Teruma: The Inner Beauty

by Rav Hillel Mertzbach, Rabbi of the Central Synagogue, Yad Binyamin, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

To whom does the Mishkan - the portable Tabernacle that accompanied the People of Israel in the desert and up to the construction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem – belong? We raise this question because this week's Torah portion of Terumah (Sh'mot 25,1-27,19) deals with the details of the construction of the Mishkan. 

The answer, according to the classic 16th-century commentator Rabbi Moshe Alshekh, is that it belongs not only to the Nation of Israel, but also to each individual thereof. As he explains (to Sh'mot 25,8): "The verse states that Israel should 'make the Tabernacle' and that G-d 'will dwell within them' – not within it, but within them. This means that G-d dwells within each and every Jew."

Let us see a manifestation of this beautiful phenomenon. 

Why is the Beauty Hidden?

When we look at the structure of the Mishkan, we note an interesting point regarding its physical appearance. 

Seen from the outside, we see that it is a nice-looking structure, with colorful goatskins attached to wooden beams. Our first impression would be that it is nice, but not particularly luxurious. 

When we look further inside, we begin to see that there is more there than met our eye before. In the courtyard stands a bronze basin, aside a bronze altar. Bronze is definitely a beautiful and precious metal, and the view is certainly impressive.  

But if we take a more careful look around, we will also notice something else that adds a level of beauty to the Mishkan: The vertical wooden beams are held in place by silver sockets, two for each pillar. The silver definitely adds an impressive new dimension of splendor to the structure. 

We then recall that Kohanim (priests) are permitted to enter into the inner room of the Mishkan, where they can see the Table, Menorah, and Incense Altar – all made of pure gold. How beautiful it must have been.

Then there was one Kohen, the High Priest, who was permitted once a year, on Yom Kippur, to enter further inside and reach the Holy of Holies – and what an amazing sight he saw! Atop the Ark of the Covenant was the kaporet cover, made of pure gold and serving as a base for the golden cherubim. If he would open the Ark – which he was not permitted to do – he would see that it was plated with pure gold inside.  

The picture of increasingly more beauty as we go deeper inside is now clear, but the question is: Why? Why is all the beauty and glory of the Mishkan barely seen? Why are the golden utensils hidden from most of the people? Why should there be so much gold in the Ark when it is barely ever laid eyes upon, except by the High Priest? And why is its interior lined with gold, when it is never seen?

Investing in Inner Beauty

I once heard a nice explanation to these questions. This structure of the Mishkan provides us with a very important message. G-d wishes to teach us how we should build ourselves. Since the goal is for each of us to be a Mishkan for the Divine Presence, as in our introduction above, our souls must be built such that the main aspect of our uniqueness is specifically not our exterior and outside appearance and impression, but rather that which is inside us. 

It is important that our great strengths remain covered. Especially in this generation of alluring window displays, lustful passions that dazzle the eyes at every corner, beckoning websites that open with a simple click of a button – it is so important that we merit to be like the Tabernacle, and to build our great strengths within, with modesty.

Who is Great?

Someone once told me that the definition of a great person is "one whom the more you get to know him and realize who he is, the more you are impressed with him." Our sources say about such a person that he "reveals a tefach but covers two tefachim," i.e., the primary facets of his personality are kept private. The top spiritual leaders of Israel were always those whose greatness was increasingly noted the more our study of them was deepened. 

The Prophet Samuel 

We read in the Book of Shmuel I that when the future King Sha'ul was still a youth, he met the Prophet Shmuel for the first time – and couldn't even tell who he was! Sha'ul met Shmuel and asked him where he could find the "seer" of the generation. That is to say, Sha'ul didn't know that he was talking to the seer himself! Shmuel, in his modesty, did not wear distinctive clothing, nor did he have helpers and a fancy car. Rather, despite his greatness and the fact that G-d actually revealed Himself to Shmuel several times, and the fact that he was Israel's leader, acted outwardly as a "regular" person. 

May we be privileged to invest in our inner personality and qualities, and from amid this inner investment, our true goodness will thus become stronger and radiate outward.