Orach Chayim

Parashat Terumah

Sunday, February 11, 2018 · Posted in Aron, Building of the Mishkan, Exodus 25:1, Menorah, Parashat Terumah, Shemot 25:1-27:19, Shulchan

Parashat Terumah
Shemot 25:1 - 27:19

[Mishkan (Tabernacle)]

Parashat Summary

Benei Yisrael donates gifts (terumah) for building of the Mishkan
Construction of the Aron (Ark of the Covenant), Shulchan (table), and Menorah
Detailed instructions on how to build the Mishkan

25:1 Vayedaber HASHEM el-Moshe lemor
Then HASHEM spoke to Moshe, saying:2 Daber el-benei Yisrael veyikchu-li trumah me'et kol-ish asher yidvenu libo tikchu et-trumati"Speak to the children of Yisrael, that they bring for Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.G-d's relationship with the Benei Yisrael can be understood with the following example:

A king had a daughter. While the girl was small, she was able to go about freely; and wherever the king found her, he would speak with her, even in public, in the midst of others. However, when she began to mature and develop, the king said to her, "Now it is proper for me to provide you with a special chamber. It no longer befits my dignity to speak to you publicly. Instead, we must have a special place. Otherwise, when I speak to you, everyone will know of my great love for you and the great honor that I bestow upon you. People should not be able to see when I am alone with you, revealing to you the secrets of my kingdom. At such times, there must be no one else with us. Thus, everyone will be aware of the great esteem in which I hold you.

The same is true of the nation of Yisrael. Until this point, the Benei Yisrael did not have wisdom and knowledge. They had grown up among the Egyptians and had worked with bricks and mortar. But when G-d redeemed them, their eyes began to open and they recognized G-d's true greatness. They had seen the great miracles of the Exodus, the splitting of the Reed Sea, the battle with Amalek, and the manna. They had also experienced the radiance of the Divine Presence.

Thus, little by little, they gained wisdom and insight until they reached the highest level at Mount Sinai. Regarding this revelation, it is written, "G-d spoke to you face to face" (Devarim 5:4). This indicates that G-d spoke to the more than 600,000 people publicly and gave them the sacred Torah. It was here that they became a true nation.

At this point the Benei Yisrael reached the highest level that it is possible to attain. They also demostrated their greatness when they said, "All that G-d says, we will do and we will listen" (24:7). This was a very high spiritual level, because all of them responded in unison. There was not one single individual, great or small, who refused to make this declaration or who remained silent. Obviously, in such a great mass of people, if a few had remained silent, it would not have been noticed, and they could not have been identified. But everyone, without exception, responded.

This was the result of their experiences. They had all separated from the physical as a result of the miracles that they saw with their own eyes. They were also eating the manna, which was spiritual food, descending each day from heaven. They thus became spiritual, becoming a nation as holy and pure as the angels.

As a result of all this, every one of the Benei Yisrael accepted the Torah with heart and soul. At Mount Sinai, they obligated themselves with a solemn oath to keep all the commandments of the Torah. The oath was taken upon the authority (al da'aat) of G-d Himself, by the authority of the ones taking the oath, and by the authority of Moshe. They would henceforth not do anything that went against the Torah.

All this demonstrated that the Benei Yisrael had attained a high degree of perfection. (Shir HaShirim Rabbah. Cf. Sh'nei Luchot HaBerit, Yalkut Shimoni 365; Shemot Rabbah 12)

The Benei Yisrael were now in the desert, and there was no place where the Divine Presence could rest among them. Nevertheless, G-d did a great kindness for them, and placed His Presence among them without interruption, just as it was at Mount Sinai. In order to assure them of this, He commanded them to make the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

This was just like the private chamber that the king made for his daughter. It demostrated how much G-d cherished the Benei Yisrael. He arranged for a special building where He would speak to them, just as He spoke to them at Mount Sinai. So great was His love for them, that from then on He did not remove Himself from them.

As a result of this, the Benei Yisrael had great status among the nations of the world. They became world famous, because out of all the nations, G-d chose them and made them into His own special nation. (Abarbanel)

When G-d said, "Bring for Me an offering," He used the Hebrew expression "li" meaing "for Me." The expression li, however, can also be interpreted to mean "for the Yod (י)."

This teaches that when a person gives to charity, he must have in mind the Tetragramaton, YKVK.

The money that one gives represents the Yod (י).

The hand represents the Heh (ה). The hand has five fingers and the numerical value of the heh is five.

The arm that is outstretched to give the charity to the poor man is the Vav (ו).

Finally, the hand of the poor man is the final Heh (ה).

This teaches that G-d is with the poor, and it demonstrates the importance of charity.

G-d therefore said that the offering should be given li - "to the Yod." This teaches that if one gives charity to the poor or the charity collector, and does it for the same of heaven, he completes the Tetragrammaton, YKVK. (Zera Berach 1)

When one gives charity, however, he must not give it with meanness or in a manner that would denigrate the recipient. If one does this, it is worthless, no matter how great a sum he gives. Moreover, one can even be punished by G-d for such an act.

In His words G-d also suggested to Moshe that he should not think that the Mishkan could be erected by the donations of the princes and leaders alone. Obviously, it would have been possible for a number of very wealthy individuals to build the Mishkan without taking anything from the rest of the people. G-d therefore said, "From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering." This indicates that there was to be no difference between the great and the small. Moshe was to accept offerings from every person who brought one, no matter how small the offering. (Abarbanel)

Furthermore, this teaches that the officials were not to go and ask anyone for an offering. Rather, they could only take from those who offered.

The Torah uses the word terumah in speaking of the offering, rather than the more common word nedavah denoting a gift or contribution. But the word nedavah refers to a donation given because one is urged by the collectors, because he sees the troubles of the poor, or because the donor has his own problems, and hopes that the merit of giving charity will help improve his situation.

When a person is healthy and in good circumstances, if he is prudent, he will put aside some money for use in case of need. Such money is called a terumah. It is not a donation, but is simply money put aside for his own use in case he needs it.

A person can give charity in a similar vein. The virtue does not depend on the size of the donation, but on the thought behind it. He must give it with heart and soul, without any outside motivation.

Thus, two types of donations are referred to as terumah. One is the money that is donated. The other is the spiritual donation, which his the generosity of the heart.

25:3 Vezot hatrumah asher tikchu me'itam zahav vachesef unechoshet
And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;
4 Utchelet ve'argaman vetola'at shani veshesh ve'izim
blue, purple, and crimson, fine linen, and goats' wool;
5 Ve'orot eylim me'odamim ve'orot tchashim va'atzei shitim
reddened rams' skins dyed red, tachash skins, and shittim wood;
6 Shemen lama'or besamim leshemen hamishchah veliktoret hasamim
oil for the light, and perfumes for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;
7 Avnei-shoham ve'avnei milu'im la'efod velachoshen
shoham stones, and filling stones to be set in the efod and breastplate.

The Torah now enumerates the things that were needed for the Mishkan:

