Parshat Teruma: Do You Miss Home?

Human beings crave for a space where we can express our true selves without inhibition or fear of consequence. We call this place home. Hence the phrase “there is no place like home”. As children, we grow up in a secure and nurturing environment where we are encouraged to be the best version of ourselves. As adults we try and recreate that atmosphere for our own children. It is also why as adults we miss those childhood years. We long for those good old times when we were pure and innocent with little pretension. The mystics explain that our yearning for a home emanates from our divine source which seeks the same. The reason G-d created our world was because he desired for a home amongst us. What’s more is that he empowered each and every one of us to fulfil that mission. At the core of our being we have a divine spark. That spark wants to shine in all its glory. Our job is not to obstruct it’s beautiful glow. In fact, there is nothing more painful for the spark than when we stifle its light. So how do we allow our spiritual light to shine? How do we rid ourselves of all that which obscures the radiance of our souls? The answer lies in the verses where G-d instructs the Jewish people to build a home for him. “Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them”. “You shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is generous”. The key to building a home for G-d in this world, is by allowing the “spark of G-d” within us to shine. And we can only achieve this when a generous spirit resides in our heart. It is traits such as kindness and compassion that are essential in allowing the radiance of our souls to illuminate the world around us. To express our true selves without inhibition.