Terumah

In this parashah we find the signature geometry as well as an allusion to the physical size, ratio and volumetric measure of the combined cubic form of the luchot, hidden in the measurements of various items in the Tabernacle: "Make an ark... 2 1/2 cubits long, 1 1/2 cubits wide and 1 1/2 cubits high."

We will explain the connection in a moment. In the meantime, if you are new to this blog and have not yet read the essential constructs listed in the column to the right, please do so before proceeding. They explain some of the basic connections between the letters of God's Explicit Name and the multidimensional mathematic and geometric characteristics of the shnei luchot (two tablets) both in the divided state and combined cubic form, along with the internal geometry that casts a shadow known as a magen david. There is a special connection between the Name, the luchot and the geometry of the magen. The purpose of this blog is to show how they all connect and to reveal where the signature geometry is hidden in each week’s parashah. Once you are familiar with these constructs you can more fully appreciate each post.

For those already familiar with the signature geometry, note that a cubit is 6 handbreadths. That makes each wall of the ark 9 handbreadths high on the outside, and because of the thickness of the base it was 8 handbreadths high on the inside. The walls of the ark had 3 layers: 1) an outer layer of gold; 2) a middle layer of wood, and 3) an inner layer of gold.  The measurements associated with the height of the walls, inside and out, in combination with the trilaminate method of construction, allude to the number of letters in the Triad Havaya of 72, or the Explicit Name: 8 x 9 (72) x 3 = 216.

In addition to the above measurements, gold is generally considered the most precious of building materials. Wood is generally considered the least desirable, with iron or stone being preferable for strength and/or durability. Gold is therefore the ‘first’ in terms of desirability, if for no other reason than it’s appearance or value, while wood is ‘last’ in terms of desirability. The materials that were used in the construction of the ark’s walls, being “gold-wood-gold” also alludes to the letters of the Explicit Name. The letters in the 3 verses with 72 letters are permuted: first - last - first (as is known).

If you divide the length of the ark (less the thickness of the walls) to determine the length of the "space" within, you get 13 handbreadths (2.5 cubits = 15 handbreadths minus 2 handbreadths = 13 handbreadths). Divide this by the measure of the luchot that were kept inside (6 handbreadths) and you get the ratio of the length inside the ark, to the external measure of the luchot. The relationship between the internal and the external is 2.16 (rounded to the nearest one hundredth). This is a further reflection of the signature geometry, and the hidden nature of our physical reality. It tends to adhere to a measurement or standard established by the 216 letters of the Name. 

It then says: “Make a table... 2 cubits long, 1 cubit wide..." The table also had 3 layers: a top layer of gold, a middle layer of wood, and a bottom layer of gold (the gold was wrapped around the wood to cover it completely). The table was 2 cubits long (12 handbreadths) and 1 cubit wide (6 handbreadths). These measurements together with the trilaminate method of construction not only allude to the triad nature, and number of letters in the Explicit Name: 12 x 6 (72) x 3 = 216, but the actual area of the table is 72 square handbreadths, which is the number of triplets associated with the Name.

The Torah continues with directions to “Make the Tabernacle....”

 The space beyond the partition was known as the Holy of Holies and it measured 10 cubits by 10 cubits by 10 cubits. In this case, both the Signature of the Architect and the geometry of the luchot are hidden in the measure when it is converted to handbreadths. A royal cubit was 6 handbreadths and so a measure of 10 cubits (at 6 handbreadths per cubit) along three dimensions, defines a "space" equal to 6 (tens) of handbreadths by 6 (tens) of handbreadths by 6 (tens) of handbreadths, which is simply 10 x 10 x 10 times the "space" defined by the combined cubic form of the luchot which is 6 x 6 x 6 handbreadths. The volumetric measure of the Holy of Holies was thus 10 x 10 x 10 x 6 x 6 x 6 or 216,000 cubic handbreadths. So again, we continue to see how the letters of God's Name are hidden behind the scenes, just like the nature of that mysterious enigmatic cube [of creation] that defines all things. 

The measurements of the tabernacle and its method of construction have additional connections to the 216 letters that are quite remarkable. However, these are explained in the post on VaYahkel and we will not elaborate on these particular examples here.

This brings us to the menorah. The lamp or menorah in the tabernacle had a series of 3 steps in front, so that the Cohen could service as required. However, for some reason the steps were out-of-proportion. 

The 3 steps were 9 handbreadths wide. It would therefore be logical to assume that the height would be 8 handbreadths, since 8 x 9 (72) x 3 = 216, and this would conform to the pattern of numbers and sets of numbers we've seen above that reflect the Signature of the Architect. However, as stated, the steps were disproportionate. They were actually 8.5 handbreadths high. Why? Steps are something you walk on, and it would be inappropriate for them to have a direct relationship to the Name: 8 (and 1/2) x 9 x 3 does not equal 216.

The Steps to the Menorah

 


The Torah then says: “Make a menorah out of pure gold." There are no measurements given for the menorah, except to say that it must be of pure gold. That is, it would consist of only one layer, with no wood at all, and the one layer would be solid gold. We do have a source outside the written Torah that gives us its height (in mefahot) . That source tells us that it was 18 handbreadths in height. No other measurements are given. This provides us with an intriguing allusion that we'll examine in a moment. However, before we do, we need to get back to the measurements for the menorah (or lack thereof). 

The description we have of the menorah raises a question: assuming the Signature of the Architect were to be found in the measurement of the menorah, like everything else, then how wide would it have to be?

 The answer, assuming it follows the same pattern as everything else in the tabernacle (which is a mathematic reflection of the letters in God's Name) we would expect the formula to look something like this: 1 (layer) x 18 (handbreadths in height) x "W" (where W is the width of the menorah) equals 216 (which is the number of letters in the Name). All things being equal, the width would have to be 12 handbreadths: 1 x 18 x 12 = 216.

For more information on how the menorah reflects the letters of God’s Name, see the post on the Eight Dimensions.

As for the intriguing allusion we mentioned above. Throughout the course of this blog we have shown the connection that the patterns of numbers, sets of numbers and ratios have with the letters of the primary abbreviations of the Explicit Name, and the connection they have to the 4 observable dimensions and the 4 forces in quantum mechanics. In many cases, we have seen the numbers as a function of one, two, three, and even four dimensions. In the case of each of the items mentioned above, the "measure" seems to be associated with the same progression, like the one dimension given for the Menorah (18) the two dimensions for the table (6 x 12) the three dimensions for the 3 walls of the Holy of Holies (10 x 10 x 10) but where's the fourth? Perhaps it can be found in the 4 walls of the ark where we have two dimensions for each of its 4 walls. So in the case of the ark we may have, not only an allusion to the fourth dimension, but also to the 2 primary abbreviations in the 4-letters of the Tetragrammaton and the 4-letters in Adnoot. 

Coincidence? It could be. However, when we consider the degree to which everything else is interconnected, and that everything invariably ends up reflecting these same characteristics, it may be a good deal more than just coincidence. We'll let the reader decide.