×
Friend,    With Purim right around the corner, Sefaria is busy preparing for the “Purim bump” — the increase in users who visit Sefaria to celebrate the holiday. Last year, more than 100,000 people visited the library or used the app to connect with the holiday or read along with Megillat Esther. This year we’re expecting even more.    To help with our text and tech preparations ahead of this busy time, a generous Jewish foundation is matching all gifts to the library up to $36,000.    Please give today to help us meet your learning needs!     
Save "Terumah - of tables and walls "
Terumah - of tables and walls

~ In the arc of the story, Moshe is still up in the Har Sinai receiving laws. Just as a reminder, the Aseret Hadevarim are a part of what is received, not the total.

~ Terumah deals with the command of building a tabernacle, a mishkan, through the donations of B'nai Israel.

~ Why, according to the text, God is asking Moshe to build a tabernacle? According to your opinion, why would this be necessary?

~ This Shabbat I'd like you to focus on the table. Why would a tabernacle need a table with bread in it? What symbols or teachings does it bring for us, in your opinion?

וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
השאלה הא' למה צוה יתברך במעשה המשכן ואמר ושכנתי בתוכם כאלו היה יתברך גשם מוקף ומוגבל במקום מה שהוא בהפך האמת כי הוא יתברך אינו גשם ואינו כח בגשם ואיך יחסו לו מקום. והוא יתברך אמר השמים כסאי והארץ הדום רגלי אי זה בית אשר תבנו לי ואי זה מקום מנוחתי גם שלמה אמר על בנין הבית הנה השמים ושמי השמים לא יכלכלוך אף כי הבית הזה אשר בניתי והם מאמרים סותרים זה את זה:

The first question: Why did the Almighty command us regarding the construction of the tabernacle saying "I shall dwell among them" as if He were a circumscribed corporeal being limited in space when this is the opposite of the truth? For He is not corporeal, He is not a material force and He has no relation to place. Of him it is said in Isaiah (66:1): "The heaven is My throne and the earth My footstool -- where is the house that you may build for Me and where the place of My rest?" Solomon likewise said regarding the building of the Temple: "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built" (1 Kings 8:27). Theses are evidently statements that contradict each other.

R. Umberto Cassuto ~ aka Moshe David Cassuto (Florence, Italy 1883–Jerusalem, Israel 1951)

In order to understand the significance and purpose of the Tabernacle, we must realize that the children of Israel, after they had been privileged to witness the Revelation of God on Mount Sinai, were about to journey from there and thus draw away from the site of the theophany. So long as they were encamped in the place, they were conscious of God's nearness; but once they set out on their journey, it seemed to them as though the link had been broken, unless there were in their midst a tangible symbol of God's presence among them. It was the function of the Tabernacle (literally, 'Dwelling') to serve as such a symbol. Not without reason, therefore, does this section come immediately after the section that describes the making of the Covenant at Mount Sinai. The nexus between Israel and the Tabernacle is a perpetual extension of the bond that was forged at Sinai between the people and their God. The children of Israel, dwelling in tribal order at every encampment, are able to see, from every side, the Tabernacle standing in the midst of the camp, and the visible presence of the Sanctuary proves to them that just as the glory of God dwelt on Mount Sinai, so too God dwells in their midst wherever they wander in the wilderness. This is the purpose of Scripture (25:8), when it states: 'And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.' (U. Cassuto, Commentary on Exodus, transl. Israel Abrams, Magnes Press 1967, p. 319)

(א) ועשו לי מקדש. כבר בארתי ברמזי המשכן שענין המשכן היה קבוצת כל נפשות ישראל לקומה שלמה מתיחסת עם האלהות שבעולם הגדול... שמאז נמשך השפעת ה' בעולם הגדול לפי העבודה והקדושה במקדש של מטה, וצוה וכן תעשו שכל אחד יבנה לו מקדש בחדרי לבבו, כי יכין א"ע להיות מקדש לה' ומעון לשכינת עוזו. ...

