Standing Strong |
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Terumah— Offerings
Exodus 25:1– 27:19 1 Kings 5:26– 6:13 Matthew 6:19-34 2 Corinthians 9:1– 15 |
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People frequently wish to share on the point that what was given for building the tabernacle was done from a willing heart and not by compulsion. I was looking for something new for this week’s Parasha and, thanks to discussion with my daughter Roseanna, I have something new for consideration.
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Two points were brought forward in our discussion. The first is that the fabric was woven with artistic designs of cherubim and the second was the type of metal used for the tabernacle, frequently translated as bronze, but when you go to the Hebrew you find it to be copper.
Fabric can be decorated in various ways. It can be painted, embroidered, cut into unique patterns... When you speak with a seamstress you can be amazed at all the things that can be done to fabric to make it carry a design. What G-d called for in the tabernacle was that the fabric be woven with artistic designs of cherubim in the fabric. What came to the fore in our discussion was not the design. True, it is interesting that G-d chose to have cherubim as the design and He had cherubim framing the mercy seat, but what about the fact that it was woven into the fabric. Weaving takes foresight to make the pattern prior to any of the fabric being made. One must plan ahead. What is even more on my mind is that an item that is woven into the fabric can be seen from both sides with equal beauty. The design on these veils are to be seen by those within and those without. This is symbolic of the work of the angels of the L-rd. There are not many things of heaven that get to seen by man. True, there have been visions, but most direct interaction with the heavenly realm in a corporeal way has been done through the use of angels. Visible from the heavenly realm, as are all things, but also visible by man on many occasions.
What are cherubim? They are the winged creatures who support the Throne of G-d, or act as guardian spirits. They appear in the Bible in the book of Ezekiel as bearing the throne and chariot of G-d, and hence later conceived as a type of angel. They are also mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as guardians (or protectors) of the Garden of Eden. They were placed at the gates of the Garden to prevent humans from re-entering and thus gaining access to the Tree of Life. They also formed the mercy seat on the Ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-20). In Jewish and Christian religion they are second in the order of angels, directly after the seraphim. They were usually depicted as angels with four wings and four faces (human, lion, bull and eagle). Artists in later times made them appear as the chubby, rosy-faced, winged infants by which they are known today.
The cherubim are guardians. How they ever got changed into a depiction of rosy faced infants with the important Biblical role they fill is beyond me. The veils of the tabernacle helped to separate the holy from the profane. It only seems appropriate to have cherubim woven into the fabric that is providing this role.
On to the second item. It was noticed in comparison that our Bibles both listed the material for the outer items of the tabernacle as being made of bronze. The Chumash lists it as copper. What caused this difference?
We looked at the Hebrew and got out our dictionaries and found the translation to clearly be copper. Does this really matter at all?
Both show a lower value of metal than the gold and silver used in the inner and middle areas in relation to the Ark of the covenant. Bronze is an alloy of copper which has tin and zinc added to it. Copper never rusts and lasts longer than iron or steel, despite its oxidizing. Copper also has antimicrobial qualities.
I was looking for why copper was of greater value than its alloy, bronze. Leave it to Roseanna to point out that bronze is not a pure metal. That the translation says copper is important because all that we use in service to the L-rd is to be pure and not of mixed motives or purpose. When you see the symbolism related to the metal the translation does become very important.
Selah. |
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Isaiah 11:6 2 Thessalonians 2:15 |