(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ (ג) וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ד) וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃ (ה) וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאׇדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃ (ו) שֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים׃ (ז) אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֹֽשֶׁן׃ (ח) וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ (ט) כְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כׇּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ {ס}
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. (3) And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper; (4) blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair; (5) tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood; (6) oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; (7) lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. (8) And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. (9) Exactly as I show you—the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings—so shall you make it.
The heaven is My throne
And the earth is My footstool:
Where could you build a house for Me,
What place could serve as My abode?
בשעה שאמר לו ועשו לי מקדש (שמות כה:ח), אמ' משה לפני הקב"ה, רבונו של עולם הנה השמים ושמי השמים לא יכלכלוך ואתה אמרת ועשו לי מקדש, א' לו הקב"ה, משה לא כשאתה סבור, אלא עשרים קרש בצפון ועשרים קרש בדרום שמונה במערב ואני יורד ומצמצם שכינתי ביניכם למטן, דכתי' ונועדתי לך שם (שם, שם כב).
“When God said to Moses, ‘Let them make Me a sanctuary,’ Moses responded,
‘Master of the Universe, the highest heavens cannot contain You, and yet You say, Let them
make Me a sanctuary?!’” God seeks to reassure Moses, and replies, “Moses, not as you think.Rather, twenty boards to the north, twenty boards to the south, and eight to the west—and I will descend and contract (metzamtzem, from the same root as tzimtzum) My presence
(shekhinah) among you below” (Pesikta DeRav Kahana, 2:10).2
(לה) וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עָשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁאֲלוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹֽת׃ (לו) וַֽיהֹוָ֞ה נָתַ֨ן אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֛ם בְּעֵינֵ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּם וַֽיְנַצְּל֖וּ אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {פ}
(א) וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם (שמות כה, כח). אֵימָתַי נֶאֶמְרָה לְמֹשֶׁה הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים עַצְמוֹ, ........ הֱוֵי, בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים נֶאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ.
........
(ג) אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: יָבֹא זָהָב שֶׁבַּמִּשְׁכָּן וִיכַפֵּר עַל זָהָב שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בּוֹ אֶת הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ: וַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב וְגוֹ' (שמות לב, ג). וּלְכָךְ מִתְכַּפְּרִין בַּזָּהָב, וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם זָהָב. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: כִּי אַעֲלֶה אֲרֻכָה לָךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַיִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵךְ (ירמיה ל, יז).
(1) And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement.......... Hence, it was on the Day of Atonement that He told Moses: Make Me a Sanctuary........
(3) The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Let gold be placed within the Sanctuary to atone for the gold with which the golden calf was fashioned, as it is said: And all the people broke off the golden rings (Exod. 32:3). Thus they atoned with gold; And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold (ibid. 25:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds (Jer. 30:17).
(א) וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה,....... וְיֵשׁ לְךָ מִקָּח שֶׁמִּי שֶׁמְּכָרוֹ נִמְכָּר עִמּוֹ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מָכַרְתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי, כִּבְיָכוֹל נִמְכַּרְתִּי עִמָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בַּת יְחִידָה, בָּא אֶחָד מִן הַמְּלָכִים וּנְטָלָהּ, בִּקֵּשׁ לֵילֵךְ לוֹ לְאַרְצוֹ וְלִטֹּל לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: בִּתִּי שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְךָ יְחִידִית הִיא, לִפְרשׁ מִמֶּנָּה אֵינִי יָכוֹל, לוֹמַר לְךָ אַל תִּטְלָהּ אֵינִי יָכוֹל לְפִי שֶׁהִיא אִשְׁתֶּךָ, אֶלָּא, זוֹ טוֹבָה עֲשֵׂה לִי, שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ קִיטוֹן אֶחָד עֲשֵׂה לִי, שֶׁאָדוּר אֶצְלְכֶם, שֶׁאֵינִי יָכוֹל לְהַנִּיחַ אֶת בִּתִּי. כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, לִפְרשׁ הֵימֶנָּה אֵינִי יָכוֹל, לוֹמַר לָכֶם אַל תִּטְלוּהָ אֵינִי יָכוֹל, אֶלָּא בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתֶּם הוֹלְכִים בַּיִת אֶחָד עֲשׂוּ לִי שֶׁאָדוּר בְּתוֹכוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כה, ח): וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ.
