Our Parasha - the final Parasha in Sefer Shemot - concludes by relating, that after (40:33):
‘Moshe completed the work’ of the erection of the Mishkan: (40:34-38)’The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle.
‘Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested upon it, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle.
‘When the cloud was raised up from the Tabernacle, the Children of Israel would embark on their journeys. If the cloud did not rise up, they would not embark, until the day it rose up.
‘For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Tabernacle by day and fire would be on it at night, before the eyes of all the House of Israel throughout their journeys.’
Chizkuni comments: ’Moshe could not enter the Tent of Assembly’, at the time of its erection, because the cloud of glory rested on it, to show the affection of Hashem for Israel.
‘However, after this, the cloud would depart from inside the Tent, and dwell on the Aron, as it says:’I will arrange My meetings with you there, and speak to you from atop the the ark cover’, and then Moshe entered the Tent.’
Sforno similarly comments:’Immediately Moshe completed the work required for the residence of the Shechina - this being the erection of the Mishkan and the service in it - the cloud covered it, and the Shechina rested there, filling the Mishkan, seen in all parts of the Mishkan, but not outside it, at all.’
The Pesikta Rabati beautifully elucidates:’(Behaalotcha 7:1)’And it was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan’:Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said:’What is ‘and it was’?: something that had been, and now returned, as it has been - as we find, that at the beginning of creation, the Shechina was on earth, as we read that Adam and Chava ‘heard the voice of G-d walking in the garden’.
‘However, the sins of successive generations, starting with the transgression of Adam haRishon, and of six successive wicked generations, from Cain, culminating with Avimelech - who took Sarah - caused the Shechina to ascend to the seventh level.
'Then came Avraham, and other righteous men, in the merit of each of whom, the Shechina descended - concluding with Amram, who caused it to descend to the first level.
Concludes the Pesikta:’Fortunate are the righteous, who caused the Shechina to dwell on earth - came Moshe, and brought it to earth, as we read:’The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting..and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle.’
Rashi brings the commentary of the Torat Kohanim:’Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting’: But one passage says:’(Behaalotcha 7:89):’And when Moshe would enter the Tent of Meeting’ - which is an apparent contradiction of our passuk - The third passuk came and reconciled them: :’because the cloud rested upon it’.
‘You may therefore say that as long as the cloud was upon the Mishkan, Moshe could not enter it - when the cloud withdrew, he would enter, and G-d would speak with him.’
The Be’er Basadeh, on this Rashi, adds:’Do not raise a query, that when the cloud lifted, they journeyed, and how and when, then, did Moshe enter, and Hashem speak with him?
‘We have to say, that when it says that the cloud departed, it did not completely depart, but that, initially it covered the whole of the Tent, even outside of the cover of the Ark, and, as ‘the glory of Hashem filled the’ whole of the ‘Tabenacle and’ therefore ‘Moshe could not enter the Tent’ - however, when the cloud departed from the Tent, and rested inside the cover, in the Holy of Holies, Moshe entered.’
The Kli Yakar offers an elucidation, which, he says:’answers many of the difficulties in this matter, which have been raised by the commentators’.
Expounds the sage: ’From the words:’The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan’, it appears that the ‘glory of Hashem’ is not ‘the cloud’, but that the fire and the light which were the ‘glory of Hashem’, could be seen from within the cloud, as, had it not been for the cloud, it would not be possible to look at it - if man is unable to look at the light of the sun, how much less can he look at the light and glory of the Shechina?
‘Therefore, the sacred light was always only seen through the cloud.
‘When the Mishkan was erected, the two - ‘the cloud’, and ‘the glory’ separated one from the other, as the sacred light entered the Mishkan - the place of His sanctity - and the cloud remained outside.
‘This is what is written at the end of Parashat Mishpatim:(24:16):’And the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and He called to Moshe on the seventh day from within the cloud’ - meaning: the cloud covered the glory of Hashem, so that they could see the glory, as it says there:’And the appearance of the glory of Hashem was like a consuming fire atop the mountain, before the eyes of the Children of Israel’, as in this manner, they could see the glory.
‘This is why - in our Parasha - it says:’Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested upon it, as the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle’, as had the glory of Hashem been intermingled with the cloud, he would have been able to enter, as it says at the end of Parashat Mishpatim:’And Moshe came within the cloud’.
‘However, now that the two were separated one from the other, the cloud being outside, and the glory of Hashem without the cloud, within the Tent of Meeting, Moshe was precluded from entering the Tent - meaning, he was able to come close to it, though the cloud rested on it.’
Our Sages proffer another understanding of the meaning of :’Moshe could not enter the Tent for the cloud rested upon it, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle:’Said Rav Chama bar Chanina: would the thought enter your mind that Moshe was fearful of the cloud that rested upon it? had it not already said ( Parashat Mishpatim ) :’Moshe came within the cloud’, teaching that Moshe was strolling within it as one who is walking within a path.
‘What ‘Moshe could not enter’, means, therefore, that Moshe paid respect to the Shechina, and did not enter until called by Hashem, as it says:(Vayikra 1:1)’And He called to Moshe’.’
Rav Zalman Sorotzkin expounds:’’Moshe could not’: There is ‘could not’ meaning is ‘not permitted’ - here too: not that Moshe wanted to enter the Tent, and was unable to do so, but that he did not do so, out of respect and the honor of Hashem, like (Ki Tissa 33:20):’You will not be able to see My face’.
‘This too arises from Midrash Tanchuma:’Because Moshe erected the Sanctuary, ‘he went and sat’, until Hashem called him.’
Rav Shimon Schwab, brings the saying of Rav Chama bar Chanina, that we brought, and queries:’if, as this Midrash expounds, Moshe did not enter ‘out of respect for the honor of the Shechina’, why does it say:’could not enter’, which suggests that it was not possible for him, to enter?