Gold
Silver
Copper
Blue (techelet). This is wool dyed with the blood of an aquatic animal known as a chalazon which emerges from the water once every 70 years. The dye has the color of the sea, the sky and the Throne of Glory. The chalazon is thought to be a type of snail, most probably of the mure, purpura or janthina family. Some, however, maintain that it is actually a fish.
Purple. This is wool dyed with a substance known as argaman. (Rashi, Shabbat 73a, s.v. HaOfeh indicates that this was made from a plant product. However, Talmudic sources indicate that it was an animal product, cf. Yerushalmi, Kelayim 9:1).
Crimson. There is a type of tree that has no fruit, but has small pods like lentils. (The tree is most probably the oak, Quercus ithahurensis, which has small acorns. The cochineal insect lives on this tree. From the context, and from what is known of the dye, however, it appears that the "pods" are the mature insects, and the "worms" are the eggs found inside. Crimson is obtained by crushing the eggs in mature female insects.) In each of these pods there are about one hundred worms, full of blood. They are very close together, and do not move. When the fresh pods are pressed, the blood runs out of the small shells. If the small worms are ground up, they become like the juice of dark mulberries.
Linen. This is ordinary linen made from flax.
Goats' wool. This is mohair. It is not sheared like ordinary wool, but plucked by hand, very much as the feathers are plucked from a chicken. A goat has two types of hair. One is coarse, and it is used to make sacks to hold merchandise, since it is very strong. The other is soft and fine like silk, and it is used for fine clothing.
Reddened rams' skins. These are rams' skins that are tanned and then colored with red dye. (Rashi)
Tachash skins. This is the skin of a kosher animal known as a tachash, that lived in the desert. It had a single horn in the middle of its forehead, and its skin had a pattern containing six beautiful colors. (Tanchuma 6; Yalkut Shimoni). The Targum translates the word tachash into the Aramaic sasgona. This can be seen as two words, sas, denoting rejoicing, and gona or gavna, denoting color. It is thus an animal that rejoices because of its beautiful coloration. (Shabbat 28a) It was out of this tachash skin that the beautiful roof of the Mishkan was made. This is Rabbi Yehudah's opinion, that the tachash was a normal animal. Rabbi Nechemiah, however, maintained that it was an animal that was miraculously created. G-d created that animal in the desert especially for the Mishkan, and immediately after that, it ceased to exist. Rabbi Nechemiah brings evidence for his opinion from the fact that the Torah describes each sheet as being "thirty cubits long and four cubits wide" (26:8). It is obviously impossible to make such a large sheet out of the skin of any existing animal, so it must have involved a miracle. (Tanchuma loc. cit.) Rabbi Meir also said that the tachash that existed in Moshe's time was a unique animal. The sages could not determine whether it had the legal status of a wild animal (chayah) or a domestic animal (behemah). From the fact that it had a single horn in the middle of its forehead, however, it could be determined that it was a kosher animal. There is a tradition that the animal sacrificed by Adam was also a one-horned kosher animal.
Shittim wood. Yaakov saw prophetically that the Benei Yisrael would have to build the Mishkan. He therefore took large acacia trees from the Holy Land to Egypt and planted them there. Yaakov left a command for his descendants that when they left Egypt, they should take those trees with them, since such wood could not be found in the desert. The Benei Yisrael did this, and therefore had shittim wood with which to build the Mishkan. (Tanchuma; Shemot Rabbah)
Oil for the lamp. This was the olive oil that was used to light the Menorah which burned as an eternal light (27:20).
Perfumes for the anointing oil. This is described later (30:22-25). Similar perfumes were used for the incense (30:34,35; 30:1-10). (Ibn Ezra; Ramban)
Shoham stones. These were stones that were set in the priestly vestment known as the Efod (28:9). The shoham was a brilliant red precious stone known as a carbuncle. The carbuncle comes from the Latin carbo, meaning coal, since the stone is the color of a glowing coal. It usually denotes a particularly brilliant red garnet, but can also denote a ruby or ruby spinel of that color. G-d also said, "I will make your sunporches out of carbuncles" (Yeshayahu 54:12). G-d was saying that in the Messianic Age, the Benei Yisrael would have sunporches (shimshut) made out of carbuncles. (Bachya)
Filling stones. These were the twelve stones that were placed in the breastplate worn by the High Priest (28:17-20). They are called "filling stones" (avnei melu'im) because they filled the settings in the breastplate. (Rashi) Others say that the expression av'nei melu'im should be translated "complete stones" or "whole stones." They were called this because they had to be entire stones. It was forbidden to take a large stone and cut it down to size to fill the setting. The original natural stones had to be the precise size of the settings. The Torah therefore says later, that these stones shall be "in their fullness" - that is, in their original natural full size. This implies that they must be set just as they were found in their place of origin, with absolutely nothing removed. (Ramban; Bachya. Cf. Abarbanel) Therefore, when the names of Yaakov's sons were written on these stones, they could not be written with a steel scribe, as is usually done in the case of signet ring stones containing names. The names also could not be written with any kind of ink, since the Torah specifies that they must be written "like the engraving of a seal." Therefore, what Moshe had to do was, first write the names on the stones with ink. He then took a small animal known as a Shamir (Yirmeyahu 17:1; Yechezkel 3:9; Zecharya 7:12. Also Yeshayahu 5:6, 7:24, 9:17, 24:7, 32:13), and used it to write the names. The Shamir was a small animal, around the size of a barleycorn, created during the six days of creation. It was able to bore through any substance, no matter how hard. If it were placed on a piece of iron, it could split it in half. It could only be kept in wads of wool, in a lead tube, filled with barley straw. Even today, when one wishes to say that a person is very hard, we say, "He is as hard as a Shamir." (Cf. Yechezkel 3:9) This is an exaggeration, since there is nothing as hard as a Shamir. Moshe placed the Shamir on the precious stones used for the Breastplate. The Shamir would crack the stones along the lines that Moshe had drawn on the stones, without removing any substance from the stones. The claws of the Shamir could split the stones, just as a fig is cracked by the heat, or a field is cracked by dryness. The Shamir would similarly crack the stones without removing any of their substance. (Sotah 48b)

There were thus fifteen materials used in the Mishkan. These paralleled the fifteen times 500 years journey in the heavens. There are seven firmaments, each having a thickness of a 500 year journey. (Chagigah 13a)

A day's journey is 34 miles. Therefore, a year's journey is 34 x 365 = 12,410 miles, about halfway around the world, or the width of the Eurasian continent. A 500 year journey is thus 6,205,000 miles, and fifteen times this is 93,075,000 miles, approximately the distance between the earth and the sun.

Similarly, between each firmament, there is a distance of a 500 year journey. This makes a total of 13 times 500. Above the angels known as Chayot there is another firmament (Yechezkel 1:22). The feet of the Chayot were also 500 year journey. Therefore, there is a total of fifteen 500 year journeys, with the Divine Presence above them all.

Paralleling these, there are 15 words in the final blessing of the prayer Yishtabach (following the Sefardic rite. Yishtabach is the prayer said after the introductory Psalms in the Shacharit (Morning) service). There are also 15 words of affirmation in the prayer Emet VeYatziv. (Prayer said after the morning Shema')

There are also 15 words in the Priestly Blessing (BaMidbar 6:24-26). King David also said 15 Psalms that are referred to as Song of Steps (Shir HaMaalot - Psalms 120-134) (Bachya)

The materials also parallel the various exiles that the Benei Yisrael suffered.

The gold parallels the Babylonian empire. Dani'el thus said to the Babylonian king, "You are the head of gold" (Dani'el 2:38; 2:32). The silver represented the Persian empire which followed that of Babylonia. The copper represented the Greek empire, which was inferior to all them.

The "reddened rams' skins" parallel the Roman empire, which is referred to as Edom, having the connotation of red (Bereishit 25:30) The oil for the lamp and the perfumes for the anointing oil parallel the Mashiach, since the Hebrew word "Mashiach" denotes "the anointed one." G-d thus said to the Benei Yisrael, "Even though you shall be under the rule of the four great empires, do not lose hope. If you are good, you can be assured that in the end the Mashiach will enlighten your hearts."

The "filling stones" parallel the Benei Yisrael, who are referred to as stones, as it is written, "From there is the shepherd of the stone Yisrael" (Bereishit 49:24). They must also be "filled" and perfect in every way.

The stones were used for the Efod and Breatplate (Choshen), which were worn over the heart. This teaches that Judaism must be kept with heart and soul. The Torah depends primarily on a good heart.

Iron was not used in the Mishkan at all, although it is commonly used in the lattice work of buildings. G-d did not want it, because the empire of Edom (Rome) is likened to iron. It was this empire that ultimately destroyed the Temple and brought Yisrael to its present straits.

The metals that the Benei Yisrael offered were only gold, silver and copper. This is because, in the ultimate future, the empires of Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran) and Greece will each bring gifts to the Mashiach, and G-d will accept them. G-d will not, however, accept the gift from the Roman empire, since it was the one who totally destroyed the Holy Temple, right down to the foundation. (Tanchuma; Shemot Rabbah; Yalkut Shemoni)

Silk was also not used in the Mishkan, because it is produced by a worm (caterpillar). The Mishkan was Divine work, and it was proper that it be built with products form kosher animals.

It is true that the dye from the Crimson Worm was used, but this dye did not come from the body of the worm, but from the pod surrounding it. (Bachya)

Although the Chalazon is a non-kosher animal, the Torah did not forbid its blood. There is a difference between aquatic creatures and worms. Any juice that comes from a worm is forbidden by the Torah. On the other hand, a liquid that comes from fish or other aquatic creatures is not forbidden by the Torah. Moreover, according to some authorities, the chalazon was a kosher fish, having fins and scales. (Teshuvot Rabbi Moshe ibn Chabib in Manuscript)

All the materials needed to build the Mishkan were brought by each individual as his own heart dictated. There was no set amount that each one had to bring. The people's property was not assessed to determine how much each one was to bring, according to his means. G-d left it up to each one's free will; each one could bring much or little, according to his own spirit of generosity.

