Terumah תְּרוּמָה Offering or Contribution Exodus 25:1–27:19 Torah Study and Poetry (19)
A B’nai Mitzvah Torah Planner with Poetry and Inspiration.
Cloth of the Tabernacle by the Letters
another blue becomes
cherubim clasps cover cloth
crimson copper
cubits design Exodus’ edge
fine fit folds gold
goat hair joined linen loops
measurements numbers outermost
overlapping purple sides
tent and Tabernacle together
twisted wool yarn
whole
―Words found in Exodus 26:1–13 (Sefaria.org)
Found Torah Poetry, the poet selects words, highlights them and create a poem from the words already found ion the page.
Word Cloud Poetry, the most common words found in a selected text are the largest in a Word Cloud creating a visual representation of important themes.
Gathering Thousands with Uniting Cloth
In the Shalom Report
Rabbi Arthur Waskow describes
the AIDS Quilt as a Mishkan
like the one in Terumah
Exodus 25–27
a Shrine of the Presence
carried through the wilderness
thousands of people gathered
sewing, smelting and tying pieces
together tying, untying and retying
pieces into a whole
when sacred art needs to move
the Mishkan a Quilt
by those who had been closed in
a narrow space
now carry on
for those who had not yet heard the message
freedom, joy in the midst of sorrow
beauty
In a modern story of the AIDS quilt
an inspiration of kindness
carried through the nation
thousands of people gathered
sewing squares of cloth in gorgeous colors
or black mourning each remembering someone
each square with grommets at the corners
together tying, untying and retying
pieces into a whole
when sacred art needs to move
the Quilt a Mishkan
defiant acts of beauty by people
who had been closed in a narrow space
for those who had not yet heard the message
freedom, healing in the midst of sorrow
love
―from the Words of Rabbi Arthur Waskow and Exodus 25–27
Prose Poetry usually doesn’t rhyme and has a story running through the lines.
Beautiful Cloth Wholeness
Exodus 26:1 ְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עֶ֣שֶׂר יְרִיעֹ֑ת שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י כְּרֻבִ֛ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֖ב תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃
As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them.
2 אֹ֣רֶךְ ׀ הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הָֽאַחַ֗ת שְׁמֹנֶ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֙חַב֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע בָּאַמָּ֔ה הַיְרִיעָ֖ה הָאֶחָ֑ת מִדָּ֥ה אַחַ֖ת לְכָל־הַיְרִיעֹֽת׃
The length of each cloth shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, all the cloths to have the same measurements.
3 חֲמֵ֣שׁ הַיְרִיעֹ֗ת תִּֽהְיֶ֙יןָ֙ חֹֽבְרֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָ֑הּ וְחָמֵ֤שׁ יְרִיעֹת֙ חֹֽבְרֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ׃
Five of the cloths shall be joined to one another, and the other five cloths shall be joined to one another.
4 וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ לֻֽלְאֹ֣ת תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָאֶחָ֔ת מִקָּצָ֖ה בַּחֹבָ֑רֶת וְכֵ֤ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה בַּמַּחְבֶּ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃
Make loops of blue wool on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set; and do likewise on the edge of the outermost cloth of the other set:
5 חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּעֲשֶׂה֮ בַּיְרִיעָ֣ה הָאֶחָת֒ וַחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַיְרִיעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּמַּחְבֶּ֣רֶת הַשֵּׁנִ֑ית מַקְבִּילֹת֙ הַלֻּ֣לָאֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ׃
make fifty loops on the one cloth, and fifty loops on the edge of the end cloth of the other set, the loops to be opposite one another.
6 וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים קַרְסֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב וְחִבַּרְתָּ֨ אֶת־הַיְרִיעֹ֜ת אִשָּׁ֤ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ֙ בַּקְּרָסִ֔ים וְהָיָ֥ה הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן אֶחָֽד׃ (פ)
And make fifty gold clasps, and couple the cloths to one another with the clasps, so that the Tabernacle becomes one whole. 7
וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ יְרִיעֹ֣ת עִזִּ֔ים לְאֹ֖הֶל עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן עַשְׁתֵּי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה יְרִיעֹ֖ת תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃
You shall then make cloths of goats’ hair for a tent over the Tabernacle; make the cloths eleven in number.
8 אֹ֣רֶךְ ׀ הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הָֽאַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁים֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֙חַב֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע בָּאַמָּ֔ה הַיְרִיעָ֖ה הָאֶחָ֑ת מִדָּ֣ה אַחַ֔ת לְעַשְׁתֵּ֥י עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה יְרִיעֹֽת׃
The length of each cloth shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, the eleven cloths to have the same measurements.
9 וְחִבַּרְתָּ֞ אֶת־חֲמֵ֤שׁ הַיְרִיעֹת֙ לְבָ֔ד וְאֶת־שֵׁ֥שׁ הַיְרִיעֹ֖ת לְבָ֑ד וְכָפַלְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔ית אֶל־מ֖וּל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֹֽהֶל׃
Join five of the cloths by themselves, and the other six cloths by themselves; and fold over the sixth cloth at the front of the tent.
10 וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת הַקִּיצֹנָ֖ה בַּחֹבָ֑רֶת וַחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֚ל שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַחֹבֶ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃
Make fifty loops on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the cloth of the other set.
11 וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ קַרְסֵ֥י נְחֹ֖שֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְהֵבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַקְּרָסִים֙ בַּלֻּ֣לָאֹ֔ת וְחִבַּרְתָּ֥ אֶת־הָאֹ֖הֶל וְהָיָ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃
Make fifty copper clasps, and fit the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together so that it becomes one whole.
12 וְסֶ֙רַח֙ הָעֹדֵ֔ף בִּירִיעֹ֖ת הָאֹ֑הֶל חֲצִ֤י הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָעֹדֶ֔פֶת תִּסְרַ֕ח עַ֖ל אֲחֹרֵ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
As for the overlapping excess of the cloths of the tent, the extra half-cloth shall overlap the back of the Tabernacle,
13 וְהָאַמָּ֨ה מִזֶּ֜ה וְהָאַמָּ֤ה מִזֶּה֙ בָּעֹדֵ֔ף בְּאֹ֖רֶךְ יְרִיעֹ֣ת הָאֹ֑הֶל יִהְיֶ֨ה סָר֜וּחַ עַל־צִדֵּ֧י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּ֖ה לְכַסֹּתֽוֹ׃
while the extra cubit at either end of each length of tent cloth shall hang down to the bottom of the two sides of the Tabernacle and cover it.
―Exodus 26:1–13 (Sefaria.org)
Make Me a Pattern Haiku
a sanctuary
the Tabernacle pattern
that I may dwell in
―Exodus 25:8–9
A Haiku is a form of Japanese Poetry with 5–7–5 syllables per line.
Ring Pure Haiku
make gold upon two
overlay sides on walls ring
pure inside and out
―Exodus 25:11–12
Originally Published in Terumah Offering or Contribution Exodus 25:1–27:19 Journal Your Journey Through a Year of Torah https://www.nervewhisperer.solutions/peace-poetry/category/torah-poetry on February 29, 2020