‘To answer this, we need to say, that by his unending work on his midot, habit became nature - therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu’s labors on his midah of subservience and humility before Hashem, became part of his nature, and therefore LITERALLY: He could not enter the Tent of Meeting’, where the glory of Hashem resided.’
The Alshich Hakadosh expounds:’The Torah, in these psukim, says, that even when the cloud over the Tent did not prevent Moshe from entering, and speaking, as we read in Parashat Ki Tissa (33:9):’And it would be that when Moshe entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and Hashem would speak with Moshe’, therefore it says that the two situations are not identical, as the presence of the Shechina is not the same in all situations.
‘There, the presence of the Shechina was only on the lesser side, but in our Parasha, ‘the glory of Hashem filled’ the tent, and was - in this state - awesome indeed.
‘Therefore, ‘Moshe could not enter thr Tent of Meeting, and, should you ask, what changed from the earlier time, where it was also called ‘the Tent of Meeting’, and where the cloud also descended, and Hashem spoke with Moshe, it therefore says:’ because the cloud rested upon it’, there it was not permanent, and the glory of Hashem was not revealed in all its glory.
‘Now, the cloud rested on it, having come to rest there for the whole time that it served as the Mishkan.
‘Furthermore, it was now a time of favor before Hashem, after they repented for the transgression of the golden calf, and He gave them the Second Luchot, and came to dwell amongst them.
‘This is the explanation of the manner in which the Torah reconciled between the psukim, that now ‘the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle’, so that Moshe could not enter, until called by Hashem.’
Rav Shlomo Kluger also favors us, with his exposition on our pasuk, saying:’The reason given for Moshe being unable to enter the tent, that ‘the cloud covered the tent’, is not understandable - did we not read in Parashat Mishpatim, ‘Moshe came in the cloud’?
‘Why, then, in our Parasha, did the cloud preclude him from entering?
‘We must say that the word עליו: on it, does nor refer to the Mishkan, but to Moshe.
‘We find that one of the Sages in the Gemara (Yoma 4:), that ‘and the cloud covered it’, refers to Moshe Rabbeinu, who needed seven days separation to be able to ascend above.
‘Had there not been additional sanctity in the Mishkan, Moshe would have been able to enter the Mishkan without these seven days separation, and sanctification in the cloud.
‘The greater sanctity that was in the Mishkan, meant that he could not enter there until he had been sanctified in the cloud, and had separated for seven days, as was the case when he ascended above.
‘This is the meaning of ‘he could not enter the Tent because the cloud rested עליו: on it’: not on the tent, but עליו: on Moshe, to sanctify him - the reason why he needed to be sanctified by the cloud was:’ because the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle’, this great kedusha precluding entering without sanctification in the cloud, first.’
Let us part our delving into these wondrous matters, with the exposition of Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl.
The Rav brings the comment of Ramban, on Sefer Shemot, that ‘the Book of Redemption’ - as he calls it - ‘is crowned, not by the exodus from the slavery in Egypt, but by the erection of the Mishkan, as only when, after its erction, and the Shechina resided in it, did Bnei Israel return to the level of their Avot, before their exile in Egypt.
‘True, at Matan Torah the Shechina dwelled on Israel, but this was but a temporary phenomenon, whereas the purpose of the Mishkan was ‘I will dwell amongst you’, for eternity.
‘With this in mind, Sefer Shemot seemingly ends in a surprising manner, casting doubts - as it were - as to the Mishkan.
‘This arises from’ our psukim, that ‘Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud resided on it, and it was filled with the glory of Hashem’.
‘This, after Bnei Israel being relieved, thinking that the dwelling of the Shechina in the Mishkan, was proof that they had been forgiven for the sin of the golden calf.
‘True, at the beginning of Ssfer Vayikra, we read that Hashem called to Moshe, and Moshe was able to enter the Tent of Meeting, the cloud of Hashem, which previously filled the tent, having ‘shrunk’ itself and dwelled in the holy of holies from where Hashem would speak to Moshe, between the cherubim - enabling Moshe to enter.
‘Would it not have been more apt to conclude ‘the book of redemption’, by Moshe entering the Tent, and Hashem speaking to him face-to-face ? instead, we have a sense of distancing on Hashem’s part - Moshe cannot enter the Tent, and the Shechina has not as yet spoken with him.
‘Perhaps we can explain this, as follows: true, the purpose of the Mishkan was to show the closeness of Hashem, and his affection for Bnei Israel, his ‘dwelling amongst them’ - but all this is from the aspect of love, the Mishkan being a sign of the love between Hashem, and His people.
‘However, this love and closeness also needs יראה: awe - this awe serves as the solid foundation, man - together with the love - has to be aware of the distance from the Creator: not to draw nearer than appropriate.
‘Matan Torah is testimony to this: in the wondrous event so full of love, awe has to precede it - there are severe limits on coming too close to the Eternal.
‘This is the very first lesson that the Mishkan teaches: even Moshe the ‘man of G-d’, he too, cannot come too close to the King of Kings.
‘We find, therefore, that, when the Torah chose to conclude Sefer Shemot, with specifically this point: that Moshe cannot approach the kodesh, this emphasizes that Bnei Israel have indeed returned to the exalted level of their forefathers - only when we see that a person as great as Moshe cannot enter, that there is a place ‘off- limits’ to even him - this expresses most clearly the dwelling of the Shechina in the midst of Israel
‘A person can usually enter most places, whenever he wishes - where, then, is there the greatest revelation of the Shechina? If it is not possible to enter the Mishkan - if ‘Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting’ - that is the strongest proof of ‘I will dwell in your midst’, that Bnei Israel returned to the level of their forefathers.’
לרפואת כל חיילי צה"ל ולרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.