If a person brought a small amount with heart and soul, G-d would accept it as graciously as He would accept a large gift. The only thing that had a set amount was the silver, where rich and poor alike had to bring a half shekel (30:11-16). (Rashi)

25:8 Ve'asu li mikdash veshachanti betocham
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell within them.
9 Kechol asher ani mar'eh otcha et tavnit haMishkan ve'et tavnit kol-kelav vechen ta'asu
According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

G-d said, "And let them make Me a sanctuary" - dedicated to My Name - "that I may dwell within them" - letting My Divine Presence rest among the Benei Yisrael. (Rashi)

Literally, the second verse is translated, "According to all that I show you - the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its furnishing, just so you shall make it." G-d said, "just so shall you make it" to teach that if any of the furnishings were lost in the future generations, they must be duplicated according to the plan given to Moshe. There could be no changes made in its form or its size. (Rashi. Cf. Ramban; Lekach Tov)

The Mishkan (Tabernacle) here is called a sanctuary, Mikdash in Hebrew, even though it was not the Holy Temple (which is usually referred to as the Mikdash or Beit HaMikdash). The word Mikdash literally means a "holy place." Since the Mishkan was a holy place, designated especially for the Divine Presence, it was called a Mikdash. (Bachya)

G-d literally said that if the Benei Yisrael make the Mishkan, "I may dwell within them." Since He was speaking of the Mishkan, He should have said, "I may dwell within it."

But this teaches that the main element of the Mishkan was not the boards and other materials out of which it was built. The main element was the purity of heart on the part of the Benei Yisrael who built the Mishkan. They had to be good, G-d-fearing Jews, and spiritual people. Then they would be able to cause the Divine Presence to dwell inside them - literally - since they would be closely attached to G-d.

Therefore, the main place where the Divine Presence would rest would be inside the Benei Yisrael, and not in the wood and metal of the Mishkan, which were secondary to the heart.

The only reason that a physical building had to be built was to motivate the people spiritually. When a person enters the Mishkan, the Holy Temple or synagogue, that act is in itself not sufficient. The building is made of mere wood and stone. The main thing is the people who are in the building, who must be immersed in the holiness of the Divine Presence, sanctifying their hearts and standing in awe of G-d, so that they will not do anything against His will.

Such a structure is then called a sanctuary, a Mishkan, a holy congregation or Holy Temple. It does not depend on the lumber out of which it is made, but on the hearts of the people who congregate in the place.

The only purpose of the physical structure is to awaken people from their spiritual sleep, and to direct their consciousness toward G-d. The person says to himself, "Since I am in this holy place, where the Divine Presence dwells, I must behave with awe and reverence. I must not engage in idle chatter." (Alshekh; Sifetei Kohen, q.v.)

In general, then, the people themselves are the true Mishkan. Therefore, after G-d said, "Make Me a sanctuary," He said, "Thus must you do." This teaches that the people must work on themselves to make the Mishkan, and they accomplish this by purifying their hearts. (Chen Tov)

When G-d gave the commandment He said, "Let them make Me a sanctuary." One reason that G-d changed the wording here, and called it a "Sanctuary" (Mikdash) instead of a "Tabernacle" (Mishkan) was to teach that the commandment was not only for that time. Rather, there is a commandment for all times to build a sanctuary to G-d. (Kesef Mishneh on Yad, Bet HaBechirah 1)

This commandment implies that wherever there are ten adult male Jews, they have an obligation to build a structure dedicated for prayer. This structure is known as a synagogue (beit ha-kenesset) in Hebrew. Literally, beit ha-kenesset means a "house of assembly," since it is a place where all the men assemble every morning and evening to worship.

A community has the right to force all its memebers to participate in building a synagogue. The community similary has an obligation to purchase Torah scrolls and other books needed for the synagogue. (Yad, Tefillah 11; Orach Chayim 150)

G-d therefore said that the Benei Yisrael must build a sanctuary (mikdash). The synagogue is also called a sanctuary (mikdash). The verse therefore teaches that in every generation there is an obligation to build synagogues where needed. (Sifetei Kohen, p. 122)

The Symbolic Meaning of the Mishkan

The Mishkan on earth is the reflection of HaShem's Heavenly Mishkan. Every detail of its plan reflects an aspect of HaShem's dwelling place Above.

For example, He commanded that the terrestrial Mishkan should contain beams of Shittim-wood standing erect. Similarly, the Torah describes the serafim (angels) as standing erect. Just as the keruvim of the Aron exhibit outspread wings, so are the angels in heaven described as having wings (Yeshayahu 6:2). The Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies), where the Shechinah rested, resembled the Kisei HaKavod (Heaven Throne of Glory) itself.

The Mishkan and its components comprised a microcosm of the universe, implying that the greatness of the Mishkan equaled that of the entire universe, and that its construction was an accomplishment as momentous as the Creation itself.

Some examples of the parallel between Mishkan and universe are:

The upper and lower curtains resembled heaven and earth.
The water of the kiyor (laver) corresponds to the water on earth.
The mizbe'ach haolah (on which animals were sacrificed) represents the animals of the world.
The mizbe'ach haketoret symbolizes all the spices.
The menorah represents the sun and the moon.
The seven lamps of the menorah correspond to the constellations of the seven stars, which represent the course of all natural events in the universe (shiva kochvei lechet)

The very structure of the Mishkan also suggests the human body, and its implements correspond to the various organs and parts of the body.

[The Aron HaKodesh - Holy Ark]

Aron - The symbol of the Crown of Torah

25:10 Ve'asu aron atzei shitim amatayim vachetzi orko ve'amah vachetzi rochbo ve'amah vachetzi komato
And they shall make an aron of shittim wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

HaShem conferred upon the Jewish people three "Crowns" (positions of greatness):

The Crown of Torah, which was represented by the Aron.
The Crown of Kehunah, priesthood, which was represented by the Mizbe'ach.
The Crown of Malchut, monarchy, which was represented by the Shulchan.

The Crown of Torah-study ranks above the other two offices. Only a Jew born from a royal or priestly family is eligible for the positions of monarchy or kehunah. The opportunity to become a great Talmid Chacham (Torah Scholar), however, is accessible to everyone.

The Aron represents the Torah. Just as the Torah preceded the Creation of the universe, so did HaShem command that the Aron be fashioned before the rest of the Mishkan.

Moshe was commanded to make ten things for the Mishkan. They are:

The Aron (Ark)
The Aron Cover
The Cherubs
The Table
The Showbread
The Menorah
The Mishkan itself
The Cloth Partition
The Copper Altar and its untensils
The Mishkan's courtyard

The first piece of furniture made for the Mishkan was the Aron (Ark). The Torah says that it should be made out of shittim wood, which is also known as acacia.

The Aron rested on its edge, and did not have any projections to serve as feet, as chests are usually made. (Rashi. Cf. Ramban)

The size of the Aron was 2.5 cubits (45 inches) long, 1.5 cubits (27 inches) wide, and 1.5 cubits high.

It was called The Aron HaKodesh (The Holy Ark)

The Symbolic Meaning of the Aron

The Aron corresponds to the heart. Just as a person's life depends on the vitality of his heart, the significance of the Aron, which contained the luchot (tablets), suffused the entire Mishkan.

The Keruvim, which spread their wings over the Aron, corespond to the lungs over the heart.

The Shulchan represents the stomach.

The Menorah represents the human mind.

The Ketoret (incense) finds its parallel in the sense of smell.

The Kiyor (laver) suggests the liquid element in the human body.

The curtains of goat-skin correspond to a person's skin.

The beams symbolize the ribs.

The Mishkan was constructed to resemble the human body in order to teach us that every Jew who sanctifies himself becomes a mishkan (dwelling place) for the shechinah.

The Midrash further explains that the Aron, Shulchan, and the Mizbe'ach represent the three positions of distinction which HaShem gave to K'lal Yisrael. The Aron symbolizes the Crown of Torah-study, the Shulchan represents the Crown of Royalty, and the Mizbe'ach symbolizes the Crown of Kehunah.

25:11 Vetzipita oto zahav tahor mibayit umichutz tetzapenu ve'asita alav zer zahav saviv
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.

