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| Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:30:49 -0500 — |
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D'var: Parashat Terumah 5785 Commentary by Robby Hurt Friday, February 28, 2025 |
| Exodus 25:1–30:10 |
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In discussions with Michael about this D'var he gave me permission to draw
from his 2023 presentation of D'var Terumah and I will quote some but will
try to make it clear what is his so he doesn't get blamed for something that
is my fault. And I recommend that you link to his presentation at the JCHC website.
Years ago I came face to face with Hosea 4:6 which says:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge,
I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me; seeing thou hast
forgotten the Torah of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
and determined that I was being at minimum damaged for lack of knowledge and because I had neglected knowledge. And I'm talking about the knowledge of Torah and knowledge of G-d. But I purposed to change that. I was always troubled when I came to the passages in this Parashah because I didn't get anything out of it. And I'm talking about starting 35+ years ago not since joining the JCHC. I at least had the presence of mind to send up a prayer and did. After one reading I went to a speciality wood store in San Antonio and ordered a piece of acacia wood to display as a humble way of honoring Exodus 25:10. Some might enjoy doing a search of the acacia tree. There doesn't currently appear to be any acacia trees between Israel – Egypt area capable of producing lumber for the Ark of the Covenant. I continued to send up prayers about these scriptures and at some point read an article somewhere about the Seventh Day Adventist Church having a traveling sanctuary tabernacle exhibition coming to the San Antonio area. It was somewhere east of San Antonio easily accessible from I-10 and I was able to take my family there. It showcased these passages in a Santuary–Tabernacle built to scale and specs as best I remember in an instructional, meaningful, and spiritually inspirational way. There was so much to take in and absorb that I don't remember a lot of the specifics and would love to see it again. I did some work to get them to set up a permanent exhibition here. The Seventh Day Adventist actually used it for an outreach but there was no pressure. No entry fee but donations permitlted at the end with no pressure. At this reading I was reminded of something recently from one of the websites, Chabad, Aish, or myjewishlearning that some of the 613 Commandments were for everyone, some for the Priesthood, and some for the Levites. From my perspective the majority of these passages ended up being a jobs program, G-d's Full Employment Act for the Levites. In addition, I think that Exodus 25:8
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
connected in a deeper way that this is where G-d hung out if you wanted to be near His presence and was for nearly 500 years. and as we discussed in some Saturday Torah Studies I'm still trying to figure out Exodus 25:5:
and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood;
to my satisfaction where JPS 1917 says, "sealskins," JPS 1985 "dolphin skins" and the Leningrad Codex "sealskins." CE versions are all over G-d's creation with Greek and Aramaic manuscripts being largely responsible. But they're all being "unclean" is what puzzles me. Terumah means offering and Tzedakah means charity which Michael explains. And Maasrah(?) means tenth or tithe. Robby Hurt |
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