Parshat Teruma

At the end of Parashat Mishpatim, we are witness to Moshe Rabbeinu's ascent to Har Sinai, where he receives the Torah from Hashem in all His glory. This brings us into our Parashah, which deals with the contributions of Klal Yisrael to the construction of the Mishkan.

In Parashat Mishpatim, the divine revelation on the mountain is described in lofty, spiritual terms: "And the appearance of the glory of Hashem was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the bnei Israel... Moshe was in the mountain forty days and forty nights." After these forty days, Moshe descends with the Luchot HaBrit, the "Testimony," which are placed in the Aron Habrit , made of shittim wood and plated with gold inside and out.

The Aron and the Luchot represent three key materials: stone (the Luchot), wood (the Aron), and gold (the Aron’s plating). Klal Yisrael, like the Aron, is made of body and soul—the soul representing the inner, spiritual essence and the body being the outer, physical aspect. The Luchot, made of stone, symbolize the unchangeable, eternal foundation of the written Torah, which remains steadfast and immutable. The Aron, constructed from wood, represents the Oral Torah, which grows and evolves over time, bringing life and beauty to the world.

The Oral Torah is like

a tree that bears fruit and blossoms with new insights, making the Torah more applicable in our daily lives. The Torah scholars who toil day and night in learning the Oral Torah continue to renew its beauty, bringing profound and relevant answers for Klal Yisrael. The Aron’s gold plating, both inside and out, represents the dignity and sanctity of the Torah. The gold inside shows our yearning for closeness to Hashem, while the gold on the outside teaches us to revere the Torah as something precious and honored in the eyes of the world.

The mission of Klal Yisrael is to bring the word of Hashem into the world. The written Torah is the foundation, and the Oral Torah is how we apply and spread it in our lives. The design of the Aron serves as a model for how we should treat the Torah and share its teachings with others.