God told Moses to tell the Israelites to bring Him gifts.
You shall accept gifts from anyone whose heart so moves you.
You will accept their gifts of gold, silver and copper.
blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair;
The acacia, dolphin and tanned ramskins;
Spices for anointing oils and aromatic incense.
For the ephod, the breastpiece and the setting of lapis lazuli.
They should make Me a refuge so I can dwell with them. (Ex. 25:1-8)
In this week’s parsha, Terumah, we bring gifts. Everyone brings a different gift, and everyone is able to contribute. Maybe that’s what makes what we build together a mikdash, a sacred place. In English a sanctuary is a sacred area of protection and caring. God can live amongst us, or even within us, when we work together to create safety. (And as always, if the “G-word” doesn’t work for you, substitute something that does: meaning, justice, compassion, hope.)
וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ / va’asu li mikdash v’shakhanti b’tokham / “Let them make Me a sanctuary that I might dwell…
