Post 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…. Read More
Post 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… Read More
Post The Dilemma of Faith When I sit down at my Shabbat dinner table and I am blessed to have my four children around me, something strange happens. I look at them but I don’t… Read More
Post The Enigmatic Breastplate Perhaps the most enigmatic element of the clothing of the High Priest was the breastplate, known in Hebrew as the choshen, which was attached to the ephod, or apron, of the… Read More
Post A Table Fit for a King When God commanded the Children of Israel to build a Tabernacle for him to dwell among them, he also commanded them to build furnishings. Perhaps the most intricate piece was… Read More
Post The Incense Altar: Linking the Physical and the Spiritual After instructing the Children of Israel about the priestly garments, God then describes the golden altar for offering incense. Similar to the Ark of the Covenant, the altar for the… Read More
Post The Lovely Almond Tree: Symbolizing the Temple in Destruction and Resurrection Going out to the fields in Israel in the winter presents the beautiful sight of almond trees in bloom, covered in white blossoms. But it is not for its physical… Read More
Post The Many Uses of Olive Oil in Biblical Times The portion of Tetzaveh begins by telling the Children of Israel to bring pure olive oil for use in the Menorah in the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:20). For normal use, oil is extracted… Read More
Post The Message of the Eternal Flame When God instructs the Children of Israel to make the menorah, He tells them to gather oil “for kindling lamps regularly” (Exodus 27:20). Rashi explains that the light was to be… Read More
Post The Mystical Powers of the High Priest’s Head-Plate The Torah mandates eight garments for the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). Among them is the golden head-plate, or the tzitz (צִיץ), which was engraved with the words kodesh laHashem (קֹדֶשׁ… Read More