פקודי: תפקיד הענן

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד, “the cloud enveloped the Tent of Meeting.” At the revelation at Mount Sinai the Torah also reported that the mountain was enveloped in a cloud. Concerning the Tabernacle, the Torah writes that the attribute of Hashem called כבוד filled the Tabernacle, i.e. that this attribute was within the cloud which in turn was within the Tabernacle. When reporting on what happened at Mount Sinai, the Torah had written (Exodus 20,21) that Moses approached the dark cloud within which G’d (Elohim) was present. In our verse (35) the Torah explains Moses’ inability to enter the Tabernacle because the cloud rested upon it and the attribute of כבוד filled the Tabernacle. This means that unless G’d called to Moses inviting him to enter he could not do so. As soon as he would be called the fact that the cloud enveloped the Tabernacle was no impediment preventing Moses from entering.

And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Shimon, ‘This is like one who had in his hand some heated flour which he wanted to cast upon his son, but [because of his compassion for him] he cast it upon his servant.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah it also says: “And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between G-d — this alludes to the attribute of Justice on high. And every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth — this alludes to the attribute of justice on earth. The heavenly attribute of justice is stern; the earthly one is sparing.” And you already know the saying of the Rabbis concerning one who gazes at the rainbow: “Whosoever takes no thought for the honor of his Maker would have been better off had he not come into the world.” And if you will be worthy to understand the words of the Rabbis, you will know that the explanation of the verses is as follows: My bow — [kashti shares a common root with the word kasheh (hard, stern)] — which is symbolic of the attribute of justice, set in the cloud, shall be at the time of judgment for a token of the covenant. And it shall come to pass when I bring clouds over the earth — meaning that when G-d will not make His countenance shine upon the earth on account of the sins of its inhabitants— “My attribute of justice will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember the covenant in a remembrance of mercy, and I will have compassion on the little ones that are on the earth.” Thus, this token and the covenant are like the token of circumcision and the covenant thereof, and the language of the verses is very appropriate for the subject. And thus the Rabbis in the above Midrash have explained the expression between G-d as referring to the attribute of justice on high, which is gevurah (strength), and that which is upon the earth as being the attribute of justice on earth, which is a kindly attribute, conducting the world together with the attribute of mercy, for Scripture does not say “that which is in the earth,” [which would have alluded to “the earth above”], but only “that which is on the earth.” I have already hinted at the secret of the Rabbis concerning the name “earth.” But Rashi wrote, “Between G-d— between the attribute of justice on high and you.” But our Rabbis did not intend to imply this interpretation in their Midrash.