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Message from the President: Terumah

Shalom from Israel!
 
This Shabbat we read Parshat Terumah.  We start learning about building the Mishkan, the temporary Tabernacle that the Israelites carried through the desert during their trek to the Promised Land. Most of the remainder of the Book of Exodus is spent recounting all of the minutiae involved in its construction, its dimensions, its materials. But … if it’s a temporary structure, why is so much importance given to it?
 
Rabbi Sacks, among many, suggests an answer. He compares the Israelites before the building of the Mishkan, to the nation after. The nation before constantly complained — about water, about food, about attacks, about everything. Even when they would benefit from what was given to them, they complained! But once they were given a task, a chance to be an active participant in their future, the complaining stopped.  
 
The building of the Mishkan allowed the people to come together and build something together, to honor G-d and to make themselves worthy at the same time. (Here is a link to Rabbi Sacks’ full Dvar Torah, which includes a great comparison to de Tocqueville’s analysis of state and society, for anyone who is interested.)
 
• • •
 
We also had our share of building and fixing our Shul these past two weeks. Dealing with all of the repairs has been time consuming and expensive, but we expect all to be fixed in the next few weeks. We will reassess the budget in light of the monies needed for building repairs and contingencies, as well as the need for increased security. I should have more information in a couple of weeks about that. 
 
In the meantime, I wish you a safe and peaceful Shabbat.
 
Steve Inker

Wed, May 14 2025 16 Iyyar 5785