MidrESHET Hayil

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Parashat Teroumah- HaShem Resides Inside

BS''D
Parashat Teroumah- HaShem Resides Inside

 8. And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell within them ח. וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם:
Parashat Teromah speaks about all the elements that come together to create the Mishkan. HaKadosh Barukh Hu instructs us on how to build the Aron Kodesh, the Menorah, the Shulhan with the Lehem HaPanim. We are told how to weave the beautiful fabrics of the Mishkan walls and how to build the Efod (Kohen HaGadol's breastplate). We are instructed to build such a place for the Shekhina of HaShem to rest in it.

Wait, no. The pasuk says the Shekihna of HaShem will rest in them.

Them?

Says the Shelah HaKadosh, the verse does not say, 'and I will dwell within it,' but 'and I will dwell within them' --within each and every one of them. When we build for ourselves a Mikdash, a sanctuary, we are really creating a place for HaKadosh Barukh Hu to rest within us, literally inside us.

The Midrah HaGadol explains that the materials donated for the Mishkan correspond to the components of the human being. 'Gold' is the soul; 'silver,' the body; 'copper,' the voice; 'blue,' the veins; 'purple,' the flesh; 'red,' the blood; 'flax,' the intestines; 'goat hair,' the hair; 'ram skins dyed red,' the skin of the face; 'tahash skins,' the scalp; 'shittim wood,' the bones; 'oil for lighting,' the eyes; 'spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,' the nose, mouth and palate; 'shoham stones and gemstones for setting,' the kidneys and the heart.

Each and every person in Kelal Yisrael is a Mikdash in themselves. We take HaShem with us everywhere we go. To access HaShem, we don't have to take ourselves all the way to a specific location or building to speak with Him or bond with Him, He very much resides inside us—if we allow Him in.

When we realize that our bodies house something so holy, we can ascertain that our actions will reflect this knowledge and awareness. If we have an exquisite bottle of wine, would we pour it into a plastic cup to drink? Certainly not! We would use our best glass to pour this wine into since we know we are putting something important inside. Likewise, we must sanctify ourselves because we are a receptacle of something so great and so holy, we are receptacles of HaShem's presence.

Think to yourself. Am I deserving of the Master of the Universe to place part of Himself within me? Am I a kosher and complete Mikdash fitting for Ribono Shel Olam to dwell inside? Many would be too ashamed to admit the truth to themselves. When we start thinking of ourselves as a mere vessel to contain Shekhinat HaShem Yitbarakh, we become humbled, we become holy, we become a true Mikdash.

HaShem is telling us, build a Mikdash and I, in all My Honor and all My Glory will dwell within you, flesh and blood. THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE IS WILLING TO PLACE PART OF HIMSELF WITHIN YOU, IF ONLY YOU TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO BUILD THAT MIKDASH. If you make the decision to make yourself holy, to elevate yourself, HaKadosh Barukh Hu is already there waiting to come inside. If we open ourselves up, He guarantees that He is right there to meet us. HASHEM'S HAND IS STRETCHED OUT, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TAKE IT!

Be'Ezrat HaShem, may we all develop the awareness that we have inside us a helek Elokit mi'Ma'al, a piece of HaShem from Above, and the more we open ourselves to let HaShem in, the greater a Mikdash we can become. The pasuk says 'Pit'hu Li Petach Ke'Hudo Shel MahatVa'ani Eftakh Lakh Petah ke'Ulam Shel Melech,' If you open a hole the size of the eye of a needle, then I will enlarge that hole to the size of a kings palace. All we have to do it take just a little bit of initiative and HaShem will surely help us do the rest. Be'Ezrat HaShem may we all have the koah to do so!

Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!!!!
Ariellah Samimi
--
www.flyingsoul-o.com 
Make Your Neshamah Fly!

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