Terumah – The Balance of Greatness
Exodus 25:2 “And you shall take, for Me, a collection.” The age-old question persists: “If God has everything, why does He need us to do things for Him? Why must we build a Tabernacle or perform Mitzvot if everything already belongs to Him—even the deeds I’ve yet to do? Nothing I can do adds to His value, and nothing I don’t do subtracts from it. So why did He command us with Mitzvot and rules?” This question is asked by many, perhaps because of our laziness to do or our deep desire to know that our deeds are valued and appreciated. “Since He has it all, how does my little deed make a difference?”
The truth is, many who reach positions of greatness don’t feel great at all. People can be successful in the eyes of the world, earning respect from all who recognize their name, yet inside, they remain the same person struggling with confidence and morality. “So what if I’ve accomplished this or that? Who cares that I’ve made it to the top financially?” they wonder. All they did was press on, choosing what was right more often than not, and somehow they arrived at a place of recognition. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still wrestling with life. To the world, this man is accomplished; to their children, an example—“Look at that man over there; he’s someone you should strive to be like!” Yet in reality, it’s perseverance that people admire most, more than anything else.
When someone has something tangible to show for themselves, it automatically registers as accomplishment in the eyes of the world. It doesn’t matter if anyone reads your book or grasps your economic theory; as long as you show up and make that Siyum in public, you’re regarded in a way that you would never have imagined of yourself. It’s about understanding the image we project to the world and what we did to get there. People are simple creatures, all fighting for survival, and when one person proves it’s possible, they inspire everyone around them.
The tricky part comes when we start fixating too much on others’ thoughts. If we live for the compliment, we die by it; or worse, we grow reckless, losing everything to haughtiness. We must acknowledge the position we’re in while keeping ourselves humble, recognizing that we’re simple humans just like everyone else. Reaching levels of greatness is pure kindness from Hashem, since so many try but only a few succeed. We need to be grateful for our successes and remain humble with our riches.
Hashem, in His glory, surpasses all measures of greatness. We can’t comprehend His majesty or come close to the shadow of His magnitude. He knows how we perceive Him and acknowledges all the wonderful things He has done, does, and will do for us. He sees how we look at Him with fear, love, and awe, how we communicate with Him, and the distance we feel from His greatness.
This is all compared to a human king who could boast of his power and gains but instead understands that his subjects’ loyalty stems from the sacrifices he’s made for them. The king’s perseverance brings peace to his people, and as long as he recognizes that, he remains loved and admired by all. Greatness isn’t meant to be ignored or dismissed as if it doesn’t exist. The reality is real; it’s what we choose to do with that fame that determines what comes next.
Throughout history, the Yidden faced this same conundrum. For a time, we were kings of the world, thanks to our strength and piety. We led by example, and though we were just ordinary people, the world saw us as sons of Hashem. A blessing from the lowliest among us was treasured for a lifetime, and the wisdom of our children spread like wildfire through their lands. We were simple humans with the gift of pressing on, walking and talking about the God who gave us the heart to know, the eyes to see, and the ears to listen until this day.
We were given opportunities to remain princes in the eyes of the world through the Mitzvot we were commanded to perform. The Mishkan we were instructed to build was another way to serve Him. Just as the Mitzvot draw us closer to Him, reminding us that no matter what heights we climb or accomplishments we achieve, we couldn’t have done it without His help, so too the Mishkan and Beit Hamikdash stood as symbols of our high position rooted in our connection to Him. Acknowledging our greatness all the while recognizing His divinity through it all.
Humility only emerges once we grasp our greatness. We can’t lie to ourselves, thinking we’re lowly, and expect to find humility there. We need a reason to boast yet still remember that we’re humans who, with God’s help, can persevere through any holocaust. If we saw our belief as a waste, would we be where we are today? And if we took our strength for granted, how would we merit the return to our land? It’s through our strong belief and undying courage that we endure, but we must never forget that without Hashem, even our strength, smarts, and beauty can’t save us.
Do we need anything from the rest of the world? No. Do they grant us a certain respect for who we are? Yes. Some love us, while others love hating us because everyone loves us. Are we special as humans? Not necessarily—we’re no different from anyone else. Do we possess values and morals they strive to connect with? Yes. We exist somewhere in the middle, and it’s this balanced mindset that will carry us to the end of times.
So, does God need us to do Mitzvot and build Him a Mishkan? No—it’s we who need the balance in our lives. We must learn to be high and low at once, because without that, we’ll fail miserably. It’s our duty to Hashem to stay in that middle ground, so the world can always aspire to our level of perseverance. Perhaps one day, they’ll realize this is the only way to live. The peace that rains down on us is so beautiful that the world envies us with pride. Through this paralleled understanding, we learn that the only path to greatness is acknowledging our own while knowing we could never have achieved it alone. “Take a collection, for Me”—get to know the greatness of Me, contemplate your own greatness, and see that only with Him can you have a good life.
David Lemmer is an Orthodox Jewish Writer and Hypnotherapist. He can be reached at LemmerHypno@Gmail.com