Ex. 25:1-27:19
Précis: As the Israelites continue their journey through the wilderness, God tells Moses to ask the people for gifts to build the Tabernacle. “T’rumah” (voluntary donations) of fine metals, yarns, skins, and woods are offered by the People. God gives Moses precise instructions as to the interior and exterior construction of the Mishkan (tabernacle). Specific items include an altar for burnt offerings, a curtain (parochet) to separate the main room from an inner sanctum, elaborate candlesticks, incense burners, and other tools. There will be a special Ark to be placed in an area called the Holy of Holies to house the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Precise measures are given for all spaces as well as specific materials designated for the composition of the Mishkan.
Ex 25:31 “Make a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered gold.”
My friend Shlomo Ressler has written an interesting d’var about the fabrication of the Menorah (Weekly D’var, 2/26/25). He notes that most of the objects connected to the Mishkan were made of multiple parts, including the Ark itself. Why, then, must the Menorah be created out of a single block of gold?
Observing that the Menorah had seven separate branches, he cites authority suggesting that each of the seven branches of the Menorah branch represents a different segment of the Jewish People, and that the ornaments on each branch represent different understandings of Torah. Each branch and each ornament contribute in its own way to a single illumination of the world. We are all different, but we are also made of a single piece of hammered gold. When we remember our common origin, we can remain united and strong.
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