Parashat Teruma- Giving and Receiving
Giving and Receiving
God tells Moshe in the beginning of Parashat Teruma that Benei Yisrael should "take for Me a donation" ("Ve'yikchu Li Teruma") towards the construction of the Mishkan. Many commentaries noted the obvious peculiarity in this reference to donations with the verb "taking." A person who makes a donation "gives," rather than "takes." The verse should have thus said, "Ve'yitenu Li Teruma" – "They shall give Me a donation."
The answer, as famously explained by many commentators, is that a person who donates to charitable causes does not actually "give"; if anything, he receives. Everything a person "owns" essentially belongs to the Almighty, who has merely entrusted him with those assets. Giving charity thus means nothing more than transferring the funds to their rightful owners – to the needy and to Torah institutions – and in so doing one earns great reward from God. It is therefore very accurate and appropriate to refer to charitable donations with the verb "Ve'yikchu" – "They shall take" – because in truth, by giving one actually receives.
The story is told of a man who regularly gave enormous sums of money to charity, and yet he not only remained very wealthy, he even grew wealthier with time. People began asking him how it was possible for him to give such large charitable donations yet continue to grow richer. He explained that as much as he "shovels" out to charity, the Almighty "shovels" back to him. The only difference, he added, is that God's shovel is much larger than his…
The Talmud teaches, "Melach Mamon Chasser," which literally means, "Salt money by diminishing it." Before refrigeration, people would preserve meat by pouring large amounts of salt on it, which would drain the meat of all its juices. Although this had the effect of diminishing from the size of the meat, this procedure was necessary to ensure its preservation. If somebody refused to salt the meat in order to maintain its full weight and volume, he would ultimately lose the entire piece, because it would spoil. The Talmud here teaches that money is "preserved" in the same fashion. If a person wishes to "salt," to protect, his money, than he must "diminish it," he must give some of it to charity. Otherwise, his wealth, like an unsalted piece of meat, will be "spoiled" and lost.
There is an expression in English, "Give until it hurts." Judaism does not recognize such a concept. The Torah teaches that the more charity one gives, the more he recognizes the benefits of generosity, and thus the more gratification he receives. We are told in the Book of Devarim (15:10), "Naton Titein Lo V'lo Yeira Levavecha Be'titecha Lo" – "You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be saddened when you give to him." The Torah promises that though initially it may be difficult to overcome the selfish human instinct, once a person grows accustomed to giving to others his heart will no longer be saddened when he gives. It does not "hurt" a person when he gives and continues to give; quite to the contrary, he receives more joy and satisfaction the more he donates.
Baron Rothschild was once asked how much he was worth, and he responded by stating the amount of charity he had given. He explained that his charitable donations are the only reliable "assets," the only thing he owns that can never be taken away. His business ventures could collapse at any time, his stock shares could lose their value, and his real estate at any moment could be seized by the government through eminent domain. The only permanent "assets" are his charity and good deeds; nobody, under any circumstances, can ever take them away from him.
Indeed, charitable donations are "taken" and not "given." The more we give, the more we will be shown just how much we have received as a result, and the more we will want to continue giving.
