Holiness does not come from miracles, as much as our everyday activities.
Parashat Terumah — Holiness Is Built, Not Miraculous
Parashat Terumah shifts the Torah in a surprising direction.
We have already:
- Left Egypt — freedom
- Received the Ten Commandments — morality
- Received civil law — justice
And now… we build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle.
But why?
God says:
“Build Me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among you.”
Not in it — but among you.
God does not need a house.
We need a way to live with God.
The Progression: From Freedom → Law → Responsibility → Holiness
The Torah is teaching a political and spiritual philosophy:
- Miracles do not create holiness
- Inspiration does not create holiness
- Even revelation at Sinai does not create holiness
Behavior creates holiness
A holy society is built — literally — by human beings acting properly toward each other.
The Mishkan is therefore not a building for God.
It is a training system for human character.
The Test of Holiness: Money
Terumah begins with voluntary donations.
Not taxes.
Not forced charity.
Voluntary giving.
Because the real test of spirituality is how a person relates to property.
People often quote:
“Money is the root of all evil.”
That is incorrect.
The real idea is:
The love of money is the root of evil.
And Judaism goes even further:
You cannot do a mitzvah through a sin.
- Charity from stolen money → invalid
- Offering a sacrifice you don’t own → invalid
- “Holy crimes” → invalid
The Torah rejects the Robin Hood principle.
Good intentions never justify wrongdoing.
That is also the meaning of:
Not taking God’s name in vain
It does not mean merely swearing.
It means committing wrongdoing and claiming God wants it.
The Torah rejects the attitude:
“I’m doing this for a holy cause.”
(Great comedy example: “We’re on a mission from God” — and committing crimes.)
Holiness demands integrity, not justification.
A Society Built on the Image of God
Why build the Mishkan?
To train us to see God in people.
The great sages taught:
When a human being enters the room — the image of God has entered.
That is the goal.
Not ritual alone.
Not miracles alone.
Not inspiration alone.
But a society where every human being is treated as carrying divine dignity.
A Historical Reflection
Before the American Civil War, many abolitionists were deeply religious people.
They believed that if every person is created in God’s image — slavery cannot exist.
That same principle lies behind the Mishkan.
You cannot build a dwelling place for God
while denying the divine image in man.
The Message of Terumah
God does not live in buildings.
God lives in societies built on justice, honesty, and dignity.
The Mishkan was never about creating a place for God.
It was about creating a people capable of living with Him.
Something to think about:
Holiness is not what happens in sacred spaces.
Holiness is what happens between people — and the Mishkan trains us to live that way.
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