Terumah Parsha Lesson- Actions, Actions, Actions II
For Year 2 of Parsha Lesson, I will be focusing on one practical middah, character trait, to think about in the week ahead and steps we can take to attain it.
Background
By the making of the Aron, the ark which held the Tablets upon which the 10 commandments were written, it says in the Torah ‘and they made the Ark.’ The Medrash explains that specifically by the Aron, the entire Klal Yisroel, Jewish nation, had a part in making it.
Why was this necessary? The Medrash goes on to explain that Hashem instructed that every one should make the Ark in order that everyone had a part in making that which would hold the 10 commandments. This was in order that all of Klal Yisroel should be drawn to learning Torah and be successful in learning Torah.
Question
Why is it necessary for everyone to do something towards the building of the Ark? And if they did not take part in building the Ark they would not be able to be successful in learning Torah!? What is so significant and what is the practical effect of this, more than having just built an Ark?
Answer
Hashem was teaching the Jewish people an amazing insight into human psychology and dynamics. Hashem was teaching us that actions have a VERY significant impact on how we feel.
If one were to do concrete action which demonstrated love of the Torah- like building the Ark to hold it- it would therefore be implanted in him love of the Torah. This love and dedication would therefore translate into success both in persevering through the challenge of learning Torah and also in making that which one does learn more dear and important.
This benefit was of such utmost importance that Hashem commanded that with regards to building, specifically, the Aron, everyone in Klal Yisroel needed to take part.
Lesson
Actions are so important and they hold the key to a person being able to change themselves and improve. As we have learned many times: Action determines how one feels and thinks.
Being that this is the case, and also that action is more in a person’s realm of choice than feelings and thoughts, it is therefore of the utmost importance to DO good.
First Step
A person needs to delineate for himself concrete action which he can undertake which are manifestations of that which he is trying to work on. For example, if one would take care to handle seforim (Torah books) with great care and respect, if one were to treat a shul or Beis Medrash (Torah study hall) with dignity and act more properly, this will infuse within the person with a great appreciation for Torah. This will help this person afterwards in their decision making with regards to the Torah related issues and to Judaism by extension.
On the other hand if one were to have an irreverant attitude and a disrespect for something that the person knows is important, this can have the opposite effect.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
