Shemot 26,27 (Terumah) – The three zones of the mishkan and the covenantal process

Shemot 26, 27 record the instructions how to build the walls of the mishkan proper, and its courtyard. The mishkan proper was 30 amot by 10 amot and consisted of two rooms, the larger outer room, 20 amot by 10 amot, and the inner, smaller room, which we refer to as the Holy of Holies and is assumed to have been a perfect cube, 10 amot by 10 amot by 10 amot. The courtyard encompassed the mishkan proper and was 100 amot by 50 amot. Thus, altogether the mishkan had three areas or zones, the two rooms within the mishkan proper and the courtyard. Access to these zones was differentiated. Layman could only enter the outer court, priests could enter the mishkan proper, and the High Priest would enter the inner room of the mishkan on Yom Kippur.

These three zones of the mishkan correspond to the three zones by the Decalogue, see Sarna, 1986, p.203. By the Decalogue, G-d (the glory of G-d) was on the top of Mount Sinai, 19:20, Moshe and Aharon were a little bit up on the mountain, 19:24, and the people were below and not on the mountain at all, 19:12, 24.

In addition, I believe that these three zones correspond to the three stages in the covenant process that we discussed on Shemot 24. The first stage in the covenantal process was the general acceptance of the covenant by G-d and the Jewish people and this would correspond to the courtyard area. The outer altar was located in the courtyard, and within the instructions of the mishkan are laws of the daily olah sacrifice, 29:38-42. This sacrifice symbolizes the people’s dedication to G-d, and this shows the people's acceptance of G-d. Also when discussing this sacrifice, 29:41 records that the sacrifice would be a “pleasing odor to G-d.” It is not exactly clear what this phrase means, but at a minimum, it means that G-d approved of the sacrifice, and this shows G-d’s acceptance of the people.

The second stage of the covenantal process was the details of the covenant, the laws, and this would be represented by the aron that contained the tablets. Furthermore, just like the details of the covenant are the “heart” of the covenant so too the aron and inner room were the “heart” of the mishkan.

The third stage of the covenantal process was the ceremony of the ratification of the covenant and it always contained a meal and a revelation from G-d. This would correspond to the outer room of the mishkan proper in which were situated the menorah and the table of bread. The lights of the menorah represented the revelation of G-d, and the table contained the bread, 25:30, which represents the meal that always occurs at the ceremony of the covenant. The third item in the outer room was the incense altar but this did not symbolize any aspect of the covenantal process since it was recorded after the concluding verse of the building of the mishkan, 29:46. In fact, it served as a barrier symbolizing a division between the people and G-d which is the opposite of the covenantal idea.