Transcript Document

Parshat Teruma:
The Mishkan:
Before or After Chet Ha’Egel?
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
Second half of Sefer Shmot
Four Units
Chapters
Topic
(A)
19-24
Ma’amad Har Sinai (the first Luchot)
(B)
25-31
The commandment to build the Mishkan
(C)
32-24
Chet Ha’egel (the second Luchot)
(D)
35-40
Building the Mishkan
Ramban: Second half of Sefer Shmot - proper chronological
order
Rashi: God ordered construction of Mishkan only after chet
ha’egel
What do the words “torah” and “mitzvah” refer to?
Based on units above:
Mention of “torah” and “mitzvah” in 24:12 must refer to
Unit B – the commandment to build the Mishkan
Moshe ascends
Har Sinai to receive
Luchot, to be
placed in Aron
Logical that “torah” and
“mitzvah” refer to
Mishkan, where Aron is
housed
Laws of Mishkan are first and only set of laws transmitted to
Moshe during those 40 days
Strict chronological order:
Moshe ascends Har Sinai for the first forty days to receive Luchot
and mitzvot involving building of the Mishkan that will house the
Luchot
Problems with this approach:
 It would not require forty days for God to teach Moshe laws
of Mishkan –something else must have also been taught
 Other sources imply Moshe learned many other mitzvot
on Har Sinai:
Why specifically are laws of Mishkan recorded at this point in Sefer
Shmot? Many other mitzvot were given during those 40 days!
Ramban:
Mishkan is vehicle to perpetuate
experience of Ma’amad Har Sinai
First mizvah Moshe
receives on Har Sinai
Focus of Shmot on Mishkan:
Reflects unique level Bnei Yisrael attained when they
accepted God’s covenant at Har Sinai
Focal point of Mishkan:
Luchot inside
Symbol of covenant
at Har Sinai
Keruvim on top
From there God will convey
remaining mitzvot to Moshe
Aron
Explains why unit opens with details of Aron and Keruvim
Rashi:
Commandment to build Mishkan came after and as a result
of chet ha’egel
Parshiot – out of chronological order
During first 40 days – Moshe received all mitzvot
except laws of Mishkan
Principle:
Arrangement of parshiot in Chumash does not
necessarily reflect chronological order
Torah conveys message by intentionally juxtaposing
certain parshiot
Rashi
Similarities between construction of Mishkan and chet ha’egel
 Bnei Yisrael must collectively donate their gold to build the
Mishkan
 Bezallel, Chur’s grandson, is chosen to build Mishkan (Midrash –
Chur was killed since he refused to allow Bnei Yisrael to build the
egel)
 Opening pasuk describing Mishkan
Appears to rectify consequences of chet ha’egel
 Aharon must bring a par (bull) for a chatat offering during
Mishkan’s dedication ceremony (which implies a sin was
committed)
Ramban: Mishkan is “l’chatchila” [ideal]
Rashi:
Is Mishkan “b’diavad” [a compromise] ?
Chet ha’egel showed Bnei Yisrael’s need for a physical
representation
If not for chet ha’egel, would there ever have been a
mitzvah to build a Mikdash?
Sanctuary: symbol of God’s shchina dwelling with Bnei Yisrael
Mishkan – temporary Sanctuary
Mikdash – permanent Sanctuary
Concept of a Sanctuary is “l’chatchila”:
 Avraham builds a mizbayach in Bet El and calls out in God’s name:
 Yaakov has a dream there vows to make that site a “Bet-Elokim”:
 In “shirat ha’yam”, Bnei Yisrael sing of future Mikdash in the land:
 Parshat Mishpatim (all agree it was given to Moshe during the
first 40 days, before chet ha’egel) contains mitzvah of “aliya l’regel”:
 Parshat Mishpatim contains mitzvah of bikkurim, which must be
brought to the “House of God”:
Rashi must agree:
Need for a Bet-Elokim has nothing to do with chet ha’egel
Dispute between Rashi and Ramban concerns need for a
temporary Sanctuary before entering Eretz Canaan
Rashi:
Had Bnei Yisrael not sinned at chet ha’egel:
Would have conquered
land through Divine
intervention
No need for temporary Mishkan
since after short time would build
permanent Mikdash
After chet ha’egel:
God removes
shchina from
camp
Must bring shchina back
Conquest takes much longer
Need for
temporary
Mishkan
Rashi:
Torah places comandment
to build Mishkan out of
chronological order
Emphasizes conceptual
connection between Matan
Torah and Mishkan/Mikdash
Ramban:
Immediate need for temporary Sanctuary before chet ha’egel
Mishkan, with Aron and
Keruvim at center, is
medium through which God
can convey remaining
mitzvot to Moshe
Once shchina descended on
Har Sinai, need vehicle to
‘carry it’ with them as they
travel from Har Sinai to
Eretz Canaan