Moshe was commanded to cover the inside and outside of the wooden Aron with a layer of pure gold. He was also to place a gold "crown" around its upper rim. This "crown" denotes the crown of Torah. (Yoma 72b; Rashi)

The Aron was thus made of three open boxes (chests), one of wood and two of gold. The wooden box was placed in the outer, larger gold box. Then the smaller gold box was placed inside the wooden box. Thus, the wooden box was covered on the inside and outside with gold.

The outer box of gold was made somewhat higher than the inner wooden box. There was a bit of gold extending above the wood, the golden chest was surrounded with a decorative golden rim. It surrounded the aron like a crown, so that it would appear as if the entire Aron were made of gold. No wood would show at all. The Aron, in which the luchot (tablets) were placed, symbolized the Torah, and the rim represented the crown of Torah study.

Both the innermost and the exterior chests of the Aron were of pure gold since the Torah is likened to gold. Its middle chest was fashioned of wood because the Torah is also termed a "Tree of Life." The three chests of which it consisted correspond to the three parts of the Torah:

Torah (Five Books of Moshe) / Mishnah (repetition - to study or review)
Neviim (Prophets) / Braissa (outside - clarifies the words and opinions of the Mishnah)
Ketuvim (Writings) / Halachot (Jewish religious laws)

The Aron also represented the embodiment of Torah-wisdom - the Talmid Chacham.

The innermost and outermost chests were of gold to indicate that a talmid chacham's innermost feelings must comply with his external conduct. Woe to the Torah student who bears Torah on his lips while his heart is devoid of fear of HaShem!

The cubit used to measure the Aron and the other utensils was six handbreadths long. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir, which is the accepted opinion. According to Rabbi Yehudah, however, each cubit was only five handbreadths.

The total surface area of the sides of the Aron, which was twelve square amot, hints at twelve virtues which are required of a talmid chacham. David enumerated them in Tehillim, asking, "Who is worthy to live in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?" (Tehillim 15). David, in answer, lists twelve virtues required of a true servant of HaShem:

holech tamim - he who walks in perfection (has perfect faith in the Almighty) - an example is Avraham Avinu.

poyeil tzedek - he acts justly. This refers to a worker who fulfills his obligation to his employer to perfection.

dover emet bilvavo - one who speaks the truth in his heart.

lo ragal al leshono - he does not slander with his tongue.

lo asah le're'ehu ra'ah - nor does he do evil to his fellow man.

vecherpah lo nasa al kerovo - and he does not bring shame upon his relative.

nivzeh be-einaiv nimas - A vile person is despised in his eyes.

ve-et yirei HaShem yechabed - he honors those who fear HaShem

nishba lehara - he takes an oath against his yetzer hara (evil inclination).

velo yamir - and he does not change it.

kaspo lo natan beneshech - He does not give his money for interest.

veshochad mi'naki lo lakach - nor does he take bribery against the innocent.

When Rabbi Gamliel read the above list of praiseworthy traits required of a talmid chacham, he would weep, saying, "Who could acquire all these?" Rabbi Akiva, on the other hand, laughed. "How is it that you are happy at the very thing that makes me cry?" Rabbi Gamliel questioned him. Rabbi Akiva explained, "The Torah states in VaYikra 11:31, 'These are tamei (impure) to you among the creeping things, listing a numer of insects. The Torah concludes with the warning (ibid. 18:24), 'Do not defile yourselves with all of these.' These words seem to imply that a person does not become defiled, unless he touches all of the listed insects. In fact, the halachah is different. A Jew who touches even one of them, and even the tiniest insect among them, becomes impure. He is considered as if he had touched them all. We know the principle that the proportionate measure of HaShem's reward is much greater than His punishment. If a person who touched only one impure insect is considered as if he touched them all, it certainly follows that a man who acquired even one of the enumerated traits of character is considered by the Almighty as if he possesssed them all!" "You have comforted me, Akiva, you have comforted me," said Rabbi Gamliel.

25:12 Veyatzakta lo arba tabe'ot zahav venatatah al arba pa'amotav ushtei taba'ot al-tzal'o ha'echat ushtei taba'ot al-tzal'o hashenit
You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.

Two of these rings would be on one side of the Aron, and two on the other. (Rashi; Ramban) According ot others, there were actually eight rings in the Aron. Therefore, the Torah first says, "Cast four rings of gold for it (Aron)." The Torah then says, "Two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other." That is, in addition to the original four rings, G-d commanded that there be an additional two rings on each side of the Aron. These were decorative rings on each of the Aron's four corners. We do not know whether the decorative rings were above the first four or below them. (Tosafot, Yoma 72; Kli Chemdah, p. 109) The four original rings were firmly attached to the Aron, two to the north, and two to the south. They were not on the corners, but on the sides. (Yoma, ibid.)

25:13 Ve'asita vadei atzei shitim vetzipita otam zahav
And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 Veheveta et-habadim bataba'ot al tsal'ot ha'aron laset et-ha'aron bahem
You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.
15 Betabe'ot ha'aron yihyu habadim lo yasuru mimenu
The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

Removing the poles from the Aron is an offense punishable by flogging. (Mishpatim, Chapter 1; Smag. Negative 296) Therefore, the ones who carried the Aron on their shoulders had to be careful not to remove the carrying poles from the rings.

The poles were made of acacia wood, and covered with a layer of gold. Their ends were wide, so that they would have to be forced into the rings. The middle of the poles, however, was somewhat thinner, so that the poles could be moved back and forth in the rings. However, when one would reach the end, the poles would not come out of the rings by themselves. The ends were thick, so that they would have to be forced out of the rings. (Rashi; Yoma, p. 72)

The Torah literally says, "Do not remove [the poles] from it." This teaches that it is also forbidden to remove the poles. If the Torah had merely wanted to teach us that the poles were tight, it would have said, "do not remove [the poles] from them [the rings]." From the wording we see that the poles fitted loosely into the rings, and could be moved. Only the ends were wide, so that they could not easily be removed from the rings. According to the wording in the Torah, the teaching is that the poles should not be able to fall out by themselves, and therefore the ends had to be wide. (Lekach Tov).

25:16 Venatata el-ha'aron et ha'edut asher eten eleicha
And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

The Aron shall be used to hold the Law that I will give you. This denotes the two tablets that G-d would give Moshe. They are called "testimony" since they testify to the fact that G-d commanded us to keep the entire Torah.

This also explains the reason that the poles were not to be removed from the Aron. The Aron was a box designated for holding the Torah, which is our entire heritage and glory. We must therefore honor the Aron as much as possible. G-d therefore commanded that we not remove the poles from the Aron, but keep them there at all times. Then if there was a need to go to war quickly, the people could immediately take the
Aron along with them. It was the Aron that would protect them, not their weapons. If they were destined to have victory, it was in the merit of the Torah.

When the Leviim carried the Aron from place to place, they had to carry it on their shoulders. It could not be carried on a horse or on a wagon. Moreover, when the Leviim carried the Aron, they would all face it. Those in front would be walking backwards. it would not be respectful to walk with one's back toward the Aron. (Yad, Klei HaMikdash 2:12, 13)

Simiarly, when the kohanim would complete their service and leave, they would not turn their back to the sanctuary. Rather, they would walk backwards until they were out of the main hall. It was very much like we walk backwards when we say Oseh Shalom ("My He Who makes peace...") at the end of the Amidah. (Yad, Bet HaBechirah 7)

In the synagogue, honor should also be shown to the Torah Scroll. It should have a special Art (hechal) in a high place. One should not turn his back on it. All the commandments that were in the two tablets are also in the Torah scroll.

When a Torah scroll is taken from place to place, it should not be carried on the head like a burden. Certainly, one should not carry it on his shoulder. Rather, he should carry it in his arms, holding it close to the chest.

When one is in the presence of a Torah scroll, he should stand with great awe and reverence. The Torah scroll is true witness to the entire world. Whoever honors the Torah will himself be honored. Conversely, one who is disrespectful to the Torah will be severely punished. Therefore, one must be extraordinarily careful with regard to this.

The Torah says that the poles were to be used to lift up the Aron. One should not think that they were used to carry the Aron, but only to lift it upon their shoulders. The Aron was so heavy, that it would have been impossible for four men to carry it. The Aron, the cover, the keruvim, and the two tablets in the Aron were all extremely heavy. This was especially true because the two Leviim in front had to walk backwards. But the Aron would go by itself, miraculously. Although it went by itself, G-d gave the Leviim strength, so that it would appear as if they were carrying it.

We see that the wooden Aron, which was relatively valueless, was concealed within two highly valuable gold boxes, so that it would be covered with gold on all sides. It is as if the most important thing was the wooden box, and the two golden boxes were secondary.

