d’var torah
Nadiv Lev: Off erings of the Heart
Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit
I Parshat Terumah
mmediately upon breaking free from
oppression and our birth as a people,
not only clans, we have been commit-
ted to looking at fi nancial resources as
tools for building a sacred community,
refl ecting living values in the very struc-
tures and foundations of communal life.

The fundamental approach to
economic resources from biblical
times onward has been to sustainably
manage available resources and to
demonstrate gratitude and cultivating
an abundance mindset by off ering back
a portion of what we have been graced
with to those in need and the greater
community. Of course, confusion or tension can
also exist between private fi nancial
practices and faith-based congrega-
tional practices or between religious
values and the business aspects of
running a congregation or organization.

Our tradition asks us to put our fi nan-
cial practices through a Jewish values
and practices audit to see how our
actions line up with living a holy life.

Simply attending synagogue, mosque,
church or meeting place does not, in
and of itself, heal this divide. We must
also consider what spiritual insights
might guide and determine our choices
within the sanctuary, and how the
prayers and policies of our congre-
gations contribute to us all living lives
b’tzelem Elohim — in the image of God.

We can benefi t greatly in our commu-
nication and choices about fi nan-
cial matters when we share not only
PASSOVER 2023 n APRIL 5-13
ADVERTISE your business in
our largest issues
of the year.

EX DISTR TRA
IB OUR B UTION,
IGGE ISSUE ST
S OF TH
E YEA
R! Happy Passover!
Show your support of the Jewish community
by wishing them a Happy Passover!
PUBLICATION DATES
March 9 | March 16 | March 23 | March 30
Contact your Jewish Exponent sales consultant to
schedule your advertising or call 215-832-0700, ext. 2
or email advertising@jewishexponent.com
28 FEBRUARY 23, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
balance sheets, but concerns over
income and expenses, deeply held
values and life experience. Avoiding
these discussions — viewing them
as “not related to the bottom line” or
relegating sacred talk or values clarifi -
cation to moments deemed “spiritual”
— contributes to a fi nancial and spiritual
split where we may consider our fi nan-
cial decision-making as unrelated to us
being the best person or community of
faith we can be.

In congregations and Jewish organi-
zations, we are also pulled in a variety
of directions that, on the surface, can
seem in opposition to the very founda-
tions of our endeavor. We are neither
for-profi t “businesses” in the market-
place, nor classic nonprofi ts. I like to
think of our faith-based communities as
“for-prophet enterprises,” sharing the
ultimate goals of manifesting the sacred
values, laws and cultural traditions we
have come to hold dear.

One of the Hebrew words most
known to the world is shalom. The word
shalom (peace, hello, good-bye) comes
from the word shalem (wholeness or
completeness). In a wonderful embod-
iment of a Jewish approach to the
Divine and human intersecting in the
world of practical matters, the word for
paying for an item to take possession of
it became l’shalem.

To obtain something is to create an
exchange that leaves all parties feeling
whole and holy in their comings and
goings with each other. Money used as
a spiritual tool in this way has the poten-
tial to leave everyone resting in a place
of peace, of shalom.

To address realizing our personal and
communal goals, we need to create
a trusting environment for such a
discussion, not unlike the framework of
communal directives and interpersonal
ethical conduct that precedes parshat
Terumah. Conversations about money
in a communal setting can be challeng-
ing because issues of class and money
are tied to issues of self-worth, personal
values and individual choices.

We may have discomfort or even
shame at having too much, too little or
not enough, especially when there has
been little in the way of education and
dialogue about money and religious life.

Through study, eff ective listening and
open discussion of our attitudes and
expectations, however, we can turn
a potentially challenging subject into
a profound opportunity for building
relationships and community.

There has never been any organized
religion that did not need resources
of some kind, expecting its members
to contribute off erings, dues or taxes
to support its institutions. Along with
the personal dimension as described
above, we need to develop workable
congregational systems where funds
are collected, educated and commu-
nicated about and managed in a fair
and just manner that both refl ects our
values and inspires further giving.

Envision how you and your congre-
gation, organization or community’s
actions could be active participants
in this process from a perspective of
community-building, caring and justice
in the world. Financial resources, and
how they are organized and viewed, are
an integral part of realizing this dream.

Terumah (l’harim).

May we strive to bring Your Presence
into the fl ow of our resources.

From our hearts, through our hands .■
Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit serves
as rabbi at Mishkan Shalom and is
co-founder/director of the Davennen
Leader’s Training Institute. The Board
of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is
proud to provide diverse perspectives
on Torah commentary for the Jewish
Exponent. The opinions expressed in
this column are the author’s own and
do not refl ect the view of the Board of
Rabbis.