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viernes, 4 de febrero de 2011

Parasha Overview: Terumah (Videos)

 


Weekly Sidra: Terumah (Gift)
Torah Portion:
Shemot / Exodus 25:1-27:19
Haftorah:
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 66:1-24
Terumah or Trumah (תְּרוּמָה — Hebrew for "gift" or “offering,” the twelfth word and first distinctive word in the parshah) is the nineteenth weekly Torah portion (parasha) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus 25:1–27:19. Jews in the Diaspora read it the nineteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in February or early March. The parshah tells of God’s instructions to make the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
Terumah is a word with no real English equivalent. In the Torah, terumah refers to a certain type of offering dedicated to the Temple, like a tithe or firstfruits offering. In Exodus 25, the contribution is for the building of a holy place. This Torah reading is occupied with the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
Last week’s parsha was parsha Mishpatim, where Moshe Rabeinu was on Mount Sinai receiving commandments from G-d after the Jewish people asked him to receive the rest of the Torah for them. This is parsha Terumah which continues in that vein.
Note: On the Shabbat the Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person “goes up” to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. Here are this week`s aliyot:
1st Aliya: In the first aliyah G-d instructs Moshe to take a freewill offering of every man, of contributions of gold, silver, copper, and other precious materials to be used for the sanctuary and the priestly garments. G-d says, "Make me a sanctuary, that I will dwell in them" (the plural "them" indicates all Jewish households, which, when run according to Torah law, G-d is saying that He will dwell in each of them).
2nd Aliya: Contains instructions for making the cover for the ark. It should be made of one beaten piece of pure gold including two cherubim (each of which had the form of the face of a child). The two cherubim are to face each other and have spreading wings, screening the ark cover. The weight of the cover alone, without the Cherubim, is between 150 lb. and 2500 lb. of pure gold! The Shulchan — Table and the Showbread are described. Instructions for placing the Showbread on this table are given elsewhere in the Torah.
3rd Aliya:: The Menorah and her utensils are described. Her weight was 1 Talent = 3000 Shekels = 150 lb. of pure gold. It contains instructions for making the Menorah (candelabra). It is made of a single piece of pure gold, a beaten work, with places for seven flames, and containing cups, knobs, and flowers in its body. The basic structure of the Mishkan, consisting of beams, decorative materials and leather coverings, is outlined.
4th Aliya: Instructions for making the boards of the Mishkan with their sockets and rings. The boards are made of cedar wood, Jewish tradition says that: "Yakov Avinu (our patriarch) planted cedar trees in Egypt because he knew that in the future G-d would require Yakov’s descendants to build a Mishkan in the desert out of cedar. Yakov Avinu (our patriarch) planted cedar trees in Egypt because he knew that in the future G-d would require Yakov’s descendants to build a Mishkan in the desert out of cedar."
5th Aliya: The Parochet- dividing partition separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Mishkan is described. The "porochet" (the veil), and hanging it between the holy of holies (kodesh hakodoshim) and the holy place. In the holy of holies, inside the veil, the ark with the luchot is placed with the ark cover over it. Outside the veil, the Menorah (the candelabra) is placed toward the south, and the Shulchan (the table) is placed toward the north, opposite each other.
6th Aliya: It contains instructions for making the Mizbayach (alter), also of cedar wood. It should have four horns (vertical projections), one on each corner, and it should be overlaid with copper. All its vessels are made of copper. The ramped, copper, Mizbeach is described.
7th Aliya: The seventh aliyah contains instructions for making the court of the Mishkan and its gate. The outer enclosure surrounding the entire Mishkan is described.






4 February 2011 | 30 Shevat 5771Beth HaDerech Local Time 06:23 PM


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