Lunch and Learn: Parshat Pekudei- May God's Presence Dwell in the Work of Your Hands

(43) And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as ה' had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them.

And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as ה' had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them. What blessing did he bless them with? May it be His will that the Shechinah should rest in the work of your hands. And may the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us... (Psalms 90:17), and he said to them "May God's presence dwell in the work of your hands"

(17) May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;
let the work of our hands prosper,
O prosper the work of our hands!

R. Jacob the son of Issi asked: Why does it say; I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells? Because the Tabernacle is equal to the creation of the world itself.... Concerning the creation of the world it is written: And God blessed (Num. 2:3), and of the Tabernacle it is said: And Moses blessed them (Exod. 39:43); with regard to the creation it is said: And God finished (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle it is written: On that day Moses made an end (Num. 7:1); of creation it says: And hallowed it (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle: And had anointed it and sanctified it (Num. 7:1).

Why is the Tabernacle equal to heaven and earth? Because even as heaven and earth bear witness concerning Israel, as it is written: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day (Deut. 30:19), so the Tabernacle bears witness on behalf of Israel, as is said: These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). Hence it is said: Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth (Ps. 26:8).

These are the accounts of the Tabernacle. It is written elsewhere: Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Gen. 46:8). Observe how very precious the Tabernacle was to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He left the upper sphere to dwell in the Tabernacle. R. Simeon held that He dwelt in the lower sphere (at first), as is said: And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden (ibid. 3:8), but that after Adam sinned He ascended from earth to heaven. When Cain arose and killed his brother, He ascended from the first firmament to the second; when the generation of Enoch angered Him, He ascended from the second to the third; when the generation of the flood perverted His teaching, He ascended from the third to the fourth; when the generation of the separation (i.e., the Tower of Babel) became arrogant, He went from the fourth to the fifth sphere; when the Sodomites behaved immorally, He went from the fifth to the sixth; and when Amraphel and his companions appeared, He ascended from the sixth to the seventh.

However, after Abraham came and performed good deeds, the Shekhinah descended from the seventh to the sixth firmament; after Isaac He went from the sixth to the fifth; after Jacob from the fifth to the fourth; after Levi, his son, from the fourth to the third; after Kohath the son of Levi, from the third to the second; after Amram from the second to the first; and on the day that Moses erected the Tabernacle: The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:34). Scripture states: For the upright shall dwell in the land (Prov. 2:21). This should be read: “They caused the Shekhinah to dwell in the land.”

(1) These are the accounts of the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21). It is written elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Your throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Your place of our Sanctuary (Jer. 17:12). This verse indicates that the Throne of Glory is located directly opposite our Sanctuary. That is why it says: The place, O Lord, which You have made for Yourself to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established (Exod. 15:2).

And you find that Jerusalem on high is situated directly opposite the earthly Jerusalem. It was because the earthly Jerusalem was exceedingly precious to Him that He fashioned another one on high, as it is said: Behold, I have graven you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before me (Isa. 49:16). Why was it destroyed? Because your children make haste; your destroyers and they that make you waste shall go forth from you (ibid., v. 17). That is why it was destroyed.

(2) Similarly David said: Jerusalem, you are built as a city that is compact together (Ps. 122:3); that is to say, like the city that the Lord built, a city that was destroyed called Jerusalem. It was built on high, directly opposite the one on earth, and concerning which He vowed that His Shekhinah would not enter the city above until the earthly Jerusalem was erected. How beloved was Israel in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He. From where do we know this? It is written: The Holy One in the midst of you, and I will not come in fury (Hos. 11:9), and it says elsewhere: Now, therefore, what do I here, says the Lord, seeing that My people is taken away for nought? (Isa. 52:5). Our sages declared: Now, therefore, what do I here, says the Lord implies: Why should I desire to be here in Jerusalem now that My people have been taken away from it? For nought would I be coming into it, therefore I will not come into it. May it be his will that it be rebuilt speedily in our day.