19: Terumah
Welcome to TLDR Torah: a synopsis of the weekly parsha based on Robert Alter’s translation, plus a question to spur your Shabbat dinner (or any!) conversation.
Parsha Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19)
TLDR:
The Torah interrupts the exciting revelation at Mount Sinai with a rather laborious description of the Tabernacle and everything inside. If you were expecting the rest of Exodus to be mountains on fire and sea-splitting feats of wonder, I’m sorry to disappoint but you’ll have to bear with me.
The first order of business is to establish the Tabernacle’s funding sources. God urges Moses to ask the people for donations, in the form of gold, silver, bronze, goat hair, oil, and other valuables. (“Terumah” is derived from the verb “to elevate”, implying you will be elevated through your donated gifts).
The Torah quickly turns to the uses of capital: the Ark of the Covenant in which the tablets are placed, a gold cover with two cherubim on top, a gold overlaid table for bread, a six-branched (seven-lamped) menorah, a tent to house the Ark, a curtain to partition the inner sanctuary (Holy of Holies)… it’s easier to just share the image below.
In short, the architectural plan starts with the tablets, and works its way out; the tablets surrounded by the Ark, the Ark by the Holy of Holies, the Holy of Holies by the tent, and, as we’ll find out later, the tent by a larger courtyard.
Details abound. Take this descriptions of the boards of the tent: “…And you shall make boards of the Tabernacle of acacia wood, upright. Ten cubits the length of the board, and a cubit and a half the width of a single board…”
The people are told to light the menorah lamp perpetually.
Question:
Commentators emphasize the architectural plan’s immense detail. Coming out of Egypt, the Israelites needed something specific that they could build together, with an extreme clarity of purpose. It’s the first major project they undertake for God and not the other way around. As the architect, it’s a tough assignment to determine just how specific to be. Why not demand, “Build a tent 30 x 30 feet, and place within it the Tablets in a wooden Ark, with a lamp beside it”. Or: “Build a moveable space to house the Tablets.” Conversely, there are missing details. How big should the Menorah be? Does the flooring have to be sand or can there be a rug? Too much detail, and you strip out all creativity. Too little detail, and you debate what you’re actually building. Let’s make the assumption that the details are there, like a good product requirements document, to define the core purpose and functionality of the Tabernacle. From the architectural details alone, what would you think the core purpose and functionality is generally, and for each object?