Parashat Terumah

Revision as of 11:58, 31 January 2014

Parshas Terumah is the seventh parsha in the Book of Shemos and the 7th week of Shovavim Tat on leap years. It contains 96 pesukim. For the Haftora; King Shlomo's creation of the First Beis Hamikdash, is read.

Donations for Mishkan

Hashem tells Moshe to request donations for the Jews for his honor to be used in the construction of the Mishkan which He promises to dwell in. Hashem had the angel Gavriel show Moshe a rendering of the Mishkan and all its vessels during his stay on Mount Sinai and instructed him to create what he had seen. This command was given for all generations that anytime a vessel had to be replaced or added like in the case of Shlomo who added 10 tables, menoras and washing basins, it must be made to match the original versions.

This was one of three collection which also included ...

1. Original Machtzit Hashekel collection - mentioned in Parshat Ki Tisa that took place right at the start of the Mishkan building. These funds were used for the creation of the Adanim.
2. Future Machtzit Hashekel collections - Taking place after the construction of the Mishkan was complete. These funds were used for purchasing public sacrifices.
3. Mishkan collection - Unlike the other two collections where each person had to donate a mandatory set amount regardless of his situation, the 'Mishkan collection' allowed each person to donate as he willed, according the goodness of his heart. Donations from Gentiles were not accepted. Submissions had to be handed to a committee of at least two officials.

The following materials were requested…

1. Gold – for its many uses in the construction of the Mishkan
2. Silver- All silver used for the actual Mishkan came from a separate Machtzit Hashekel collection which was solely used for the creation of the Adanim sockets of the Kirashim and courtyard Amudim pillars as well as their . This independent collection yielded 100 kikraim and 1775 shekels of silver, the 100 kikrim being used for the sockets and the remaining shikalim for the hooks. Although it was possible to donate silver in the Mishkan collection, these donations were used only for Kli Shares and not for the main vessels themselves.
3. Copper – for use in the external alter, copper foot sockets of courtyard beams ect…
4. Blue dyed wool – Dye was extracted from the Chilazon a certain type of marine creature that ascends from the sea once every seventy years. Its color was like that of the sky.
5. Purple dyed wool
6. Scarlet dyed wool
7. Fine linen – Color of these threads were white. Mixing these threads with the wool was not problematic since the laws of Shatnez do not apply to the priestly garments.
8. Goats' hair – A coarser material then wool.
9. Red dyed ram hide – these skins were turned red through a dying process, changing their original color.
10. Tchashim hide – A mythical animal created specifically for the creation of the Mishkan, that became extinct right after. Its skin contained an array of colors.
11. Shitim wood – A rare type of light very durable wood. These plantings were originally brought by Yackov when he descended to Egypt, foreseeing that his descendents would one day create a Mishkan. He planted these and instructed his sons to take them along when they leave.
12. Olive oil – pure olive oil used for lighting the Menorah.
13. Spices – the various spices used in the bi-daily Ketoret offering and for the compounding of the Shemen HaMishcha to be used in the anointment of the Mishkan and its vessels.
14. Onyx stones – In that period of history onyx was a very rare and expensive gemstone. Two of these were set on the shoulders of the Ephod.
15. Gemstones – Various gemstones to be set inside the Choshen.

These totaled 13 items, as the olive oil and spices were not counted since they were not needed for the actual construction of the Mishkan, only to execute its services once it had been created. During the ‘sin of the golden calf’ the Jews lost thirteen spiritual garments which they now rectified this element of the flaw and earned them back through the donation of the thirteen construction materials.

Aron

The Aron was constructed from Shittim wood and was 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide and 1.5 cubits tall. It did not rest on legs and was shaped like a large chest that sits on its base with an opening on its upper side. Bitzalel created three boxes all independent containing four sides, a bottom panel and open on top. Each box was slightly larger than the next. The largest chest box made from pure gold, the midsized one was composed of shittim wood and the smallest was also from gold. He then placed the wood box in the middle, sandwiched by the outer and inner gold boxes. This left the wood completely covered aside for the top ledge which he also preceded to coat with gold. The luchos was then placed inside the aron, this had to be done before the first covering with the kapores. The aron was kept in the Kodesh HaKodashim and was the only vessel not replicated by King Shlomo when he built the Beit Hamikdash.

Keter

The outer larger gold box of the aron extended a little more than a tefach above the two inner boxes that were both level on their top. A tefach of this extra extrusion was used to hold the Kapores while the remaining extrusion was shaped like a jagged crown. This crown represented the crown of Torah, the highest of the three crowns. It was placed on the Aron since the Torah was stored inside.

Tabaos and Badim

Four rings were added to the aron, two on each side of its width on its upper third section. Then the badim beams were run through them allowing the Levites to carry the Aron. Since the beams ran parallel to the width, it allowed the larger space of the length to stand in-between its two carriers giving them a more spacious area as opposed to the cramp alternative had the rings and beams run parallel to the aron’s length.

