In this week’s parsha, the Maor vaShemesh teaches that Terumah is not mainly about donating materials for a sanctuary. It is about making oneself into a place where God can dwell.
“To take for Me a Terumah” does not only mean giving an offering. It means elevating oneself for the sake of Heaven. Before a person can build a Mishkan outside, he must build one inside himself.
That inner elevation begins with two forms of separation. First, Hitbodedut, stepping back from negative influences and creating space for honest self-reflection. A person cannot hear God’s voice in constant noise. At times one must withdraw, think clearly, and examine what truly drives him.
Being Sameach b’Chelko
Second, freedom from excessive attachment to money. A person must cultivate Histapkut, sufficiency, the ability to live with “enough.” When someone is driven by love of wealth, spiritual life becomes distorted. But when a person is Sameach b’Chelko, content with his portion, he is free. That freedom creates room for real Avodat Hashem.
The Torah says the gift must come from one whose heart moves him. The Maor vaShemesh explains that even though building the Mishkan was a one-time historical event, we are always commanded to “take Terumah.” In every generation, the task remains the same: to lift ourselves spiritually. The physical structure no longer stands, but the inner work never ends.
Real elevation, however, requires guidance. For those who need it, it comes by attaching oneself to a true Tzaddik, someone whose integrity is visible in action, whose private devotion is reflected in disciplined and careful conduct. The Maor vaShemesh insists that authenticity is recognizable, not through grand claims, but through consistency, humility, and exactness in everyday deeds. Outer action reveals inner truth.
Being purified
At a deeper level, the Mishkan represents the Divine Presence dwelling within human life. God did not seek a building alone. He sought human beings refined enough to carry His Presence. Moshe became the living model because he purified himself so completely that he became a vehicle for holiness. Every Jew, in his own measure, is capable of walking that path.
To “take Terumah” therefore means: to elevate yourself. To create inner space. To practice Hitbodedut. To live with Histapkut. To become Sameach b’Chelko. To refine your conduct. To seek guidance from people of integrity. Through this work, the Divine Presence is no longer concealed. God’s Kingship becomes visible not in structures of gold, but in the character of a human being.
So that we ourselves become the enduring Mishkan.
Use this source sheet, complete with footnoted sources and a concise, footnoted bio of R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein (Ma’or Va-Shemesh) to enjoy this teaching at your own pace, perfect for self-learners.
Prepared by Rabbi Shalom (Saul) Orbach
The Ma’or Va-Shemesh is a classic Hasidic commentary on the weekly portions and festivals by R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Kraków (1751-1823). A foremost later disciple, and for years the Shamash, of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, he emerged after his rebbe’s passing as a leading figure in the fourth generation of Chassidut and of Polish Hasidism. His Torah blends close reading of the Psukim with mystical depth, emphasizing Dvekut, heartfelt prayer, joy, and sanctifying the everyday, with a hallmark leadership ethic: the tzaddik sweetens judgment into mercy and draws people close.