Tabernacle
The Portion of Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16:1-18:30)

The Portion of Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16:1-18:30)

The portion of Acharei Mot picks up following the deaths of Aaron’s older sons, Nadab and Abihu. It contains the instructions for the Yom Kippur — or Day of Atonement — service in the Tabernacle, and forbids slaughtering animal offerings outside the Tabernacle and the consumption of blood. It lists a series of forbidden relationships and other abominations condemned by God, and emphasizes the holiness of the Land of Israel. 

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Why do we Light Up an Empty Room with the Menorah?

Why do we Light Up an Empty Room with the Menorah?

I often find myself walking around my house, turning off lights in empty rooms. Why waste electricity if there is no one there to benefit from it? Interestingly, a similar question arose thousands of years ago, in the Temple itself! In...

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The Continuous Flame on the Altar and in Our Hearts

The Continuous Flame on the Altar and in Our Hearts

The altar in the Tabernacle was, of course, for burning the sacrifices, but the Torah commanded that the fire be kept burning constantly, night and day, regardless of whether or not there was a sacrifice to burn. The Jerusalem Talmud...

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Why Are the Details of the Tabernacle Repeated?

Why Are the Details of the Tabernacle Repeated?

After describing the instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle in great detail, the Torah then repeats these details, describing the same elements after the Tabernacle has been erected. Of course, the Tabernacle is the place for...

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The Clouds of Glory: Living in God’s Shelter

The Clouds of Glory: Living in God’s Shelter

After the Tabernacle is fully assembled, God descends upon it in a cloud of glory: The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of Hashem filled the Mishkan. Exodus 40:34 The Hebrew word for ‘glory,’ kavod (כָּבוֹד), is perhaps...

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