The badim were made from shittim wood and were plated with gold. These were used to carry the aron. Once the badim were inserted in the aron it was permanent and it was forbidden to ever remove them.

Kapores

The kapores was created from pure gold and its dimensions were; 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide and 1 tefach thick. It was used to cover the aron and had two keruvim rising out of it, one on each site.

Keruvim

Both keruvim along with the kapores were chiseled out from a single block of gold rather than being created in pieces and being welded together. Each side of the kapores contained one ten tefach tall keruv with their childish faces pointing at each other and their wings spread out over its center leaving a 10 tefach hollow space under it. All prophecy would come out from in between the two keruvim . When Hashem would talk with Moshe the voice would come out from between the keruvim and from there travel to in Ohel Moed where it was heard by Moshe.

Symbolizim

Size

The dimensions of the Aron were 2.5 cubits x 1.5 cubits x 1.5 cubits. Unlike the other vessels of the Mishkan whose dimensions were composed of either entirely whole cubit units or a mixture of whole and decimals, the Aron's dimensions were all broken units. This symbolizes that one must break and humble himself if he wishes to study Torah.

Coating

The inside of the Aron was coated with gold, when it easily could have been wood since it was always concealed. This symbolizes how a person's inner self must be like the outer image he portrays.

Facing Keruvim

The keruvim faced one another like two friends conversing and discussing Torah. Additionally the 2 keruvim alluded to the merit of the Avos (638 = שני כרובים = 638 / אברהם יצחק יעקב)

Shulchan

The shulchan was created from shittim wood plated in gold. It was 2 cubits long, 1 a cubit wide and 1.5 cubits tall. It had a crown and four rings, two on each side for the insertion of badim beams so the shulchan could be carried. This table was then used to hold the Lechem Hapanim and was located in the north side of the ohel moed.

This crown represented the crown of royalty.

Accessories

All accessories were made from pure gold.

• Dishes
• Pans
• Jars
• Bowls

Menorah

The menorah was created from pure gold and chiseled out of a single block rather then being created in pieces and welded together. It contained a base and six arms, three on each side, totaling seven arms including the central one. Each arm had three cups with a button and flower, while the base arm had four cups with a button and flower and three additional buttons where each set of side arms met the base arm. The menorah was located in the south side of the ohel moed.

Moshe was told to create the Menorah as he had been shown by Hashem on Mount Sinai.

Accessories

Tongs and snuffdishes where created from pure gold.

Yeriyos

There were four coverings to the Mishkan

1. A cloth covering created from fine twined linen woven with blue, purple and scarlet dyed wool.
2. A covering created from goat hair.
3. A covering created from ram skin that was dyed red.
4. A covering created from the skin of the mythical Tachash.

Krashim

The shell beams of the Mishkan were created from Shitim wood and were plated in gold. Each beam was 10 cubits tall and 1.5 cubits wide. At the bottom of each beam were two feet-like extensions that fit into the adanim sockets. Both the north and south sides of the Mishkan were composed of 20 beams each. The western side was composed of six beams with an additional one in each of its two corners. The eastern side served as the entrance and was closed off by a curtain that was held by It was held up by five pillars made out of shittim wood, coated in gold with copper footer sockets.

Adanim

Were made of silver and helped balance the feet of the krashim.

Tabaot

Went on top and were made of gold.

Brichim

There were three bars that helped hold the beams together two of them were held by external rings on both the top and bottom sections of the beams. There was then a third bar that passed through a channel in the center of all the beams. While the top and bottom bars had a different beam for each direction of the Mishkan, the central bar was a single piece that miraculously curved upon reaching each corner and extended from one end of the Mishkan to the other.

Parochet

The paroches was a curtain that separated the ohel moed from the kodesh hakodashim. It was composed of blue, purple and scarlet dyed wool along with twined fine linen. Embroidered on the curtain were images of keruvim. It was held up by four pillars made out of shittim wood, coated in gold with silver footer sockets.

Mizbeach HaNechoshet

The external courtyard alter was constructed from shittim wood and plated with copper. It was five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits tall. It had four square extensions rising up from it upper corners.

Accessories

All vessels of the external alter were made from copper

1. Pots to transfer the ashes
2. Shovels to gather the ashes
3. Basins to hold and throw sacrificial blood
4. Flesh-hooks for flipping over the burning sacrifice pieces
5. Fire pans to gather coals for use in burning the Ketoret incense

Chatzer

The courtyard of the Mishkan was 100 cubits by 50 cubits and was fenced off by linen curtains held up by beams with copper footer sockets while their hooks and decorations were made from silver. The eastern side that served as an entrance had 15 curtains on each end and an opening of 20 cubits in-between.

100 cubits by 50 cubits

The Chatzer of the Mishkan which was 100 x 50 cubits, totaling 5,000 square cubits was a fiftieth (the amount generally extracted for Teruma) of Har Habais which was 500 x 500 cubits totaling 250,000 square cubits and was alluded to in Hashem’s request for a ‘Teruma’.