1. What three different words in this Parsha have the same four letters?
2. Why is the prohibition of work on Shabbat written prior to the instructions for building the Mishkan?
3. In verse 35:11, what is the Mishkan, the tent of the Mishkan and the covering of the Mishkan?
4. What were the bigdei hasrad for?
5. What was unique about the way the goat's hair was spun?
6. Why did the princes contribute last? How does the Torah show dissatisfaction with this?
7. Who were the two primary builders of the Mishkan? What tribes were they from?
8. What image was woven into the parochet?
9. Why was the building of the aron attributed to Betzalel?
10. What was the mizbeach ha'olah made of?

1. Why is the word Mishkan stated twice in 38:21?
2. Who was appointed to carry the Mishkan's vessels?
3. What does "Betzalel" mean?
4. How many people gave a half-shekel?
5. Which material used in the bigdei kehuna was not used for covering the sacred vessels?
6. How were the gold threads made?
7. What was on the hem of the me'il?
8. On which day was the Mishkan first erected and not dismantled?
9. Where in the Mishkan was the menorah placed?
10. On which day did both Moshe and Aharon serve as kohanim?

QUESTION: Why does the Torah specify exactly what was done with the silver, whereas the Torah is not as specific regarding the gold?

ANSWER: Being that everyone gave exactly half of a silver shekel, the total amount of silver was public knowledge. Therefore, the more relevant question regarding the silver was "How was it used?" The gold, however, had been a free-will offering, each person giving as much as he wanted. Therefore, the more relevant question regarding the gold was "How much was donated?"

At the time of the sin of the Golden Calf, dissent and disunity splintered the Jewish People. So much so that, according to the Talmud Yerushalmi, each tribe actually had its own golden calf, because they couldn't agree on one! Here, with the building of the Mishkan, Moshe seeks to rectify this; he gathers the entire community together, attempting to unite them as when they received the Torah "like one man, with one heart."

1. What three different words in this Parsha have the same four letters?
   36:35, 37:6,19 - Parochet, kaporet and kaftor.
   
   
2. Why is the prohibition of work on Shabbat written prior to the instructions for building the Mishkan?
   35:2 - To teach that building the Mishkan does not supersede Shabbat.
   
   
3. In verse 35:11, what is the Mishkan, the tent of the Mishkan and the covering of the Mishkan?
   35:11 - The lower curtains visible from within, the goat-skins, and the ram and tachash skins, respectively.
   
   
4. What were the bigdei hasrad for?
   35:19 - They covered the aron, shulchan, menorah, and the mizbechot during transport.
   
   
5. What was unique about the way the goat's hair was spun?
   35:26 - It was spun directly from the goats' backs.
   
   
6. Why did the princes contribute last? How does the Torah show dissatisfaction with this?
   35:27 - The princes wanted the people to contribute first, and only then they would contribute whatever was lacking. Hence, the Torah omits a letter from their title.
   
   
7. Who were the two primary builders of the Mishkan? What tribes were they from?
   35:30, 35:34 - Betzalel ben Uri from Yehuda; Oholiav ben Achisamach from Dan.
   
   
8. What image was woven into the parochet?
   36:35 - Keruvim. (See Rashi 26:31).
   
   
9. Why was the building of the aron attributed to Betzalel?
   37:1 - He dedicated himself to its building more than anyone.
   
   
10. What was the mizbeach ha'olah made of?
    38:1-2 - Wood covered with copper.

1. Why is the word Mishkan stated twice in 38:21?
   38:21 - To allude to the Beit Hamikdash that would twice be taken as a "mashkon" (pledge) for Jewish People's sins.
   
   
2. Who was appointed to carry the Mishkan's vessels?
   38:21 - The levi'im.
   
   
3. What does "Betzalel" mean?
   38:22 - "In the shadow of G-d."
   
   
4. How many people gave a half-shekel?
   38:26 - 603,550.
   
   
5. Which material used in the bigdei kehuna was not used for covering the sacred vessels?
   39:1 - Linen. (See Rashi 31:10)
   
   
6. How were the gold threads made?
   39:3 - Gold was beaten into thin plates from which threads were cut. (See Rashi 28:6)
   
   
7. What was on the hem of the me'il?
   39:24,25 - Woven pomegranates and gold bells.
   
   
8. On which day was the Mishkan first erected and not dismantled?
   40:17 - Rosh Chodesh Nissan of the second year. For seven days before this, Moshe erected and dismantled the Mishkan. (Rashi 39:29)
   
   
9. Where in the Mishkan was the menorah placed?
   40:24 - On the southern side of the Ohel Mo'ed opposite the shulchan.
   
   
10. On which day did both Moshe and Aharon serve as kohanim?
    40:31 - On the eighth day of the Mishkan's consecration.