With Parshas Terumah, we begin the third and final section of Sefer Shemos, also known as Sefer Ha’Geula - the Book of Redemption.
In essence, Shemos is divided into three main chalakim (sections):
(I) Shibud v’Yetzias Mitzrayim - the enslavement and Exodus from Egypt. This section is narrated in the first four parshios of the sefer: Shemos, Va’eira, Bo and Beshalach. This chelek tells the story of our physical redemption and freedom from slavery.
(II) Matan Torah - the second section of Shemos is made up of the parshios of Yisro and Mishpatim. These two parshios - different, yet complementary - relay to us the great Revelation at Sinai, our acceptance of the Torah, and the many laws related to the nation in the aftermath of Revelation. This chelek tells the story of our spiritual freedom. For as the Sages teach us “ein lecha ben chorin elah mi she’osek b’talmud Torah - a free person is only one who lives a life of Torah” (Avos Ch 6).
(III) Meleches u’binyan ha’Mishkan - the work, and building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The final, and third, section of Shemos begins in our parsha, Terumah, and continues through the end of the sefer: Tetzavah, Ki Tisa, Vayakhel and Pekudei. Our freedom is only complete once the Shechina descends (keviyachol) and dwells in our midst. When we build an abode for HKB”H to dwell amongst us, and within us, our freedom is fully realized. As the pasuk tells us in our parsha (Shemos 25:8): “And they shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell within them.”
Hence, the entirety of Sefer Shemos narrates our journey to freedom, through these three stages: physical, spiritual, and dwelling alone-together with G-d.
The Mishkan that was built in the desert was a precursor to the Batei Mikdash that stood in Yerushalayim Ir Ha’Kodesh. Though mortal man cannot understand how Infinity can contract (metzam’tzem) to dwell in a finite space, HKB”H did so to dwell amongst us. Even King Shlomo wondered at this great act of Divine tzimtzum, when he said: נֵּההִ֠ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ יםקאֱלֹ יֵשֵׁ֥ב הַֽאֻמְנָ֔ם כִּי בָּנִֽיתִי אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה כִּֽי־הַבַּ֥יִת אַ֕ף יְכַלְכְּל֔וָּ לֹ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּשְׁמֵ֚י הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם - But will G-d indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; much less this temple that I have erected (Melachim I 8:27).
And this entire narrative - Klal Yisrael and the Shechina dwelling alone-together - began in our parsha, with the command to Moshe to instruct the nation regarding Mishkan.
However, with the destruction of the Batei Mikdash - the first by Bavel in 586 BCE and the second by Rome in 70 CE - what happened to the intimacy between Am Yisrael and the Shechina? How would we maintain our kesher - our connection - to Hashem throughout the lands of our dispersion and places of our exile? Without a central place of worship, how would our nation survive, and thrive?
