Parsha_Push for Trumah

Two main concepts repeat themselves throughout Sefer Shemot’s description of a place for God – Mishkan Ha’edut, the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting.
Parshat Terumah introduces the Mishkan, defined later on as Mishkan Ha’edut or Tabernacle of testimony. It describes the structure Moshe is commanded to build, in which the Ark of the Edut will be placed, referring to the tablets of testimony Moshe will receive upon descending from Sinai. Many commentators believe that the tablets, and the Torah in general, are a testimony to the covenant with God and to our obligations toward Him. We may add that these tablets attest to God’s ability and choice to descend into the world. The tablets are the part of the Mishkan that were made by God, attesting to the connection between heaven and earth.
The Tent of Meeting is named for the purpose of the place – “And I will meet with you and I will impart to you”. This meeting takes place in the Tabernacle of Testimony, but it symbolizes the aspect of this holy place as a place of meeting. Interestingly, the word “mo’ed” in the Hebrew language means both the meeting itself and the time of the meeting (hence the word for holidays – ‘mo’adim’). This is like the word “date” in the English language, signifying both the time and the meeting. As we learn from Parsht Ki Tisa, Moshe could set up his own “ohel mo’ed” to talk to God.
When closely reading the text one can notice that not only does God’s speech occur in “ohel mo’ed”, but also all acts of service take place in “ohel mo’ed”. This teaches us that the meeting with God is mutual. God’s words and presence come from above and meet our services which ascend from below. Yet they both are part of the “mo’ed”, the meeting set in time.
The Torah describes the construction of the Mishkan as a foundation, upon which the Ohel is placed. The Tabernacle encompasses the testimony, but also represents the static element of the place of God. Meanwhile, the Tent of Meeting expresses the dynamic element of this holy place. This is why the vessels are both vessels of the Mishkan, as they are steady and constant, but also vessels of the Ohel Mo’ed since through them the people serve God time and again.
Just as it is necessary to have both generous contributions coming from the heart and a set tax to build and activate the holy house for the sake of God, so we can find both the steady presence of God in this human construction, and the dynamic element of the recurrent meeting between God and man. Even in a world void of a Mikdash, we may strive to have both steady and dynamic elements in our relationships with our families, our communities, our nation, and above all – our God.