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‘They shall made a sanctuary (Mishkan) for Me, so that I may dwell amongst
them’ (25:8).
Rashi comments that the words ‘for Me’ do not mean that the Mishkan was a
structure that was to be built as a present to G-d, but that it was to be
‘lishma’ – dedicated to His service. Thus the Mishkan was the place that
contained the Divine Presence of G-d (the Shechina) in its most intensive
form. As the Ramban develops, the Mishkan – both in its whole and in its
many parts, was a permanent re-enactment of the Revelation at Mount Sinai.
The Exodus had only achieved its purpose when the spiritual heights that the
Israelites had temporarily achieved at Mount Sinai had become a permanent
part of their existence by means of the Mishkan. For example G-d spoke to
Moses exclusively through the Holy Ark, just as He had spoken with him
exclusively at the top of Mount Sinai.
It follows that the Mishkan was not a gift from the Israelites to G-d, but a
gift from G-d to the Israelites.
Proportionally, the four Parashiot of the Torah recounting the details of
the construction of the Mishkan occupy a very large section of the Torah.
This becomes obvious when comparing it with the relatively small amount of
space given to the vast majority of Mitzvot between Man and G-d, and between
Man and Man. Why is this so?
One approach to this issue is to focus on how the Mishkan, and the First and
Second Temples after it, gave the Israelites (and later the Jews) a home. It
gave them roots, a sense of belonging, a sense of direction, and a sense of
being linked with the Absolute Force that created the Earth. These themes
are expanded below.
As I child, I went through the trauma of leaving familiar friends and
surroundings several times, in each case moving to a new city and community.
My late Mother, Harabanit Devorah Solomon, ztl., used to remind me that
there are certain things that will never change – wherever we are and
whatever we do. Those things are the commitment to the Torah and the keeping
of the Mitzvot. And also, that our values as a family unit together stay the
same, wherever we may be.
The Israelites in the desert went through many changes of address. But in a
sense they were still at Mount Sinai, because wherever and in whatever
circumstances they were in, they were linked with the Infinite Force that
created them, and was revealed to them. Each item of the Mishkan, as well as
its totality, carried an important message that lay at the foundation of the
life of each and every Israelite.
The many commentators that write about the symbolism of the Mishkan bring
out this idea. For example, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch distinguishes
between the Table, the Incense Altar and Candelabrum on one hand, and the
Ark on the other. The former did not require poles that were permanently in
place. On the other hand, the text says in respect to the Ark, ‘The poles
(used for carrying the Ark) shall be in the rings of the Ark; they shall not
be removed from it’ (25:15). He implies that Table, Incense Altar, and
Candelabrum are symbols of interaction – the bread, incense, and light
symbolize the Jewish people throughout the ages leading spiritual lives, but
nevertheless contributing and participating in all walks of life, wherever
they are. The legitimate expression of the Torah thus takes many forms.
The Ark, on the other hand, reflected the essence of the Torah, which does
not vary according to location. The Torah transcends restrictions of space.
Even when it is in its fixed location, the poles of the Ark must be ready to
carry it anywhere - as one intact unit. And the prohibition of separating
the poles from the Ark suggests that wherever the Jew travels, the essence
of Torah teaching remain the same.
Many people today feel lost because they have no roots. If they have moved
from place to place, or have no close family, or do not fit into an easily
defined niche, they sooner or later feel despondent and ask themselves: Who
am I? Where am I going? Where do I belong? What are my aims in life? What
really is my home?
Torah Judaism teaches that so long as a person has the Torah, he is never
lost. ‘It is a tree of life for those take hold of it’ (Proverbs 3:18). Its
wide forms of expressions are held together by that essence which was first
communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai, and later came to rest in the Holy
Ark.
The roots and way forward of the Jew are presented in the Talmud (Avot
4:29), that declares “…you are born, …you die, …you are destined to give
full account (of your deeds) before the Kings of Kings, the Holy One,
Blessed be He”. That is life’s journey and life’s destination, in the many
forms that very journey can take. Thus the Mishkan – and after the
Destructions, the Shechina, are links between ourselves, and the bigger and
more permanent eternity of the soul. The force that promotes earthly
existence to eternal life was at its most intense in the Mishkan. It was not
a mere place of worship: it was given such prominence in the Torah because
it brought to Earth the fullest manifestation of the Force which gives the
Jew his identity, his mission, his direction, and ultimately his eternal
life.
May the Shechina be speedily restored to Zion in our days.
e-mail:
jacobsol@netvision.net.il This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network For information on subscriptions, archives, and http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344 |