The Only House Big Enough For Hashem Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to build a Mishkan and take generous donations from Bnei Yisrael. Moshe was perplexed: If all the Heavens and the earth are not large enough for Hashem, how can a Mishkan of thirty amos be Hashem’s dwelling?
Rav Naftoli Tzvi of Ropshitz explains that the donations were only accepted from those who “Yidvenu Libo” gave it with a generous heart. This meant that when the person brought his limited pieces of gold or silver, his heart yearned to give even more. To express his infinite love of Hashem he wanted to give Hashem all the gold and silver in the world and then some. Unlike the wallet, the mind has no limit.
“V’Asu Li Mikdash V’Shachanti BiSocham; Build me a Mishkan and I will dwell among them.” (Truma 25:8) The Ropshitzer explains that Hashem indeed did not put his Shechina solely into a small physical structure. When Bnei Yisrael built the Mikdash with their infinite love, Hashem rested His infinite Shechina in this infinite love. This is why the pasuk says, “V’Shachanti BiSocham; I will dwell.
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Was The Multi-Colored Tachash Really A Wild Animal? Rashi (Truma 25:5) says that the Tachash was a Chaya, a wild animal, that only existed in the Midbar at the time of the building of the Mishkan. The Sridei Aish, Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg asks that this seems to contradict the Gemara in Shabbos 28b) that asks if the Tachash was a Biheima or Chaya and does not resolve it.
He answers that Hashem created every creature with an innate ability to carry out its intended purpose. Biheimos, domesticated animals, serve mankind and are obedient and humble servants. They provide milk and meat, wool, and work for man. Wild animal are created as messengers of punishment and serve only their creator. They do not subdue themselves to the wishes of man, only their inborn wild instincts given them by Hashem to carry out their mission.
The Gemara in Shabbos has a dilemma. The Tachash which was a one time phenomenon meant to provide beautiful colored hide to the Mishkan could not have been a Biheima since it doesn’t serve man. Nor can it be a Chaya because all the animal used in the Mishkan needed to possess the quality of modesty, as the Medrash says, “All Korbanos come from animals that serve as prey and not as predators.”
Rashi, says that Rav Weinberg, is telling us that even if the Tachash was a wild animal, it still had a place in the Mishkan. Why? Because it was only in existence for a short time to provide its hide for the Mishkan. Even if it had the makings of a Chaya, it will never get a chance to act as such and can be used in the Mishkan.
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Carry Huge Beams Of Wood Out Of Mitzrayim Atzei Shttim were used in abundance in the Mishkan for the perimeter structure and the walls. Where did Bnei Yisrael find these huge trees from the midbar? The Medrash Tanchuma tells us that Yaakov planted them in Mitzrayim and commanded Bnei Yisrael to take them on their way out of Mitzrayim. The Ibn Ezra asks how could they take these large beams out of Mitzrayim after claiming they were only going for three days?
Rav Eliezer Ashkenazi in Maasei Hashem says that the Ibn Ezra’s question is not a question. “On the contrary,” he says. first of all the Mitzrim knew that they were going to serve Hashem in the desert. How were they supposed to protect themselves from the hot sun without any overhead structure? Furthermore, they needed to build a site to stage this worship.
Lastly, if they were leaving forever, surely they were going to a place that had building materials and they would not need to bring their own from Mitzrayim. Certainly not if it meant lugging heavy beams faraway, especially given that they would need to be light and quick to escape the pursuing army who would chase them at the first sign that they weren’t returning. This is exactly why Yaakov had to command them to take these trees, because it was the last thing they wanted to do.”
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Returning The Money To Mitzrayim? Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, in Oznayim LaTorah, offers the following pshat on why the Parsha of Truma follows the parshiyos of Yisro and Mishpatim. When the Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim they were told to “borrow” the riches of their Mitzri neighbors. Later on it became clear that they were never intending to repay this “loan”. At Har Sinai, Hashem told them, “Lo Signov,” and then in Mishpatim they learned some of the finer details about dealing with other people’s money. The ehrlicher Jews among them started to get worried about the money of questionable kashrus that they had in their possession from the Mitzrim. They thought that maybe this was a subtle hint from Hashem that they ought to go back and return the money. Hashem therefore tells them in the beginning of the parsha, “ViYikchu Li Truma. If you think the money you have is not kosher, then come give it to me. Use it for my home, the Mishkan, that is rooted in honesty, since it is legitimately yours. If it is kosher enough for me to use, it is certainly kosher enough for you to use, and there is no need to return it to Mitzrayim.”

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