The Mishkan and Its Role in Atonement
This week’s Sedra, Pekudei, completes the story of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and concludes the second Book of the Torah. A great deal of Scripture has dealt with virtually every detail pertinent to the Wilderness Sanctuary. Why must so much attention be paid to this subject?
There is a dispute among the great Biblical commentators regarding the order of two crucial events. Some maintain that the Torah here does not follow the actual chronology of events. For while the sin of the Golden Calf is recorded after the command to build the Mishkan, it, in fact, preceded it. Others disagree and maintain that the sin of idol worship occurred afterBneiYisrael (Children of Israel) were instructed to erect the Tabernacle.
A very significant issue lies behind this disagreement. Those who say the worship of the Calf came before the command to make the Temple further assert that its very establishment served to achieve atonement for the egregious and seemingly unforgivable violation of the second commandment, “You shall have no alien gods in My presence. (Shemot 20:3).” The question thus arises: in what manner did the production of the Mishkan procure a pardon for the worst crime that BneiYisrael could possibly have committed?
Atonement Through Action: The Mishkan’s Redemption for the Golden Calf
Although there were individuals of great wisdom and practical skill, such as Betzalel, who played a leading role in the very delicate sculpting that was necessary for the major Temple vessels, there was plenty of need for the involvement of others. Construction of the Mishkan was a national endeavor in which everyone participated. At the very outset, the call went out for donations from people whose heart’s generosity motivated them to gift the various objects needed for the project. Moreover, these weren’t inexpensive items.
The people did not flinch from the challenge. They brought forth their valuable metals, such as silver and gold, as well as the fine materials that were needed for curtains and coverings. This giving was so enthusiastic that a call had to go out for the cessation of any further donations. The Rabbis say that the gold they gave for the Mishkan atoned for the gold they had provided for the Eigel (Golden Calf) (Midrash Tanchuma, Terumah 8).
[Note: This contains an important lesson for our religious educational leaders. Sometimes it is not enough to just establish religious prohibitions and only tell people “you can’t do that!”. They may have a great deal of mental energy which needs to find expression one way or another. So when you prohibit one thing, strive to find, as a substitute, a permitted outlet for their creative energies.]
From Idolatry to Unity: The Transformative Power of the Mishkan
In addition, I believe that the effort of establishing the Sanctuary effectuated a transformation of Am Yisrael (the Jewish People) and elevated them to a higher level, rendering them worthy of Divine forgiveness. The very act of building this edifice “LeShmi” (for Hashem's Name) (Shemuel II 7:13) indicated that they had redirected their attention away from idols and toward the A-Mighty.
This was in accordance with the approach used by Avraham Avinu (our Patriarch), who did not tell the idolaters of his time that they must stop the practice of offering sacrifices, for he knew that this activity was so deeply ingrained in their religious consciousness that they could not give it up. Rather, he instructed them about the existence of the True G-d, Creator of Heaven and earth, and told them that to Him alone one should offer his sacrifices. They thus became keenly cognizant that only He was to be worshipped. The practice of bringing sacrifices was not banished, but instead became the means to drawing them closer to Hashem.
And in building the Sanctuary, every participant did what he was called upon to do. Although this was an opportunity for talented people to shine and make a name for themselves, such temptation was resisted, and everyone managed to hold his ego in check, and acquiesce to the designated artisan that Hashem “called by name. (Shemot 31:2).” Although the lead craftsman, Betzalel, was a teenager, his appointment was not contested, as it was communicated via Moshe from Hashem.
Building for Hashem: Obedience, Generosity, and National Renewal
The construction of the Mishkan entailed great individual effort as well as the ability of the people to work together in a smooth, harmonious fashion. The dedication and commitment of the entire community—men and women—was a great achievement in its own right. Given that so much of our historical national suffering has been caused by the inability of people to work together and demonstrate respect for one another, this must be seen as a remarkable achievement.
An additional factor of the utmost significance was the fact that the builders did not deviate at all from the very precise directions that had come from Hashem. The verse continuously states that the people did all the work:
“In accordance with everything that Hashem commanded Moshe; so, did the Children of Israel perform all the labor. Moshe saw the entire work, and behold[!] they had done it as Hashem had commanded, so they had done; and Moshe blessed them. (Shemot 39:42-43)”
This point is so important that it is repeated many times. In the matter of the Eigel, the Jews had deviated from the very precise warning of Hashem not to create other objects of worship, in the mistaken belief that their understanding of things entitled them to craft an alien image which, they imagined, would enhance their religiosity.
When it came to the Mishkan, everyone strove to be in absolute compliance with the shapes and dimensions that were communicated by Moshe. They elevated themselves by refraining from serving Hashem in the manner dictated by their own imaginations. Every aspect of the sanctuary enterprise served to purify BneiYisrael and rectify the corrupt behaviors that had led to the sin of the Eigel.
The virtues of dedicating their religious actions to the SheimHashem (Name of G-d) exclusively, generosity in donating their finest possessions, humbleness in acceding to the artisans whose skills were greater than theirs, and dedication to following the exact building plans without introducing even slight changes, produced a sense of purpose and unity which lifted the nation to a higher level.
Gold of Repentance: Lessons from the Mishkan for Today
The lessons of the Mishkan have great relevance to the contemporary situation. The various factions of the Jews, religious as well as secular, are stubbornly locked into their personal beliefs and seem unable to forge any kind of positive relationships with members of differing camps. The culture of selfishness and disdain for the national good encourages partisan groups to protest excessively and shut down major highways and other vital arteries with no regard for the harm caused to others.
[It is sad to acknowledge that this attitude of selfishness and disdain for the national good has even permeated some elements of the “religious” community, who refuse to join together with their brethren in carrying the burden of national defense at this moment of suffering for Israel.]
For the Jews to fulfill their mission as a “light unto the nations (Yishayahu 42:6),” they must return to the ways of the builders of G-d’s “Dwelling Place.” We must once again become the wise, discerning, compassionate, reasonable, and charitable People we were intended to be.
May we merit to attain this exalted level.
Shabbat Shalom.
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