Summary

The name of this parasha, Terumah, is Hebrew for “contribution”. This portion is the description of what needs to be done to build a sanctuary, the Children of Israel’s first house of worship.

It begins with God telling Moses to accept gifts from the people. These would include precious stones and metals, yarns and linen, oils and spices and more. God explains what the shape of the the Tabernacle would look like and would be made out of. In this sanctuary would be placed an Ark – a large container made of wood and gold. Placed in it would be the tablets of the law. The Ark would be placed in the innermost room of the Tabernacle, which would be called the Holy of Holies.

God also explains how the entire Tabernacle should be built: a portable structure made of wood and covered with fabric.

Next to the Holy of Holies would be another room which would contain a table (covered in gold), loaves of bread (called shewbread) and a lampstand covered with gold.

Outside of these rooms, but within the walls of the Tabernacle, an altar with copper horns at each corner, would be built.

Torah Portion in English

1) The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2) Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. 3) And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper; 4) blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair; 5) tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood; 6) oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; 7) lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8) And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. 9) Exactly as I show you—the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings—so shall you make it.

10) They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11) Overlay it with pure gold—overlay it inside and out—and make upon it a gold molding round about. 12) Cast four gold rings for it, to be attached to its four feet, two rings on one of its side walls and two on the other. 13) Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; 14) then insert the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark, for carrying the ark. 15) The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark: they shall not be removed from it. 16) And deposit in the Ark [the tablets of] the Pact which I will give you.

Getting to Know my Parasha

What Does my Parasha Say?

1. Read the second verse of chapter 25. What do you think it means? What does it teach you?
2. What was the reason given to build this sanctuary?
3. How was the Ark to transported? Why?
4. Describe the lamp that was placed in the tabernacle. (Chapter 25, verses 31 to 38). Describe it. What does it remind you of?
5. Loaves of bread are placed in the tabernacle. How many? What do they remind you of?
6. The size of the Tabernacle was measured in “cubits”. A cubit is estimated to be about 18”. See if you can figure out the size of the tabernacle in inches and feet.