Parashat Trumah introduces us
to several new terms and concepts that we have not encountered hitherto. "Truma," translated “contribution,” is derived from the root r.o.m (resh, vav, mem) – meaning "high up, to
lift up, to exalt." This type of contribution was obviously held in high
esteem by the Almighty, since it warranted a term such as the one used here. It
also speaks of its Originator and His exalted position. The description of the
potential “contributor” as a person whose "heart generously impels him,"
reinforces the significance of this offering. "Yidvenu" is the verb used, and it means to “cause one to be
generous," its root being n.d.v (noon, dalet, bet/vet). It also means
"willing, noble, volunteer, or freewill offering." Copious rain, for example, is
"geshem n'davot" (Ps. 68:9).
Other examples of the usage of this word are found in Hoshe’a (Hosea) 14:4
where YHVH declares: "I
will love them [Yisrael] freely"
(italics added), and in Shoftim (Judges) 5:9 D'vorah describes the lawgivers of
Yisrael, as those who "freely offered themselves among the
people" (italics added). In our Parasha the contribution is to be given “freely”
(see 25:3-7) and is to include gold and silver (being undoubtedly the gifts the
Egyptians gave to the Hebrew people), for the building of the "holy
sanctuary" - mikdash - for
YHVH (v. 8), so that He will "dwell among them" (v. 8; cf. Ezek.
37:26-28; 43:9b).
The sanctuary in the desert is more often called "mishkan"
(v. 9), meaning "a dwelling place." However, because this is its
first mention, it may have been necessary to clarify that this place was to be set apart and dedicated to the presence of YHVH, hence "mikdash." “And
let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them,” (“ve’sha’chanti,”
hence “Mishkan” – dwelling place). The text does not say 'that I may dwell in
its midst,' but 'among them,' to teach you that the Divine Presence does not
rest on the sanctuary by virtue of the sanctuary, but by virtue of Israel, 'for
they are the temple of the Lord.’” To these
words by the Zedah La-derekh Commentary, we add another. In referring to
the same text, Malbim comments: "He commanded that each individual should
build him a sanctuary in the recesses of his heart, that he should prepare
himself to be a dwelling place for the Lord and a stronghold for the excellency
of His Presence, as well as an altar on which to offer up every portion of his
soul to the Lord, until he gives himself for His glory at all times".[1]
The Almighty says of Himself in Yishayahu (Isaiah) 66:1, “The heaven is
My throne and the earth My footstool - where is the house that you may build
for me?" (cf. I Kings 8:27). This sanctuary, therefore, is a place where
the “creature” could have a measure of access to its Creator and experience His
love, justice and forgiveness. The sanctuary is a tangible place of meeting (ref. Ex. 25:22) for the sake
of human beings who are confined to time and space.
The first article that is to be built is the "aron" (v. 10). We have already encountered this term (which
means a “chest,” or an “ark,” and a sarcophagus
– i.e., a stone coffin) in B’resheet (Genesis) 50:26, where reference was made
to Yoseph's embalming and burial. This wooden case, overlaid with gold, was to
be the Ark
"You are to make a cover
for the ark out of pure gold" (v. 17). This "cover" is the familiar "kaporet," of
the root k.f.r (from which stems "kippur" - "propitiation").
On this cover were to be placed two gold k'ruvim
(cherubs). In the Assyrian language "kruv" (singular) is “to be
gracious or to bless," with its adjective meaning "great or mighty."
In Shmuel Bet (2nd Samuel) 22:11, we read that YHVH "rode on a k'ruv, and did fly,
and was seen on the wings of the wind." Likewise, the k'ruvim were also
placed as guards preventing entry to the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24). Here, on
the other hand, their presence signified accessibility to the Most High. The
k'ruvim were placed in such a way that their faces – panim - would be turned toward each other
(ref. 25:20). In verse 30 we read about "the table of showbread"
being the table of "lechem hapanim," literally "bread of the face."
"Panim" is from the root "pana" (p.n.h - pey, noon,
hey), meaning "to turn." There are several other words (usually with
an added preposition) connected to the same root, such as "in front of,
before, toward, corner, attend to, undertake, take away and clear."
