Parshas Terumah
Exodus 25:1 - 27:19

Separation ©

By Dr. Akiva G. Belk

This study of mysticism in Hebrew Gematria is dedicated in loving memory to
Mrs. Ethel Channah Belk, may she rest in peace.

Terumah according to Rashi means “setting aside.” Out of thirty different locations in Tenach, this is the first place that the word Terumah is found. This week’s parsha is named after this setting aside or separating. In various translations I found Terumah translated three times as “a portion [separated]” Twice as “an offering [separated]” once as “a gift [separated].” Terumah is defined as an offering, as a gift, as a donation, as the choice part, as the best part...

Parshas Terumah is the nineteenth parsha of Torah. Now there is a point to all of this.

First notice the wording of Exodus 25:1,2; “And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Speak to B’nei Yisroel..’” There is a division here... There is a separation here... The division / separation is between B’nei Yisroel and the rest of the world. The intended separation is between two very great belief systems, not religions; i.e. Judaism and Spirituality. We say this with our eye on the future. Why? At the time Hashem commanded “Speak to B’nei Yisroel” much of the world had left Spirituality, the other belief system, for man made religions. Yet in the future when the majority of the world {excluding Judaism} returns to Spirituality this verse will be recognized as one of the distinct divisions between Judaism and Spirituality.

Up until now many of the teachings of the Torah in Bereishis and Shemos have been shared by both Jew and Spiritualist. This week’s parsha, Terumah, marks the separation between these two very wonderful great belief systems. This division is set forth by another distinct word, “Goy”. The Gematria for Goy is 19. Goy means nation. Goy is the singular usage for the word Goyim that so often refers to the nations of the world. In fact some non-Jews consider this word to be insulting when a Jew uses it to refer to a non-Jew. The word Goy or Goyim is often used to refer to non-Jews by Yidden. Unfortunately sometimes it is used with the intention of insult. THAT IS WRONG! That is NOT the way Hashem intended the word Goy to be used!! Yet the point here is that in the beginning of the nineteenth parsha of the Torah Hashem commands Moshe “Speak to B’nei Yisroel.”

For the most part Spiritualist are not included in the teachings that follow. They are for B’nei Yisroel alone. These two points establish a clear separation between B’nei Yisroel and the non-Jewish world.

19 = The nineteenth parsha of the Torah, Terumah

Goy {Nation, singular for Goyim, Nations}
19 = Yud 10 Vav 6 Gimmel 3

This division has to do with money. It has to do with Terumah. It has to do with giving the best to Hashem for the building of the Mishkon {tabernacle} in the wilderness that Hashem would dwell in. The point here is so vivid that it can be a little difficult to accept. Recently an individual who is apparently in the process of converting to Judaism wrote to me at 7commands.com. In my return letter to him I stated,

“...There are 613 Mitzvohs of Torah. Jews are required to observe all 613 Mitzvohs as they apply to their lives. This means that Mitzvohs which are meant for the Kohein / Kohanim {priest / priests} in most situations do not apply to non-Kohanim. Jews who are not born as a Kohein can NEVER be a Kohein. The same holds true for the Levium. So most Jews have approximately 400 mitzvohs to observe. The Spiritualist has approximately 63 Mitzvohs contained within the pillars of the Seven Noaich Commandments. Now the Eh Ved {servant} of a Jew is in between the Jew and the Spiritualist with many more mitzvohs to observe. So the Spiritualist, the Eh Ved and the Jew share many of the same observances of Torah mitzvohs.”

My intention here was in explaining the different levels of observance for the 613 Mitzvohs of Torah. However this uniqueness extends much further. Here in parshas Terumah Hashem clearly separated between the Jewish people {B’nei Yisroel} who would build the house of worship and the non-Jewish world who would not build His house of worship. Hashem’s house had to be from the generous commitment of His people, B’nei Yisroel. So this separation takes place when Hashem commands His people to build Him a House to dwell among them.

This usage of the words, “And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Speak to B’nei Yisroel..’” is the second of Torah. The first usage also has to do with separation. It is found in Parshas Beshalach, two weeks ago when Hashem separated B’nei Yisroel from the evil army of Mitzriam. Exodus 14 discusses this separation. Spiritualists and Jews have traveled an additional two weeks together. We both stood at Har Sinai to receive commandments from Hashem. And now it has come time for us to part for thousands of years. Our parting begins with the building of the Mishkon, the dwelling place for Hashem among B’nei Yisroel and our gathering together also begins around the conclusion of the Third Bais HaMikdosh {The Holy Temple of Hashem} as recorded in a recent article on 7commands.com.

Most of the world accepts the fact that Jews built the Mishkon of Hashem in the wilderness, the First Temple of Hashem and the Second Temple of Hashem. The Third {and final} Temple of Hashem will again be built by Jews!

In the article to Spiritualists on 7commands.com entitled “How One Receives the Spiritualist Teachings and Traditions”. We discussed Zachariah 8:23 where thousands of years ago Hashem spoke of those days when the third Temple would be build saying, “With the revival of Spirituality within our world it is possible that we are approaching the time where worldwide exile of B’nei Yisroel {children of Israel} is coming to an end. We may soon be experiencing the time that the Novie Zachariah spoke of, ‘Thus says Hashem, Master of Legions: In the [coming] days it will happen that ten men from among all the languages of the nations [of the world] will take hold, they will take hold on the corner of a Jewish man’s [garment], saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.’”

Dear ones, the point is that regardless of the teachings of the world’s religions the day is approaching that the separated nations... the Goy... the Goyim... will begin their return to Spirituality. That return will include an acknowledgment of this separation between B’nei Yisroel and the world as is written in this week’s parsha.

The separation that we refer to has to do with B’nei Yisroel being requested by Hashem to willing give an offering... a portion... a gift so that the Mishkon of Hashem can be built. Now the mystical sense of this is much greater. Notice that the word Terumah is actually the word Torah with a Mem inserted between the letters Vav and Hey. The insertion of the Mem changes the word from Torah to Terumah. The Mem which is the center letter for Emes {truth} in Torah creates a separation between B’nei Yisroel and the rest of the world. The Mem represents what is revealed and what is concealed. The Mem also represents Moshe under whom the separation between B'nei Yisroel and the rest of the world began, and it represents Moshiach under whom the separation between B’nei Yisroel and the rest of the world will conclude.

Terumah
Hey Mem Vav Reish Sav

Torah
Hey Vav Reish Sav

Truth
Sav Mem Aleph

Moshe
Hey Shin Mem

Moshiach {Anointed / Messiah}
Ches Yud Shim Mem

Wishing you the best!

Dr. Akiva G. Belk