In Parashat Terumah, we encounter one of the most moving invitations in the Torah. In the Book of Book of Exodus, Hashem tells the Jewish people: “Ve’yikchu li terumah — And they shall take for Me a portion.”
The Torah does not say “give to Me” — it says “take.” When we give to Hashem, when we give to our community, we are not losing. We are taking — taking purpose, taking holiness, taking our place in Jewish eternity.
The command was to build the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness. Gold, silver, copper, fine fabrics, acacia wood, oil for the menorah — each gift transformed into something sacred. But the most important ingredient was not the material. It was the heart.
“From every person whose heart inspires him to generosity.” The Mishkan was not built by one donor. It was built by a nation. Every gift mattered.
As we have started the month of Adar, we read last Parashat Shekalim, recalling the mitzvah of the machatzit hashekel — the half shekel. Each adult Jew, rich or poor, was commanded to give exactly the same amount toward the communal offerings in the Mishkan and later in the Beit HaMikdash.
“The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less.”
Why half? Because no Jew is whole alone. Each of us is only part of something greater. Alone we are a half-coin. Together we form completeness. In Terumah, the people brought voluntary gifts to build a dwelling place for Hashem. In Shekalim, they gave equally to sustain communal offerings. One teaches generosity of the heart. The other teaches equality and shared responsibility.
Together they teach this truth: A holy community is built when every individual participates. Though we no longer have the Beit HaMikdash – The Temple in Jerusalem, our synagogues are our mikdash me’at — miniature sanctuaries.
A Sephardic Temple is more than walls and a roof. It is:
- A house of prayer where ancient Sephardic melodies rise with the same devotion as in generations past.
• A house of Torah where children and adults learn the eternal wisdom of Judaism.
• A house of gathering where we celebrate happiness and find comfort in times of sorrow.
Just as the Mishkan – Tabernacle, required gold for its vessels and oil for its menorah, our synagogue requires commitment, participation, and support.
The menorah in the Tabernacle was commanded to burn continually. Fire represents the Jewish soul — luminous, upward-reaching, never satisfied with remaining below. But a flame requires fuel.
In every generation, we are that fuel.
The month of Adar is a time of increased joy — “Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha.” But joy in Judaism is never detached from responsibility.
During Adar, we fulfill two powerful mitzvot:
- Machatzit Hashekel
Today, in memory of the half shekel, it is customary to give the value of half a biblical shekel of silver which is about $26. The silver price has soared dramatically.
Each person should give separately — men, women, and even children according to custom. This is not about the amount. It is about declaring: “I am part of this nation.”
- Matanot La’Evyonim
On Purim, we are commanded to give matanot la’evyonim — gifts to the poor. The halachic minimum is to give two gifts to two needy individuals — at least the value of a modest meal to each.
In practical U.S. terms, a respectable minimum today would be:
- $10–$18 per needy person
• Total minimum: $20–$36 per adult
Of course, one who is able should give more generously.
If machatzit hashekel teaches equality, matanot la’evyonim teaches compassion. One binds us to the community. The other opens our hands to those in need.
We live in a world of distraction, assimilation, and fragmentation. Supporting our Sephardic Temple is an act of sacred defiance. It proclaims:
Our traditions will not fade.
Our melodies will not be silenced.
Our children will inherit more than memories — they will inherit a living, breathing Torah community.
When we donate in Adar — for machatzit hashekel, for matanot la’evyonim, and for our synagogue — we are doing exactly what our ancestors did in Parashat Terumah.
The half shekel was never about money. It was about belonging.
Terumah was never about gold. It was about generosity of spirit.
This Adar, let each of us give with open hands and open hearts:
- Give your Machatzit hashekel.
• Give Matanot La’evyonim generously.
• Support your Sephardic Temple.
In doing so, we transform individuals into a community. We turn memory into continuity. We keep the menorah burning.
May our shared commitment be the merit through which God once again dwells among us.
Chodesh Adar Sameach,
Rabbi Refael Cohen