Friday, January 31, 2014

Acting from the Heart

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.

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