And they will make for me a Tabernacle - I already explained regarding the issue of the Mishkan that it is the coming together of all souls of Israel, and its complete form connects with the Godliness found in the great world... from there comes the Flow of God in the great world, and God commanded that each individual should build a sanctuary in the recesses of one's heart, that s/he should prepare him/herself to be a dwelling place and a stronghold for God's presence...

ועשית שלחן אחר מעשה הארון שהיה כדמות כסא לשכינה, כאמרו ונועדתי לך שם. ציוה על שלחן ומנורה כמנהגם לפני השרים, כענין השונמית באמרה ונשים לו שם מטה ושלחן וכסא ומנורה, ובהיות זר השלחן מורה על כתר מלכות, כדבריהם ז''ל. וענין המלך בהנהגת המדינה הוא על ב' פנים הא' בענין המשפט וזולתו מסדרי המדינה, והב' להגין על המדינה מכל צר ואויב, כאמרו ושפטנו מלכנו וגו' ונלחם את מלחמותנו. הושמו בשלחן ב' כתרים, אחד מהם לשלחן עצמו, המורה על פרנסת המדינה וסדור עניניה, והב' למסגרת, המורה היות סוגר בעדה מכל מזיק והשבית אויב ומתנקם:

And make a table ~ after the Ark, which symbolized God’s throne on earth, as expressed by the words “I will designate this for My meeting place with you,” (verse 22), God commanded the construction of the Table and the lamp, essential furnishings for a guest room, as we know from King II 4:10 where the lady in Shunem when she said "we will do for him a bed and a table and a chair and a lamp." And having a crown-like border surrounding the table symbolized the crown of the kingdom of God (according to our sages in Yoma 72a.) A king’s task in administering the affairs of state is divided into two aspects: 1) He must dispense justice, or appoint people who see to it that justice is dispensed. 2) He must concern himself with the defense of the realm as the people said (in Samuel I 8:20) "he will judge us... he will fight for us". Accordingly, the table actually had two “crowns.” One of the “crowns” is for the table as such, the table symbolizing the physical nourishment of the people and the general conduct of its affairs, the second symbolizes an “enclosure, security fence,” מסגרת, a defensive system against any attacker.

... יהיה טהור בל יהיה מעושק וגזל וכיוצא בל תהיה בוצע בירך ואיך יחשב מזבח בגזל. והוא ית' שונא גזל בעולה רק יהיה טהור. ואם כה תעשה ועשית עליו זר זהב בעולם העליון נזר קדושה שתקנה בעושר עה"ז ולא כמאבדי' עולמם בעושרם שישמנו ויבעטו. והנזר העליון ההוא יהי לך סביב מסבבך ומסלק כל משטין מכל סביבותיך. כי תעשה הטוב בממונך והשמר פן ואל יעשה לו העושר כנפים לכן ועשית לו מסגרת שיסגר אצלך ולא יצרת ממך. וזה ע"י טופח סביב שיהיה הקומץ שלך מסבב ומתחלק צדקה וחסד לעניי עמך וזה אפי' לא יהיה מתן בסתר. אך איעצך ואשית זר זהב נזר גדול לפני קונך בטופח הנזכר למסגרתו סביב שיהי' לטופח המחלק צדקה. שיהיה בהסגר מתן בסתר ... וז"א סביב כי הנזר יסבב סביב לכפות כל מנגד וזולת מה שתחלק גם ועשית ד' טבעות כלי קבול זהבך לקבל בם מי שיקיימו. ויקימו תמיד שולחנ'. הם ד' עמודים המקיימים אותו. והם העני והגר והיתום והאלמנה ושמתם בד' פאות השולחן. ...

And make a table - The gold, has to be pure, so too, your affairs have to be pure of stealing, overreaching and the like, since the Almighty hates stealing - and how could you contemplate an altar made of stolen things? And if you do so, also "make a ledge of gold." The table symbolizes material wealth, while the ledge all around it indicates that a person must take measures to see that his wealth is not lost or dispersed. And the ledge on top is all around, and guards all food and drink. When you do good things with your money and you do not give yourself great airs about it, then you will make a ledge that will protect you, and it will bring you to the your full stature: this is accomplished by giving generously to charity and doing lovingkindness to the poor, and this is true even if it wasn't done anonymously. I am advising you: make the ledge bigger by giving tzedakah generously in front of Your Maker, and it is better if it is done anonymously. And it is written "all around" - because it is there to defend you, from the thoughts of not sharing what you have. And it needs four rings, that are vessels of receiving, meaning, you have to receive those who will sustain your table, so they will sustain your table always. And what sustains your table? The four legs: the poor, the ger [convert], the orphan and the widow, and you have to place them on each corner of your table.

וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בָּהֶן מַאֲרִיכִין יָמָיו וּשְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם. הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וְהַמַּאֲרִיךְ עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ, וְהַמַּאֲרִיךְ בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא. וְהַמַּאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ מְעַלְּיוּתָא הִיא? וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וּמְעַיֵּין בָּהּ — סוֹף בָּא לִידֵי כְּאֵב לֵב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תּוֹחֶלֶת מְמֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה לֵב״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים מַזְכִּירִים עֲוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: קִיר נָטוּי, וְעִיּוּן תְּפִלָּה, וּמוֹסֵר דִּין עַל חֲבֵירוֹ לַשָּׁמַיִם! הָא לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא דִּמְעַיֵּין בַּהּ, הָא דְּלָא מְעַיֵּין בַּהּ. וְהֵיכִי עָבֵיד? — דְּמַפֵּישׁ בְּרַחֲמֵי. וְהַמַּאֲרִיךְ עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ: דִּלְמָא אָתֵי עַנְיָא וְיָהֵיב לֵיהּ. דִּכְתִיב: ״הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עֵץ שָׁלוֹשׁ אַמּוֹת גָּבֹהַּ״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי זֶה הַשֻּׁלְחָן אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי ה׳״, פָּתַח בְּמִזְבֵּחַ וְסִיֵּים בְּשֻׁלְחָן! רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ: כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים — מִזְבֵּחַ מְכַפֵּר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַכְשָׁיו, שֻׁלְחָנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מְכַפֵּר עָלָיו.

And Rav Yehuda said: There are three matters which, when one who prolongs their duration, they extend a person’s days and years. They are: One who prolongs his prayer, one who prolongs his mealtime at the table, and one who prolongs his time in the bathroom. The Gemara asks: And one who prolongs his prayer; is that a virtue? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who prolongs his prayer and expects it to be answered, will ultimately come to heartache, as it is stated: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). Similarly, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Three matters evoke a person’s sins, and they are: Endangering oneself by sitting or standing next to an inclined wall that is about to collapse, expecting prayer to be accepted, as that leads to an assessment of his status and merit, and passing a case against another to Heaven, as praying for Heaven to pass judgment on another person causes one’s own deeds to be examined and compared with the deeds of that other person. This proves that prolonging prayer is a fault. The Gemara resolves the apparent contradiction: This is not difficult. This, where we learned that prolonging prayer is undesirable, refers to a situation when one expects his prayer to be accepted, while this, where Rav Yehuda says that prolonging prayer prolongs one’s life, refers to a situation where one does not expect his prayer to be accepted. How does he prolong his prayer? By increasing his supplication. As for prolonging one’s mealtime at the table, which Rav Yehuda mentioned, the Gemara explains: Perhaps a poor person will come during the meal and the host will be in a position to give him food immediately, without forcing the poor person to wait. The Sages elsewhere praised a person who acts appropriately at a meal, as it is written: “The altar, three cubits high and the length thereof, two cubits, was of wood, and so the corners thereof; the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were also of wood” (Ezekiel 41:22), and it is written in the continuation of that verse: “And he said unto me: This is the table that is before the Lord.” The language of this verse is difficult, as it begins with the altar and concludes with the table. Rather, Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar both say: As long as the Temple stood, the altar atoned for Israel’s transgressions. Now that it is destroyed, a person’s table atones for his/her transgressions.

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible on our site. Click OK to continue using Sefaria. Learn More.OKאנחנו משתמשים ב"עוגיות" כדי לתת למשתמשים את חוויית השימוש הטובה ביותר.קראו עוד בנושאלחצו כאן לאישור