In Parashat Terumah, God gives Bnai Yisrael a blueprint for the construction of the Mishkan, a portable dwelling place for God. Modern Bible scholar, Nahum Sarna, explained how that now that the revelation at Sinai had concluded, the Mishkan would ensure the “spiritual welfare” of Bnai Yisrael. The Mishkan enabled Bnai Yisrael to access God in a new and meaningful way. Sarna stated how the Mishkan was a major step in helping to shape the organized religion of the Jewish people.
- Why do you think God chose to construct the Mishkan at this point in history?
- How do you think the Mishkan helped to shape the future of Judaism?