From the story of the “Exodus” itself, this week’s Torah parsha, Terumah, (Exodus 25:1-27:19) takes a bit of a turn, and embarks on a description of the building and furnishing of the mishkan, or ‘tabernacle in the wilderness.’

But what is most noteworthy, perhaps even confusing, is the level of detail. Why? And why is it important now, especially?

If nothing else, it tends to inspire people to try to ‘spriitualize’ the description. But that might just be a bit of a ‘cop-out,’ because there seems to be much more.

The Erev Shabbat reading:

In the Sabbath day midrash, Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship explores what that might be.

And it seems to bear directly, and in direct contrast, to what we see happening so universally today.


Terumah: Spiritualizing the Mishkan – To Destroy, or to Build?”

The combined two-part teaching is here: