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Orchard of Delights
However, learning about the Tabernacle can provide us with far
more than insight into the synagogue’s layout and our prayers. The
Tabernacle’s physical layout contains a multitude of lessons, from
the moral to the ethical, from the practical to the mystical. Every
facet of the blueprints for building the Tabernacle has tremendous
meaning, from the structure’s measurements to the materials and
colors chosen, and even where every component was placed. Indeed,
the Talmud (Berachot 55a) teaches that Bezalel was able to construct
the Tabernacle because he understood the secrets of the Hebrew
letters, the same letters with which God created heaven and earth.
The Sages considered the Tabernacle to be a microcosm of creation;
therefore, the commentators throughout the ages have expounded
upon the profound meanings inherent in the Tabernacle’s very
construction and its accompanying service.
£Giving and Taking£Giving and TakingGiving and Taking
£
“And God spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel
and let them take for Me a contribution, from every person whose
heart is willing, you shall take My contribution’” (Exodus 25:1-2).
The portion of Terumah begins with God asking Moses to solicit
voluntary contributions for the building of the Tabernacle. The
verse emphasizes that the donations should be given willingly by
those truly motivated to participate.
Many commentators point out that the phrase used in the verse –
“let them take for Me” – seems counterintuitive. If God is asking the
people to “give to Him,” why does the verse state that they are to “take
for Me”? The answer sheds light on the very nature of benevolence
and is easily understood by anyone who has experienced the warm
feeling of giving. By giving of one’s time, money, or energy to others,
one is actually receiving as well. In other words, by assisting others
we often take or receive more than we give, as our hearts fill with
sentiments of love and goodness. This is confirmed by the Sage’s
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tetzaVeh הֶּו ַצ ְּ ת
£A Dwelling Place A Dwelling Place A Dwelling Place £A Dwelling Place A Dwelling Place A Dwelling Place £ ££
in the L
in the Lower Worlds
in the Lower Worldsower Worlds
The portion of Tetzaveh begins with God instructing Moses to command
the people to bring pure olive oil to light the lamps of the menorah.
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh points out that the numerical value of the
opening words “And you shall command” (ve’atah tetzaveh) is 913, the
same as the numerical value of the Torah’s first word “bereishit” (in
the beginning). He further explains that the letters of the word ve’atah
(and you) when permuted read ta’avah (passion). Although initially
it may be difficult to see any connection between the phrases “and
you shall command” and “in the beginning” and the word “passion”
– which only seem to be linked by letter permutations and numerical
values – upon deeper reflection a profound idea is revealed.
The Sages and subsequent Jewish thinkers have postulated various
explanations for why God created the world. The verse, “They will
make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst,” discussed
in the previous portion, alludes to perhaps the deepest reason given
by the Sages for God’s creation of the world: “God had a passion
to have for Himself a dwelling place in the lower worlds” (Midrash
Tanchuma, Naso 16).
Given this explanation, the Tabernacle clearly represents the
fulfillment of God’s “passion” to have a dwelling place in the lower
worlds. He commands the children of Israel to build him a place
where, on the one hand, He could be approached and tangibly
experienced, and, on the other hand, where in a deeply mysterious
way, He could, as it were, approach and experience His creation.
That was the function of the Tabernacle and the Temples, to serve as
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