Therefore, when we see a Torah scholar, we must honor him, even if he is poor. If we are disrespectful to him, it is as if we are disrespectful to the Torah. In the case of a Torah scholar there is no difference between the rich and the poor. The honor that we must give him is because of the Torah that he studied.

Similarly, we had to honor the wooden Aron, and to stand in its presence, because of the Tablets that were inside it. This was true even though the Tablets were only lying there and could be removed. One must certainly honor a Torah scholar, one who has the Torah in his head, where it cannot be removed. (Tanchuma; Mizrachi)

The Aron was made of wood also because the Torah is called the Tree of Life. It is thus written, "[The Torah] is the Tree of Life for all who hold fast to it" (Mishlei 3:18). The Aron was then covered on the inside with gold, to teach that the Torah is more precious than gold. It is thus written, "[Words of Torah] are more precious than gold" (Tehillim 19:11).

Three boxes had to be made, one of wood, and two of gold. This teaches that although the wooden box is covered by two boxes of gold, it can still be removed and seen as it truly is. Since the wooden box is pure wood, and the gold boxes are pure gold, this teaches us that each individual must be pure, through and through. Whatever he is on the outside, that is how he must be on the inside with no hypocrisy. This is G-d's desire. (Bachya; Emek Yehoshua)

It is thus taught that there are four groups that will not be worthy of greeting the Divine Presence:

Scoffers. This includes people who laugh at everything and can never be serious.
Slanderers
Liars.
Hypocrites.

The Torah says that the Aron should be made of pure gold (zahav tahor). In both the Temple and the Mishkan, there were seven grades of gold:

Good gold (zahav tov). This was well refined gold, not alloyed in any way.
Pure gold (zahav tahor). This is gold that is so well refined that even if it were placed in a crucible and heated white hot, no impurities would be reduced from it.
Ductile gold (zahav shachut). This is gold that is so ductile that it can be drawn out and made into thread. This was a type of gold that even kings could not obtain. Emperor Hadrian (Adrianos) boasted that he had a piece of this gold the size of an egg. Another Roman emperor, by the name of Lutianus, had a piece the size of a quarter. Other kings, however, never even had a small amount of this type of gold.
Closed gold (zahav sagur). This was the most precious type of gold. It was called "closed" gold because if a merchant opened his store to sell it, all the other stores selling gold would close. They would not be able to sell any other gold, because everyone would want this grade.
Purified gold (zahav mezukak). This was a particularly brilliant type of gold. It is also the material used to gold-leaf the walls and boards, referred to by an expression that can be translated as "refined silver" (kesef mezukak). The word kesef here however, is not to be translated as "silver," but as "shame." It was called this because it put all other types of gold to shame by its brilliance. It would make all other types of gold appear dull. We said that the fourth type of gold, "closed gold," was the most precious of all, but this is only with regard to the quality of the gold itself. But as far as the brilliance of the metal, "purified gold" was the most lustrous.
Precious gold (zahav mufaz). This is gold that comes from a city by the name of Ufaz. It had the color of sulphur.
Parvaim gold (zahav parvaim). This is so called because its color resembles that of the blood of bulls (parim).

25:17 Ve'asita chaporet zahav tahor amatayim vachetzi orkah ve'amah vachetzi rochbah
You shall make a cover [for the Aron] of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.

The Aron's cover had the same length and breadth as the Aron, and was a handbreath (3 inches) thick. The Aron needed a cover, since it was completely open on top.

This is proof of what we said earlier, that the Aron was moved miraculously. It is impossible even to image that four men could carry something as heavy as this. It would be impossible for them to carry the Aron cover, which was so large and a handbreadth thick. Gold is extremely dense, and the cover must have had tremendous weight. It can easily be calculated that if a cubit is 18 inches, the cover would have weighed around 2500 pounds. If the cubit is take as 24 inches, then it would have weighed close to 6000 pounds.

25:18 Ve'asita shnayim keruvim zahav mikshah ta'aseh otam mishnei ketzot hakaporet
And you shall make two Keruvim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the cover.
19 Va'aseh keruv echad mikatzah mizeh uchruv-echad mikatzah mizeh min-hakaporet ta'asu et-hakruvim al-shnei ketzotav
Make one Keruv at one end, and the other Keruv at the other end; you shall make the Keruvim at the two ends of it of one piece with the cover.

Earlier, G-d had commanded, "Do not make gold gods or silver gods to be with Me" (20:20). This is a particular commandment that the keruvim be made of gold, and not of silver. It is also forbidden to make more than two. If one does, even if they are made out of gold, they are considered the same as idols.

The Torah says that the two keruvim shall be placed on the cover of the Aron. The keruvim had the form of young children. There faces were directed toward the cover, while their backs were away from it. The keruvim thus stood like students facing their master.

The keruvim were beaten out of the same piece of gold as the Aron cover. They could not be made separately and then attached to the cover. Rather the commandment was to take a sufficiently large piece of gold, and beat it in the middle so that the two ends would protrude upward. These protrusions were then to be beaten into the form of young children with wings.

One should not think that two keruvim should be placed on each side of the Aron (making a total of four). Rather, there should be one keruvim on one side, and one on the other.

The keruvim were to be beaten out of the Aron cover itself, by hammering the gold. (Rashi; Targum; Bava Batra, Chapter 6)

25:20 Vehayu hakeruvim porsei chenafayim lemalah sochechim bechanfeihem al-hakaporet ufneihem ish el-achiv el-hakaporet yihyu penei hakeruvim
And the Keruvim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the cover with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the Keruvim shall be toward the cover.

The keruvim had their wings spread upward. This means that their wings were not down at their sides, but spread upward, over their heads. They were made so that there was a space of ten handbreadths (30 inches) between the wings and the cover. Each of the keruvim was also ten handbreadths tall. (Bachya, p. 111)

The reason that they had to have their wings spread upward was to show that man must always lift his eyes on high. whatever he does, whether in Torah study, or eating and drinking, must be for the sake of heaven. It is thus written, "Know [G-d] in all your ways, and He will direct your paths" (Mishlei 3:6). This means that a person must know G-d in everything that he does, even when he is eating and drinking. He should not do so merely for worldly enjoyment, but his intent should be that he have enough energy to serve G-d.

A person will then not seek luxuries, but only what he needs to sustain himself. When he does business, he will keep in mind that he needs the money for charity and to do good deeds. G-d will then direct his paths and make them straight. G-d will count even the mundane things that the person does as good deeds.

Similarly, when one studies Torah, his intent should be for the sake of heaven, so that he should know how to serve G-d correctly. He should not have any other motivation. (Kesef Nivchar; Imrei Noam)

25:21 Venatata et-hakaporet al-ha'aron milmalah ve'el-ha'aron titen et-ha'edut asher eten eleicha
You shall put the cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
22 Veno'adeti lecha sham vedibarti itcha me'al hakaporet mibein shnei hakeruvim asher al-Aron ha'Edut et-kol asher atzaveh otcha el-benei Yisrael
And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the cover, from between the two Keruvim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Yisrael.

The Torah said earlier that the "testimony" was to be placed in the Aron (25:16). But the Torah repeats it here to teach that the Tablets were to be placed in the Aron before the cover was placed on it. If not for this second verse, an error could be made. They could have placed the cover on the Aron before the Tablets were given, and then, when the Tablets were brought, they would have had to remove the cover to place the Tablets in the Aron. G-d therefore said that the Cover was not to be placed on the Aron at all until the Tablets were inside it. (Rashi. Cf. Mizrachi; Ramban; Chen Tov; Paaneach Raza)

This also teaches that the Tablets must remain in the Aron at all times. It was forbidden to remove them from the Aron, even for an instant. (Bachya).

