Terumah תְּרוּמָה - Offering
Torah Portion: Exodus:25:1-27:19
Exodus 27:1–8
27 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height shall be three cubits. 2 You shall make its horns on its four corners. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make its pots to take away its ashes; and its shovels, its basins, its meat hooks, and its fire pans. You shall make all its vessels of bronze. 4 You shall make a grating for it of a network of bronze. On the net, you shall make four bronze rings in its four corners. 5 You shall put it under the ledge around the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar. 6 You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it. 8 You shall make it hollow with planks. They shall make it as it has been shown to you on the mountain.
Today’s Meditation:
The altar of sacrifice. This is an essential part of Temple service to Hashem. To come before Him in the Holy of Holies and to have His continual presence, there must be a sacrifice. We must give to receive. And the way that Hashem has chosen is sacrifice.
We don’t have a Temple to offer our sacrifices, but we still serve Hashem and want to be in His presence. We can offer the sacrifice of prayer, giving, serving, and loving others. He has given us the gift to give to others. Ask Him today what He would want you to sacrifice for the gift of being in His presence.
Today’s Challenge:
One of the most significant sacrifices we can make to Hashem is our time. Whether we spend time helping someone out, volunteering, or, most importantly, praying, we can present this gift to Hashem. Today, please take a moment to reflect on who needs your help. Or what organization can you support? And if you are praying daily to Hashem, it’s time to give back to Hashem for all the wonderful things He has given you.
