Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English: Parshas Terumah – Rosh Chodesh Adar 5785
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Terumah – Rosh Chodesh Adar 5785
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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“Take for me Terumah…” (Shemos 25:2). Rashi cites the Tanchuma that ‘for me’ means ‘for my sake’. Many supercommentaries of Rashi further explain what is meant by this comment in the Tanchuma. One approach is that the Terumah should be given with full Kavanah – special intention for the sake of the Mitzvah. One might ask why this Mitzvah to contribute to the Mishkan requires special intention that is not needed by other Mitzvos.
There was once a wealthy man who agreed to give a sizable donation to the Yeshiva of Volzhin on the condition that it would only be used for the spiritual needs of the Yeshiva and not the mundane material expenses. R’ Chaim Volozhiner responded that the Torah attests that Hashem filled Betzalel with ‘Ruach Elokim, with wisdom, insight, and knowledge, and with every craft, to weave designs, to work with gold silver and copper…” (Shemos 35:31-32). He explained that Hashem gave Betzalel the intuition to know which materials were given with pure intention by the contributor. Those materials that were given with a full heart were used in the most sacred of vessels, whereas those materials that were contributed with no feelings or mixed feelings by the contributor were used for vessels with lower levels of sanctity.
The Volozhner continued that similarly donors to the Yeshiva give their contributions for all types of reasons and that he knew the intentions of his donors, especially the intentions of the wealthy man who only wanted his funds to be used to support the Torah study of the students. Therefore, his funds would certainly go to the needs of the Torah students, while the contributions of other donors with lesser intentions would go to pay for the ancillary expenses, such as travel expenses of the Yeshiva representatives to collect funds for the Yeshiva.
There are many different levels of Kavana. There was once a Maggid who would give inspirational lectures, encouraging others to behave in the lofty and ethically ways of Torah observance. After many years, the Maggid felt like a hypocrite, as he was demanding from others to act in a saintly way, whereas he himself had not yet reached these lofty levels. He consulted with some of his close friends on whether he should continue or not. One of his friends, who was not a ‘Chassid’, told him to first work on himself and upon consistent practice of these lofty levels, he could then instruct others to this way of life with integrity. His other friend, who was a ‘Chassid’, suggested based that שלא לשמה בא לשמה that we should act properly even with the wrong intentions as it will eventually lead to acting properly with the correct intentions. In addition, even if the Maggid himself was not able to reach the lofty levels that he spoke about, due to his own shortcomings, he could help others reach these lofty levels, which could lead to inspiring the Maggid himself to overcome these shortcomings and reach these higher levels.
In summary, contributing to the Mishkan was different than other Mitzvos. For other Mitzvos the influence of those who do not fulfill the mitzvah with full intent may influence others to better themselves to achieve proper intent, thus it is acceptable if some people perform without intent, because others will be influenced to act with proper intent. However, regarding the Mishkan, the Torah emphasized that one must give their personal Terumah with full intent so that even if it was only worthy of being used for lesser needs, it would have at least accomplished that the lesser needs of the Mishkan would be fulfilled properly. However, Betzalel only used the raw materials of those who gave with full and proper intent for the higher spiritual needs of the Mishkan such as the Aron, Golden Mizbayach, etc., as nothing is great or small, but only by comparison
May we merit that our limited intent be successful in causing that which the Tzadikim of previous generations prepared for the third Beis Hamikdash to enable it to be considered complete in Heaven and we merit seeing it rebuilt in our days with the coming of Moshiach
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