תרומה

In the wilderness, God spoke to Moses with a new request for the people. “Tell the Israelites to bring Me gifts,” God said. “Accept them from anyone whose heart is moved.”

Moses shared the message, and soon many families began gathering what they could. Some brought gold, silver, and copper. Others brought blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, and goats’ hair. People offered acacia wood, oil for lighting, and spices for anointing oil and sweet incense. Some even brought special stones, like lapis lazuli, to be set into sacred garments.

These gifts were called terumah, a Hebrew word meaning a donation offered freely. God explained why the gifts mattered: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” Then God added something important, Moses must follow the pattern exactly as it was shown.

Moses listened carefully. This would not be just any tent. It would be a holy place built from willing hearts, where the people could come close to God together.

God then described the sacred objects that would go inside the Tabernacle. First was the Ark, made of acacia wood and covered with pure gold inside and out. Gold rings would be attached so poles could slide through for carrying, and the poles were to stay there.

Inside the Ark, Moses would place the tablets of the Pact. On top would be a pure gold cover with two hammered-gold cherubim at its ends, their wings spread above. God said that from there, between the cherubim, He would meet with Moses and give commands for the people.

Next came a gold-covered table, also carried with poles, with gold bowls and jars. On it, the bread of display would be set before God always. Then God described a lampstand of pure gold, hammered from one piece, with branches and seven lamps.

Finally, God explained the Tabernacle itself: richly colored linen curtains with cherubim designs, joined with loops and clasps, plus outer coverings. Upright acacia planks would form the walls, and a special curtain would divide the Holy from the Holy of Holies.

God continued with instructions for the courtyard and the altar used for offerings. The altar was to be square, built of acacia wood and overlaid with copper, with horns at its corners. It would have copper tools for the work there, pails for ashes, scrapers, basins, flesh hooks, and fire pans. A copper grating would be set into it, and poles would be used to carry it from place to place.

Then God described the enclosure around the Tabernacle. Linen hangings would form a large rectangle, held up by posts set into copper sockets. The hooks and bands on the posts were to be silver. At the entrance, an embroidered screen made from blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen would mark the gate.

Even the pegs and utensils for the courtyard were named and planned. Moses heard it all as part of one careful design, so the people could build a sanctuary in the middle of their camp, just as God had shown.