A Fool Gives

"A fool gives and a wise man takes" - That's the Rabbis' explanation of why Parsat Terumah begins with the statement, "Take for Me a portion (Terumah) from all those whose heart is willing." (Exodus 25:2). Why doesn't Gd say "Give to Me"? Because by giving you are actually taking more than you imagine! It is the fool who thinks that what he gives has more lasting value for the other person than it does for him. One who has shared from his heart knows that what he has gained by opening up inside far exceeds whatever short term loss he might feel by parting with something precious. In our materialistic world, a world in which success is judged by amassing "things" - Torah teaches us otherwise...

Like Churchill once said: "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give."