Parshat Terumah
The plot of this week's Parsha pales in comparison to the awe-inspiring stories of Exodus and the census.
Parshat Termuah is the world's first fundraiser, with Moses requesting of the people to donate portions so that Bnei Yisrael can build the Mishkan, the mobile house of God. This is an incredibly complex process which involves walls, curtains, gold, silver etc.
Parallel to the parsha is the Hafotrah whose theme is always connected to the reading. In the case of this week's parsha we see that like Moses, Solomon demands money for the creation of Temple, the permanent house of God. Like the Mishkan, the construction of the Temple had to follow very strict rules with precise measurements.
Most scholars agree that the Mishkan was only temporary and the main purpose was the construction of the Temple. They argue that God is eternal and should dwell in an eternal structure (Temple) rather than a transient structure (Mishkan). However, it was important for Bnei Yisrael to take a step in the right direction on their journey to purity. It would have been unfeasible wait over 40 years to create the house of God.
How is this relevant and what can we learn from this?
We all have dreams. Lofty and powerful dreams that drive us to action. However, if we fail to achieve the dream in its entirety we are often discouraged and abandon our goals. However, we must remember that to reach a dream we must not leap to the other bank of the river but use the stepping stones.
The parting words of my Rabbi at yeshiva were "80% success is still 80% of the way there".
May we all be blessed the patience to reach attain our dreams,
Shabbat Shalom.
P.S - In honour of the Shabbat before Purim next week, we will have a guest writing the parsha email.