Parsha Halacha

Parsha Halacha – Parshat Terumah and Shekalim- Rosh Chodesh Adar

The Mishkan and Mikdash as Microcosms of Creation

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In the Torah portion of Terumah, the Jewish people were commanded  to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). According to our sages, the Mishkan and later the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Sanctuary) in Jerusalem were built in a manner that they mirrored the entire creation including all the spiritual realms. As such, the fact that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) rested in these places symbolized how G-d’s presence is found in the entire creation.

This article will discuss how the various aspects of the Mishkan (and Beit HaMikdash) correspond to aspects of creation.

Three Realms

According to Rabbeinu Bachaye,^[1] the inner sanctum (Kodesh HaKodashim or Holy of Holies), outer sanctum (Kodesh), and the courtyard (Chatzer) represent three general realms and they also correspond to three facets of man which Kings David and Solomon alluded to in Tehillim (Psalms) and Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) respectively. See footnote.^[2]

●      The Inner Sanctum, Realm of Angels

The Holy of Holies, where the Divine Presence rests on the Cheruvim,^[3] corresponds to the realm of angels where G-d is revealed on His Throne of Glory,^[4] and to the higher powers of man – speech, thought, and emotions – which are mostly situated in the head. We wear Tefillin opposite the brain and heart, the seats of thought and emotion, to symbolize the Divinity that (can) rests on them just as the Shechinah rests on the two Cheruvim.

●      The Sanctuary, Realm of the Heavenly Bodies

The Sanctuary, where the Menorah, Table, and Golden Altar were kept, represents the realms of the heavenly bodies (i.e., the stars and planets), which have great spiritual power but aren’t as lofty as the angels, just as the vessels mentioned above have great holiness but aren’t as holy as the Holy Ark and the Cheruvim. It also corresponds to the heart (and upper body) which pumps blood and thus life to the entire body just as the energy to the world flows through the heavenly bodies.

●      The Courtyard and the Lower World

The courtyard which contained the washing laver and the outer altar upon which animals were sacrificed represents the lower world which is transient and temporary (as are animals). It also corresponds to the lower parts of the body of man which includes the reproductive organs which are needed because man is mortal. 

The Tachash

The outermost covering of the Mishkan was made out of the tachash skin.^[5] Rashi(based on the Jerusalem Talmud^[6] and the translation of Onkelus) says that the tachash was a (kosher) wild animal that was made available to the Jewish people at that time only and which rejoiced and was proud of its many colors.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains^[7] that the Mishkan was beautified by the naturally occurring beautiful colors of this animal’s skin to teach us that even something as external and seemingly unimportant as the color of one’s skin must also be used in one’s service of G-d. 

Torat Ha’Olah

Rabbi Moshe Isserlish, known as the Rama (of Krakow 1530 – 1572), wrote a book called Torat Ha’Olah in which he explains how the measurements, layout, and details of the Beit HaMikdash mirrored various aspects of this world.

Here are some of his points:

●      Size of the Temple Mount and Size of the World

The Mishnah states^[8] that the size of the Temple Mount was 500 by 500 amot. This corresponds to the size of this world which, according to the Talmud, is the distance it would take to walk for 500 years.^[9]

●      Suspended in Space

Job says that G-d “Suspends the earth on nothingness,”^[10] (i.e., the world floats in the air and isn’t supported by anything). In a similar way, the Beit HaMikdash was built on top of open air as there were two layers of alternating domes dug under the Beit HaMikdash in order to block the impurity which might (otherwise) ascend from a grave under the Temple Mount.^[11]

●      Standing Forever

The Midrash says^[12] that G-d gave Moshe a scroll with the information about the Beit HaMikdash on it while G-d was “standing,” as it says,^[13] “And you, now stand with Me.” Moshe passed it on to Yehoshua while standing as it says, G-d said,^[14] “Call Yehoshua and stand.” 

Yehoshua handed the scroll over to the elders (of the next generation) while standing. As the verse says,^[15] “And Yehoshua gathered the tribes of Israel… and he called the sages… and they stood in front of G-d.” The elders gave it over to the prophets while standing as it says,^[16] “And now stand and I will judge you in front of G-d.” 

The prophets (i.e., the prophet Shmuel) gave the scroll over to King David while standing who then gave it over to his son (King) Solomon while standing, as it says,^[17] “And now G-d, grant me grace and establish me.”

The term “standing” has the connotation of an everlasting matter.^[18] The significance of this scroll being handed over while standing is to indicate that the sanctity of the Beit HaMikdash is everlasting and that the world is established through it (i.e., receives its spiritual sustenance by way of the Beit HaMikdash). 

●      Placement of the Beit HaMikdash within the Temple Mount 

According to the Mishnah,^[19] the Beit HaMikdash wasn’t in the center of the Har HaBayit (Temple Mount). Rather, it was closest to the western wall, second closest to the northern wall, the eastern wall was further than the northern wall, while the southern wall was the furthest from the Beit HaMikdash. 

This placement mirrors the placement of the world’s population. People are situated closest to the “West”^[20] with a bigger amount of empty space between the North (pole) and the population centers. There is a larger space between the “East” and the population centers. While the South (pole) is the furthest from where people live. 

●      Other Connections

Rabbi Isserlish goes on to explain the symbolism behind the various gates, chambers, stairways, holy utensils, and measurements of the various sections of the Beit HaMikdash and the Altar. G-d willing, we will get to these another time.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a Chodesh Tov UMevorach!

[1] On Exodus 25:9

[2] See Tehillim 103:20-22

a)      בָּרְכוּ ה מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ - Bless the L-rd, O His angels, mighty creatures who do His bidding.

b)     בָּרְכוּ ה כׇּל צְבָאָיו מְשָׁרְתָיו עֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ׃ - Bless the L-rd, all His hosts, His servants who do His will.

c)      בָּרְכוּ ה כׇּל מַעֲשָׂיו בְּכׇל מְקֹמוֹת מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ - Bless the L-rd, all His works, in all the places of His realm;

And Song of Songs 5:13 - 15

a)      לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם - His cheeks are like beds of spices

b)     יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב - His hands are rods of gold

c)      שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ - His legs are like marble pillars

[3] See Psalms 80:2.

[4] See Ezekiel chapter 1.

[5] Exodus 26:14.

[6] Shabbat 2:3.

[7] 1^st Sicha on Parshat Terumah in vol. 31 of Likutei Sichot, ot 5. 

[8] Middot 2:1.

[9] Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:9. See also Chagigah 13a that this is the distance from the earth to the heavens. 

Since an average person walks 40 mil a day (Pesachim 94a), this means that he can walk 14,600 mil in a year and 7,300,00 mil in 500 years. [A mil is approximately 1 Kilometer] 

[I’m not sure what this corresponds to in terms of the physical earth. A.C.]

[10] Job 26:7. See also Midrash Lekach Tov.

[11] Mishnah Parah 3:3.

[12] Midrash Shmuel 15.

[13] Deuteronomy 5:28.

[14] Ibid. 31:14.

[15] Joshua 24:1.

[16] I Samuel 12:7

[17] Tehillim 41:10

[18] See Yoma 72a 

[19] Middot 2:1

[20] Rabbi Isserlish doesn’t define what point is considered East and what is considered West. 

In addition, Rabbi Isserlish says that the population centers may have shifted since the time of the building of the Beit HaMikdash but that, certainly, even today, the world’s population is more concentrated in the North rather than the South.