God's Plan

This week's Parsha, Terumah, means ''contribution'', since the Tabernacle [mishkan] was constructed from contributions made by the Jewish people.

But why is the Parsha about G-d's house named after man's contribution?

Chassidic thought teaches that G-d created the world because He had a Plan, but the Plan contains a clause: The Plan is that G-d's presence should be revealed in the world.

The clause is that this should occur by the efforts of man.

At the giving of the Torah, G-d stated His Plan.  He taught us that we can reveal His presence in the world by performing the mitzvot.

But, at that moment, everything had come from G-d.

With the construction of the Tabernacle, G-d's clause began to be implemented.  Now man had made an effort to help G-d's Plan reach fruition.

It is for this reason that our Parsha, which speaks of G-d's house, is named after man's contribution. For G-d's house could only be complete when His clause for human involvement was adhered to.

Source: Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

Exceptional Merit of Women

All of us are part of The Plan.  We were chosen to be here to witness the Final Redemption, may it come speedily in our days.   We are gilgulim [reincarnations] of the D'or HaMidbar - the generation who wandered through the desert.  We complained a lot, both then and now.  But everything we are doing, and everything that is happening to us, is a tikkun [rectification].


When the Lubavitcher Rebbe established the womens' group N'Shei Ubnos Chabad [Women and Daughters of Chabad], the Rebbe called in Rabbi Yosef Wineberg shlita who was at that time a young man and told him the following:

“It says in Kitvei Arizal [the writings of the Arizal] that the generation before Moshiach is the same generation as the Dor HaMidbar. At that time the women were exceptional in a number of areas:

• They did not participate in the Chait HaEigel [the golden calf]
• They gave their jewelry for the Mishkan.
• They showed great love for the land of Israel.

The reward for this will be that in the generation before Moshiach the Talmidei Chachamim will follow the directions of their wives.

If we want to accomplish with the men we first must accomplish with the women.”