Truma 5786 | Rav Zvi Davidson

*Parshas Terumah – The Aron & the Shulchan* 🕊️This week we learn about the building of the *Mishkan*, focusing on two keilim: the *Aron HaBris* and the *Shulchan*. The Torah’s wording and measurements reveal a powerful lesson about how to approach *Torah* and *parnassah*.*Plural vs. Singular*By the *Aron* it says *“Ve’asu”* — plural. Everyone is included. *Torah is for all of us.* No one should think it belongs only to great scholars.By the *Shulchan* it says *“Ve’asita”* — singular. Not everyone is guaranteed the same financial success. Do your hishtadlus — and *be satisfied with what Hashem gives you.**Complete vs. Incomplete Measurements* 📏The *Aron’s* dimensions are all halves — teaching us that in *Torah* we are never complete. There is always more to learn, more to grow.The *Shulchan’s* dimensions are mostly whole — in *gashmiyus* we should feel complete and grateful. But its height is a half-measure — because when it comes to using our money for *higher purposes*, we are never finished. There is always room to give more.*The Badim (Poles)* 🚶‍♂️By the *Shulchan*, the poles were removed when they stopped traveling — because *parnassah is a means, not the goal.*By the *Aron*, the Torah says *“Lo yasuru mimenu”* — they may never be removed. *Torah is not something we carry. It carries us.**The takeaway:* In *ruchniyus* — always look higher and keep growing. In *gashmiyus* — look at what you have and feel blessed.Wishing everyone a meaningful and uplifting Shabbos ✨

Show Notes

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AI-Generated Summary (AI can be inaccurate. Check important information):

1. *Broken dimensions in Torah* — The *Aron Habris*, representing *Torah*, was built with "half" dimensions (two and a half, one and a half) to teach that a person should never feel complete in their learning; there is always a next step to take in *ruchnius*.

2. *Whole measures in Parnassah* — The *Shulchan*, representing material sustainance, has full measures for its length and width to symbolize that one should feel satisfied and complete with their portion in *gashmius*.

3. *Incomplete height of wealth* — While the *Shulchan*'s width and length are whole, its height is a half-measure, reminding us that when it comes to using money for *gavoa* (higher purposes and *tzedakah*), we must never feel we have done enough.

4. *Universal access to Torah* — The command for the *Aron* is in the plural (*V’asu*), teaching that the *Torah* belongs to everyone, not just a select few, whereas the *Shulchan* is commanded in the singular (*V’asita*).

5. *Perspective from the Heavens* — Following the principle of *bashemayim mima’al v’al ha’aretz mitachat*, one should look at those above them in spiritual matters to find inspiration, and look at those below them in physical matters to find contentment.

6. *Eternal connection of the Badim* — The carrying poles (*badim*) of the *Aron* were never removed, signaling that *Torah* is not merely a tool for transit but our very essence and life, from which we never depart.

