Pekudei
Pekudei (“Accountings Of”) is the final Torah reading in the Book of Exodus. It describes the making of priestly garments worn in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the completion of its construction. At God’s command, Moses erects the Mishkan and puts its vessels in place, and God’s presence fills the Mishkan.
Parashat Pekudei: Mishkan, 21st Century Edition
The Mishkan Today Parashat Pekudei concludes the detailed description of the construction of the Mishkan, which stretches over 14 chapters and 550 verses. The Mishkan served the Israelites in the desert and then wandered with them into and inside The Promised Land. The Mishkan moved from place to place until King Solomon finally built a […]
Parashat Vayakhel: Shabbat vs. Idolatry
Shabbat vs. Idolatry Shabbat is the last commandment given to the Israelites before they make the Golden Calf, and it is mentioned twice immediately afterwards (Ex. 31:12-18; 34:21; 35:1-3). In the first occurrence Shabbat is called a covenant, and in the last it is introduced with the words VaYakhel Moshe – Moshe gathered the congregation. […]
Parashat Tetzave: Creativity is Next to Godliness
Forgotten Piety Creating Godliness In Parashat Tetzave we read of women and men who were endowed with a divine spirit of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Those men and women were responsible for the creative craftsmanship and the detailed construction of the Mishkan: רוח אלקים… בחכמה ובתבונה ובדעת… מלאכת מחשבת These Hebrew words resonate with our […]
Terumah 5: The arrangement of the sacred space
A la cinquena alià de la paraixà d’aquesta setmana, després d’informar-nos d’on es situarà l’arca del testimoni, la Torah ens diu que caldrà fer una partició, un «parohet» i el lloc on anirà. I que servirà de partició entre el kodeix-hakodaixim, on estarà l’arca, i el kodeix, la part interior del Tabernacle: «Tu penjaràs el […]
Parashat Terumah: Home, Mishkan, Eden
Mishkan and Home What can the Mishkan be analogized to? When I present this question at a class, the first, intuitive answer, is that the Mishkan resembles a home, and the second, which comes after a minute of contemplation, is the Garden of Eden. Like a home, the Mishkan has a table, a candelabra, a […]
Home, Temple, Heaven – Tetzave
For Parashat Tetzave Mishkan Sweet Mishkan What can the Mishkan be analogized to? When I present this question at a class, the first, intuitive answer, is that the Mishkan resembles a home, and the second, which comes after a minute of contemplation, is the Garden of Eden. Like a home, the Mishkan has a table, […]