The name of the Parshah, "Terumah," means "Offering" and it is found in Exodus 25:2.
The
people of Israel are called upon to contribute
thirteen materials—gold, silver and copper; blue-, purple- and red-dyed wool;
flax, goat hair, animal skins, wood, olive oil, spices and gems—out of which,
G‑d says to
Moses, “
They shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I shall dwell
amidst them.”
On the summit of
Mount Sinai, Moses is given detailed
instructions on
how to construct this dwelling for G‑d so that it could be
readily dismantled, transported and reassembled as the people journeyed in the
desert.
In the
Sanctuary’s
inner chamber, behind an artistically woven
curtain, was the
ark containing the
tablets of the testimony engraved with the
Ten Commandments; on the ark’s cover stood two winged
cherubim hammered out of pure gold. In the outer chamber stood the
seven-branched menorah and the table upon which the “
showbread” was arranged.
The Sanctuary’s three walls were fitted
together from 48 upright wooden boards, each of which was overlaid with gold
and held up by a pair of silver foundation sockets. The roof was formed of
three layers of coverings: (a) tapestries of multicolored wool and linen; (b) a
covering made of goat hair; (c) a covering of ram and
tachash skins. Across the front of
the Sanctuary was an embroidered screen held up by five posts.
Surrounding the Sanctuary and the
copper-plated altar which fronted it was an enclosure of linen hangings,
supported by 60 wooden posts with silver hooks and trimmings, and reinforced by
copper stakes.
Learn:
Terumah in Depth
Browse:
Terumah Parshah Columnists
Prep:
Devar Torah Q&A for Terumah
Read:
Haftarah in a Nutshell
Play:
Terumah Parshah Quiz
