Tetzaveh, with its elaborate description of the “sacred vestments” which the Priests and the High Priest wore “for glory and for splendour,” seems to run counter to some fundamental values of Judaism. The vestments were made to be seen. They were intended to impress the eye. But Judaism is a religion of the ear more than the eye. It emphasises…
…Once this is completed, the Mishkan becomes filled with the glory of the Hashem. Question to Ponder Why do you think the Torah goes into such detail about the contributions of the people to the Mishkan? The Core Idea The Question: Pekudei – in fact the whole series of chapters beginning with Terumah and Tetzaveh and finishing with Vayak’hel and…
…it is out of place here. It (and Tetzaveh) should have appeared after Ki Tissa, which tells the story of the Calf. It is set here before the sin to tell us that the cure existed before the disease, the tikkun before the kilkul, the mending before the fracture, the rectification before the sin. So to understand Terumah and the phenomenon of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary and all that it…
Tetzaveh is the priestly sedra par excellence. The name of Moses does not appear – the only sedra of which this is true from the beginning of Exodus to the end of Deuteronomy. Instead, the place of honour is occupied by Aaron and his sons, the priests – their tasks, their vestments, their consecration. In this study I want to…
…distinct functions: that of the Prophet and the Priest. That is dramatised in this week’s parsha, focussing as it does on the role of the Priest to the exclusion of that of the Prophet. Tetzaveh is the first parsha since the beginning of the book of Exodus in which Moses’ name is missing. It is supremely the priestly, as opposed…
The Parsha in a Nutshell This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks, available to read in full via the left sidebar (or below, if you are viewing this on your phone) The ancient Hebrew word for hard work is avodah. This word also means “serving God.” Why? Because we believe that achieving…
The shock is immense. For several weeks and many chapters – the longest prelude in the Torah – we have read of the preparations for the moment at which God would bring His Presence to rest in the midst of the people. Five parshiyot (Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Tissa, Vayakhel and Pekudei) describe the instructions for building the Sanctuary. Two further…
…we see the difference. The first revelation of anan Hashem is on a God-made mountain, but the second revelation is on a man-made space, the Mishkan, and so on and so forth. There are two accounts of the building of the Mishkan, account one, Terumah and Tetzaveh, account two, Vayakhel and Pikudei. The difference is, Terumah and Tetzaveh are God’s…
…team, the eight holy garments for the Kohanim are crafted per the detailed instructions given to Moshe in Tetzaveh. These garments include the apron, breastplate, cloak, crown, hat, tunic, sash, and breeches. After completing the Mishkan and its intricate components, everything is assembled and presented to Moshe. He then erects the Mishkan, consecrates it with the special anointing oil, and…
…our sins, directly to God, individually and collectively, in the synagogue. Yom Kippur tells us: we each have responsibility. We can each mend some of the broken fragments of the world. And the more we mend, the more we grow. Keter Melucha A Royal Crown בֵּין תְּרוּמָה לְתְּצַוֶּה Between Terumah and Tetzaveh יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת קְצָת מְשֻׁנֶּה A somewhat strange birthday…