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Parshas Terumah פרשת תרומה Parshas Terumah. We're building the Mishkan משכן Mishkan. Now there are two Kelim כלים Kelim that are being built in this week's parsha פרשה parsha, and I wanted to note the difference in the commandment of the way it's taught to us and understand the message behind each of these Kelim כלים Kelim. The first is the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris, and the pasuk פסוק pasuk by the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris gives the commandment in plural, V'asu Aron Atzei Shittim ועשו ארון עצי שטים V'asu Aron Atzei Shittim, as opposed to the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan, the pasuk פסוק pasuk writes it in singular, V'asita Shulchan Atzei Shittim ועשית שולחן עצי שטים V'asita Shulchan Atzei Shittim. That's one interesting difference. The second difference is the dimensions. When it comes to the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris, they're all half dimensions. V'asu Aron Atzei Shittim Amasayim Vachetzi Orko Ama Vachetzi Rochbo V'ama Vachetzi Komato ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתיים וחצי ארכו אמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו V'asu Aron Atzei Shittim Amasayim Vachetzi Orko Ama Vachetzi Rochbo V'ama Vachetzi Komato. So the height, width, and length are all Vachetzi וחצי Vachetzi. When it comes to the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan, there we see whole measures. V'asita Shulchan Atzei Shittim Amasayim Arko ועשית שולחן עצי שטים אמתיים ארכו V'asita Shulchan Atzei Shittim Amasayim Arko, Ama Rochbo אמה רחבו Ama Rochbo. So the width and the length are both full measures. Only when it comes to the height, there it's Ama Vachetzi Komato אמה וחצי קמתו Ama Vachetzi Komato. There it's a half measure. What's the meaning behind it? Why the plural, why the singular, why by the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris is it broken measures and why by the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan is it whole measures? Well, they each have a different message to teach us. The Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris represents Torah תורה Torah. That's where the Luchos לוחות Luchos were being kept. The Shulchan שולחן Shulchan represents parnassah פרנסה parnassah. That's where the bread was made that gave parnassah פרנסה parnassah to Am Yisrael עם ישראל Am Yisrael. There's a different message being taught here. Rabbi Rivlin used to say based on the pasuk פסוק pasuk that we quote every day in Aleinu L'shabeach עלינו לשבח Aleinu L'shabeach, bashemayim mima'al v'al ha'aretz mitachat בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת bashemayim mima'al v'al ha'aretz mitachat. That people really shouldn't compare, but if they are looking at other people, it makes a big difference which way you look. Some people look to other people who are doing better than them spiritually and they say, wow, I want to be great like that. And when they see people doing better than them financially, they say, oh, I wish I had that. They're looking up both spiritually and looking up physically. Looking up spiritually is productive. Looking up physically sometimes makes them feel they don't have everything they want and they feel sad about that. Some people look down and they say when it comes spiritually, well, I'm doing better than him and him and him, I'm okay. And when it comes financially, they look down at people and they say, well Baruch Hashem ברוך השם Baruch Hashem I'm blessed, I have more than him and him and him. In that sense, it's good. What's the instruction, the remez רמז remez in the Torah תורה Torah? Bashemayim mima'al בשמים ממעל bashemayim mima'al, when it comes to heavenly things, you should look at people who are one step ahead of you. V'al ha'aretz mitachat ועל הארץ מתחת v'al ha'aretz mitachat. And when it comes to mundane things, gashmius גשמיות gashmius, you should look at people who are below you. That way you are only going to grow. In spiritual matters, you'll say what's my next step, how can I reach even higher? When it comes to physical things, you can say I'm blessed, I have everything I need, I'm satisfied. So when it comes to the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan, that's the gashmius גשמיות gashmius, the measurements are complete. Amasayim אמתיים Amasayim, Ama אמה Ama, they're complete. You should feel satisfied. I have everything I need. That's regarding the width and the length. But when it comes to the height, that's incomplete because that's about using your money for gavoa גבוה gavoa, for things that are higher, for the sake of Hashem השם Hashem. When it comes to parnassah פרנסה parnassah, you should never say I gave enough, I'm complete in my giving of parnassah פרנסה parnassah. So when it comes to looking at your own financial situation, be satisfied with what you have, complete measurements. When it comes to using your money for Hakadosh Baruch Hu הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakadosh Baruch Hu, you can always do more. But when it comes to the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris, that represents Torah תורה Torah. When it represents Torah תורה Torah and in every direction, it's incomplete. A person should always feel I have more I can do, I have more I can learn, I have more I can accomplish, and therefore all the measurements in every direction are incomplete. In gashmius גשמיות gashmius, you feel complete. In ruchnius רוחניות ruchnius, you're always saying I want to take my next step, I want to reach even higher. And that also explains why when it comes to the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan, it's in singular, but when it comes to the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris, it's in plural. When it comes to Shulchan שולחן Shulchan, it's in singular, not everyone is guaranteed a parnassah פרנסה parnassah. I'm telling you to have parnassah פרנסה parnassah, do your best. What Hakadosh Baruch Hu הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives you is what He gives you, feel satisfied. When it comes to Torah תורה Torah, don't say ah, the Torah תורה Torah is only for the great people, the Torah תורה Torah is only for the malachim מלאכים malachim, the geniuses. No, when it comes to Torah תורה Torah, it's V'asu ועשו V'asu, everyone can do it. The Torah תורה Torah isn't defined only by the Talmidei Chachamim תלמידי חכמים Talmidei Chachamim, the Torah תורה Torah is accessible for everyone to learn. So therefore, hidden in the dimensions and the instruction of the Aron Habris ארון הברית Aron Habris on the one hand and the Shulchan שולחן Shulchan on the other hand is guidance for us on how to approach our learning and how to approach our wealth. When it comes to learning, everyone can learn, V'asu ועשו V'asu, it's in plural and never feel complete, all the measurements are broken, you can always do more. And when it comes to the gashmius גשמיות gashmius, there it's singular, be satisfied with what you have, not everyone can make it, and the dimensions are complete when it comes to you, be satisfied with what you have. When it comes to gavoa גבוה gavoa, Hakadosh Baruch Hu הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakadosh Baruch Hu, you can always do more. And here's one more difference. When the Torah תורה Torah says that there should be badim בדים badim sticks that helped carry the כלים keilim when we were walking around the מדבר midbar. By the שולחן shulchan, the בדים baddim were only for carrying, but when they arrived at the encampment and they would stop, they would take the בדים baddim out. But by the ארון הברית aron habris, there's a whole extra פסוק possuk to say that it's forbidden to take them out. טבעות הארון יהיו הבדים לא יסורו ממנו tabaot ha-aron yihiyu habaddim lo yasuru mimenu. There's an extra לאו lav, you're never allowed to take them out. That means that even when the ארון הברית aron habris was in place, the בדים baddim remained. And the question is why? If they're only for traveling, for carrying, then why did the בדים baddim need to be in place even when they'd stopped? And that's the same deep message that's hidden in this תורה Torah פרשה parsha. The שולחן shulchan, that's your פרנסה parnassah, that's not your goal in life. You need it to get from place to place. You need the שולחן shulchan so they put the בדים baddim in. You travel where you need to get to for your פרנסה parnassah, but the moment you can stop, you take it out. You say that wasn't my purpose in life. I don't need the בדים baddim there always. But the ארון הברית aron habris, that's me and eternity. The בדים baddim aren't just for carrying. It's not just to see me through. The תורה Torah is my life, it's my very essence. So the בדים baddim were there for the traveling and they were there when we encamp. You never depart from תורה Torah, you never move from תורה Torah. It's not that you're carrying the תורה Torah.