וְ יִ קְ חוּ לִ י תְּ רוּמָ ה מֵ אֵ ת כָּל אִ ישׁ אֲ שֶׁ ר יִ דְּ בֶ נּוּ לִ בּוֹ וגו' (כה, ב)
And you shall take for me a donation from every man whose heart inspires him to give... (25:2)
One Who Connects With Yirei Hashem Connects With Hashem:
Rav Menachem Mendel of Vorka zy”a (Sefer Bais Yitzchok) explains the word “li” (to me) to be referring to a person who wants to connect to Hashem. The pasuk advises him with the words: “Mei’eis kol ish” (from every man). He should connect to other people who fear Hashem and learn from their ways and, in this way, he can connect to Hashem.
After Falling, One Must Strengthen Himself to Try Again:
The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 33:6) says: “Vayikchu li terumah. This is as stated (Mishlei 4:2): ‘For a good deal I have given to you. My Torah, you shall not abandon it.’” The Kotzker Rebbe zy”a explains that one must always seek to strengthen his avodas Hashem. Even if he stumbles and falls at times, he should not become disheartened. Rather, he should strengthen himself again and continue to try to serve Him correctly, and Hashem will have mercy on him and help him fulfill his desire to serve Him.
The Medrash compares Torah to a business deal and says not to abandon this deal. If a businessman does a deal that is unsuccessful, would he abandon his business completely? He certainly would not. He would get up and try another deal, and daven to Hashem for success. This is how we are meant to serve Hashem. Even if we fall, we must not give up. We must get up and try again, as is stated (Mishlei 23:16): “A tzadik falls seven times and gets up.”
A wealthy man was once asked how he merited success in business. He answered, “I failed 100 times. Each failure was a step in the ladder to success. I tried my luck over and over again, and never gave up. If I failed, I tried again, and I learned important lessons from each failure, until I finally succeeded.”
From the Pursuit of Taivoh, One Can Learn How to Serve Hashem:
Sefer Zera Kodesh states that the word “terumah” connotes “l’romem” – to raise up. Thus, the pasuk is saying that one should up the “li”, which is a reference to Hashem. How can one do this? “Mei’eis kol is hasher yidvenu libo.” One should pay attention to how people pursue the desires of their heart, and see how they would do anything to obtain their desire. From seeing that, they should learn how much effort one must put into serving Hashem.
Tzedakah Transforms Middas Hadin to Middas Harachamim:
The Chida zt”l (Sefer Ruach Chaim, Drush 8) learns from this pasuk that tzedakah has the power to transform Hashem’s middas hadin into middas harachamim. The name of Havaya, which is used in this pasuk, symbolizes the middah of rachamim. The pasuk is saying that if one takes a terumah, which is a reference to tzedakah, he will arouse the Divine trait of rachamim.
If One Wants to Give Tzedakah, Hashem Helps Him:
The Sar Shalom of Belz zy”a (Sefer Midbar Kodesh) says that this pasuk is a guarantee from Hashem that He will help anyone whose heart desires to give tzedakah, in order to ensure that he will not lack anything and he will be able to give as much as he wants. The pasuk says that if a person has a heart that inspires him to give, “it will be taken from him his donation”, meaning that Hashem will ensure that he has the ability to fulfill his desire to give.
The daughter of the Tzemach Tzadik zy”a – the wife of Rav Shmuel of Skohl zy”a, who was a son of Rav Yehoshua of Belz zy”a – excelled in her performance of good deeds, specifically in the middah of tzedakah. She personally supported many of the “yoshvim” in Belz, and provided them with all of their needs. All she asked of them was to bless her that she should have the ability and the desire to continue to give tzedakah.
When her son reached the age of bar mitzvah, a beautiful new hat was purchased from him. However, his righteous mother took the new hat off his head and said, “If the son of the Rov wears an old hat, it won’t hurt him at all and he won’t be embarrassed. But there is a poor bochur who will be very embarrassed to walk around in an old hat, so you should give him your hat.”
Tefillos Accepted in the Merit of Tzedakah:
Sefer Imrei Noam explains this pasuk by citing the Gemara (Bava Basra 10A) that says that Rav Elazar would first give a coin to a poor man and then daven. He explains that through the power of tzedakah, all Heavenly gates were opened for him, and his prayers were able to ascend directly to Hashem and provide much goodness for Klal Yisroel. The pasuk (Eichah 3:44) says that there is a cloud that stands in the way of our tefillos. Only tzedakah can remove this cloud. This idea is hinted to in the words “vayikchu li terumah”, as the gematriah of “vayikchu li” is the same as the word “anan” (cloud), while the gematriah of the word “terumah” is “kol tefillah” (the voice of prayer). This indicates that there is a cloud that blocks our tefillos, and the way to remove it is to have a giving heart and to give money to tzedakah.
What Are Doing for Hashem?
Rav Chaim of Brisk zt”l once asked a wealthy man, “Vos machst du?” (This is a standard Yiddish greeting that literally means: “What do you do?) The man answered that he was involved in a certain business and he was very successful.
A few minutes later, Rav Chaim asked again, “Vos machst du?” The man thought that perhaps Rav Chaim had not heard him the first time, so he repeated his answer.
