Terumah: Zemer of The Week

“When Adar enters, we increase in joy.” (Ta’anit 29a)

 

Connection to Parshat Terumah: Terumah begins the joyous act of giving – every person donates willingly to build the Mishkan. True simcha comes from meaningful contribution.

Connection to the month of Adar: This is the quintessential Adar refrain – perfect for setting the emotional tone as the month begins.

 

 

The zemer for this week: שמרו שבתותי

Eliezer Diamond version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brlz7mGtYHY

The author of this zemer was named Shlomo (the acrostic formed by the four stanzas) and may have been Shlomo ben Yehuda ibn Gabirol, a prolific 11^th-century poet and philosopher.  The zemer focuses on our obligation to honor Shabbos with culinary delights, and describes how the final Redemption will be hastened by observance of the Shabbos.

Central elements of this parsha include the instructions for building the mishkan and the materials used to do so.

Some of the connections to the parsha:

·    2^nd and 3^rd lines of last stanza: “והשב את נותי ... לוי־י וכהני” (“And restore my Abode … my Levi’im and my Kohanim”) – The Mishkan described in this parsha – in which the Kohanim and Levi’im served – was Hashem’s original Abode.

·    Last line of 2^nd stanza: “בגדי שש עם שני” (“Garments of linen with scarlet wool”) – Linen and scarlet wool were two of the most common materials used in the mishkan.  Bnai Yisroel donated them at the beginning of our parsha (Shemot 25:4).  They were then used to make the ten curtains of the Mishkan (Shemot 26:1), the Parochet (Shemot 26:31), and the Masach (screen for the entrance – Shemot 26:36), among other items.

·    2^nd line of 2^nd stanza:“אשה אל אחותה לצרור” (metaphor translated as “One upon another to attach”) – In Shemot 26:6, the parsha uses the same metaphor to describe how “you shall attach one curtain upon another”
(“וחברת את היריעת אשה אל אחותה”), then repeats that phrase several more times throughout the parsha.

·    Acronym formed by the zemer’s stanzas: “שלמה” (Shlomo) – The central figure in this week’s haftarah (see p. 10 below).

Bonus for Chodesh Adar (also from “Shimru Shabtotai”):

·    1^st line of 3^rd stanza: “מהרו את המנה, לעשות את דבר אסתר” (“Expedite the food portions, fulfilling Esther’s request”) – With the coming of Chodesh Adar: The origin of (all but one letter of) this line is Megillat Esther (5:5), where Achashverosh gives an order using the same 7 words, except that he says “Haman/המן” instead of the “המנה” used here (“המן” plus a “ה”).