walk on the middle path; he must go above the path of moderation, as explained in Iggeres HaTeshuvah19, that "במקום הקשר" ("at the place of the knot") there must be "כפול ומכופל" ("double and redoubled").
So, too, the Rambam says20 that generally one must walk in the middle path, but if one has gone too far in one direction, then in order to correct this one must go to the other extreme.
14. Accordingly, we will also understand why the Gemara designates the highest virtue with the word "ופרצת" ("and you shall spread forth"): "לא כאברהם כו׳ ולא כיצחק כו׳ אלא כיעקב שכתוב בו ופרצת ימה וקדמה וצפונה ונגבה" ("Not like Avraham etc., and not like Yitzchak etc., but like Yaakov, of whom it is written: 'And you shall spread forth westward, eastward, northward and southward'")21.
At first glance it is not understood: what is so tremendous about the virtue of "ופרצת," that it is greater than all the other virtues which the Gemara enumerates there?
We will understand it by first explaining another detail in the matter of "ופרצת."
The word "ופרצת" does not simply mean to spread out, but rather to remove partitions. In a field, a breach is not applicable; only when there is a building and a wall, and one removes part of it, is it called a breach — "ופרצת."
The building and boundary regarding which it is said that there must be "ופרצת" in it must necessarily be a building of holiness. For if it is a building of the side opposite holiness, then in truth it is not a matter of building at all, but a matter of destruction and breach (along the lines of our Sages' saying22: "לא נתמלאה צור אלא מחורבנה של ירושלים" ("Tyre was filled only from the destruction of Jerusalem")), and breaking such a building is, in truth, not "ופרצת" but, on the contrary, building. If the Torah of truth calls it "ופרצת," we must say that this is a true breach.
So at first glance it is not understood: what purpose and good is there in breaking a building — a building which the Torah itself calls a building?
But according to what was said above, it will be understood: the service is the folly of holiness, which is higher than the middle path. Although the middle path is a straight path according to the Torah, nevertheless there must be "ופרצת" — going out of all limitations, even out of the limitations and boundaries of holiness, which are, after all, a building.
And the matter of the folly of holiness, which is above reason and understanding, above limitations — even above the limitations of holiness — is the heritage of Yaakov, the choicest of the Patriarchs, the ultimate virtue, higher than the heritage of Avraham and the heritage of Yitzchak.
15. The practical directive from this is:
Yeshivah students, and those who "sit in the tent" of Torah in general, must not be satisfied with the fixed times they have for learning Torah — even the fixed times of the meticulous (mehadrin), and even those of the most meticulous (mehadrin min hamehadrin), are also too little. Rather, there must be "ופרצת" — "אהני לי׳ שטותי׳ לסבא" — above reason and understanding, above all fixed times.
Businessmen, whose main service is the fulfillment of mitzvos, and especially the mitzvah of tzedakah, which "ששקולה כנגד כל המצוות" ("is equal to all the mitzvos") — for them all the fixed standards of tzedakah, and even tzedakah in the choicest manner as explained in the halachic authorities and later authorities — although this is a choice building according to Torah — is still too little. There must be "ופרצת" without limitations, as explained in Iggeres HaTeshuvah23 and Iggeres HaKodesh24: "כל אשר לאיש יתן בעד נפשו" ("all that a man has he will give for his soul"). And even those who think that they do not need to come to this, since they lack nothing — in the service of the supernal unifications they too are lacking, for the supernal unifications are without end; consequently they, too, must give tzedakah in a manner of "ופרצת."
16. Regarding Moshiach the expression "פורץ" ("the one who breaks through") is used25. So the mitzvah of the hour, in order to bring the "פורץ" speedily, is that the study of Torah and the fulfillment of mitzvos, and especially tzedakah, should be in a manner of "ופרצת."
