Torah Portion: Exodus 27:20-30:10 Parashat Tetzaveh 5784/ פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה

(31) You shall make the robe of the ephod of pure blue. (32) The opening for the head shall be in the middle of it; the opening shall have a binding of woven work round about—it shall be like the opening of a coat of mail—so that it does not tear. (33) On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around: (34) a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. (35) Aaron shall wear it while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before יהוה and when he goes out—that he may not die.

(36) You shall make a frontlet of pure gold and engrave on it the seal inscription: “Holy to יהוה.” (37) Suspend it on a cord of blue, so that it may remain on the headdress; it shall remain on the front of the headdress. (38) It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may take away any sin arising from the holy things that the Israelites consecrate, from any of their sacred donations; it shall be on his forehead at all times, to win acceptance for them before יהוה.

(39) You shall make the fringed tunic of fine linen. You shall make the headdress of fine linen. You shall make the sash of embroidered work. (40) And for Aaron’s sons also you shall make tunics, and make sashes for them, and make turbans for them, for dignity and adornment. (41) Put these on your brother Aaron and on his sons as well; anoint them, and ordain them and consecrate them to serve Me as priests. (42) You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs. (43) They shall be worn by Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to officiate in the sanctuary, so that they do not incur punishment and die. It shall be a law for all time for him and for his offspring to come.

(1) This is what you shall do to them in consecrating them to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull of the herd and two rams without blemish; (2) also unleavened bread, unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, and unleavened wafers spread with oil—make these of choice wheat flour. (3) Place these in one basket and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams. (4) Lead Aaron and his sons up to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.

(5) Then take the vestments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the decorated band of the ephod. (6) Put the headdress on his head, and place the holy diadem upon the headdress. (7) Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. (8) Then bring his sons forward; clothe them with tunics (9) and wind turbans upon them. And gird both Aaron and his sons with sashes. And so they shall have priesthood as their right for all time. You shall then ordain Aaron and his sons.

(10) Lead the bull up to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and let Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of the bull. (11) Slaughter the bull before יהוה, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, (12) and take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. (13) Take all the fat that covers the entrails, the protuberance on the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and turn them into smoke upon the altar. (14) The rest of the flesh of the bull, its hide, and its dung shall be put to the fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

(15) Next take the one ram, and let Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the ram’s head. (16) Slaughter the ram, and take its blood and dash it against all sides of the altar. (17) Cut up the ram into sections, wash its entrails and legs, and put them with its quarters and its head. (18) Turn all of the ram into smoke upon the altar. It is a burnt offering to יהוה, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to יהוה.

(15) Next take the one ram, and let Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the ram’s head. (16) Slaughter the ram, and take its blood and dash it against all sides of the altar. (17) Cut up the ram into sections, wash its entrails and legs, and put them with its quarters and its head. (18) Turn all of the ram into smoke upon the altar. It is a burnt offering to יהוה, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to יהוה.

(10) [Now] you, O mortal, describe the temple to the House of Israel, and let them measure its design. But let them be ashamed of their iniquities: (11) When they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the plan of the temple and its layout, its exits and entrances—its entire plan, and all the laws and instructions pertaining to its entire plan. Write it down before their eyes, that they may faithfully follow its entire plan and all its laws. (12) Such are the instructions for the temple on top of the mountain: the entire area of its enclosure shall be most holy. Thus far the instructions for the temple. (13) And these are the dimensions of the altar, in cubits where each is a cubit and a handbreadth. The trench shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim one span high around its edge. And the height shall be as follows: (14) From the trench in the ground to the lower ledge, which shall be a cubit wide: 2 cubits; from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, which shall likewise be a cubit wide: 4 cubits; (15) and the height of the altar hearth shall be 4 cubits, with 4 horns projecting upward from the hearth: 4 cubits. (16) Now the hearth shall be 12 cubits long and 12 broad, square, with 4 equal sides. (17) Hence, the [upper] base shall be 14 cubits broad, with 4 equal sides. The surrounding rim shall be half a cubit [high], and the surrounding trench shall measure one cubit. And the ramp shall face east. (18) Then that figure said to me: O mortal, thus said the Sovereign GOD: These are the directions for the altar on the day it is erected, so that burnt offerings may be offered up on it and blood dashed against it. (19) You shall give to the levitical priests who are of the stock of Zadok, and so eligible to minister to Me—declares the Sovereign GOD —a young bull of the herd for a purgation offering. (20) You shall take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns [of the altar], to the four corners of the base, and to the surrounding rim; thus you shall purge it and perform purification upon it. (21) Then you shall take the bull of purgation offering and burn it in the designated area of the temple, outside the Sanctuary. (22) On the following day, you shall offer a goat without blemish as a purgation offering; and the altar shall be purged [with it] just as it was purged with the bull. (23) When you have completed the ritual of purging, you shall offer a bull of the herd without blemish and a ram of the flock without blemish. (24) Offer them to GOD; let the priests throw salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to GOD. (25) Every day, for seven days, you shall present a goat of purgation offering, as well as a bull of the herd and a ram of the flock; you shall present unblemished ones. (26) Seven days they shall purge the altar and purify it; thus shall it be consecrated. (27) And when these days are over, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being on the altar; and I will extend My favor to you—declares the Sovereign GOD.

(1) In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, this word of GOD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: (2) Thus said GOD of Hosts: These people say, “The time has not yet come for rebuilding the House of GOD.” (3) And the word of GOD through the prophet Haggai continued: (4) Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House is lying in ruins? (5) Now thus said GOD of Hosts: Consider how you have been faring! (6) You have sowed much and brought in little; you eat without being satisfied; you drink without getting your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one gets warm; and he who earns anything earns it for a leaky purse. (7) Thus said GOD of Hosts: Consider how you have fared: (8) Go up to the hills and get timber, and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favor and I will be glorified —said GOD. (9) You have been expecting much and getting little; and when you brought it home, I would blow on it! Because of what?—says GOD of Hosts. Because of My House that lies in ruins, while you all hurry to your own houses! (10) That is why the skies above you have withheld [their] moisture and the earth has withheld its yield, (11) and I have summoned fierce heat upon the land—upon the hills, upon the new grain and wine and oil, upon all that the ground produces, upon human and animal, and upon all the fruits of labor. (12) Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the rest of the people gave heed to the summons of the ETERNAL their God and to the words of the prophet Haggai, when the ETERNAL their God sent him; the people feared GOD.