Rav Chaim then asked the same question a third time, and the wealthy man said in wonderment, “I already said that I do such-and-such business!”
Rav Chaim then said, “I didn’t ask you what Hashem does. Hashem takes care of your business and provides your parnassah. I was asking what you do. Chazal say that everything is in the hands of Hashem except for yiras shomayim. I was asking what you do for yiras shomayim. Do you learn and serve Hashem? Do you do chesed and give tzedakah?”
וְ ז ֹאת הַ תְּ רוּמָ ה אֲ שֶׁ ר תִּ קְ חוּ מֵ אִ תָּ ם זָהָ ב וָכֶסֶ ף וּנְ חשֶׁ ת (כה, ג)
And these are the donations that you shall take from them: gold, silver and copper. (25:3)
Donations Permeated With Ahavas Hashem:
The Dubno Magid zt”l (Sefer Ohel Yaakov) writes as follows: When Hashem asked for donations of gold, silver, etc., it was obviously not because He wants gold and silver. Rather, it was because these items are precious in the eyes of man, and when a person donates to Hashem something that is dear to him, it is a show of love to Hashem. When many people come together to display their love of Hashem, they can build a dwelling place for the Shechinah, as is stated (Shir Hashirim 3:10): “Its pillars he made of silver, its couch of gold, its curtain of purple, its interior inlaid with love.”
Everyone should really have been asked to donate their love, if that were possible, but since there is no way to donate love itself, they were told to donate physical items that express their love. By giving away things people naturally love, they were, in essence, donating their love.
Cutting Live Skin:
The Baal Hatanya zy”a would say that the desire for gold and silver permeates all of a person’s 248 limbs and 365 veins. When one gives away his money to tzedakah, it is as if he is cutting off a piece of his own body and giving it to Hashem.
The Poor Man Who Gives a Little is More Beloved Than the Rich Man Who Gives a Lot:
The Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe) writes that “gold, silver and copper” symbolize three types of people who give tzedakah, with each one representing a higher level than the last.
“Gold” represents someone who has a lot of money and gives a lot of tzedakah, but it is not difficult for him to give because he is still left with a lot of money after he gives some away. This is not such a high level. “Silver” represents a “middle-class” person. It is a bit harder for him to give away money than it is for a wealthy person and, therefore, his mitzvah is greater. “Copper” represents a poor man who does not have much money. He must deny himself of some of his needs in order to give tzedakah. Therefore, his mitzvah is the greatest of all.
Chazal say (Chulin 46A) that wealthy men tend to have a stingy nature. This is actually for their benefit, as Hashem makes it hard for them to give so that they should obtain more reward for giving.
וְ נָתַ תָ ּ עַ ל הַ שֻ ּׁלְ חָ ן לֶחֶ ם פָ ּנִ ים לְ פָ נַי תָ ּמִ יד (כה, ל)
And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times. (25:30)
Always Have Bread Ready on the Table:
Rav Moshe Leib of Sasov zy”a would say that the lechem hapanim teaches us that every Jewish table should always have bread upon it so that one is always prepared to feed a poor, hungry man who may ask for food.
Hashem Only Asks For a Little:
The famed Magid, Rav Yaakov Galinsky zt”l, related that Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l told him that when his father-in-law, Rav Eliezer Gordon zt”l, established the yeshiva in Telshe, he traveled to Kiev, where he met with a very wealthy man. The gevir welcomed Rav Eliezer into his home with much honor and asked why he had come. Rav Eliezer told him, “I would like to ask you to donate 500 rubles to our new yeshiva.”
This was a very large amount of money at the time. Rav Yaakov related that when half of the city of Radin burned down, the Chofetz Chaim organized a campaign to raise funds to rebuild the city. He raised 200 rubles, which was enough to rebuild half the houses of the city. Thus, 500 rubles was truly a fortune of money.
The wealthy man told Rav Eliezer, “Rebbi, you must be exaggerating. Did you really think I would give that much?” Rav Eliezer replied, “I am 100% serious. I am not exaggerating at all.”
The rich man now became angry and said, “They say that you are a ‘gaon’ in Torah. This means that you are able to understand the two sides to every argument. We now have two sides before us. Your side is that you want me to give you a huge amount of money. My side is that you are asking for way too much. Please, explain to me with your ‘gaonus’ why your claim is correct?”
Rav Eliezer answered, “Hashem commanded us to give maaser beheimah. We are told to make a small opening and pass all of our sheep through it. We count: 1, 2, 3...9, and the tenth sheep is struck with a stick that has red dye on it to identify it as maaser.
“This leads to a question. Wealthy men have huge flocks of sheep. For example, the Gemara says (Shabbos 54B) that Eliezer ben Azariah gave 12,000 calves for maaser a year! This means that 120,000 sheep had to pass under his stick. It certainly is a huge chore to count so many sheep and that certainly takes a very long time. He knew how many sheep he owned, so why couldn’t he just take out 10% and designate it as maaser? Why can’t every wealthy man do that?
