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Terumah, 1st Aliya
Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice!For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]
Make a Sanctuary for G-d With Your Contributions.
G-d tells Moshe to tell the Israelites to set aside a portion of their money to contribute as an appeasement to G-d.
The word "portion" is written three times (in verses 2 and 3) in relation to three different contributions which were made:
* The contribution which was made towards the making of the sockets of the beams and pillars of the Mishkan. One beka per person was to be donated for this. A beka is a half a shekel.
* The contribution which went towards the building of the Mizbeach. This was also a beka per head. This contribution was placed into three boxes which were kept in a chamber in the temple. Communal sacrifices were bought using these funds.
* The contribution which went towards the Mishkan. This contribution consisted of 15 different items (although Rashi counts it as 13 as he counts the three types of wool as one item since they were made from the same material). Unlike the first two contributions, there was no fixed amount for it and everyone gave as much as they wanted, except for the silver, of which everyone had to give the same amount - a half a shekel worth of silver each. These 15 items were:
* Gold
* Silver - this silver got through the 1/2 shekel donations sufficed for the entire construction of the Mishkan. Any additional voluntary donations of silver were used to construct vessels for service in the mishkan, for example to carry the coals or the blood from the sacrifices.
* Copper
* Turquoise (sometimes translated as blue) wool. It derives its color from being dyed in the blood of a sea creature called a chilazon. It is unclear now what this creature was/is.
* Deep purple wool - Dyed with something called argaman.
* Scarlet wool.
* Linen
* Goats' hair.
* Rams' skins which were dyed red after being tanned.
* The skins of a Tachash - a mysterious, proud, muticolored animal which only existed in the desert while the Israelites traveled through it. Since it did not exist at any other time or place, there is no word for it in any other language.
* Shittah wood. This was one of the 10 different varieties of wood which are called by the term "Cedar". Yaakov brought these types of tree with him when he came to Egypt and planted them there. He instructed his sons to take them with when they would leave. That's how they had this wood in an unlikely place like the desert.
* Pure olive oil which was necessary to light the Menorah. Special skills were needed to prepare this oil.
* Spices to make anointing oil. This oil was used to anoint the Mishkan and its vessels. It was also used to have the incense which was burned each evening and morning and produced rising smoke.
* Shoham stones - these were for the Ephod (a garment worn by the Cohen Gadol). Shoham stones were also used to fill the Choshen (see next item), however the ones mentioned here were for the Ephod.
* Filling stones - These were used to fill in the golden indentations on the Choshen (breastplate) of the Cohen Gadol. Both the Ephod and the Choshen will be further detailed later on in Parshas Tetzaveh (Shmos 28:6-30)
G-d commands that the Israelites build a sanctuary in honor of His name.
This sanctuary and its vessels should be constructed exactly in accordance with how G-d shows Moshe. This commandment is eternal, such that if ever any of the vessels get lost, or in the future when the more permanent Beis HaMikdash is constructed (as opposed to the Mishkan/Tabernacle which was merely a temporary sanctuary), they should be reconstructed in accordance with these guidelines.
G-d says that they should make an Aron out of the shittim wood. This should be a kind of chest of drawers who's bottom rests straight on the ground (i.e. it does not have legs or on top of a pedestal). This Aron should be 2.5 amos long, 1.5 amos wide, and 1.5 amos high.
In addition to the wooden ark, Betzalel (the main person in charge of the construction of the Mishkan) made two additional arks, which were golden. All of these arks were open on top. One was slightly larger than the wooden one, and one slightly smaller. These arks were placed one inside of the other, with the smaller gold ark inside of the wooden ark, which was in turn inside of the bigger golden ark. This made it so that the wooden ark was "coated" by gold on the inside (by the outer part of the smaller gold ark) and the outside (by the inner part of the bigger gold ark).
The upper rim of the wooden ark was coated in gold so it was truly covered from all sides. A gold type of crown was made to go all around the top of the ark. This was symbolic of the crown of Torah, or more specifically of Torah scholars.
They are to make four rings out of gold to be molded into the four upper corners of the ark. Two poles were to be put through these rings so that four people could carry the ark on their shoulders (two on either side, holding the ark lengthwise so there is 2.5 amos between them). These poles should be constructed out of shittim wood as well and then coated in gold. These poles should never be removed from the rings, even while the ark is not being carried.
G-d says that "the testimony which I shall give to you" should be kept inside of the ark. There is a dispute as to whether this means the tablets or the Torah scroll which Moshe wrote. The obvious understanding is that it was the tablets since the Torah was not given in its entirety until the Israelites' 40th year in the desert. However this is why G-d says that it is the testimony which "He will give", alluding to this future time. According to the opinion that only the tablets were kept in there, the Torah scroll was kept on a shelf which came out from the ark.
