If the sudden shift of gears in the Torah from the heroic narratives of Genesis and Exodus to the apparently pedantic legalism of Mishpatim ('Laws') is puzzling, this week's parashah is even more problematic.

In Terumah (which means 'Donation,' referring to the materials donated by the Israelites for the construction of the Tabernacle), we move from the legalistic concerns of last week's parashah to the ritualistic details of the building and maintenance of the Tabernacle.

We begin a very long discussion, which actually takes us through much of the rest of the Torah, of the Temple: the materials needed to construct it, its design, its vessels, the sacrifices to be offered and the rites to be practiced within it. If the legal material of Mishpatim does in fact hold a good deal of relevance for our own lives, and actually represents a shift from the stories of redemption to the commandment to redeem, what does the Temple and its rituals mean to us?

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