The Components of the Mishkan and their Relationships
And they brought the Tabernacle to Moshe – the tent and its vessels, its clasps, its planks, its bars, its pillars and its sockets. (Sefer Shemot 39:33)
And he made fifty golden clasps. He joined together the curtains, one to another, with the clasps. And it was one Mishcan. (Sefer Shemot 37:13)
1. The golden clasps and the curtains of the Mishcan
Parshat Pekudai includes a description of the actual assembly of the Mishcan – the Tabernacle. This description provides important insights into the relationships between the various elements of the Mishcan. After the components of the Mishcan were fabricated, they were brought to Moshe for assembly. The first passage enumerates the components of the actual basic structure. The components were the planks that supported the structure and the sockets into which these planks were inserted. These planks were held together by horizontal wooden bars that ran the length of the supporting walls. Pillars were used to hold up curtains. Clasps joined together the curtains that were supported by the planks.
The second passage above is from Parshat VaYakhel. This passage describes the assembly of the curtain of the Mishcan. The Mishcan’s most inner covering was composed of ten curtains of identical dimensions. These curtains were divided into two groups – each composed of five curtains. The five curtains of each group were sewn together. The outer edge of the outer curtain of each set included fifty loops. The two sets of curtains were laid-out with the loops of each set aligned with those of the other set. The two sets were then joined together using golden clasps. The entire assembly – all ten curtains was draped over the upright planks. The curtains created a covered inner space and extended down the sides of the planks.
Figure 1: The curtains of the Mishcan draped over
and covering the outer surface of the planks.
The design of this covering is somewhat odd. The five curtains in each group were joined together with stitching. However, the two resultant groups of five curtains were connected to one another by a series of golden clasps. Why was this combination of methods used to join together the curtains? Why were clasps used only to join together the two groups of curtains but not to join the curtains within the groups?
And you should place the Parochet under the claps. And you should bring there – inside of the Parochet – the Ark of Testimony. The Parochet should separate for you between the Sacred and the Most Sacred. (Sefer Shemot 26:33)
2. The Parochet separated the Sacred from the Most Sacred
The above passage is from Parshat Terumah. In this passage, the Torah explains that the Mishcan was divided into two areas – the Sacred and the Most Sacred. The Most Sacred was the area in which the Aron – the Ark – and the Ark Covering were placed. The Sacred was the area in which the Mizbeach HaKetoret, the Menorah, and the Shulchan – the Golden Altar, the Candelabra, and the Table of the Shew Bread – were placed. These two domains were of unequal areas. The Most Sacred measured 10X10 cubits and the Sacred measured 10X20 cubits. The two areas were separated by a curtain – the Parochet.
Figure 2. The Mishcan’s floor-plan. The Most Sacred is on the west side (left).
The above passage explains that the Parochet should be placed directly under the clasps that held together the two sets of curtains. In other words, the curtains were draped over the planks so that the clasps that joined the two sets were ten cubits forward from the rear or western wall. The Parochet was then placed directly under these clasps. The placement of the Parochet under the clasps set off an inner area – the Most Sacred – of 10X10 cubits. The passage above implies that the correspondence between the location of the clasps and the position of the Parochet was not accidental. It was a significant aspect of the Mishcan’s design. Why was this correspondence important?
And you should make the planks for the Mishcan – upright acacia wood. (Sefer Shemot 36:20)
3. The upright planks of the Mishcan
The above passage from Parshat VaYakhel describes the planks that held up the Mishcan’s curtains. The passage is understood by the Sages to require that the planks be arranged in an upright position. In other words, the planks could not be arranged horizontally and piled upon one another to create a wall.[1]
Figure 3. The planks of the Mishcan. Upright planks were inserted
into metal sockets. The planks were held together by horizontal bars.
