This D'var Torah originally appeared in an edition of the Shaaray Tefila e-News.
This week, in Parashat
Trumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19), God gives Moses instructions for building the
Tabernacle—God’s portable sanctuary during the Israelites’ journey through the
desert. Having recently experienced the wonder of Mount Sinai, having felt firsthand
the nearness of God, the Israelites now set about the difficult task of holding
onto that Sinai feeling.
And in order to do so, the Israelites donate whatever
materials they can towards the construction of the Tabernacle. The instructions
are clear: donations should be accepted from those Israelites “whose hearts so
moved them.”
When our hearts move us to action, the outcome may be more
profound than we anticipated. When our hearts move us to action, we may find
ourselves spontaneously telling a loved one how much we care, lending a hand to
a stranger in the Subway, or picking up a piece of garbage in the street. It is
in these moments that we re-discover the divine spark within ourselves—that
through whatever deserts we journey, God continues to dwell among us.