Tax deductibles for Earth and Heaven

שמות כה:ב

 דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה:  מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ, תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי.

Shemot 25:2

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take My offering.

A question arises: Why does the Torah say that the Bene Yisrael should take an offering for the construction of the mishkan? Gift-givers are meant to give gifts, not take gifts!

The truth is that the good deeds which we perform in our lifetimes, such as donating to the construction of the mishkan, are the only thing which we ultimately carry on with us in the end of the day. When our lifetime expires, all the physical possessions and money we earned remains here on earth, while our mitzvot contribute to our survival in the next world. Giving tzedaka is not just an act of taking, it is essentially the ONLY act of taking with permanent consequences.

This reality is highlighted by a joke, which the Rav shares when he explains this concept:
There was once a wealthy businessman who was known in the community for supporting public services. He would gladly build churches, mosques, and synagogues in his local town, but he always had one condition: any money that he donated would have to be returned to his coffin on the day he dies so he can be buried with it.
After a long, comfortable life, the wealthy businessman passed away. They held an extravagant funeral for him, and everyone who had accepted donations from him had come to return what they had been given. First came the priest from the local parish. He counted out half a million dollars in cash and laid it in the coffin. Next came the town's Imam. He too counted out half a million dollars in cash and laid it in the coffin. Last came the neighborhood's Rabbi. He wrote out a check for $1.5 mil, his share plus the share of the priest and the Imam, laid it in the coffin, and pocketed  the cash as change.