MM&M and Divine Inspiration

Parshat Terumah

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In the descriptions of three of the elements of the to-be-constructed mishkan, the Torah includes the phrase "as you saw/were shown in the mountain."

In other words, in receiving the descriptions of how things are to be made for the mishkan, Moshe was also provided with a visual aid to better understand what the items in question should look like.

The Torah does not shy away from repeating phrases such as "As God commanded Moshe" and the like, which support a running theme in the Torah's narrative. As our phrase in question is repeated, but only three times, it stands to reason the three items or instructions thereof are connected.

We are told that Moshe saw a vision of the Menorah (25:40), how to set up the Mishkan in its entirety (notably through erecting the beams that make up the walls) (26:30), and what the Mizbeach was supposed to look like (27:8). Aside from all of the three items beginning with the same consonant, what could be a connection between three items that are so different?

The menorah is made out of solid gold, the beams are made of wood and covered with gold, and the mizbeach is made of wood and covered with copper.

If anything, the ark, the table, the small mizbeach and the beams would be in the same category, all made out of wood and covered with gold. Perhaps the cover for the ark and the menorah could be classified similarly as they are both of more complex and intricate design and made out of a solid piece of gold.

I think that the Menorha, Mishkan and Mizbeach have in common that they all serve the entire nation.

The mishkan itself and the mizbeach do this in a more obvious way. The building will be the center of Jewish life. It is the central image of that which we look to for inspiration in our quest to get close to God, as a place on earth where God's presence is identifiable. The mizbeach is the place where all sacrifices offered by the people will be brought, and it therefore serves the important function of channeling the connection people will be looking to make with God. The mizbeach is also used every day, and even had a prohibition against its fire extinguishing.

How does the menorah serve the entire nation? More pointedly, how does the menorah stand unique amongst all the other vessels? The Ark, for example, is the symbol of the Torah! While it is usually hidden, it is taken out to lead the people in battle!

The menorah is unique because even though just like the smaller mizbeach, the table, and the ark its place is hidden from the view of the general public, it is the only item in the mishkan which not only has a daily use (the ark sits idly, and the table is touched once a week when the show-bread is replaced), but whose function is a conglomeration of the participation of the entire nation.

One need look no further than the beginning of the next parsha (end of Ch. 27) to understand the role every member of the nation has in the functioning of the menorah.. As the Ibn Ezra writes (27:20), "There is an eternal commandment for the community to always provide the olive oil that will allow the candles to burn forever."

It therefore comes as no shock that the visions of the mishkan, mizbeach and menorah were shown to Moshe on the mountain.

If we were to symbolically contemporize these three things, the mishkan would be our community center (the shul building, perhaps), the mizbeach would be the specific place we serve God (such as the sanctuary) and the method of doing so (prayer), and the menorah would be that which shines forever because it is fully supported by our communities.

Maybe the parallel to the menorah is the Torah, maybe it's our children, maybe it's our way of life, maybe it's the values we continue to live, sacrifice and strive for, maybe it's just our hopes and dreams for our collective future.

None of these happen or work automatically. A divine blueprint is the best guide for making things work and having them be successful.

Moshe was given that blueprint for physical and tangible vessels of the mishkan. May we merit to be enlightened with a similar blueprint that will help our own "candles" burn forever.