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By Sarede Rachel Switzer
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Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice!For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]
Make a Sanctuary for G-d With Your Contributions.
G-d tells Moshe to tell the Israelites to set aside a portion of their money to contribute as an appeasement to G-d.
The word "portion" is written three times (in verses 2 and 3) in relation to three different contributions which were made:
* The contribution which was made towards the making of the sockets of the beams and pillars of the Mishkan. One beka per person was to be donated for this. A beka is a half a shekel.
* The contribution which went towards the building of the Mizbeach. This was also a beka per head. This contribution was placed into three boxes which were kept in a chamber in the temple. Communal sacrifices were bought using these funds.
* The contribution which went towards the Mishkan. This contribution consisted of 15 different items (although Rashi counts it as 13 as he counts the three types of wool as one item since they were made from the same material). Unlike the first two contributions, there was no fixed amount for it and everyone gave as much as they wanted, except for the silver, of which everyone had to give the same amount - a half a shekel worth of silver each. These 15 items were:
* Gold
* Silver - this silver got through the 1/2 shekel donations sufficed for the entire construction of the Mishkan. Any additional voluntary donations of silver were used to construct vessels for service in the mishkan, for example to carry the coals or the blood from the sacrifices.
* Copper
* Turquoise (sometimes translated as blue) wool. It derives its color from being dyed in the blood of a sea creature called a chilazon. It is unclear now what this creature was/is.
* Deep purple wool - Dyed with something called argaman.
* Scarlet wool.
* Linen
* Goats' hair.
* Rams' skins which were dyed red after being tanned.
* The skins of a Tachash - a mysterious, proud, muticolored animal which only existed in the desert while the Israelites traveled through it. Since it did not exist at any other time or place, there is no word for it in any other language.
* Shittah wood. This was one of the 10 different varieties of wood which are called by the term "Cedar". Yaakov brought these types of tree with him when he came to Egypt and planted them there. He instructed his sons to take them with when they would leave. That's how they had this wood in an unlikely place like the desert.
* Pure olive oil which was necessary to light the Menorah. Special skills were needed to prepare this oil.
* Spices to make anointing oil. This oil was used to anoint the Mishkan and its vessels. It was also used to have the incense which was burned each evening and morning and produced rising smoke.
* Shoham stones - these were for the Ephod (a garment worn by the Cohen Gadol). Shoham stones were also used to fill the Choshen (see next item), however the ones mentioned here were for the Ephod.
* Filling stones - These were used to fill in the golden indentations on the Choshen (breastplate) of the Cohen Gadol. Both the Ephod and the Choshen will be further detailed later on in Parshas Tetzaveh (Shmos 28:6-30)
G-d commands that the Israelites build a sanctuary in honor of His name.
This sanctuary and its vessels should be constructed exactly in accordance with how G-d shows Moshe. This commandment is eternal, such that if ever any of the vessels get lost, or in the future when the more permanent Beis HaMikdash is constructed (as opposed to the Mishkan/Tabernacle which was merely a temporary sanctuary), they should be reconstructed in accordance with these guidelines.
G-d says that they should make an Aron out of the shittim wood. This should be a kind of chest of drawers who's bottom rests straight on the ground (i.e. it does not have legs or on top of a pedestal). This Aron should be 2.5 amos long, 1.5 amos wide, and 1.5 amos high.
In addition to the wooden ark, Betzalel (the main person in charge of the construction of the Mishkan) made two additional arks, which were golden. All of these arks were open on top. One was slightly larger than the wooden one, and one slightly smaller. These arks were placed one inside of the other, with the smaller gold ark inside of the wooden ark, which was in turn inside of the bigger golden ark. This made it so that the wooden ark was "coated" by gold on the inside (by the outer part of the smaller gold ark) and the outside (by the inner part of the bigger gold ark).
The upper rim of the wooden ark was coated in gold so it was truly covered from all sides. A gold type of crown was made to go all around the top of the ark. This was symbolic of the crown of Torah, or more specifically of Torah scholars.
They are to make four rings out of gold to be molded into the four upper corners of the ark. Two poles were to be put through these rings so that four people could carry the ark on their shoulders (two on either side, holding the ark lengthwise so there is 2.5 amos between them). These poles should be constructed out of shittim wood as well and then coated in gold. These poles should never be removed from the rings, even while the ark is not being carried.
G-d says that "the testimony which I shall give to you" should be kept inside of the ark. There is a dispute as to whether this means the tablets or the Torah scroll which Moshe wrote. The obvious understanding is that it was the tablets since the Torah was not given in its entirety until the Israelites' 40th year in the desert. However this is why G-d says that it is the testimony which "He will give", alluding to this future time. According to the opinion that only the tablets were kept in there, the Torah scroll was kept on a shelf which came out from the ark.
Get full access to Sarede’s Substack at sarede.substack.com/subscribe