Taking a donation

Rabbi Eli Mansour writes about this week's parsha in an article titled Parashat Teruma: Spiritual Currency.


Parashat Teruma begins with the command, “Ve’yikhu Li Teruma,” instructing Beneh Yisrael to donate materials for the construction of the Mishkan. Curiously, rather than commanding Beneh Yisrael to “give” or “donate” materials, G-d commands them to “take a donation.” And the question is obvious: how does one “take” a donation? Why did Hashem formulate the command in this fashion?
David Ha’melech famously proclaims in Tehillim (49:18), “Ki Lo Be’moto Yikah Ha’kol” – a person does not bring any of his material assets with him to the next world. In Jewish tradition, a dead body is buried in plain, simple shrouds with no pockets, emphasizing the point that no matter how much wealth a person accumulates in this world, he takes none of it with him to the next world. He leaves this world empty-handed. The currency in this world, whether it’s the U.S. dollar, the Euro, or the Israeli shekel, has no value whatsoever in the next world.
Read more: http://www.dailyhalacha.com/WeeklyParasha.asp


There's an interesting video at the Lakewood Scoop in which Mordechai Weinberger LCSW interviews Shadchan Rabbi Yisroel (Freddy) Friedman. Click here to listen.