(1) "And they shall bring Me gifts" (Exodus 25:2) ......... And there are purchases that the one who sells them is sold along with them -- the Holy Blessed One said to Israel, 'I sell to you My Torah, and (as if such a thing could be) I am sold along with it,' as it is said "And they shall bring me gifts" (Exodus 25:2). This is similar to a King who had an only daughter. One of the kings came and took her and sought to go back to his land to marry her. He said to him, "My daughter who I have given to you is my only one. I cannot bear to separate from her, but to tell you that you cannot take her is also impossible since she is your wife. Rather, do me this favour, that everywhere you go make me a small room [kiton], so that I can live with you, for I cannot leave my daughter." So said God to the Israel: 'I have given you the Torah. I cannot bear to separate from her, and to tell you not to take her is also impossible. Rather, everywhere you go make me one house so that I can live within it' as it is said "And make me a sanctuary" (Exodus 25:8)
1. Are we creating a Mishkan for the Divine when we are studying Torah?
2. The Midrash seems to imagine the 'motivation' for the Mishkan being rooted in a Divine desire to be close not to Israel but to Torah. What might that mean?
ואא"ז מו"ר זצלה"ה הגיד על חודש אדר ע"ש מ"ש במד' עשה לי קיטון ואדור ביניכם. פי'
לידע שהכל ממנו ית'. וזה נותן חיזוק לאדם. ואדר ע"ש חיזוק כמ"ש אדיר במרום ה'. וכן
אמר כי בגסות אין אני והוא יכולין לדור
My master, my grandfather, my teacher of blessed memory also said regarding
the month of Adar that it is so called because of what is written in the midrash,
“make me a small room so that I can live [adur] with you” (Exodus Rabbah
33:1)--so that you might know that all is from God. This gives encouragement
to a person, like [the month of] Adar gives encouragement, as the verse states,
“Majestic [adir] on high is the Lord” (Psalms 93:4). It is also said [in Sotah 5a],
regarding one who is arrogant, [the Holy One says,] “He and I cannot dwell
[ladur] together”...
Sefat Emet
The Sefas Emes is suggesting a word play in order to understand the deeper meaning of the month of Adar. He draws a connection to adar from the word, 'adur | אדור', meaning 'to dwell'. Then he associates adar with the word, 'adir | אדיר', meaning 'strength'. What is the meaning that emerges from this?
I was asleep,
But my heart was wakeful.
Hark, my beloved knocks!
“Let me in, my own,
My darling, my faultless dove!
For my head is drenched with dew,
My locks with the damp of night.”
(ג) דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים ה, ב): אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יָשַׁנְתִּי לִי מִן הַקֵּץ, אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים עג, כו): צוּר לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַמִּצְווֹת, אֲבָל זְכוּת אֲבוֹתַי עוֹמֶדֶת לִי וְלִבִּי עֵר. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְלִבִּי עֵר, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַרְתִּיק עָלַי, הֱוֵי: וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה. (שיר השירים ה, ב): פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי, עַד מָתַי אֶהְיֶה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּלֹא בַּיִת, (שיר השירים ה, ב): שֶׁרֹאשִׁי נִמְלָא טָל, אֶלָּא עֲשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ שֶׁלֹא אֶהְיֶה בַּחוּץ.
(3) Another interpretation: "And they shall take for Me an offering": this is the meaning of the verse (Song of Songs 5:2) "I was sleeping but my heart was awake." The people Israel said: "I have been asleep in regard to the end, however the Holy One is awake" as it is written: "the Rock of my heart and my portion is E-lohim, forever" (Ps. 73:26) I am asleep in regard to mitzvot, but the merit of my ancestors stands for me, and my heart is awake. I am asleep from the story of the calf but my heart is awake and the Holy Blessed One knocked at it, that is "and they shall take for Me an offering". "Open up for me, my sister, my friend" (Song of Songs 5:2). For how long must I travel without a home? "My head is drenched in dew", rather, make Me a Mikdash so that I need not be on outside.
1. Sleep caused by guilt and remorse
2. G-d's longing to be with us, even when we don't want to be with ourselves
3. Eros of Song of Songs invites a reflection on the dynamics of intimacy and distance with the Divine
4. The merit of our ancestors keeps us awake- what might that mean?
Malbim (19th cent. Eastern Europe)- Commentary on Exodus 25:8
...Each one of us needs to build God a Tabernacle in the recesses of our hearts, by preparing oneself to become a Sanctuary for God and a place for the dwelling of God's glory.
We speak a lot about the importance of the Jewish community. But what is it exactly that makes being part of a community so important?
We will learn some of the Halachot and sources about being part of a Jewish community, and see why it is so important.