Shemot (Exodus): Terumah > Ch 25

G-d tells Moses what every person who is inspired to generosity should bring as offering

  • And this is the offering that you shall take from them:
    • Gold, silver and copper
    • blue, purple, and crimson wool
    • linen and goat hair
    • ram skins dyed red
    • tachash skins
    • acacia wood
    • oil for lighting
    • spices for the anointing oil and for the incense
    • shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen


G-d tells Moses how to build the Mishkan – a sanctuary where G-d will dwell in their midst


Ark to hold the Torah and Poles to carry the Ark

  • Make an ark of acacia wood, 2½ cubits its length, 1½ cubits its width and its height
  • Overlay it with pure gold; from inside and from outside
  • Make upon it a golden crown all around
  • Cast four golden rings for it, place them upon its four corners, two rings on each side
  • Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
  • Bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.
  • The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.


Ark Cover with 2 cherubim – from where G-d will speak to Moses

  • Make an ark cover of pure gold, 2½ cubits its length, 1½ cubits its width.
  • Make two golden cherubim; make them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover. Make one cherub from the one end and the other cherub from the other end; from the ark cover make the cherubim on its two ends.
  • The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; [turned] toward the ark cover shall be the faces of the cherubim.
  • Place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark place the testimony, which I will give you
  • I will arrange My meetings with you there, and I will speak with you from atop the ark cover from between the two cherubim that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, all that I will command you unto the children of Israel.


Table to hold showbread at all times

  • Make a table of acacia wood, 2 cubits its length, 1 cubit its width, 1½ cubits its height.
  • Overlay it with pure gold, and you make for it a golden crown all around.
  • Make for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and make a golden crown for its frame all around.
  • Make for it four golden rings, place the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs.
  • The rings shall be opposite the frame as holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table.
  • Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.
  • Make its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered; of pure gold you shall make them.
  • Place on the table showbread before Me at all times.


Menorah

  • Make a menorah of pure gold.
  • The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.
  • And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.
  • Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.
  • On [the stem of] the menorah [shall be] four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers.
  • A knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.
  • Their knobs and their branches shall [all] be [one piece] with it; all of it [shall be] one hammered mass of pure gold.
  • Make its lamps seven, and he shall kindle its lamps [so that they] shed light toward its face.
  • Its tongs and its scoops [shall be] of pure gold.
  • He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements.
  • Now see and make according to their pattern, which you are shown on the mountain.


 
Rashi Commentary

  • gold, silver, and copper, etc. They were all given voluntarily; each person [gave] what his heart inspired him to give, except [for] the silver, which they gave equally, a half-shekel for each individual. We do not find throughout the entire work of the Mishkan that more silver was required, as it is said: “The silver of the community census was…a beka per head…” (Exod. 38:25, 26). The rest of the silver, which was given there [in the work of the Mishkan] voluntarily, they [the workers] made into service utensils.
  • blue…wool Heb. תְכֵלֶת, wool dyed with the blood of the chillazon [animal], which bears a blue color. — [from Men. 44a, Tosefta Men. 9:6]
  • tachash skins This was a species of animal that existed only for a [short] time, and it had many hues (גַּוָּנִים). Therefore, [Onkelos] renders [it] סַסְגּוֹנָא, because it rejoices (שֶׁשָׂשׂ) [ס and שׂ are often interchangeable] and boasts of its hues (גַּוָּנִים). -[from Shab. 28a, b]
  • oil for lighting Pure olive oil to continually kindle the light.
  • shoham stones Two were needed in the Mishkan for the ephod (Exod. 28:9-12).
  • filling Since they make for them a seat out of gold, like a sort of hole, and the stone is placed there to fill the hole, they are called filling stones. The place of the “seat” is called מִשְׁבֶּצֶת, a setting.
  • for the ephod and for the choshen The shoham stones for the ephod and the filling stones for the choshen. The ephod and the choshen are explained in וְאַךְתָּה ךְתְּצַוֶּה they are types of ornaments [worn by the kohanim].
  • a talent pure gold Heb. כִּכַּר.[This means] that its weight along with all its implements shall be nothing but a talent, no less and no more. The talent used for mundane matters was sixty maneh, and the one used for holy matters was double, thus one hundred twenty maneh (Bech. 5a). The maneh is the litra with which silver is weighed according to the weight used in Cologne, which is the equivalent of one hundred gold pieces [or] twenty-five selas, for the sela is equivalent to four gold pieces. [This is the equivalent of sixty-four pounds.]


Research & Analysis
  • Temple Menorah We don’t know how the Temple Menorah looked, but the Arch of Titus in Rome depicts looting of the Temple by Romans. This engraving shows the Menorah. Most people agree that this is the image of the actual Menorah, taken from the temple, although there is some controversy regarding images engraved on its base.
  • Menorah depicted on the arch of Titus:

  • Emblem of the State of Israel:

  • www.TempleInstitute.org is the official website of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. It is dedicated to every aspect of the Holy Temple.
  • blue…wool The blue color mentioned in the Torah is called techelet Heb. תְכֵלֶת. For centuries the origin of this color was lost, but it was suspected to have been made from the blood of a chillazon (a blue snail). In 2013 archeologists have found ancient tzitzit (fringes) dyed with this color and have confirmed that it was indeed made from the blood of chilazon.