How do you define the משכן mishkan?
(כא) אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
(21) These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses’ bidding—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
What's bothering Rashi?
How would you translate משכן העדות mishkan ha'edut?
What is the full range of meanings of edut? In what other contexts do we talk about edut or an ed?
Sefat Emet
"The tabernacle of witness." It witnessed to Israel that God had truly forgiven them for making the Golden Calf, for now He was causing His presence to dwell among them. Why did they need this witness? Israel had been deeply disgraced by that sin. Now God gave the [people] the tabernacle as witness, in order to strengthen their hearts, to show that they had indeed repaired the damage wrought by their sin. The fact is that Israel are God's witnesses, as it says: "You are My witnesses" (Isaiah 43:12). But how is it possible that Israel, who were created to bear witness to God's oneness, could themselves worship idols? This thought caused Israel to neglect their witnessing, until God had to demonstrate that the sin was incidental to who they were, brought on by the "mixed multitude." Thus they really were worthy to witness God, just as they had been previously. The rabbis in fact teach that "Israel were not deserving of such a sin; it came upon them only to teach the way of teshuvah." It came to teach every person who returns not to let himself fall too low in his own eyes, for by teshuvah we really are restored to what we were before. That is why Yom Kippur, the day of forgiveness and atonement, is followed by the sukkah, another indwelling of Shekhinah in the Temple. This gives strength to all who return, telling them they are worthy to have Shekhinah dwell upon them.
The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of the Sefat Emet, trans. Arthur Green, pp.140-141.
אלה פקודי המשכן, “these are the accounts of the Tabernacle;” which “Tabernacle” does the Torah refer to? “The Tabernacle that is testimony to the covenant between God and Israel, משכן העדות.” Seeing that this is not the only time the Torah used the expression: משכן, as it also occurs in Numbers 16,27, when it referred to the mishkan of Korach, as well as several times in the Book of prophets, the Torah wished to be precise beyond doubt. There was never another Tabernacle in which the Holy Ark containing the Tablets was housed.
What does it mean to witness?
Do you agree with Rashi, the Sefat Emet, and Chizkuni? Who or what is bearing witness for whom?
What do you consider a modern mishkan?
If the mishkan you have named could stand for or bear witness to something, what would that something be?