What is the reason for this requirement? This requirement implies that the function of the planks was not to form a wall. The planks were intended to support the curtains. The placement of the planks in their upright position demonstrated that they served as a continuous series of pillars which supported the covering curtains. In other words, the Mishcan was not composed of wooden walls covered by tapestry. It was a set of curtains supported by wooden planks. This means that the curtains were the more fundamental component of the structure and the planks were merely intended to support and give form to these curtains.
4. The function of the clasps and their relationship to the Parochet
Now the function of the clasps and their placement in correspondence with the Parochet can be understood. The curtains were the more fundamental structural element of the Mishcan. The clasps that brought together the two sets of curtains reflected a fundamental element of the Mishcan’s design. This fundamental element was the existence within structure of two discreet areas – the Sacred and the Most Sacred. This requirement – the creation of two separate areas – was so fundamental to the Mishcan’s design that it was incorporated into the design of the curtains. The curtains themselves were composed to two separate sets. One set was designated to cover the Most Sacred and the other set was designated to cover the Sacred.[2] The placement of the Parochet under the clasps, actualized the separation of the two areas suggested and designated by the golden clasps.
And Moshe brought the Ark to the Mishcan and put in place the covering Parochet. He covered the Ark of Testimony as Hashem commanded Moshe. (Sefer Shemot 40:21)
5. The Parochet was hung after the Aron was positioned
Parshat Pekudai describes the order in which Moshe assembled the Mishcan and arranged its vessels. The above passage explains that Moshe first placed the Aron into the Most Sacred. After placing the Aron in its assigned position, he erected the Parochet. This seems odd. The Most Sacred was the inner portion of the Mishcan. It was separated from the outer portion by the Parochet. Why did Moshe place the Aron in the inner area of the Mishcan before completing its separation from the outer portion with the erection of the Parochet?
The passage above describes the Parochet as the “covering” Parochet. This means that the Parochet served a dual purpose. It separated the Sacred from the Most Sacred. It also covered or shielded the Aron. The order followed by Moshe suggests that Parochet could only be erected when it could fulfill both functions. Before Moshe placed the Aron in its designated area, the Parochet could not function as its cover or shield. Therefore, Moshe first placed the Aron in its position and then he erected the Parochet as the Aron’s cover or shield.
And you should bring the Shulchan and arrange upon it its assembly (of loaves). You should bring the Menorah and ignite its candles. (Sefer Shemot 40:4)
And you should place the Shulchan outside of the Parochet and the Menorah opposite the Shulchan – on the south side of the Mishcan. And the Shulchan should be on the north side. (Sefer Shemot 26:35)
6. The Shulchan’s relationship to the Parochet
The first of the above passages is from Parshat Pekudai. It explains that after Moshe placed the Parochet in its place, he placed the Shulchan and Menorah in their respective positions. The passage does not provide an explanation for the order in which Moshe positioned these items. However, the rationale for the order is evident from the passages in Parshat Terumah in which Hashem instructs Bnai Yisrael to create the Mishcan. The second above passage is from these instructions. In this passage, the location of the Shulchan is described as “outside of the Parochet” – meaning facing the outer-side of the Parochet. The Parochet created an inner area of the Mishcan – the Most Sacred and an outer area – the Sacred. The passage instructs Bnai Yisrael to place the Shulchan in this outer area. However, it is important to note the position of the Shulchan is described relative to the Parochet. Therefore, the Shulchan could not be put in place until the Parochet was erected. It was only possible to position the Shulchan opposite the Parochet after the Parochet was hung in place.
7. The relationship between the Shulchan and Menorah
The first passage explains that Moshe first placed the Shulchan in its proper place and then the Menorah was placed in its proper position. Again, this order was not arbitrary. Instead, Moshe’s order reflects the instructions provided earlier in Parshat Terumah. There, the position of the Menorah is described as opposite the Shulchan. In other words, the Menorah’s position was determined by and relative to the Shulchan. Only after placing the Shulchan in its proper place was it possible to place the Menorah in position.
[1] Rashi 27:15.
[2] See Rashbam 27:33.