Questions for Preparation and Self Study
Questions for Preparation - Word Format
Shiur #1: The Mishkan: Before or After Chet Ha'Egel?
Abstract of above shiur [Text] [Html] [Word]
Shiur #2: Haftarat Parshat Terumah - Melachim I 5:26-6:13
Shiur #3: The Special Structure of Parshiot HaMishkan

The Mishkan: Before or After Chet Ha'Egel?

Had it not been for Chet Ha'Egel, would Bnei Yisrael have needed a Mishkan? Many claim that the answer to this 'philosophical' question lies in the famous 'exegetical' controversy between Rashi and Ramban concerning when God commanded Bnei Yisrael to build the Mishkan, before or after the sin of the golden calf. In this week's shiur, as we study this controversy and its ramifications, we will show how the answer to this question is not so simple. While doing so, we will also try to make some sense out of the thorny issue of "ein mukdam u'meuchar ba'Torah" (chronological order in Chumash).

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Haftarat Parshat Terumah - Melachim I 5:26-6:13

In this week's Parsha shiur, we discuss the difference between the Mikdash, a permanent sanctuary, and the Mishkan, a portable and more temporary structure. This week's Haftara describes the actual construction of the permanent Mikdash, the Temple built by King Solomon. However, this only takes place some 480 years later. What took so long? In Part II we provide both a technical and a thematic explanation for why this week's haftara opens with several details concerning the cooperation between Shlomo Ha'Melech and Chiram, the king of Tyre (Lebanon).

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The Special Structure of Parshiot HaMishkan

Who stole the Mizbach HaK'toret? In case you didn't notice, it seems as though the Mizbach HaK'toret was 'stolen' from the beginning of Parshat Terumah and 'hidden away' in the end of Parshat Tezaveh! To understand why, this week's shiur examines the internal structure of Parshiot Terumah/Tezaveh and its significance.

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