Parshat Terumah 5772
From this parsha until the end of Sefer Shemot / Exodus, the Chumash focuses on building and inaugurating the Mishkan (tabernacle).
The Mishkan is the portable temple that the Jews were commanded to build in the desert. It was disassembled every time they moved from one camp to another and then rebuilt.
The Parts of the Tabernacle
The main part of the Tabernacle was a tent that was divided into two sections – the Holy and the Holy of Holies.
Inside the Holy of Holies was the ark (aron) which held the tablets that were given to Moses.
Inside the Holy were the table (shulchan), the incense altar, and the menorah.
The tent was surrounded by a courtyard. In this courtyard were the altar for bringing animal offerings and a washbasin (kiyor).
I want to investigate a couple of ideas about the vessels that were part of the Tabernacle.
Here is the translation of a few few verses from Judaica Press:
Exodus Chapter 25
Ark (Aron)
13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold.
14 And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.
15 The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.
Table (Shulchan)
Menorah
39 He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements.
Exodus Chapter 27
Altar for Offerings
Exodus Chapter 30
Incense Altar
2 It shall be one cubit long and one cubit wide, a square, and two cubits high; its horns shall be [one piece] with it.
The incense altar is mentioned in next week’s parsha, but it fits into the discussion here.
Measurements
How big is a cubit? The estimates range from 18 – 24 inches. To keep things simple, I will assume that one cubit is 20 inches.
Here are the dimensions of these vessels in cubits and (inches):
Vessel | Length | Width | Height |
Ark (Aron) | 2.5 (50) | 1.5 (30) | 1.5 (30) |
Table (Shulchan) | 2.0 (40) | 1.0 (20) | 1.5 (30) |
Menorah | any | any | any |
Altar | 5.0 (100) | 5.0 (100) | 3.0 (60) |
Incense Altar | 1.0 (20) | 1.0 (20) | 2.0 (40) |
My Questions
Ark (Aron)
Why are none of its measurements whole numbers?
Exodus 25:15 Why are its poles never to be removed? There does not seem to be such a restriction with the other vessels.
Table (Shulchan)
Why are only two of its measurements whole numbers?
Why isn’t it as tall as the incense altar?
Menorah
Why doesn’t it have any measurements stated other than the amount of gold to be used?
Incense Altar
Why is this the tallest piece in the Mishkan?
Your Turn
Please share your questions and suggested answers in the comments.
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Picture by Shlomo Skinner, Sukkot 2009 in the Old City of Jerusalem.
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