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Parshat TerumahThe Midrash (Shmot Rabba, 34:1) says this about the construction of the Mishkan, “When Hashem told Moshe ‘build for Me a mishkan,’ Moshe began to wonder. The glory of G-d fills the heavens and Earth, and He has told me ‘build for Me a mishkan?’ Hashem answered Moshe, ‘The way that you think is not the way I think. Rather, 20 boards on the north, 20 boards on the south and 8 boards on the west (will suffice). And not only that, but I will descend and confine My glory to a space of one cubit.’” The perplexity with which Moshe Rabbeinu greeted the commandment to build the Mishkan is echoed in the many explanations offered to explain this parsha. The importance of the Mishkan can be seen in the space dedicated to it in the Torah. We have an entire parsha dedicated to its description, and then we have another two parshiyot dedicated to its construction. There is a disagreement between the Rambam and Ramban over the purpose of the Mishkan (and its successor, the Beit Hamikdash). The Rambam (in Sefer Hamitzvot, positive commandment number 20, and in Hilchot Beit Hab’chira 1:1) writes that we are obligated to erect a building where sacrifices are offered and where we can assemble, three times a year, to celebrate our holidays. As part of this mitzva the Rambam includes all the vessels which were located within the Mishkan. The Ramban has a different perspective regarding the Mishkan. In his critique of the Sefer Hamitzvot (positive commandment number 33) he takes issue with the Rambam. The Rambam wrote that there is a single commandment to construct a Mishkan and its vessels. The Ramban says there are two separate commandments. One mitzva is to build a Mishkan and the vessels needed for the sacrifices. A separate mitzva is to build an aron and a kaporet which would hold the luchot habrit. The Ramban insists that the aron habrit is not a component of the Mishkan. The difference in attitudes regarding the aron habrit is striking. The Ramban insists that the aron habrit should be counted as a separate mitzva while the Rambam does not even mention it at all in Sefer Hamitzvot, number 20. In Mishna Torah the mizbach ha’ola gets a chapter of its own (chapter 2 in Hilchot Beit Hab’chira) and the aron habrit is barely an aside in the fourth chapter of Hilchot Beit Hab’chira. The Ramban explains his ideas about the Mishkan in his commentary to the Torah. Clearly the Mishkan was a place for bringing sacrifices. But for the Ramban this was a secondary consideration. The Ramban writes in his preface to our parsha, “ … the main desire is for a Mishkan, a place for the dwelling of the Shechina which is the aron …for this reason the aron (and kaporet ) was mentioned first because it is most exalted …” The creation of a place for the dwelling of the Shechina is of paramount importance for the Ramban. The Ramban states this in his introduction to sefer Shmot. The story of sefer Shmot is the redemption from slavery. But redemption does not end with physical delivery. The Jewish people had to be restored to the level of their ancestors. The Avot and Imahot brought the awareness of Hashem to the world and Hashem was able to dwell among them. This state of affairs had to be recreated. So after taking the Jews out of Egypt, Hashem brought the people to Mount Sinai. There He gave them the Torah and commanded them to build the Mishkan.. When the Mishkan was completed the Shechina was able to dwell again on Earth. The goal of the redemption was achieved and sefer Shmot ends at that point. I’ll finish with another citation from the Midrash on the parsha (33:8). When Hashem was telling the details of the Mishkan to Moshe, Moshe asked, “ Can the people of Israel construct it?” Hashem answered, “ Even a single Jew can build it, as it says (25:2) ‘…from each person whose heart desires to contribute…’” |
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