Dear Friends,
One of the greatest joys in life is the feeling that one gets when one is blessed with the ability to give with a full heart. According to the story in our weekly Torah portion, that is exactly what our people did when Moses announced the campaign to build the sanctuary in the desert. Each and every one of our people gave of their talents and of their most valued possessions. They all wanted to be part of the communal effort to create a sacred space that would eventually become the Tabernacle – the center of Jewish communal and spiritual life in the desert.
Giving something up requires a particular mindset. It calls on us to let go of something that we have acquired and/or that we hold dear. Yet, if we give with a full heart, the process of letting go may ultimately lead us to a new appreciation of life itself. Giving, with a full heart, is often a true sharing of one’s soul and a lasting expression of one’s values.
Whether our giving lies in the realm of material giving or in the realm of sharing our time, our talents, and our participation in all that makes our move a reality, may we be blessed with the fullness of joy that comes with the ability to give with a full heart!
