“Speak to the Bnei Yisroel, and they shall take for Me, Terumah, from every person whose heart is so moved...” (Shemos 25:2)
The words “take for Me, Terumah” would appear to be the incorrect words to use. The correct words to use would be “give to me, Terumah”.
Rav Eliyahu Dessler ZT”L in his Michtav M’Eliyahu explains that the best way that one can become close to another individual is to give something to him. When one gives to another, one forms a close bond with that person. Based upon this Michtav M’Eliyahu, perhaps we can say that when one gives Terumah to Hashem, one becomes close to Hashem and there is no greater gift that one can receive from Hashem than becoming close to Him. Therefore, when Bnei Yisrael were enjoined to give Terumah to Hashem, the correct term to use was “take” because Bnei Yisrael were taking from Hashem far more than they were giving Him, because of the benefits that they would be receiving by becoming close to Him.
The benefits of closeness to Hashem are manifold. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel ZT”L, the Mashgiach of the Lakewood Yeshiva, explains that Hashem has generously provided each person with vast amounts and various forms of wisdom, qualities, and capabilities. To access all that Hashem has bestowed, one must achieve closeness to Hashem – Deveikus. This closeness is contained deep within the soul of man and is part of the nature of man. However, one does not readily feel and cannot readily achieve closeness to Hashem because there are barriers that stand in the way.
The essence of our service in this world is to remove these barriers. One of the barriers that stands in our way is caused by dishonesty. Working on our honesty and integrity is a sure way to remove this barrier and become closer to Hashem.
Perhaps this is also alluded to in the verse we quoted above, “... take for Me, Terumah, from every person whose heart is so moved...” The word in Hebrew for the word “from” in this verse is “מֵאֵת”. The Kabbalistic works say that this word refers to truth, because if you unscramble the letters in “מֵאֵת”, you get “אמת”. In other words, the verse could be read to mean that one should come close to Hashem by giving Terumah (as in our first thought above – giving creates a close bond between the giver and recipient) or through “מֵאֵת” which is “אמת”.
