Rabbi's Corner

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Teruma, we read the following: “HaShem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Tell B’Nei Yisrael to take for me gifts from every person whose heart so moves him…And let them make me a mikdash [sanctuary] that I may dwell “b’tocham” [among them].  Exactly as I show you --- the pattern of the Mishkan [tabernacle] and the pattern of all its furnishings --- so shall you make it.’” (Shemot 25:1-2 & 8-9) The great Chasidic masters, disciples of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed and saintly memory, translated and interpreted the word “b’tocham” to mean “within them,” thus requiring that each of us prepare ourselves to become a sanctuary worthy for the dwelling within of the Shechinah [the Divine Presence].  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help us understand why this preparation is needed:

The King and his royal entourage were visiting the outlying villages of the kingdom.  The King was entertaining the thought that the crisp, clear mountain air of the countryside would be the most conducive for promoting the good health of his three sons, the princes, who usually spent most of their time in the crowded and congested capital city.  It happened that the royal entourage stopped by a quaint little inn and tavern.  Because the innkeeper was thrilled that the King and his escorts should frequent his humble abode, he ran outside and prostrated himself before the King’s feet.  “Your Majesty,” he declared, “I am so honored!  How may I serve you?”

 “You may rise,” replied the King.  “I am looking for a dwelling in this region that is befitting for a hostel for my vacationing sons.  They do not require fancy furnishings, but they must have rooms that are impeccably clean and orderly located in the proximity of the mountains and the hot springs.  “But your Majesty,” exclaimed the innkeeper, “My inn is very simple.  This tavern is the only source of my income.  I do not think that the princes would feel comfortable in the company of my ale-drinking clientele.”  “I shall compensate you six times over for the sale of your ale.  In addition, I will give you a stipend of 500 pieces of gold to transform the inn and the tavern into a quality spa, fit for royal guests only.  You will have the privilege of hosting my sons, the ministers, and honored guests of the Kingdom.  You will never have to worry about money.  Agreed?”  The innkeeper accepted the King’s offer.  As the King walked away, his accompanying officers warned the innkeeper saying, “If you fulfill all the King’s demands by preparing and maintaining a proper lodging for the King’s sons, your rewards will be far more than you ever dreamed they could be.  But, if you fail, you will be thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon, punished and doomed to oblivion!”

The King and the innkeeper agreed that the princes would arrive in nine weeks.  With that, the innkeeper feverishly cleaned, repaired, rebuilt, and remodeled the inn and tavern turning it into a charming spa.  The tavern itself became a regal dining room.  In six short weeks, the work was completed.  With three weeks left before the royal guests were to arrive, the innkeeper took a well- deserved rest from his labors.  However, after only three days of idly waiting for the three princes, the innkeeper became bored.  One evening, while the innkeeper sat on the front porch of the remodeled inn and tavern smoking his cornstalk pipe and listening to the singing of the hummingbirds while watching the golden sunset, three peasants approached him.  “Dimitri,” they called out, “Good evening!  We are thirsty!  Break out a keg of ale!”  “I am sorry, comrades,” apologized the innkeeper. “This is no longer a tavern.  Everything has been rebuilt for the King.  Soon, his sons will arrive for a short stay.  My inn and tavern are now a royal spa.”  The peasants burst out laughing and replied, “Choose, Dimitri!  Either we open a keg or we break open your head!”  Dimitri thought for just a moment and came to the conclusion that there was still plenty of time before the princes arrived.  Besides, being bored as he was, he missed his old clientele.  With the flow of the ale once again, the merriment that always resulted would soon follow.  Besides, here was a chance to earn a few rubles on the side.  “Surely,” he thought to himself, “I will have the place straightened up before the King’s sons arrive.”  So, he acceded to the peasants’ demand and once again opened the inn and tavern as if nothing had changed.

However, with a foothold in the refurbished fancy quarters that were fit for royalty, the peasants stubbornly refused to leave.  In fact, every day more and more of the innkeeper’s clientele flocked to the royal spa causing it to revert to its former status of a village inn and tavern, the result being a continuous scene of drunken brawls and general mayhem.  The brand new highly polished marble floors, prepared especially for the princes, were now covered in mud, blood, and beer.  With only one day left until the arrival of the princes, Dimitri made a valiant effort to clean and repair the spa, but his last-minute rushed effort was far from sufficient.

The next day, the three princes arrived accompanied by an elite platoon of the palace guard.  All of them stood there surveying the scene and coming to the conclusion that things simply did not look right.  The spa’s walls seemed to be soaked with the smell of ale.  To the alarm of the visiting royalty, all three of the beds which had been designated in the royal suite for the King’s three sons were occupied by drunken peasants who were still wearing their muddy boots and were sleeping off their drunken stupor from the previous night’s ale-drinking party.  The King had paid for the fancy beds which were intended for the use of his sons, the princes.  He had given the foolish and easily tempted innkeeper more than enough money to remodel the inn while compensating him sixfold for the loss of the tavern’s business.  But now the silky white sheets of the royal beds were completely ruined by mud and filth.  This action was not only a breach of faith by the innkeeper, it was an outright embezzlement of the King!  In complete disgust, the royal entourage left the premises as the innkeeper was shackled in heavy chains, thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon never to be heard from again.

In this Chasidic parable, the King is Hashem.  His three sons are the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding which each of us needs in order to receive the Torah.  The innkeeper is each one of us whose task it is to prepare our hearts and minds and souls to receive the Torah so that we become a sanctuary worthy for the Shechinah to dwell in.  We must make ourselves into a "mikdash me’at" [a miniature tabernacle] worthy of the presence of the King of Kings.  For without the Torah, our very soul suffers.