Significance of the Keruvim

The main purpose of everything in the Mishkan was to teach a person how to keep his mind attached constantly to G-d. Each one of the utensils had much to teach in this respect. This was particularly true of the keruvim, and they taught a number of things:

The first lesson that one could learn from the keruvim is one explained by Maimonides. Just as we must believe in G-d, so must we believe in the existence of angels. The angels are important, since it is through angels that the Divine influx known as prophecy comes to prophets. The secrets that G-d reveals to a prophet are revealed through angels sent by G-d. Belief in prophecy is one of the foundations of Judaism. G-d therefore commanded that two keruvim be placed both in the Temple and in the Mishkan. One will then be aware of the concept of angels, and will believe in the message of the true prophets, which comes from the influx that G-d sends from on high. (Bachya; Sifetei Kohen; Moreh Nevuchim)
The keruvim demonstrate how much G-d loves the Benei Yisrael when they do His will. "G-d's ways are upright; the righteous walk in them, but the wicked stumble in them" (Hoshea 14:10). G-d's ways are always upright, but they affect different people in different ways. The righteous can walk in G-d's ways along a straight path, and can gain great awe from contemplating the Torah's commandments. The wicked, on the other hand, scoff and therefore stumble on G-d's ways. One keruv was in the form of a male, and the other was in the form of a female. When the Benei Yisrael would go to the Holy Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot), the kohanim would open the Holy Holies, and allow them to see the keruvim, who were in a tight embrace, like a man and wife. The kohanim would announce, "See how greatly you are cherished by G-d." This is an example that people can readily understand. Yeshayahu thus said explicitly, "As a bridegroom rejoices with his bride, so shall G-d rejoice over you" (Yeshayahu 62:5) In the song, Lecha Dodi, "Come My Beloved", said on Friday nights, we say, " G-d will rejoice over you, just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride." This is used as an example to explain the great love that G-d has for Yisrael when they do His will.
The Tablets were in the Aron. The Tablets symbolize Torah study and the main motivation in Torah study is that it be for the sake of heaven. G-d therefore commanded that the keruvim be on the Aron. This teaches that those who study Torah must be like angels. It is thus written, "The kohen's lips shall keep knowledge, and people should seek Torah from his mouth, since he is [like] an angel of HaShem Tzeva'ot" (Malachi 2:7). This indicates that if a master studies so as to be able to keep G-d's will, people should seek Torah from his mouth. But if he does not, they should not use him as a source of Torah inspiration. (Chagigah) The keruvim therefore had their wings raised upward, while their faces were directed toward the Aron. It was if their eyes were directed to the Aron, while their hands were reaching up to heaven.
The keruvim also taught about the importance of training one's children. From the time that they are very little, one must train his children to study Torah and keep the commandments. This is why the keruvim were in the form of a little boy and a little girl. (Abarbanel) A parent must teach both his sons and his daughters to keep the Shabbat, to avoid mixing milk and meat, and to recite blessings before eating. The same is true of all the other commandments of the Torah. It is thus written, "How shall a child purify his path? By keeping Your word" (Tehillim 119:9). Thus if a parent does not correct his child when he sees him playing with fire on the Shabbat, or neglecting to wash his hands in the morning, or eating without a blessing, or before worship, then this bad habit will become fixed, and it will be very difficult to get rid of when the child gets older. Since the person has acquired bad habits from childhood, he will not avoid things that are forbidden, even when he is a adult.
It is written, "From the mouths of babes and sucklings, You [G-d] have founded strenth" (Tehillim 8:3) . This teaches that it was through the young children and babies that the Torah was given to Yisrael. It was the children who were the guarantors of the Torah. G-d said to Yisrael, "Your oath is not enough for Me to give you the Torah. You must bring Me a guarantor, to ensure that you will keep it. It is like anyone taking a loan, who must present a guarantor, so that if he does not pay, the lender has someone from who to collect." The Benei Yisrael finally presented their children as guarantors. If a parent does not keep the Torah, eh can be punished through his small children. This is discussed in Parashat Yitro. This was one reason that G-d commanded us to place the keruvim on the Aron. The keruvim had the forms of a young boy and a young girl, to reach that the children are our guarantors for the Torah. A person should not violate the Torah that is contained in the Tablets.
The keruvim also taught that the world is sustained primarily through the breath of the young children who are beginning their Torah studies. This is more precious than the Torah studied by older people. Their breath is perfectly pure, without the taint of sin and evil thoughts. Children can also study all day long, which is often impossible for older people.

The keruvim would periodically change their position, depending on the status of the people at the time. If the people were not doing G-d's will, smoke would emanate from between the keruvim, and they would face away from one another, like people who are angry at each other. But if the Benei Yisrael were doing G-d's will, then they would face one another, like two good friends, and their faces would shine.

The fact that they were able to turn their heads like living creatures was a miracle. It enabled the Benei Yisrael to be aware of sins committed at any given time, and allowed them to rectify the situation. (Yalkut Reuveni; Bava Batra, p. 99)

[The Shulchan - Table of the Showbread]

25:23 Ve'asita shulchan atzei shitim amatayim orko ve'amah rochbo ve'amah vachetzi komato
You shall also make a table of shittim wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

The Shulchan was made of shittim wood. It was 36 inches long, 18 inches wide and 27 inches high. The height was measured so as to include the height of the legs and the width of the table's board. The top board was separate, not attached to the legs. (Rashi; Tosafot, Pesachim, p. 42)

25:24 Vetsipita oto zahav tahor ve'asita lo zer zahav saviv
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.

The rim or crown around the shulchan symbolized the crown of royalty. The shulchan is a symbol of wealth and greatness. We thus speak of "the table of kings." (Avot 6:4)

25:25 Ve'asita lo misgeret tofach saviv ve'asita zer-zahav lemisgarto saviv
You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.
26 Ve'asita lo arba tabe'ot zahav venatata et-hataba'ot al arba hape'ot asher le'arba raglav
And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.
27 Le'umat hamisgeret tihyena hataba'ot levatim levadim laset et-hashulchan
The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.
28 Ve'asita et-habadim atzei shitim vetsipita otam zahav venisa-vam et-hashulchan
And you shall make the poles of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.

Concept of the Shulchan (Table)

There are five basic parts of the shulchan:

The table and its frame
the bread forms
the incense bowls
the half tubes
the side frames

The frame (misgeret) was a high wooden rim around the shulchan. This keeps things that are on the shulchan from falling off. According to others, the frame was below the top board of the shulchan. It was between the shulchan's legs on all four sides of the shulchan.

The frame was a handbreadth thick, and a handbreadth wide. It was strong enough to hold the shulchan's four legs firmly in place.

On top of the frame, there was a golden rim. This rim protruded upward all around the frame.

The top of the shulchan was separate. It was a board made of acacia wood, 36 inches long, and 18 inches wide. The shulchan board was covered with gold on all sides, so that the wood could not be seen. This board was placed on the framework, making it into a regular shulchan with four legs.

The table top fitted into the gold rim that was on the frame. This would hold it tightly in place; as if it were attached there.

It is for this reason that the rings with which the shulchan was carried were set in the legs near the frame. the carrying poles were then placed in these rings. Thus, when the poles were lifted, the entire shulchan was raised. If the rings had been in the table top, when the poles were lifted, only the table top would have been raised, while the legs and frame would have been left behind. The table top merely rested on top of the frame; it was not attached.

The height of the shulchan, including the top and the legs, was 27 inches. (Rashi; Ralbag)

25:29 Ve'asita ke'arotav vechapotav uksotav umenaki'otav asher yusach bahen zahav tahor ta'aseh otam
You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.

The bread forms were gold trays used for the showbread (lechem ha-panim). The Torah refers to these forms as ka'arot.

The showbreads were twelve large loaves of bread. Each one was 30 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 5.25 inches or the breadth of a fist high.

The making of the showbread involved miracles, as shall be seen in Parashat Emor. Here we will discuss the utensils that were associated with this bread.

Each loaf was made like a box open at both ends, with a cover that was attached to both sides like a set of shutters. After the loaf was kneaded and formed into an open-ended box, which covers on both sides, the two sides would be attached to each other. The ends of the loaf would then remain open and rectangular. (Rashi)

The bread was called lechem ha-panim in Hebrew, which literally means "bread of the faces." It was given this name because each loaf had two "faces," one to the right and one to the left. (Cf. Zohar 155).

The loaves were placed along the breadth of the shulchan.

The loaves were changed each Shabbat. On the Shabbat, the loaves from the previous Shabbat were removed, and replaced with new ones. The old loaves were given to the kohanim to eat.

A great miracle occurred with the loaves. When they were removed each Shabbat, the loaves were warm and fresh, just as they were when they were put on the shulchan a week earlier.

Significance of the Shulchan

G-d created the world ex nihilo - something from nothing (yesh me-ayin). After the six days of creation, however, G-d no longer desired to bring about miracles wherein matter is created ex nihilo. Now G-d directs the world so that something is alwasy created out of something (yesh mi-yesh).

For this reason, blessing cannot rest on nothing. Rather, there must first be something upon which a Divine blessing can rest.

