Drash Cards for Terumah (5770)

• Primo Levi asks “Who is a Jew” and answers (much as my father might have): One who does not have a Christmas tree and who should not but does eat salami

• This week’s Torah portion gives another answer

• It seems that we are reading a blueprint for the Miskan (that is, engineering).

• What are blueprints?  They provide information about both structure and detail.

• Why are we given blueprints?  The answer is in Ch 25:8 “They shall make a Sanctuary so that I may dwell in them”

• Who is a Jew? Somebody who looks to the Torah for structure and detail to make a dwelling place for God in this world.