My Musing
By a careful reading of this week's selection, you can discern the different historical layers. The midrash begins with a teaching by the first generation Amora (sage of the gemara as opposed to a tanna, the sage fo the mishna), Rabbi Yochanan which relates that inherent in the concept of the terumah, contribution, is a blessing of plenty.
The midrash then segues into an ethical lesson about belittling the mitzvah is really belittling God.
Then the midrash moves into the medieval period where the often argued refrain about the unique status of the Jews needed to be repeated. The terumah is specifically to the Israelites. Not even the great king, Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the civilized world, could receive the gift of being chosen to give a gift to God.
By a careful reading of this week's selection, you can discern the different historical layers. The midrash begins with a teaching by the first generation Amora (sage of the gemara as opposed to a tanna, the sage fo the mishna), Rabbi Yochanan which relates that inherent in the concept of the terumah, contribution, is a blessing of plenty.
The midrash then segues into an ethical lesson about belittling the mitzvah is really belittling God.
Then the midrash moves into the medieval period where the often argued refrain about the unique status of the Jews needed to be repeated. The terumah is specifically to the Israelites. Not even the great king, Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the civilized world, could receive the gift of being chosen to give a gift to God.
מדרש תנחומא )ורשא( פרשת תרומה סימן ד
(שמות כה:ב) "דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי"
"דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה"
'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take My offering.
כל דבר שנאמר בה "לִי" יש בה ברכה. והתרומה יש בה ברכה.
אמר רבי יוחנן, 'ראה מה כתיב (שמות לו:ג) "וַיִּקְחוּ מִלִּפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבִיאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִמְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָהּ וְהֵם הֵבִיאוּ אֵלָיו עוֹד נְדָבָה בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר"
מהו "בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר"?
לשני בקרים הביאו את כל נדבות המשכן, שנשתלחה ברכה בנדבותיהם. שנאמר, "וְיִקְחוּ לִי". "וְיִקְחוּ לִי" אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'לא בשביל שאמרתי לכם 'קחו לי תרומה' תהיו מלגלגין בתרומה, ותאמרו, 'לא כהן הוא שהוא אוכלה, שאם אינו נותן לו א' ממאה, יהא יודע שאינו גוזל אותו השבט אלא לי. שכן כתיב "וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה" וכתיב "תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי".
Everything that is said about it "for me" has a blessing component. And the Terumah offering is a blessing.
Said Rabbi Yochanan, 'see what is written, "And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, wherewith to make it. And they brought yet unto him freewill-offerings morning in the morning. "
What is "morning in the morning"?
It refers to two mornings that they brought all the contributions to the sanctuary, that a blessing was sent in their contributions. As it says, "they will take for me". "They will take for me" said the Holy One, blessed be He, wnot because I said to them, 'take to me a contribution', that you should derisively treat the Terumah, and say, 'he is not a cohen who eats it, that if you give him 1 part oout of 100, know that you are not denying that tribe, but rather you are denying Me. Then it is written, "Take for me a contribution', and it is written "take my contribution".
"הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ" זה נבוכדנצר. כיצד? המליך אותו הקדוש ברוך הוא על כל העולם ולא היה שמח בחלקו, שנאמר, "לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ"
והיה מביט בעצמו ומתבייש בפני הבריות ואומר, 'אני מלך' ולֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ. למה? שהיה קטן כבד /ככד/ לכך נקרא שמו נבוכדנצר.
וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה" לעולם הבא הקדוש ברוך הוא דן את כל בני האדם. כל אחד ואחד עם בני אמונתו וְצַדִּיק עם אֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה. אומר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'כל אחד ואחד מכם מן אמונים, ואני גאלתי אתכם ממצרים, ואין אתם מפרישין לי תרומה. לכך כתיב וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה".
"Take for me a contribution", said the Holy One, blessed be He to Israel, I do not impose this on the other nations, this is only on you exclusively.' See what is written, "Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith."
""Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him;" refers to Nebuchanezzar. How? The Holy One, blessed be He, made him king him over the whole world, and he was not satisfied with his lot, as it says, " it is not upright in him;"
And he would look inside of himself and would be ashamed before the creations and say, 'I am king' and his soul was not upright. Why? That he was small in his liver /like a jug/ therefore he was called Nebuchadnezzar (like a small jug)
"; but the righteous shall live by his faith." In the world to come the Holy One, blessed be He, judges every person. Each and every one with his faith and the righteous with his faith will live. Said to them he Holy One, blessed be He, each and every one of you are of the believers, and I took you out from Egypt, and you would separate for me an offering? Therefore it says, "Take for me a contribution"
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