בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
Painting by: Baruch Nachshon z”l
Parshat Terumah: The Architecture of Unity
In this week’s Parsha, we encounter the blueprint for the Mishkan, the sacred Tabernacle that served as the prototype for the Beit HaMikdash. At its core, the Temple is not merely a building of stone and gold, but a focal point for Hibur—the profound unification of heaven and earth, and the harmonious blending of opposites.
This theme is vividly captured in the painting before us, where the Temple stands as the central axis of a world being brought into balance.
The Synthesis of Opposites – The Torah often separates distinct forces, yet within the sanctity of the Temple, these boundaries merge to create a higher holiness.
- The Avnet (Girdle): While the mixture of wool and linen (shatnez) is generally forbidden, it was a requirement for the Priestly garments.
- Fire and Water: In the painting, we see this reflected through color. The yellow “fiery” spheres are set against a bluish “watery” horizon. This represents the “fire within water”—the tempering of Gevurah (strength/fire) with Chesed (kindness/water).
The Golden Mean: The Secret of Green – R’ Nachshon utilizes the color green to permeate the Temple structure. Kabbalistically, green is the color of Tiferet (Beauty/Balance), precisely because it is the offspring of yellow (fire) and blue (water).
- Zemorot and Zemirot: From this green foundation, we see vines—zemorot—growing upward. The word zemorot shares a root with zemirot (songs).
- The Music of Creation: Above the vines, the painting displays lines resembling musical strings or staves. This hints at the Light of the Ta’amim (the musical notes of the Torah), which are associated with the side of kindness and divine illumination.
The Twelve Tribes and the Two Sides – The painting features twelve fiery spheres and twelve fiery leaves, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
- Order and Symmetry: They are arranged in groups of six to the right and six to the left. This highlights the dualism of the world (the right side of giving and the left side of restraint) and shows how the Temple unites these two paths into one cohesive national identity.
- The Joy of Connection: We see the Chassidim dancing in an embrace—a physical manifestation of the unity the Temple inspires.
From Hebron to Jerusalem – The concept of unity is embedded in the geography of our tradition. The word Hebron comes from the root Hibur (connection). “Hebron is the city of our Patriarchs, the foundation of our common identity. It was there that King David first established his throne, creating the ‘connection’ necessary to eventually rule in Jerusalem and build the pathway to the Temple.” The painting reminds us that before the “Great Light” can shine in Jerusalem, we must first find the Hibur within ourselves—the ability to unite our fire and our water, our songs and our actions. Let us connect to Hebron and stride in this path.e