TERUMAH 1993

In the Torah portion Terumah we learn how the Jewish people are to build a sanctuary for G‑d, and in this Torah portion we also learn when it says, "And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them."  The purpose of the sanctuary was not to have G‑d dwell in the sanctuary.  G‑d exists all over the world.  G‑d's presence can be felt everywhere, although His presence can be felt stronger in the Temple, G‑d needed the Temple, not for Him but for us because by our going out and building the Tabernacle we grew closer to each other and, thus, to Him.  The purpose of the Tabernacle was for us to have G‑d dwell within us, within our hearts.  The purpose of the Tabernacle was to bring the people closer to G‑d, bring the people closer to G‑d by having them come closer to each other.

How is it that we get close to G‑d?  We get close to G‑d, of course, according to our religion, by doing mitzvahs, by studying Torah, by being kind, considerate, moral, upright people.  The Jewish people, too, could always tell when the Tabernacle was constructed whether or not they were really getting close to G‑d.  They could feel it, of course, subjectively but they could also feel it objectively.  How is that possible?  Because on top of the Ark was an Ark cover which was composed basically of two statues, a statue of a boy and a girl in a warm embrace, the cherubim.  They had wings which were soaring up to heaven, and their faces were looking toward each other.  The rabbis say that when the Jewish people came up for the three pilgrim holidays of Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos, they would come and stand in the Temple court and the priests would open the curtain between the Holy and Holies and they would be able to peer into the Holy of Holies and there if they would see that the boy and girl were in a warm embrace they can rest assured that everything was well, that they were doing their duty by man and by G‑d and that their efforts were being blessed and that they could feel G‑d's presence among them.  Even objectively they could see that this was so.  However, if they were not doing well, if they were oppressing one another, if they were not obeying the laws of the Torah, then, miraculously, the faces of the boy and girl would be turned aside.  They would not be looking at each other at all, and smoke would be billowing up between them, just as when the Jewish people were doing well G‑d's voice actually spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu from between these two children.  What is this meant to teach us?  This is meant co teach us that we can always tell when the Jewish people are doing well whether or not G‑d's presence is among them is if our children are being attracted to Judaism, our children embracing each other in their support for Judaism.  Are the children wanting to continue in the way of their fathers and mothers?  Are the children committed to a Jewish way of life?  Are their wings soaring to heaven and are they looking to each other trying to anticipate each other's needs?  If the children, on the other hand, are acting in a hedonistic fashion, if their faces are turned away from each other, if they are not really interested in each other and in helping each other, if all they are interested in is their own pleasures, then smoke will come up between them.  Then you will see that no youngster can see the needs of another youngster, that their vision is clouded, that all they are interested in is their own pleasures.  If this is what is happening to a young generation, then rest assured Judaism is in a lot of trouble, if G‑d's presence is not felt among us, that objectively we can see that G‑d's presence is not among us so we see that it is very important that we make sure that our children get the adequate resources, the best education so that they can truly want to fulfill the Jewish aspirations, that they will not only want to but they will also know how to.  It is very important that our synagogue and all synagogues devote the necessary resources co make that every Jewish child gets a good Jewish education, that every Jewish child gets not only a formal education but an informal education as well.  That's why NCSY is so important and all the other youth groups are so important because the Jewish youngster should feel his Judaism almost unconsciously.  He should be so immersed in it through his studies and his after school activities that he can think that there is nothing else that he could be than be a Jew, that he would not even entertain thoughts or notions of being anything else, that he would make sure that he would never put himself in a situation where he would be tempted to leave his religion because of a love of a person for another religion or because of a good job offer or because of cultural.  elements.  If our children are looking at each other, if our children are realizing that the way they soar up to heaven is by raising themselves on the Ten Commandments and on religion then truly our future is assured and Judaism will truly be the light that it should be to the world.  If, on the other hand., our children reject our own beliefs, if our children do not act with their ideals soaring to heaven based upon the Ten Commandments, if all they are interested in is their own hedonistic pleasures then Judaism is in a lot of trouble and we cannot rest assured that Judaism will succeed to transmit at least in the area in which these children live to future generations.  It is extremely important that we all take good care of our children.  As we learn, "For the sake of the children are the parents honored."  Children are the greatest gift of G‑d.  We can shape them and mold them but we have to devote time to them and resources to them.  True, they do have free will.  They can choose the path they want to go on, but if we lavish them with our care and concern and if we give them the best education possible we can rest assured that they will truly grow up feeling that being Jewish is the most important thing in the world because when you are a Jew you are truly carrying G‑d's message co the world, that you are truly being His partner in creation.  This, however, takes commitment.  It does not take just writing an occasional check.  It requires deep commitment.  Let us all hope and pray that we will have commitment so our people will survive so that the Mashiach will come quickly in our day.  Amen.

I am reminded of the story they tell about a pig and a chicken who were walking down the road together.  All of a sudden they came to a restaurant.  On the sign it advertised "Bacon and eggs - $1.25".  The pig immediately got upset and ran away.  The chicken could not understand what was happening.  He thought it was a good deal.  He ran after the pig and said, "Why did you run away?  Why are you so angry?" The pig looked at the chicken and said, "Listen, from you all they want is a donation but from me they want a commitment."  In order for Judaism to survive we must not just give a donation to our children's education and our children's youth activities.  We must make a total commitment.  If we will do that then rest assured Judaism will survive and our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren will all make us proud because they are truly fulfilling the Jewish purpose on earth.