We see this from the account of the prophet Elisha. After the woman found a jar of oil, Elisha was able to make the blessing rest on that, so that the oil increased until the woman was able to pay all her debts and still have enough for herself and her son to live (2Melachim 4:1-7).

It was for this reason that G-d commanded us to make the table and the showbread. Thus, there would always be something upon which the Divine blessing could rest.

The showbread would be eaten by the kohanim. There would be twelve loaves for all the kohanim, so that each one would receive a piece the size of a bean. However, from this small amount the kohen would be full, just as if he had eaten a large meal. This was because the source of the blessing and influx that descended to the world came through the showbread. (Recante; Ramban; Bachya; Toledot Yitzchak)

When the Benei Yisrael were great, they were so beloved by G-d, that He would grant food and influx to the entire world through them. When the Benei Yisrael lived in their land, the entire influx would descend to Yisrael. Whatever was left over by the Benei Yisrael would then be given to the other nations of the world. Now, however, that we are in exile, the situation has been reversed.

G-d displayed this love for Yisrael when the Temple stood, and the table was set with the showbread. It was through the bread on this table that the influx came to the entire world.

This is why it is forbidden to leave the table empty, even for an instant. Blessing cannot rest on an empty place.

Therefore, when a person recites HaMotzi, the blessing before the meal, the Grace after the meal, he should have bread on the table. The Divine blessings will then rest on this bread. (Zohar p. 152-155)

In order to be worthy of this blessing, one should speak some words of Torah at the table. If one does so, it becomes like a table before G-d. It is thus written, "He said to me, 'This is the table that is before G-d'" (Yechezkel 41:22)

However, if people do not discuss Torah at the table, but discuss trivia and speak bad about others, then this place where they are eating cannot even be called a table. Instead, it is like a pool of excrement, regarding which it is written, "[Their tables are filled with vomit, which is] excrement without a place" (Yeshayahu 28:8)

Therefore, if a person cannot study Torah, he should at least be careful not to engage in idle speech at the table. Even more, he must be careful not to speak words of slander, frivolity or obscenity. Such words spoken at the table have an even worse effect than elsewhere.

This, however, is sufficient only on weekdays. On the Shabbat and festivals, when one is not involved in his work, he must study Torah at the table. If he cannot, he should recite a Psalm, or a chapter of the Mishnah that he knows.

One must also realize that words of Torah spoken at a table makes the table very precious. There is a great angel in charge of Torah spoken at the table. He takes the words of Torah and assembles them into the form of a table, and brings it before G-d. Regarding such a table, it can be said, "This is the table that is before G-d."

The word for table, shulchan, can be seen as an abbreviation of shole'ach lecha chasid ne'eman - "He will send you a trusted saint." It is also an acronym of sho'el lecha chaninah netinah - "He asks of you mercy, giving."

This indicates that if a beggar comes to the table, one must give him something to eat from what is before him. If one is careful in this respect, he is guaranteed that G-d will send him a beggar who is a tzaddik and trusted, and what he gives him will be a truly worthy gift. If one has a good heart and is generous, G-d will not bring swindlers to his table, who do not deserve charity, or people who dod not wash their hands and say the blessings properly.

Moreover, such a charitable person will have reward in the future world, for him and for his future generations. The world shulchan backwards is an abbreviation of notzer chesed le-alafim shamur - "He shows kindness to thousands - it is kept." That is, the kindness that one shows to the poor is kept and preserved for many generations. (Sifetei Kohen; Ramban; Bachya; Toledot Yitzchak)

There were eleven gold tables in the Holy Temple. One was the Table made by Moshe in the desert, while the other ten were made by Shlomo (2Divrei HaYamim 4:8).

The Menorah

*NOTE: Rambam drew a picture of the Menorah in his actually manuscript on the Torah and he also drew a picture of the Menorah in his Mishneh Torah.

Mishneh Torah (15:30):

The Rambam says, "Before I draw the picture I want to tell you that I am basing this drawing on a mesorah (oral tradition about how in the Beit HaMikdash the Menorah looked). We have a mesorah.

The Rambam implies that the branches of the Menorah extended diagonally from its central shaft. He depicts the Menorah's branches in this way in the drawings he added to his commentary on the Mishnah

Similarly, the Rambam's son, Rav Avraham, writes in his commentary on the Torah (Shemot 25:32): "The six branches of the Menorah extended upward as straight lines, as depicted by my father, of blessed memory, and not as depicted by others."

Other commentaries, including Rashi (Shemot 25:32) agree with the Rambam on this matter. It is thus difficult to comprehend why most popular portrayals of the Menorah show its branches as semicircles. That form was, indeed, used on the Arch of Titus, but, as mentioned above, there were other imprecisions in that monument. Furthermore, there is no reason to favor the portrayal of the Menorah made by a Gentile to celebrate Jerusalem's downfall over the description offered by our Torah leaders.

What would be his (Titus) reason for depicting the Menorah incorrectly? That was what was seen outside Beit HaMikdash. Outside of the Beit HaMikdash only an exact replica is prohibited, any deviation from the original is permitted (Teshuvot Chacham Tzvi 60.)

25:31 Ve'asita menorat zahav tahor mikshah teyaseh hamenorah yerechah vekanah gevi'eiha kaftoreiha ufracheiha mimenah yihyu
You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.

The menorah had to be beaten out of a single piece of gold. It could not be made of separate pieces joined together. The workers began with a single ingot of Gold. They then beat it out flat, and separated it into branches. These were beaten into the proper shape. In this manner, the entire menorah was made of a single piece of gold. (Rashi)

The cups were decorations beaten out of the metal of the branches. They were decorated. Besides the cups, there were also spheres and flower blossoms beaten out of the branches.

The central shaft or stem of the menorah also had spheres and blossoms, as well as four cups. Of these, one cup was at the bottom of the menorah, before the branches, while the other three were on top, above the branches.

The opening of the lamps were made facing the center lamp. When the other six were lit, they would shine primarily toward the stem, which was called "the menorah's face." (Rashi)

The wick tongs were tweezers that were used to draw the wicks out of the oil so that they could be adjusted in the lamp.

The ash snips were like scissors that were used to remove the ashes in the lamps each morning when the lamps would be cleansed of the ashes of the wicks that had burned all night and then had gone out.

The menorah and all its utensils were made out of one talent (kikar) of pure gold, no more and no less.

A talent is 32 libras, where each libra is 25 selaim.

What the Menorah Symbolized

The Menorah represented Torah-wisdom, which compared to light. "For the mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23)

A Jew might believe that he can be a lyal mitzvah observer even without studying Torah. To illustrate the fallacy of such thinking, Shlomo compared the mitzvot to lamps. A lamp will not shine unless it is lit. Similarly, one cannot observe the mitzvot correctly unless his behavior is informed and enlightened through Torah study. One who lacks Torah knowledge is bound to stumble.

A man was walking at night through a dark, unlit alley. Before long he tripped over a stone. Then he stumbled into an open pit and incurred severe fractures all over his body.

Only someone who studies Torah carries a bright light that alerts him to the spiritual pitfalls encountered on the journey through life.

Tiferet Tziyon elaborates that the Jew who lacks Torah knowledge is face with two kinds of obstacles:

He is drawn after his physical desires. These, in the parable, are compared to stones. Althought they cause him to go astray, it is still possible to do teshuvah. If a person indulged in forbidden pleasures, it is relatively easy for him to better his ways.
A person who does not study Torah is also bound to develop principles that contradict Torah. The Midrash compares this to the serious case of someone who fell into an open pit and is severely injured, since a person who adopted a certain philosophy of life will find it very difficult to disengage himself from it.

Bearing out the explanation that the Menorah symbolizes Torah wisdom, the commentators elaborate as follows:

It was hewn from one piece. This symbolizes that the Torah, in essence, is one. All its halachot and aggadot, represented by the knobs and goblets, emanate from one source.
It was fashioned of pure gold to symbolize that Hashem's word is pure gold unaccompanied by dross.
The seven arms of the Menorah indicate the seven Books of Torah. Some of Chazal explain that the Torah is comprised of seven Books since the parsha of "Vayehi Bin'soa," Bamidbar 10:35-36, constitutes a Book in itself.
According to another explanation, the six arms of the Menorah correspond to the six tractates of the Mishnah while the center branch stands for the fear of Hashem in a person's heart which is the basis of all Torah learning.
There are twenty-two goblets on the Menorah corresponding to the twenty-two letters of which the Torah is comprised.
The Menorah was located in the south of the Mishkan since, in the language of Chazal, "Wisdom is found in the south." It was placed opposite the Shulchan to hint that for Torah wisdom to flourish, material support is needed.