"Panim," as are several other Hebrew words, always occurs in the
plural form. Thus its very meaning and usage take into account the existence
and presence of someone else, whom one is potentially facing (by turning one’s
head). This is evident here by the description of the k'ruvim's position “…and their faces [are turned] each
toward its brother" (v. 20 literal translation). The "bread of the face" (v. 30) is
a seemingly obscure term, which requires an explanation. There are numerous
instances where YHVH speaks of His Presence
in terms of "panim" (although it may not be borne out by the English
translations), as we saw for example in last week's Parasha “…they shall not appear before Me
[literally - My Face] empty-handed" (Ex. 23:15). The "bread of the face" therefore
refers to YHVH's Presence, which is turned toward His creatures, an image that
clearly foreshadows the "Bread
of Life," as epitomized in and by Yeshua.
Following the descriptions of the
Ark Land
of Promise
“The beautiful almond tree, whose white and pink blossoms are the first
to emerge from winter dormancy, dominating the landscape of Israel Land of Yisrael
There is yet another tree which is connected to the Menorah, one whose
oil was to feed it, and that is the olive tree. In Yisrael the sight of the
newly blossoming almonds in spring, strewn in the olive groves, is a reminder
that YHVH "watches over His word to perform it," especially to the
proverbial ‘olive tree’ - Yisrael (Jer. 11:16, Rom. 11:17, 24).
The edifice of the Tabernacle was a tent, "ohel," with a
primary meaning (in some of the ancient languages of the Middle
East ) of “to settle down and be inhabited, settlement, and city."
This temporary and collapsible structure, which was essentially made of cloth,
skins and wooden poles housing a number of articles that were made of a variety
of materials for diverse purposes, illustrates a very central scriptural
principle. Twice in the midst of instructions relating to the tent's several
components, we read…"and it shall be one - echad" (26:6,11).
This demonstrates the composite that makes up the "whole," or
the "one," as well as "oneness" and "unity.”
Most times “echad” is used to
denote simply a singular “one” (e.g. Gen. 42:13), but undoubtedly the most well
known occurrence of this word is to be found in the “Sh’ma”: “Hear Oh Israel
Enhancing the oneness of the Mishkan, is the description of joining the
curtains and the loops (26:3,5,6). The word for “curtain” here is “y’ree’a,”
and for “loop” - “loo’la’a,” both being in the feminine gender.
In joining them “one to another” the Hebrew
employs an anthropomorphism (personification) and reads: “a befriending
(i.e. “joining,” being of the root ch.v.r, meaning to “bind together”
and “friend”) of one woman (one curtain/one loop) to her sister (i.e. to
another identical curtain/loop).” In this way, even the technical instructions
for the Mishkan lend themselves to oneness and relationship.
Three times in this Parasha we read that Moshe is told to make the
articles and the Mishkan “…according to that which you were shown on the
mountain" (25:40; 26:30; 27:8). When and where was he shown "the
pattern"? If we refer to the end of last week's Parasha we may find the
answer: "And the glory of YHVH dwelt on the mountain of Sinai
This question will be answered partly in Parashat F’kudey, but also in our present Parasha there are
some notable parallels:
B’resheet 1:7 “Elohim made (va’ya’as) the firmament”;
Sh’mot 25:8 “And let them make (ve’a’su) Me a
sanctuary.”
B’resheet 1:16 “Then Elohim made (va’ya’s) two great lights”;
Sh’mot 25:10 “And they shall make (ve’a’su) an ark.”
B’resheet 1:25 “And Elohim made (va’ya’s) the beast
of the earth”;
Sh’mot 25:23
“You shall also make (ve’a’sita) a
table.”
Additionally, as mentioned
above, at the end of last week’s Parasha (Mishpatim) we read: “Now
the glory of YHVH rested on Mount Sinai , and
the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called
to Moses out of the midst of the cloud” (Ex. 24:16 italics added). In Sh’mot
20:11 it says: “For in six
days YHVH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is
in them, and rested the seventh day” (italics added).
1 New Studies in Shmot Part 2,
Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman.
Eliner
Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora.
Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn , N.Y.
2 Moses on the Witness Stand, Shlomo Ostrovski, Keren
Ahava Meshichit,
3 Nature in Our Biblical Heritage, Nogah Hareuveni,
trans. Helen Frenkley, Neot
Kdumim Ltd. Lod ,
Israel
4 New Studies in Shmot Part 2,
Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman.
Eliner Library, Department for Torah
Education and Culture in the Diaspora.
Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn , N.Y.
Most of the word definitions were
extracted from: The New Brown, Driver, Briggs,
Gesenius Lexicon, Francis Brown
Hendrickson. Publishers, Peabody ,
Mass.
