Parashat Teruma- Torah is For Everyone
Parashat Teruma records God’s instructions to Moshe regarding the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its various furnishings. Throughout this section, God introduces each part of the Mishkan by commanding, "Ve’asita" ("You shall make"), in the singular form, issuing a personal command to Moshe. The one exception to this rule is the command to fashion the Aron (Ark), which God introduces by commanding, "Ve’asu Aron" ("They shall make an Ark" – 25:10). This command was directed not toward Moshe, but rather to the entire nation.
The Ark, which contained the Luhot (tablets) given to Moshe at Mount Sinai, is symbolic of the Torah, particularly of Torah learning. By issuing the command to all Beneh Yisrael, God teaches that all members of the nation, bar none, must take part in the enterprise of Torah study. Regardless of whether a person is a full-time Kollel student, professional or businessman, he bears an obligation to "make the Aron," to earn a share in Torah by spending time studying.
One verse earlier, we read that after God introduced the Misva of the Mishkan, He tells Moshe, "Ve’chen Ta’asu" – "And so shall they do." The Sages explained this seemingly superfluous phrase to mean that the commands of the Mishkan are relevant for all time. The Mishkan’s construction was not a one-time project; it rather sets an example and precedent for the Jewish people to follow in every generation. Specifically, our holy sites, our synagogues, must resemble the Mishkan, and be constructed in a manner similar to the original "synagogue" built by Beneh Yisrael in the wilderness.
Accordingly, just as all Beneh Yisrael were required to have a share in the Aron, similarly, our synagogues must be institutions where all Jews can have a share in Torah learning.
Baruch Hashem, our generation has been resoundingly successful in achieving this goal. Years ago, synagogues were simply places of prayer. A Minyan schedule was printed, and people came to pray at the designated times. A synagogue with two Minyanim was already considered a large, successful congregation! And the synagogue’s Midrash – if it existed at all – was a place for the early Minyan to pray, and where a small handful of elderly men would occasionally learn. The synagogue library contained little more than some stacks of Siddurim and Humashim. Torah classes generally were not offered, other than the Rabbi’s class before Minha on Shabbat afternoon.
Thank God, we’ve come a very long way in this regard. Every community synagogue has become a Torah center, an institution that offers a variety of quality Torah classes for men and women of all ages. The synagogue’s Midrash is large and furnished with dozens and tables and chairs for people who come learn, and the bookshelves are filled with several sets of Talmud, Rambam, Shulhan Aruch and countless other volumes.
We have good reason to take pride in the "Mishkans" that we have built in our generation. Once again, the "Aron" has assumed its rightful place as the center of synagogue life. We have truly fulfilled the dictate of "Ve’chen Ta’asu," of building synagogues following the model of the Mishkan, that include all Jews in the enterprise of the "Aron," offering every man, woman and child the opportunity to earn their special share in Torah.
