Gratitude, Giving and God.

“Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts- ‘tremuah’ (Heb.)-you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart moves him.” ( Exodus 25:2)

“And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

After Sinai, the one-time revelation of God to all of Israel, the Torah makes it clear that in order to preserve the sense of God’s presence over time, there is a need for a tangible structure that will represent and hearken back to that dramatic and extraordinary event at Sinai. Sanctuary becomes the extension of Sinai; as was the case at Sinai, the sanctuary becomes the space of God’s indwelling among mortals.

The question is raised: Does God need a particular physical place in which to dwell? Obviously, the answer is no. When the text points out that the the divine presence inhabit the people -”that  I may dwell among them”- it becomes apparent that God seeks not a material structure in which to make known His presence; rather it is within the people themselves that He wishes to find a place of dwelling.

How are we to understand the concept that God is found among and within us?

I believe that the opening verse provides us an insight into the means by which humans may experience the divine. 

The basic materials of God’s home -gold, silver, wood, spices, oil, linens and yarns, are all acquired by way of the peoples’ gifts. This act of giving originates in the willingness of the human heart. The phrase-”yidvehnu libo”-his heart moves him, or as Rashi interprets, with  a “ratzon tov”-a willingness that is good, generous and grateful.

The act of giving may be derived from a variety of sources. Often we give when it is necessary, we feel obligated or an authority requires our act of giving. At other times we give when it is to our benefit. Many claim that “giving is receiving,” it is satisfying to give.  Society is governed by the law of reciprocity-give and take is the process by which a group of individuals can survivie and thrive.

But the wellspring of giving in the above text is located in the heart’s capacity to give spontaneously, naturally, out of a sense of intrinsic generosity. What accounts for such giving? A  soft and sensitive heart, a spiritual responsiveness to life’s blessing, a deep sense of gratitude yearning to find an outlet in sharing with the world.

The opening verse appears to contain a phrase that is redundanGratitude, Giving and God

“Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts- ‘tremuah’ (Heb.)-you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart moves him.” ( Exodus 25:2)

“And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

After Sinai, the one-time revelation of God to all of Israel, the Torah makes it clear that in order to preserve the sense of God’s presence over time, there is a need for a tangible structure that will represent and hearken back to that dramatic and extraordinary event at Sinai. Sanctuary becomes the extension of Sinai; as was the case at Sinai, the sanctuary becomes the space of God’s indwelling among mortals.

The question is raised: Does God need a particular physical place in which to dwell? Obviously, the answer is no. When the text points out that the the divine presence inhabit the people -”that  I may dwell among them”- it becomes apparent that God seeks not a material structure in which to make known His presence; rather it is within the people themselves that He wishes to find a place of dwelling.

How are we to understand the concept that God is found among and within us?

I believe that the opening verse provides us an insight into the means by which humans may experience the divine. 

The basic materials of God’s home -gold, silver, wood, spices, oil, linens and yarns, are all acquired by way of the peoples’ gifts. This act of giving originates in the willingness of the human heart. The phrase-”yidvehnu libo”-his heart moves him, or as Rashi interprets, with  a “ratzon tov”-a willingness that is good, generous and grateful.

The act of giving may be derived from a variety of sources. Often we give when it is necessary, we feel obligated or an authority requires our act of giving. At other times we give when it is to our benefit. Many claim that “giving is receiving,” it is satisfying to give.  Society is governed by the law of reciprocity-give and take is the process by which a group of individuals can survivie and thrive.

But the wellspring of giving in the above text is located in the heart’s capacity to give spontaneously, naturally, out of a sense of intrinsic generosity. What accounts for such giving? A  soft and sensitive heart, a spiritual responsiveness to life’s blessing, a deep sense of gratitude yearning to find an outlet in sharing with the world.

The opening verse appears to contain a phrase that is redundan t.If the Hebrew is translated literally,we read: “Tell the Israelite people to take for me a gift from anyone who so wishes; you shall take My gift.” The final phrase -You shall take My gift- seems unnecessary, a phrase that is repetitive. But upon closer examination another reading emerges that highlights the spiritual singularity of the text.

“You shall take My gift” points to a gift that is godly! What transforms giving into a an act of godliness is when its intent and desire is to give from the heart of acknowledging that all comes from God and a gift is the result of God’s beneficence and goodness. When we give in this way, we are doing God’s will, which is to bless and give to the world. Thus our ‘terumah,’ our ‘raised up’ gift elevates our own souls to connect with the  soul of the divine.

How do we construct a sanctuary in which the divine dwells?

When our lives reflect the capacity to give from the generosity and gratitude of our hearts. In this way, God dwells in all of us.

t.If the Hebrew is translated literally,we read: “Tell the Israelite people to take for me a gift from anyone who so wishes; you shall take My gift.” The final phrase -You shall take My gift- seems unnecessary, a phrase that is repetitive. But upon closer examination another reading emerges that highlights the spiritual singularity of the text.

“You shall take My gift” points to a gift that is godly! What transforms giving into a an act of godliness is when its intent and desire is to give from the heart of acknowledging that all comes from God and a gift is the result of God’s beneficence and goodness. When we give in this way, we are doing God’s will, which is to bless and give to the world. Thus our ‘terumah,’ our ‘raised up’ gift elevates our own souls to connect with the  soul of the divine.

How do we construct a sanctuary in which the divine dwells?

When our lives reflect the capacity to give from the generosity and gratitude of our hearts. In this way, God dwells in all of us.