A Prior Commitment

Parshas Terumah

Posted on February 13, 2018 (5778) By Rabbi Yochanan Zweig | Series: Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha | Level: Intermediate Beginner

“…take for Me a portion…” (25:2)

There is an obscure Midrash which states that when Hashem instructed Bnei Yisroel to assemble the materials for the building of the “Mishkan” – “Tabernacle”, they responded “Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echod” – “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One”.¹ What message are Bnei Yisroel attempting to convey through this response?

Our daily prayers contain a section known as Tachanun. In the concluding portion of the Tachanun we recite the following two stanzas: “O Guardian of Israel, protect the remnants of Israel, let not Israel be destroyed – those who proclaim ‘Shema Yisroel’. O Guardian of the unique nation, protect the remnants of the unique people. Let not the unique nation be destroyed – those who proclaim ‘Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echod'”. We beseech Hashem to save us in the merit of our saying “Shema Yiroel” and “Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echod”. Why are these two proclamations listed separately and considered separate merits?

The Talmud states that Yaakov Avinu wished to reveal to his sons the time of the ultimate redemption but the Divine Presence departed from him. He feared that perhaps one of his sons was unworthy. However, his sons reassured him that they all were righteous by proclaiming “Shema Yisroel” – “Listen our father Israel, Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echod”.² If they were standing in front of him why did they need to say “Listen our father Israel”? Why do we initiate our affirmation of the unity of Hashem with “Shema Yisroel”?

Our obligation to observe the precepts stems from a dual sense of responsibility; most obvious is the responsibility we have to our Creator. However, there is an additional responsibility, the responsibility to upkeep the traditions and heritage of our forefathers. An essential element of honoring our parents, who give us existence, is honoring the values and traditions which they have received as a legacy from their parents. Consequently, nonobservance of our heritage is an affront not only to our Creator, but to our parents and their ancestors as well.

By addressing their father ‘Hear O Israel” the brothers were proclaiming to him their commitment to adhere to the traditions and values with which he had inculcated them. They then added “We are also obligated to keep our heritage because Hashem our G-d requires us to do so.” It is this very proclamation which we recite twice daily, stating that our commitment to serve our Creator is twofold: our responsibility to upkeep the values of our Patriarch Israel and our responsibility to Hashem.

When Hashem instructed Bnei Yisroel to begin donating materials for the creation of a Mishkan, their response to Him was that they were committed to establishing a House for the Divine Presence because He had commanded that this be done. However, they emphasized that they had already accepted this responsibility from their father Israel who ingrained in them the importance of having such an abode, as the Midrash states that Yaakov foresaw with prophetic vision that his children would be required to build a Mishkan. Therefore, he commanded them to bring to Mitzrayim (Egypt) all the components necessary for the building of the Mishkan so that the materials would be available when leaving Mitsrayim two hundred ten years later.

1.Nachal Kadmon, Divrei Yoel
2.Pesachim 56b, see Rashi, who states that Yisroel refers to Yaakov Avinu