Through the study of Torah without limitations by those who "sit in the tent," and especially yeshivah students, and through the fulfillment of mitzvos, especially tzedakah, without limitations by businessmen, there will be, in the words of the maamar26: "גג ורצפה כאחד ממש" ("roof and floor truly as one"). Torah, which is spirituality, is the "roof," and mitzvos, which are clothed in physical things, are the "floor" — they will be truly as one, and all distinctions, partitions and limitations will fall away, and there will be "יעלה הפורץ לפנינו" ("the one who breaks through will go up before us") — truly speedily.
(From the sicha of Yud Shevat, 5719)
Addendum*
It was said that there must be the matter of "ופרצת" in all matters.
Since it is the beginning of the year and of the order — the order of drawing down from above to below — the first thing must be "ופרצת" in Torah. One must learn Torah abundantly, without looking at the clock.
If one needs to caution those who "sit in the tent" about this, all the more so must one caution businessmen about it. The businessman should not want to discharge his duty with setting times for Torah however it suits his own mind; rather, there must be "ופרצת." "פרק אחד שחרית ופרק אחד ערבית" ("one chapter in the morning and one chapter in the evening") — a Chassid of the Alter Rebbe explained that the study of Torah must be in the manner of "פרק אחד" — that the "One" should take him apart ("פרק"); then it is "שחרית" — it becomes bright. "ופרק אחד" — when the "One" takes him apart, then it is "ערבית" — it becomes sweet.
[OCR gap — part of the text is missing from the source here] …sins etc., and all the more so when it is in the other direction27.
It is related28 that the Baal Shem Tov gave more than a fifth to tzedakah. He was asked: it is written "אל יבזבז יותר מחומש" ("one should not squander more than a fifth")! He answered that "המבזבז" derives from "ביזה" ("plunder," which occurs in wars and the like). That is, one who does not want to give, and must wage war with himself, acting by compulsion and by way of plunder, tearing it away from himself — such a person "should not squander more than a fifth." In contrast, one who gives with joy and delight (for in what way is tzedakah different from other pleasures and needs on which he spends money?)…
One could argue that one has not yet reached the level at which tzedakah should be… [the source text ends here — the rest of the Sicha is missing from the source]
Notes
1) Shekalim, beginning of ch. 1.
2) Berachos 32a.
3) Shabbos 146a. Zohar I, 52b.
4) See Bereishis Rabbah 12:6.
5) Bereishis Rabbah 19:7.
6) Regarding all of this, see above, p. 41.
7) See Nitzutzei Oros on the Zohar III, 17b.
8) Shemos Rabbah 23:15.
9) Menachos 52a.
10) Taanis 2a.
11) Tanya, ch. 47. Zohar II, 140b.
12) Vayikra Rabbah 2:2. See also Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9c.
13) See Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah, ch. 6 (near the beginning), and in the Shelah, Shaar HaOsiyos, letter Lamed; Maseches Taanis, section beginning "MeInyan HaAvodah"; Parshas Terumah, vol. 1 — 325b, 326b.
14) See Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 19 (61a).
15) End of Negaim.
16) Basi LeGani 5710, section 3 ff.
17) Sotah 3a.
18) Kesubos 17a.
19) Ch. 9.
20) Ch. 4 of Shemoneh Perakim.
21) Shabbos 118b.
22) Pesachim 42b. Megillah 6a (with a variation in wording).
23) Ch. 3.
24) Sec. 10, and elsewhere.
25) Bereishis Rabbah, end of ch. 63. Rashi on Bereishis Rabbah, end of ch. 85.
26) Basi LeGani 5710, section 9.
*) For a fuller explanation of sections 15–16, we present the following sicha.
27) [Note text missing from the source — OCR gap]
28) [Note text missing from the source — OCR gap]
Key Lesson
Bittul and kabbalas ol, like the sockets of the Mishkan, are the equal foundation of every Jew's service and the place where G‑d's very Essence ("for Me") is revealed. Yet this Sicha teaches that one may not stop at the measured middle path: in Torah study and especially in tzedakah, a Jew must serve with "ופרצת," breaking through every limitation, and this hastens the coming of Moshiach, "the one who breaks through."