Is there a duller parsha*? And I say this as someone who does not dislike HGTV. Still, all that endless detail about hooks and rings and curtains... it's a little much, no? Two thoughts come back to me every year as I suffer through the tedium:
- If you're a low life apikores seeking some confirmation that the Sages were not like you and me, consider this: Not only did the great men of Jewish letters survive several readings of Trumah, they also composed skillfully brilliant interpretations of it.
- Might Robert Alter be right? He speculates that the construction descriptions were actually exciting to ancient audiences, perhaps because they enjoyed hearing about the lavish accouterments. In his analysis, Terumah is shelter porn
* Yes, there is: Pekudei
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