Torah Stories By Hannah Terumah

In this week’s Parasha, we learn how HaShem, most blessed is He, commanded the children of Yisrael to bring Him gifts. He told Moshe to accept gifts of gold, silver, and copper, as well as blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair, tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, acacia wood, and oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense, lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breast piece. Then HaShem commanded the Yisraelites to make Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among them, and to make it exactly as He commands.

The Yisraelites had to make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. They had to cover it with a layer of pure gold on the inside and outside, and make a gold rim all around its top. It had to have four gold rings attached to its four feet, two rings on one side of its walls, and two on the other. They then had to make four poles of acacia wood, and cover them with a layer of gold. They had to place the poles in the rings on the sides of the ark, so that the ark can be carried with them. The poles had to remain in the ark's rings and never be removed. In this ark HaShem commanded that they had to place the testimony that He gave them.

They had to make a golden cover for the ark, and two golden cherubs, hammering them out from the two ends of the cover. One cherub was to be on the one end, and one on the other end. The Cherubs had to be made from the same piece of gold as the cover itself, on its two ends. The cherubs had to spread their wings upward so that their wings shield the cover. The cherubs had to face one another, but their faces had to look down towards the cover.

Moshe learned from HaShem that He would talk with him there, speaking to him from above the ark-cover, from between the two cherubs that are on the Ark of Testimony. This was how He would give Moshe instructions for the Israelites.

Moshe was then instructed by HaShem to make a table of acacia wood, and given exact measurements for the table. He had to cover it with a layer of pure gold, and make a gold rim all around it. He had to make a frame a handbreadth wide all around the table and on the frame all around, the golden rim shall be placed. He had to make four gold rings for the table, and place the rings on the four corners of its four legs.

The rings had to be next to the frame, and they had to be there for the poles with which the table is carried, to go through. The poles were to be made of acacia wood and covered with a layer of gold. They would be used to carry the table.

For the table he had to make bread forms, incense bowls, and side frames, as well as the half tubes that would serve as dividers between the loaves of bread. All these had to be made of pure gold. It is on this table that showbread had to be placed before HaShem at all times.

Moshe was then instructed to make a menorah out of pure gold. The menorah had to be formed by hammering it. Its base, stem, and decorative cups, spheres and flowers had to be hammered out of a single piece of gold. There had to be three embossed cups, as well as a sphere and a flower on each and every one of the branches. All six branches extending from the menorah's stem had to be the same in this respect. The shaft of the menorah had to have four embossed cups along with its spheres and flowers. A sphere would serve as a base for each pair of branches extending from the shaft. This had to be true for all six branches extending from the stem of the menorah. The spheres and branches had to be an integral part of the menorah. They had to all be hammered out of a single piece of pure gold. Moshe had to make seven lamps on the menorah. The menorah's wick tongs and ash scoops also had to be made out of pure gold. Moshe was instructed to carefully observe the pattern that he would have been shown on the mountain and make the menorah like that.

Moshe was then instructed to make the tabernacle out of ten large tapestries consisting of twined linen, and sky-blue, dark red, and crimson wool, with a pattern of cherubs woven into them. He was again given exact measurements and had to sew them together in a certain way. He had to make two groups of tapestries, and join them together so that the tabernacle would be one piece.

He then had to make sheets of goats’ wool to serve as a tent over the tabernacle. There were to be 11 such sheets, and each sheet had to be 30 cubits long and 4 cubits wide. All 11 sheets had to be the same size, and some sewn together. It had to cover the tabernacle on both sides.

He also had to make a roof for the tent out of reddened rams' skins. Above it he had to make a roof out of the blue processed hides. He also had to make upright beams for the tabernacle out of acacia wood. The beams also had their measurements and specifications.

Moshe had to make crossbars out of acacia wood. There were to be five for the beams of each side of the tabernacle. The centre crossbar was to go through the middle of the beams, from one end of the tabernacle to the other. The beams were to be covered with a layer of gold. He also had to make gold rings on the beams to hold the crossbars. The crossbars also had to be covered with a layer of gold. Moshe would then be ready to set up the tabernacle in the proper manner, as he was shown on the mountain.

Moshe then had to make a cloth partition out of sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, woven together with twined linen. Cherubs were woven into it so that they could be seen on both sides. He had to place it on four gold-covered acacia pillars with gold hooks. The pillars had to be set in four silver sockets. He had to place the cloth partition directly under the fastenings holding the tapestries together. Into the space behind this curtain Moshe had to bring the Ark of Testimony. This curtain would thus divide between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. Moshe then had to place the cover on the Ark of Testimony in the Holy of Holies. He had to place the table outside the curtain, toward the northern wall of the tabernacle. The menorah had to be opposite the table, toward the southern wall of the tabernacle.

Moshe had to make a drape for the entrance of the tent, out of sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, and twined linen. It had to be embroidered work. He had to make five acacia pillars to hold the drape, and cover them with a layer of gold and place golden hooks on them. He had to cast five copper bases for the pillars.

The altar was to be made out of acacia wood. The altar had to be square, 5 cubits by 5 cubits, and 3 cubits high. Protrusions were made on all four sides as an integral part of the altar. It then had to be covered with a layer of copper. Moshe had to make pots to remove its greasy ashes, as well as scoops, sacrificial basins, flesh pokers, and fire pans for the altar. All these instruments were to be made of copper. Moshe had to make a screen out of copper net to go around the altar, and place four copper rings on the four corners of the screen. The screen had to be placed below the decorative border of the altar, extending downward to the middle of the altar.

Moshe had to make carrying poles for the altar out of acacia wood covered with a layer of copper. He had to place the poles in the rings so that the poles will be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. The altar was to be a hollow structure made out of boards. Moshe had to make it as he was shown on the mountain.

Moshe had to make an enclosure for the tabernacle of hangings made of twined linen. The entrance of the enclosure had to be covered with an embroidered drape made of sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool together with twisted linen. It had to have 4 pillars and 4 bases. All the pillars of the outer enclosure had to have silver hoops, silver hooks, and copper bases. Again, Moshe had to make it according to exact measurements.

All the equipment used to make the tabernacle shall be made out of copper. The stakes for the tabernacle itself and all the stakes for the enclosure also had to be made of copper.