Parshat Terumah concerns the gathering of materials for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In the haphtorah, I Kings 5:26-6:13, we read about Solomon’s building of the Bet Hamikdash (Temple); the first verse of the text reads: “And the Lrd gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon.” There was peace. Indeed, when King Solomon raised a levy of thirty thousand men, they were not for an army, but rather to work in Lebanon in gathering the wood for the Temple. The Temple of Hashem, where His Presence would dwell on the earth, was intricately connected to peace.

Hashem spoke to Solomon: “As for this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then I will establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father; in that I will dwell therein among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” (I Kings 6:12-13) In each of the preceding weeks’ parshaot there have been promises such as this one, connected to the keeping of the Torah.

• In Beshallach (specifically, Shmot 15:25-26) Hashem promised healing.
• In Yitro (specifically, Shmot 19:5-6) Hashem promised that Israel would be His own treasure on the earth, a holy people, a nation of priests.
• In Mishpatim (specifically, Shmot 23:22-31) Hashem promised protection (vs. 23), provision and health (vs. 25), flourishing childbirth and full days (vs. 26), victory against enemies (vs. 27-28), establishment of Israel in the Land (30-31).

In the Creation, the lower realms and entities were designed to reflect and parallel the upper ones. The Shekinah thus dwelled in the lower realms. There was a balance in Creation that the sin of Man ruined, fracturing the channels of the flow from the upper realms, causing the Shekinah to flee.

In the building of the Mishkan, and then the Bet Hamikdash, the instructions were very specific, for this was a reflection, or a copy, of the Temple in heaven. Each room, shrine, shape, etc., had its special connection to the ineffable Name of Gd. It was so designed in order to be a dwelling place of the Shekinah, so that she could once again, dwell in the lower realms among mankind, and, through her presence, the fractured channels in Creation could be repaired. However, just as at the time of Creation, her ability to stay in the lower realms, in Jerusalem, which is her eternal home, and to bring redemptive healing to Creation, the people of Israel were obligated to make the tikkun (repair) of the original sin of Man by keeping the statutes, ordinances, and commandments of Torah.

From the presence of the Shekinah, comes peace--true peace from heaven--that spreads to the whole world; indeed, shalom (the Hebrew word for peace) is one of the Names of Gd. Gd’s plan of healing, provision, longevity, protection, and every other blessing that flows from heaven to earth is inseparably connected to the Bet Hamikdash in Jerusalem. It’s Redemption--for all mankind.

Shabbat shalom,
Miriam