Parshas Terumah

Supplies

• Water
• Flour
• Salt
• Red and Yellow Food Coloring
• 3 Bowls
• 3 Mixing Spoons or Sticks
• A Few Sticks
• Parchment Paper
• 4 Straws of the Same Color
• Scissors
• Paper
• Tape
• Rolling pin

Specialty Item Shopping List

Instructions

1. Prepare 3 bowls and mixing spoons. In each bowl add 4 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp salt and mix. To one of the bowls add yellow food coloring and red to the other.
2. Prepare 2 tbsp of water for each bowl. Start adding the water and mix. Add gradually till it becomes playdough consistency, not too dry not too sticky. If added too much water put more flour.
3. When 3 playdoughs are ready prepare parchment paper
4. Take white playdough and roll it on parchment paper using a rolling pin.
5. Take a stick and by taking away some pieces shape it into a rectangle.
6. Now to make Kodesh Hakodoshim take a piece of red playdough and shape it into a parallelepiped. When ready place where it’s shown
7. Now for the mizbeah take a piece of yellow playdough and with your fingers and sticks shape it into a cube. Place where shown. Now take the same size yellow piece and shape as the second part of the mizbeah.
8. Take small sticks and press the details on Kodesh Hakodoshim and Mizbeah
9. Take 4 straws and cut them in the same size pieces
10. These will be the pillars. Place them on the perimeter of the white playdough
11. Take a sheet of white paper and cut 2 strips same width as the straws
12. Place white strips around the straws as walls, make creases at the corners and for the entrance. Secure with tape
13. Your mini-Mishkan is ready!

Imagine…

In the desert, Hashem instructed the Yidden to build the Mishkan – which would be a home for Him in this world. The Yidden were so excited! They ran to bring their finest wools, best linens, and all their gold, to donate them for the construction of the Mishkan. Everyone helped build, sand, sew, and dye the materials. They were all so excited for Hashem to have a home right there in the desert, near each one of them.

After the Yidden came into Eretz Yisrael, they built the Beis Hamikdash – a more permanent home for Hashem to live in. As time went on, the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed and a 2^nd Beis Hamikdash was built, only to be destroyed again.

Delving Deeper

Wait, that’s not the end! When Moshiach comes, the 3^rd Beis Hamikdash will be built, never to be destroyed again. But until that time, even now in Galus, there is still one more resting place for Hashem here in this world, and that is in our very own hearts.

Hashem desires that we make Him a home here in this world. Well, what is a home? A home is a place where you feel comfortable to be completely yourself. This is what Hashem wants. He wants a place where He can feel totally comfortable – a place where people know Hashem, and where Torah and Mitzvos are performed. So when we learn the Torah and do the Mitzvos, we are making a home for Hashem right inside ourselves! We are creating a space where Hashem can be revealed and comfortable!

Point to ponder

What can we do to make ourselves more of a home for Hashem?