Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Parasha Overview: Terumah (Videos)

Weekly Sidra: Terumah (Gift) Torah Portion: Shemot / Exodus 25:1-27:19 Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 66:1-24 Terumah or Trumah (תְּרוּמָה — Hebrew for "gift" or “offering,” the twelfth word and first distinctive word in the parshah) is the nineteenth weekly Torah portion (parasha) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus 25:1–27:19. Jews in the Diaspora read it the nineteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in February or early March. The parshah tells of God’s instructions to make the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Terumah is a word with no real English equivalent. In the Torah, terumah refers to a certain type of offering dedicated to the Temple, like a tithe or firstfruits offering. In Exodus 25, the contribution is for the building of a holy place. This Torah reading is occupied with the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Last week's parsha was parsha Mishpatim, where Moshe Rabeinu was on Mount Sinai receiving commandments from G-d after the Jewish people asked him to receive the rest of the Torah for them. This is parsha Terumah which continues in that vein. Note: On the Shabbat the Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person “goes up” to make a bracha [blessing] on...