The seven branches parallel the seven words in the first verse in Bereishit in original Hebrew.
The 11 spheres on the Menorah parallel the 11 words in the first verse of Shemot.
The 9 blossoms parallel the 9 words in the first verse in Vayikra.
The height of the Menorah was 18 handbreadths. One handbreadth, however, was not complete, so the actual height of the Menorah was 17 handbreadths and a bit extra. These paralleled the 17 words in the first verse in Bamidbar.
The 22 cups on the Menorah parallel the 22 words in the first verse of Devarim.

It therefore comes out that the first verse of all five Books of the Torah are alluded to in the Menorah. The total number is forty-nine. (Yalkut Reuveni)

In order to obtain absolutely pure gold for the Menorah in the Beit HaMikdash, King Shlomo purified the gold one thousand times. This is a hint that a person should re-examine the way he fulfills the mitzvot every so many times. In this way, he will be able to fulfill them in the most perfect fashion.

Shlomo placed ten Menorot in the Beit HaMikdash since this was the tradition he had received from Moshe. There were thus altogether seventy lamps in the Beit HaMikdash, for each Menorah consisted of seven branches. These symbolized the fact that the seventy nations of the world are obligated to fulfill the Seven Noachide Laws that were commanded by Hashem to all of mankind.

We are forbidden to duplicate any of the Mishkan's furniture. Therefore, we are forbidden to make a seven-branched Menorah, even if it is not made of gold. It is forbidden even if the Menorah does not have the cups, knobs and blossoms that the one Menorah had, and even if it is not 18 handbreadths tall.

The main thing that the Torah requires of the Menorah is that it have seven branches. Therefore, there is no prohibition against making a Menorah having five, six or eight branches.

[Kerashim]

The Kerashim - Boards - Beams Comprising the Walls of the Mishkan

The boards of the Mishkan were made of shittim wood. How did the Bnei Yisrael obtain cedar wood in the midst of the desert? Yaakov had planted cedars in Egypt and instructed his sons, "Take the cedar wood along with you when you leave Egypt. I know that Hashem will in the future command you to build Him a dwelling place of cedar wood."

Each board was overlaid with gold. It was cut at the bottom so as to fit into two silver sockets. The boards were held together by an upper and lower row of horizontal cross beams which were inserted in rings on the outside of the Mishkan walls. In addition, each one of the upright boards was fastened to the next one by a system of upper and lower interlocking pieces of wood which protruded from each beam and for which a hollow had been made inside the adjacent beam so that they could be inserted therein. This beam according to the view of some of Chazal ran horizontally from one end of the Mishkan to the other and miraculously held together its entire framework. It symbolized Mashiach who will unite all the nations of the world.

The Torah refers to the boards as "shittim wood, standing up." This teaches that the boards were to stand vertically, one next to the other. One should not think that they were to be set like the beams in a ship, where the beams are horizontal and lying one on top of the other. Rather, all the beams were vertical. (Rashi) This also teaches that when the beams were made to stand up, they had to be placed the same way the tree grew originally. the part of the beam that was toward the top of the tree had to be toward the top of the Mishkan; and the part toward the bottom of the tree had to be toward the bottom. (Yoma, p. 72)

A miracle happened when King Shlomo brought the Aron to the Holy of Holies in the newly built Beit HaMikdash. As soon as the Shechinah descended upon it, all the beams of the Beit HaMikdash became moist and remained that way from then on. They flourished and bore fruits, and the young kohanim derived a good income from them. When King Menashe reigned, he placed an idol in the Holy of Holies. The Shechinah departed and, as a result, the beams dried up and became lifeless.

[Copper Mizbe'ach)

Mizbe'ach HaOlah - The Copper Altar for Sacrifices

Hashem commanded Moshe, "And you shall make a mizbe'ach of shittim wood, five amot long and five amot wide. It shall be square and its height shall be three amot" (27:1).

On this mizbe'ach, the korbanot were offered. It was therefore called mizbe'ach ha'olah (the Altar of Olah-Sacrifices). It was also termed:

Mizbe'ach HaNechoshet - the Copper Altar, since it was overlaid with copper.
Mizbe'ach Adamah - the Earthen Altar, because it was built hollow inside and had to be filled with earth whenever the Bnei Ysra'el encamped.
Mizbe'ach HaChitzon - the Exterior Altar, since it was located in the courtyard of the Mishkan.

The framework of the mizbe'ach was of shittim wood. The wood served as a remind of the merit of Avraham who waited on guests under a tree. Furthermore, the shittim wood atoned for their folly in sinning with the eigel (shittim relates to sh'tuss - folly). It was overlaid with copper. The copper atoned for the transgression of brazenness which the prophet Yeshayahu described as "having a copper forehead" (48:4)

All its measurements contained allusions to the merits of the Jewish People. Its length and breadth were each five amot. These hinted at Klal Yisra'el's merit of having accepted the Ten Commandments that were given on two tablets, five Commandments on each. Its height of three amot signified their three great leaders, Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam.

All the major components of the Mishkan smbolized the various segments which comprise Klal Yisra'el:

The Aron represented the Talmidei Chachamim (Torah Scholars).
The Shulchan represented the monarchs.
The Mizbe'ach HaZahav represented the Kohanim.
The Menorah represented the wise Torah leaders.
The Mizbe'ach HaOlah represented Klal Yisra'el at large, including all the above mentioned groups. This was symbolized by the four horns in the its corners. They represented the four supreme distinctions that were rewarded to the Jewish people at Har Sinai:

the greatness of becoming Hashem's Chosen Nation
the Crown of Torah
Kehunah
monarchy

The smooth ramp led up to the mizbe'ach. It was built to comply with Hashem's commandment that it was forbidden to ascend to the Mizbe'ach by means of steps.

The middle of the mizbe'ach was surrounded by a gratelike covering with holes which ran horizontally around the mizbe'ach (michbar). It was an amah high. Its upper edge divided the mizbe'ach into an upper and lower part for the purpose of sprinkling the blood of the korbanot.

*note: The blood of shlamim, olah, and asham sacrifices had to be sprinkled on the lower half of the mizbe'ach, the blood of the chatat sacrifices on the upper half, (except for birds for which the procedure was the opposite).

Above the gratelike covering there was a beam protruding from the mizbe'ach (karkov).It was engraved with flowers and buds and served as an ornament for the mizbe'ach

Hashem commanded Moshe, "A fire shall constantly burn on the mizbe'ach!"

"Master of the Universe," objected Moshe, "will the fire not melt the copper laer and then burn the mizbe'ach which is made of wood?"

"These rules may be true in the physical world," Hashem answered him, "but they do not apply in My realm. Consider that in the Heavenly spheres, the angels of fire live in the vicinity of the storehouses of snow and hail. Yet neither harms the other. While you were in Heaven you walked through compartments of fire, and My Heavenly hosts wanted to burn you, yet you were not singed. I assure ou that despite the constan fire, the mizbe'ach will not be affected.

There were two additional miracles which occurred in connection with the mizbe'ach. Although it was located in the courtyard of the Mishkan under the open sky, the rain never extinguished its fire. Furthermore, the pillar of smoke rose forever straight towards Heaven, unaffected by the wind.

Kli Yakar notes that the mizbe'ach thus resisted all four elements:

FIRE - although its fire burned day and night, the copper did not melt nor did its wood burn.

WATER - it was not harmed by water since the rain did not extinguish the fire.

WIND - it was not affected by the wind since the column of smoke always rose straight up.

EARTH - it was filled with earth that was untouched by the sword. All this points out that the Mizbe'ach protected Klal Yisra'el from being harmed by any these four elements.

The purpose of the Mizbe'ach is indicated in its initials. It grants the Jewish people:

מ - mechila / forgiveness
ז - zechut / merit
ב - brachah / blessing
ח - chayim / life

The Beit HaMikdash in Yerushalayim was located on Har HaMoriah. Hashem caused the Mizbe'ach HaOlah, the Copper Altar, to be situated on a very special place on that mountain. It was built in the very spot from which Hashem had taken earth with which to create the first man, Adam, where Kayin and Hevel had offered their korbanot, where Noach had built a mizbe'ach after the Flood, and where Avraham had tied Yitzchak with the intention of sacrificing his son to G-d.

----------------
MeAm Lo'ez, Bachya, Rashi, Ramban, Midrash.

[Some images are from The Temple Institute]

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