Dvar Torah for Terumah 1st Aliyah: Actual text: https://tinyurl.com/38y5e8k8 Parashas Terumah begins the detailed account of how the Jews were to construct the Mishkan, the temporary structure that would house God’s Presence throughout their travels. The details span five parshiyos, with only the story of the Golden Calf interrupting this narrative, while the monumental story of Creation only required thirty-four pesukim to communicate. Why would the Torah interrupt the many stories in Sefer Shemos dealing with the birth of a nation to thoroughly detail the construction of a temporary home for God’s Presence? Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that what united the Jews as a people was their collective past, namely their struggle to be freed from slavery. However, once they were free, they were lost because they lacked a common goal, which led them to bicker, complain, and even build a Golden Calf. What solved all this was asking everyone to donate and to give together. The project didn’t have to be prominent or even permanent, but the fact that people were able to give generously as one, brought them together and generated harmony. Working together and inviting individual contributions were more effective in uniting people than the earlier grand miracles. While the Mishkan did not last forever, the lesson it taught us did: encouraging individual contributions enhances the group even more than it enhances the individual. Please consider forwarding this to others so they can join! https://chat.whatsapp.com/I7IHQNPpKLF0adHHXTUYda