One of the first rules in fundraising is to articulate the cause before asking donors to participate. Which makes the opening verses of this week’s parsha quite perplexing. “Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering. And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper…”
Only after identifying all the materials being raised in this fundraiser, G-d explains the purpose of it all: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell within them.”
Would it not make more sense to begin the divine communication with a command to build a sanctuary and then continue with an appeal for donations?
Our sages teach us that Moshe, the first leader of the Jewish people, was the most perfect human being to ever live, in both physical and spiritual matters. He had tremendous wisdom and sensitivity as well as physical strength and beauty. In addition to all that, he was extremely wealthy.
It was possible, that when G-d instructed the Jews to construct the Sanctuary in the desert Moshe would insist on paying for the entire project on his own. Although it would be a tremendous merit and honor for Moshe to be the sole benefactor of G-d’s Holy Sanctuary, it would miss the entire point of the project. This was meant to be a community effort. G-d wanted every Jew to have a monetary stake in it.
Therefore, even before introducing the cause, G-d said “take a donation from every Jew.” Some will be able to give gold, others silver while others will only manage copper, but everyone must be represented. From then on, whenever the Jewish nation needed to embark on a mission to bring G-d’s presence into the world, everyone’s participation was necessary and encouraged.
Thank G-d, our mini “Holy Sanctuary” in El Paso is truly a community project and we are so grateful to the entire community for supporting Chabad and enabling us to continue pursuing the mission of bringing our glorious heritage to every Jew in the El Paso area.
Children are our future, and children need to play!
For over 20 years children attending Chabad's various programs and activities have been playing on the current playground behind the school area, and - thankfully! - the wear and tear is showing. The time has come to expand the playground area, replace the turf, and purchase and install brand-new play equipment.
Thanks to a group of 8 donors, on Sunday, February 18 at 10:00am we will be launching a special online campaign to raise $120,000 for the brand-new playground.
Every dollar you donate between Sunday, February 18 and Friday, February 23 to this campaign will be matched by this group of eight.
Please consider donating generously and help us provide our children with the perfect outdoor space to develop and grow in a nurturing, safe, fun, and loving environment. (You may also set up a payment plan.) Here is the link to the special Playground Campaign web page: chabadelpaso.com/play