This week we read Parshat Terumah. The Torah reading talks about the building of the Mishkan - Tabernacle as the Israelites are in the wilderness. The word Terumah means Donations. The Parsha begins with Moshe collecting valuables from the Israelites in order to build the Mishkan. Then the Mishkan was crafted with general instructions from Hashem, by artisans led by Betzalel.

Since Hashem can do anything, why didn’t Bnei Yisrael receive a Mishkan straight from heaven ready to go? Why did they have to collect the gold and silver and craft out every detail by hand?

Rabbi Jonathen Sacks offers a meaningful explanation: What would we value more - Something made for us, or something we made ourselves? There was a series of experiments done by behavioral economist Dan Ariely to test something known as the “IKEA effect”. The name of this effect comes from IKEA, famous for its assembly-required furniture. Even though the furniture that we are building came to use with all the instructions and guidance we need to build it, the process of building this piece of furniture is tedious and requires time and effort. After accomplishing the task of completing this 3D Jigsaw puzzle, we feel more connected to it. We feel proud of our work. As humans we tend to put more value on something we created ourselves. IKEA Furniture is definitely not on the same level as the Mishkan, yet there are parallels between the psychological concepts.

The significance of building the Mishkan is even greater when looking at what Hashem had done for the Israelites while they were in Egypt. Rabbi Sacks points out that the building of the Mishkan marks a turning point in the Exodus narrative. Before the creation of the Mishkan, the Israelites had everything done for them: the 10 Plagues were brought upon Egypt by Hashem; Hashem brought the Israelites out of Egypt;  He split the sea and gave them food from Heaven and water from a rock. In all these instances we see a common factor in the responses of the Israelites. They were ungrateful. They complained and lacked appreciation for what was given to them. Hashem’s commandment to construct the Mishkan made the Israelites value the Mishkan more.

So what can this Parsha teach us? This Parsha shows us how we must put effort into our work. To value and appreciate every single piece of work we create. Oftentimes we put off schoolwork or do it haphazardly because we deem it as not important. In reality, we should take pride in our work. We were tasked to complete this work and we should put as much effort as we can into completing it to the fullest extent of our ability. You cannot expect someone to value something that you have either put minimal effort into or have not put any effort into yourself. We value what we create. The effort that we put into our work doesn’t just change the product, it changes us.

Shabbat Shalom.

Peter, Grade 10