Terumah תְּרוּמָה - Offering
Torah Portion: Exodus: 25:1-27:19
Haftarah: 1 Samuel 15:1-34
Shabbat: Exodus 27:9–19
27:9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen one hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its pillars shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 Likewise, for the length of the north side, there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, and its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver. 12 For the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. 13 The width of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15 For the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16 For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four. 17 All the pillars of the court around shall be filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine twined linen, and their sockets of bronze. 19 All the instruments of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pins, and all the pins of the court, shall be of bronze.
Today's Meditation:
This reading continues with the construction of the Temple. This is about the hangings that will cover the outside walls. Again, they are to be excellent and beautiful. Nothing is to be spared for Hashem and His presence. But it also had to be portable because they were moving. It truly was a portable sanctuary. Hashem, in all His wisdom and love, gave them this, as He also gave them His presence in a cloud by day and fire by night. What a faithful Elohim.
Today’s Challenge:
Just as the Tabernacle (house) of Hashem is to be beautiful and perfect for His residing presence, so should our hearts be the same. Ensure that you keep your heart clean and pure so that His love can reside within you. If you need to do some work in certain areas, take a moment to create a plan now. What sin do you need to get rid of? Who do you need to forgive? Do you need to repay someone? Do you need to spend more time in His Scripture and in prayer? Start today. Make a place for Him in your heart.
This Week’s Haftarah: 1 Samuel 15:1-34
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Hashem sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of Hashem’s words. 2 Hashem of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt. 8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Then Hashem’s word came to Samuel, saying, 11 “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” Samuel was angry, and he cried to Hashem all night.
12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”
13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Hashem! I have performed the commandment of Hashem.”
14 Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?”
15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Hashem your Elohim. We have utterly destroyed the rest.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what Hashem said to me last night.”
He said to him, “Say on.”
17 Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Hashem anointed you king over Israel; 18 and Hashem sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then didn’t you obey Hashem’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Hashem’s sight?”
20 Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Hashem’s voice, and have gone the way which Hashem sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Hashem your Elohim in Gilgal.”
22 Samuel said, “Has Hashem as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Hashem’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Hashem’s word, He has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Hashem and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Hashem.”
26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected Hashem’s word, and Hashem has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “Hashem has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. 29 Also, the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Hashem your Elohim.”
31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped Hashem. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!”
Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Hashem in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
Today’s Haftarah Meditation:
“To obey is better than sacrifice” (verse 22). That does not mean that Hashem no longer wants sacrifice, as some doctrines will teach. You need to read this in context. Saul gives the excuse that the reason he did not follow Hashem’s command to destroy everything, including livestock completely, was that they had animals to sacrifice. But that is not what Hashem asked for. He asked them to destroy everything, and they disobeyed Him. That is why Samuel tells Saul that Hashem would rather have obedience than sacrifice because Saul disobeyed and wanted to use this as an excuse to sacrifice.
Hashem’s Law is eternal. And someday, when the Temple is restored, and He sends His Mashiach to rule and reign, there will still be sacrifice. Read Isaiah and Ezekiel on this. It is clear. Man can not erase Hashem’s Commandments, and like Saul, cannot replace them.
Today’s Haftarah Challenge:
What Commandment are you hedging on in your life? Do you watch TV shows or go to the movies to watch things you know Hashem has not approved? Do you treat people in a way that disregards Hashem’s commands in that area? Do you dishonor your parents with excuses to do so? Reevaluate your life and make sure you are following and obeying Hashem’s Commandments. Do not be like Saul and make exceptions to His rules. It is wrong, and there will be consequences.
