Parashat Terumah

Parasha Thoughts

By Rabbi David Cohen

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of shiitim wood. (26:15)

The Midrash Tanchuma tells us that these wooden planks were actually the result of Yaakov Avinu’s foresight. Yaakov provided his descendants with the strength they needed when they were enslaved. Every day when they left their homes, they would see these trees and remember that eventually Hashem will redeem them. He also anticipated that his descendants would one day erect a Mishkan. Aware that such lumber did not exist in the wilderness, he brought them with him to replant them in Egypt. He instructed his children that when they would be liberated from the Egyptian exile, they should take these trees along with them.

Yaakov taught his children that the future edifices of Klal Yisrael must be built upon the foundations of the past. We must keep in mind the mesiras nefesh, devotion to the point of self-sacrifice, of our ancestors as we build for our children. The dedication of those who lived before us should inspire us.

Shabbat Shalom

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.