(ח) וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
(8) And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
(י) וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֲר֖וֹן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֨יִם וָחֵ֜צִי אׇרְכּ֗וֹ וְאַמָּ֤ה וָחֵ֙צִי֙ רׇחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃
(10) They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
(כג) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ שֻׁלְחָ֖ן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֤יִם אׇרְכּוֹ֙ וְאַמָּ֣ה רׇחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃
(23) You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
(לא) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃
(31) You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and petals shall be of one piece.
ועשית שלחן אחר מעשה הארון שהיה כדמות כסא לשכינה, כאמרו ונועדתי לך שם. ציוה על שלחן ומנורה כמנהגם לפני השרים, כענין השונמית באמרה ונשים לו שם מטה ושלחן וכסא ומנורה
ועשית שלחן, after the Ark, which symbolised G’d’s throne on earth, as expressed by the words ונועדתי לך שם, “I will designate this for My meeting place with you,” (verse 22) had been completed, G’d commanded the construction of the Table and the Lamp stand, essential furnishings for a guest room, as we know from King II 4,10 where the lady in Shunem, planning to provide private accommodation for the prophet Elisha who was her frequent guest, discusses such details with her husband.
But Does God Need Furniture?
The Ark
וּכְתִיב כְּמַעַר אִישׁ וְלוֹיוֹת מַאי כְּמַעַר אִישׁ וְלוֹיוֹת אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר רַב שֵׁילָא כְּאִישׁ הַמְעוֹרֶה בַּלְּוָיָיה שֶׁלּוֹ
And it is written: “According to the space of each with loyot” (I Kings 7:36). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: “According to the space of each with loyot”? Rabba bar Rav Sheila said: It means like a man joined and clinging to his livaya, his partner, i.e., his wife. In other words, the cherubs appeared to be embracing one another.
The Menorah and the Table
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק הָרוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּחְכִּים יַדְרִים וְשֶׁיַּעֲשִׁיר יַצְפִּין וְסִימָנָיךְ שֻׁלְחָן בַּצָּפוֹן וּמְנוֹרָה בַּדָּרוֹם וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר לְעוֹלָם יַדְרִים שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁמִּתְחַכֵּם מִתְעַשֵּׁר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד
Rabbi Yitzḥak says: One who wishes to become wise should face south, and one who wishes to become wealthy should face north. And your mnemonic for this is that in the Temple the Table, which symbolized blessing and abundance, was in the north, and the Candelabrum, which symbolized the light of wisdom, was in the south of the Sanctuary. And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: One should always face south, as once he becomes wise he will subsequently also become wealthy, as it is stated with regard to the Torah: “Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor” (Proverbs 3:16).
(לה) וְשַׂמְתָּ֤ אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ מִח֣וּץ לַפָּרֹ֔כֶת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ נֹ֣כַח הַשֻּׁלְחָ֔ן עַ֛ל צֶ֥לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן תֵּימָ֑נָה וְהַ֨שֻּׁלְחָ֔ן תִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־צֶ֥לַע צָפֽוֹן׃
(35) Place the table outside the curtain, and the lampstand by the south wall of the Tabernacle opposite the table, which is to be placed by the north wall.
(ח) וַיְהִ֨י הַיּ֜וֹם וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֧ר אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אֶל־שׁוּנֵ֗ם וְשָׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֔ה וַתַּחֲזֶק־בּ֖וֹ לֶאֱכׇל־לָ֑חֶם וַֽיְהִי֙ מִדֵּ֣י עׇבְר֔וֹ יָסֻ֥ר שָׁ֖מָּה לֶאֱכׇל־לָֽחֶם׃ (ט) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אִישָׁ֔הּ הִנֵּה־נָ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ אֱלֹקִ֖ים קָד֣וֹשׁ ה֑וּא עֹבֵ֥ר עָלֵ֖ינוּ תָּמִֽיד׃ (י) נַעֲשֶׂה־נָּ֤א עֲלִיַּת־קִיר֙ קְטַנָּ֔ה וְנָשִׂ֨ים ל֥וֹ שָׁ֛ם מִטָּ֥ה וְשֻׁלְחָ֖ן וְכִסֵּ֣א וּמְנוֹרָ֑ה וְהָיָ֛ה בְּבֹא֥וֹ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ יָס֥וּר שָֽׁמָּה׃ (יא) וַיְהִ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם וַיָּ֣בֹא שָׁ֑מָּה וַיָּ֥סַר אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה וַיִּשְׁכַּב־שָֽׁמָּה׃
(8) One day Elisha visited Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to have a meal; and whenever he passed by, he would stop there for a meal. (9) Once she said to her husband, “I am sure it is a holy man of God who comes this way regularly. (10) Let us make a small enclosed upper chamber-a and place a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand there for him, so that he can stop there whenever he comes to us.” (11) One day he came there; he retired to the upper chamber and lay down there.
(א) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ מִקְטַ֣ר קְטֹ֑רֶת עֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃
(1) You shall make an altar for burning incense; make it of acacia wood.
(ו) וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אֹתוֹ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַפָּרֹ֔כֶת אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֑ת לִפְנֵ֣י הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֛ר אִוָּעֵ֥ד לְךָ֖ שָֽׁמָּה׃
(6) Place it in front of the curtain that is over the Ark of the Pact—in front of the cover that is over the Pact—where I will meet with you.
(א) מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד ה' קְ֭רָאתִיךָ ח֣וּשָׁה לִּ֑י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ק֝וֹלִ֗י בְּקׇרְאִי־לָֽךְ׃ (ב) תִּכּ֤וֹן תְּפִלָּתִ֣י קְטֹ֣רֶת לְפָנֶ֑יךָ מַֽשְׂאַ֥ת כַּ֝פַּ֗י מִנְחַת־עָֽרֶב׃
(1) A psalm of David.
I call You, O LORD, hasten to me;
give ear to my cry when I call You. (2) Take my prayer as an offering of incense,
my upraised hands as an evening sacrifice.
I call You, O LORD, hasten to me;
give ear to my cry when I call You. (2) Take my prayer as an offering of incense,
my upraised hands as an evening sacrifice.
(כב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (כג) דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ {ס} (כד) יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ ה' וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ {ס} (כה) יָאֵ֨ר ה' ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ {ס} (כו) יִשָּׂ֨א ה' ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס} (כז) וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרְכֵֽם׃ {ס}
(22) יהוה spoke to Moses: (23) Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:
(24) יהוה bless you and protect you!
(25) יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you!
(26) יהוה bestow [divine] favor upon you and grant you peace! (27) Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
(24) יהוה bless you and protect you!
(25) יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you!
(26) יהוה bestow [divine] favor upon you and grant you peace! (27) Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
יברכך. שֶׁיִּתְבָּרְכוּ נְכָסֶיךָ:
יברכך [THE LORD] BLESS THEE — that thy property may increase (Sifrei Bamidbar 40).