“The answer is that if we would just go to a wealthy man and tell him that he must give 12,000 of his sheep to maaser, he would be very upset. He would ask: How can you tell me to give away such a huge amount of sheep? Therefore, the chochomim said that the rich man should bring his entire huge flock to one place and count them all. He should say: This one is for me, this one is also for me...and the tenth is for the kohen...In this way, he will understand that he gets to keep so much of what Hashem gave him, and he only is expected to give a small percentage to the kohen.”
Rav Eliezer concluded, “That is what we are arguing about. I asked you to give me 500 rubles to support Torah, and you said that I was asking for too much. Let’s count all of the money and possessions you own, and see what percentage I am asking for.”
It goes without saying that the wealthy man conceded and gave the 500 rubles.
Tzedakah is Always Considered a Mitzvah:
Tzedakah has a benefit over other mitzvos in the sense that even if one gives charity with a personal agenda – such as a desire for honor, etc. – it is still considered a mitzvah. To this end, it is related that the Ahavas Yisroel of Vizhnitz zy”a once asked someone, “Do you give tzedakah?”
The man replied, “I don’t want to discuss it. I give but I want to keep it a secret.”
The Rebbe responded, “On the contrary, you should speak about it. The important thing is that you give, and it is okay for people to know that you give.”
The explanation of this is obvious. Even if one gives tzedakah with a personal agenda, he is still helping the poor, and, therefore, he gets a mitzvah. If one feeds a poor man, even if he is doing it for his own honor, he sustained that man’s life, and the rule is that if one sustains the life of one individual, it is as if he saved an entire world (Bava Basra 11A, Sanhedrin 37A). Therefore, no matter what his intentions were, he definitely gets a mitzvah.
There is a general rule that “it doesn’t matter if one does a lot or a little, as long as his intentions are l’sheim shomayim.” However, Rav Hillel of Paritch zy”a said in the name of the Baal Shem Tov zy”a that this rule does not apply in three cases. In those three cases, the rule is that “it doesn’t matter if one’s intentions are good or not, as long as he does a lot” – meaning that one should do a lot in these three areas, even if his intentions are somewhat impure. Those three things are: 1. Reciting the Zohar, which is a segulah to purify the neshama, even if one doesn’t understand what he is saying. 2. Immersing in a mikvah to purify one’s body. 3. Giving tzedakah, as Chazal say that if someone gives charity so that his son will be healed from an illness, he is a complete tzadik, even though his intentions were not l’sheim shomayim, because the fact remains that he provided sustenance for a poor person.
The Baal Hatanya zy”a was once told that there was a wealthy man in Russia who built a large and beautiful mansion to host guests, whom he provided with very nice rooms to stay in. He made doors on each side of this house, just like Avrohom Avinu did. He would personally stand by a door and dish out food to all comers.
The Baal Hatanya said that he needs to see this for himself and he traveled deep into Russia to get to this man’s guesthouse. When the wealthy man saw the Baal Hatanya, he recognized that he was an exalted person. Therefore, he gave him a private room to stay in.
The Baal Hatanya watched this man and saw how he greeted his guests with a smile and waited on them all day, taking care of all of their needs.
In the evening, the man came to the Baal Hatanya’s room and began to cry. When the Baal Hatanya asked why he was crying, he said, “Rebbe, you saw how hard I work for my guests. But I am worried that my intentions are not fully l’sheim shomayim. How can I know if Hashem is pleased with my actions?”
The Rebbe replied, “You have no reason to worry. As long as the poor people are deriving sustenance, and you are the one providing it, Hashem is happy with you.”
Only Giving One’s Own Money:
Sefer Otzar Chaim quotes Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk zt”l (the Bais Halevi) as stating that the reason Parshas Terumah is situated next to Parshas Mishpatim is to teach us that one can only give tzedakah if he is certain that the money belongs to him, and not to someone else. One must first learn the monetary laws of Parshas Mishpatim to determine that he rightfully owns his money before he can give it as tzedakah.
The Difficult Test of Pure Money:
The Rebbe of Lechovitch zy”a (quoted in Kisvei Ramam, Parshas Tetzaveh) would explain the words (Shemos 25:36) “miksheh achas zahav tahor” (one piece, hammered of pure gold) by saying: “There is one hard thing (the word ‘miksheh’ can be translated to mean ‘hard’). That is pure gold.” Money causes many difficult problems because it is very hard to do business entirely honestly and in accordance with halacha.
One Cannot Become Rich From Dirty Money:
The Chida zt”l asks a question that many people have wondered about. Chazal speak very highly about someone who gives tzedakah and say that he gets much reward. However, the fact remains that we see many people who give a lot of their money to tzedakah but do not merit these blessings. Sometimes, they experience tragedy or lose all of their money. What happened to their reward?
He says that one answer to this question is that these men were destined to die, and their lives were saved in the merit of their tzedakah. Since a poor person is considered to be dead, in the merit of their tzedakah Hashem allowed them to fulfill their death sentence with poverty. Another answer is that one can only see blessing in his money if his entire fortune is obtained honestly and righteously. If some of one’s wealth was obtained through trickery or theft, Hashem does not want his tzedakah and it will not be a source of blessing. On the contrary, it will lead to poverty.
