Parshas Teruma and Tezaveh focus mainly on the building of the Mishkan, the clothing of the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol. In Parshas Teruma the Torah tells us about making the Aron with its cover and the Keruvim (the two angels of gold on the cover), then the Shulchan – the table, the Menorah and then the embodied coverings of the Mishkan and the walls.
After that, the Passuk tells us about Mizbeach – the Alter which was outside in the Chatzer – the courtyard and then the pillars and curtains of the Chatzer.
If we stop a minute, we will notice that something is missing. There is the Aron, the Shulchan, the Menorah and the Mizbeach. Inside the Azarah next to the Shulchan and the Menorah was the Mizbeach Hazahav, the golden alter. what happened to it?
In this week’s Parsha we learn about all the clothes of the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol. Then the Parsha tells us of Hashem’s promise that His Divine Presence will rest in the Mishkan and we will all know that Hashem is the One that took us out of Mitzrayim. Only afterwards the Parsha tells us about making the golden alter. Why was this left until the end?
There is a very important message here.
The Aron resembles the Torah study. The Luchos (the tablets) were inside the Aron. The Shulchan resembles the Avoda of eating. It also resembles Parnassa that should be done honestly. The Menorah and the pure olive oil resembles Torah again and good Middos – good behavior. The Mizbeach resembles serving Hashem with a fire of enthusiasm, Teshuva through sacrificing the Korbonos.
Then we have the golden Mizbeach that was used to sacrifice the Ketores – the special sweet smelling spices. When there was a plague Moshe told Aharon to take a pan with Ketores and go between the Yidden and the plague stopped. Even today we know that saying the Parsha of Ketores has great powers to save and bring abundance.
But the Torah is teaching us an important message. In order to perform miracles and wonders one can’t just play with the Ketores, or mess around with Kabbalah and similar ideas. Firstly, one has to have studied Torah, worked on one’s Middos and purify them. Working on how we daven, how we do chessed. One has to work on our materialistic parts of life like eating, sleeping and how we do business. Once a person reaches that level one can merit Divine Presence in their souls and body. Only then can we hope that with the power of Torah study, holiness and purity, then one can have the spiritual powers to use the Ketores, have the power of blessing and prayer to help our brethren.
When Rabbi Chaim of Sanz was a young boy he excelled in his studies. As a prize he asked his father to take him on his next trip to see Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak, the Chozeh from Lublin. There was a long line waiting to enter the Rabbi’s study and receive his blessing. When their turn finally came, young Chaim received an extra warm welcome and blessing from the Rebbe.
Instead of leaving, young Chaim stood on the side and continued watching the Rebbe. Suddenly the Chozeh told everyone to leave the room. Everyone left the room, besides one person, the young Chaim. He hid behind the Rebbe’s chair to see what was about to happen.
The Chozeh stood up, locked the door and started pacing back and forth in his room studying aloud with a sweet tune a Perek of Mishnayos. When the Chozeh finished he walked straight up to his chair and pulled the young Chaim out of his hiding place.
“Chaim’ke, I am sure you are puzzled by what you just saw. I will explain. People come here to ask my advice and blessing. Where do I derive the power to give advice or a blessing? In the olden times a Jew would go to the Beis Hamikdash and ask the holy Kohen Gadol for blessing. He was the head of the tribe of Levi, the tribe that was dedicated to Torah study. So through the power of Torah and being in the holy Beis Hamikdash gave the Kohen Gadol the power to bless and give advice. But today we don’t have that. So the only way to connect to Hashem is through Torah study. So I spend my time studying and praying which connects me to Hashem and gives me the ability to bless. But after so many people come through my door with their troubles and questions I slowly lose my connection to the Torah and Hashem so I have to take a short break to reconnect. Why am I telling you, Chaim’ke? Because one day you will be a leader and you need to know that the only way to lead Klal Yisrael, give advice and blessings, is only through intense Torah study and continuous connection to Hashem.”
