In this week’s parsha, Parshas Terumah, the Torah introduces us to the Mishkan. The journey from slavery to freedom occurs in the book of Shemos - also known as Sefer ha’Geula (the book of Redemption) in three main stages: physical freedom (Shemos, Va’era, Bo, Beshalach), spiritual freedom (Matan Torah - Yisro and Mishpatim), and the culmination of freedom: the construction of a home where the Shechinah and Klal Yisrael would dwell together, keviyachol (Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Tisa, Vayakhel, Pekudei). The apex of freedom is bringing HKB”H into our lives, into our homes, into our very selves, and living with His Presence daily.
Furthermore, as Matan Torah was a marriage between HKB”H and Am Yisrael, a home for Hashem and the nation to dwell together was now needed.
In Terumah, Tetzaveh and the beginning of Ki Tisa, Hashem commands Moshe regarding the construction of the Mishkan. In Vayakhel and Pekudei, the Mishkan is built.
The Mishkan consisted of different spaces or areas, each serving a different purpose, and housing different keilim (implements). In the courtyard of the Mishkan, which was surrounded by curtains, were two copper keilim: the copper altar for animal sacrifices (mizbayach ha’nechoshes) and the copper laver (the kiyor), which the kohanim used to wash their hands and feet before performing the daily avodah. So important was this washing that a kohen who neglected to wash before his service was chayav misah (b’yidei Shomayim).
The next space was the interior of the Mishkan, known as the Kodesh (the “Holy”). In the kodesh were three golden keilim: the golden altar for the daily ketores (incense) offering (mizbayach ha’zahav), the golden table (shulchan) which housed the show bread (the twelve loaves of lechem ha’panim), and the golden menorah, which was lit every evening.
Moving to the most interior space, known as the Kodesh ha’Kodashim - the Holy of Holies - was a single kli, the golden Ark - the aron kodesh - which housed the Torah (luchos and sefer Torah that Moshe wrote), and was topped with two golden keruvim. It was between these two keruvim that the Shechinah dwelt, keviyachol, and from there the Voice of Hashem emanated to speak with Moshe. Into this space of intense holiness, only the Kohen Gadol was allowed to enter, to perform the avodah on Yom Kippur.
The Mishkan was surrounded by wooden beams, which were covered in gold, and topped with three layers of coverings which lay atop, and down the sides of, the Mishkan.
In regard to the placement of the Shulchan and Menorah, the pasuk tells us: אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ וְשַׂמְתָּ֤ צָפֽוֹן עַל־צֶ֥לַע תִּתֵּ֖ן וְהַ֨שֻּׁלְחָ֔ן תֵּימָ֑נָה הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן צֶ֥לַע עַ֛ל הַשֻּׁלְחָ֔ן כַחנֹ֣ וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ לַפָּרֹ֔כֶת מִח֣וּץ - And you shall place the table on the outer side of the Partition (the dividing curtain between the Kodesh and Kodesh ha’Kodashim) and the menorah opposite the table, on the southern side of the Mishkan, and you shall place the table on the northern side (Shemos 26:35).
