Purpose of the Mishkan/2/en

Purpose of the Mishkan

Exegetical Approaches

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An Ideal

Continuous Revelation

The Mishkan was built so that God would dwell amongst the people, thereby extending the experience of revelation at Mt. Sinai.

Sources: TanchumaPekudei 2Naso 11Naso 22About the Tanchuma, RambanShemot 25:2Shemot 40:34Introduction to VayikraIntroduction to BemidbarAbout R. Moshe Nachmanides, U. CassutoIntroduction to Shemot 25About U. Cassuto

Chronology – According to this approach, the command to build the Mishkan is in its rightful place. It preceded and is unrelated to the sin of the Golden Calf, but is rather a direct outgrowth of the revelation at Mt.Sinai.

Parallels – Ramban points to a number of linguistic and conceptual parallels between the description of the giving of the Decalogue at Mt. Sinai and the construction of the Mishkan.¹ These highlight how the Tabernacle was meant to enable a continuation of the Sinai experience,² changing the initial transient connection that was created on the mountain into a constant one.³

Does Hashem need a house? Cassuto asserts that though God can dwell amongst the people without the existence of any physical structure, it is the nation who needs to see a tangible building so as to feel and be sure of God's presence.

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" – This position maintains that these words provide God's explanation of the purpose of the building.

Focal point – The ark and the Tablets ("לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת") it houses are the primary focus of the Mishkan, for it is here where God descends to speak to Moshe and commune with the nation. Ramban asserts that for this reason, the aron is the first vessel commanded to be made.⁴ This, too, is the source for referring to the Tabernacle as "מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת".

Role of sacrificial service

Why now? –

No mention before ascent –

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Home for the Tablets

The Tabernacle was built to provide a place to safeguard the Tablets of the Covenant.

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Chronology – The command is chronological. Right after ascending to receive the Tablets, God commands Moshe to build an edifice in which to keep them.

Ancient Near Eastern parallels – In the Ancient Near East, copies of treaties were often stored in the Temple of the nations' god. One might see the Mishkan functioning similarly. It served to safeguard the tablets containing the covenant between man and Hashem.

Does Hashem need a house? The structure is not to house God as much as to protect the Tablets.

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" –

Focal point –

Why now? –

No mention before ascent –

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Honoring Hashem

The Mishkan provided an opportunity for the people to give to and show respect for Hashem. It is the equivalent of the commandment to give of one's first fruits; in this case man's first creative work is consecrated back to God.

Sources: Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Shemot 27:1About Midrash Aggadah (Buber), BiurBiur End of ShemotAbout the Biur

Chronology – The command to build the Tabernacle is in chronological order.

Parallels – The Biur compares this commandment to that of bikkurim, the giving of first fruits. Just as one must give the first of one's womb, land, and animals, so too one must consecrate the first of one's creative work to Hashem.

Does Hashem need a house?

• Midrash Aggadah asserts that it is the nation, not Hashem, who desires to build a "palace" for God. Looking to human models of relationship, the nation desired to honor God in the way that subjects glorify a king, by building him a palace with a candelabrum, table, and incense.⁵
• According to the Biur, Hashem commands the nation to build Him a house for their own good. In dedicating the first fruits of their building and creativity to God, the nation will learn to recognize Hashem's hand in all they do and make.

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" – This approach would view this verse not as the ultimate purpose of the building but one of the practical benefits of the nation's gift to God.

Altars for atonement – These commentators do not explain the relationship between the building being a gift to God and its use as a site for sacrificial offerings and a means of atonement for sins.

Focal point – This position does not focus on any particular vessel or section of the Mishkan, but rather on the edifice as a whole.

Why now? – As the nation was about to enter the land and begin building an infrastructure, homes, and other institutions, it was incumbent on them to first consecrate their first building to Hashem.⁶

No mention before ascent –

Crux of the position –

National Center

The Mishkan ensured the unity of the nation, providing a centralized location for all to gather in their worship of God.

Sources: ShadalShemot 25:1About R. S.D. Luzzatto,

Chronology – Hashem commanded Moshe regarding the Mishkan when he was on the mountain during the first set of forty days, before the sin of the Golden Calf. The story is in its chronological place.⁷

Does Hashem need a house? The Tabernacle acted as a national center for the people and not just a House of worship for God.

Centralized service – Shadal emphasizes the benefits of a centralized Mikdash. It keeps tribal divisions at bay and instills feelings of brotherhood as the nation gathers together.⁸

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" – The fact that God chose to dwell in the Mishkan is what leads people to gather there.

Focal point – This approach would suggest that the sacrificial service on the altar is the main focus of the Tabernacle, for that is what brought people to gather together.

Altars for atonement – Though Shadal does not emphasize the role of atonement, he does believe that the institution of bringing sacrifices for atonement to oe centralized location helped unify the nation.

Why now? Shadal asserts that God did not want to wait until the nation would finish the conquest so as to build this center, and thus commanded to build a portable house which could be set up anywhere.

No mention before ascent – Shadal does not address this point.

Crux of the position –

A Corrective Measure

Atonement for Sin of Golden Calf

The Tabernacle was built to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf specifically. Through the construction of a golden house for God, the people effectively undid the original making of the Golden Calf, allowing God to dwell amongst them once again.

Sources: SifreDevarim 1About Sifre, TanchumaTerumah 8About the Tanchuma, Lekach TovBeginning of Parsahat VayakhelAbout R. Toviah b. Eliezer, R. BachyaShemot 25:6About R. Bachya b. Asher, Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Shemot 27:1About Midrash Aggadah (Buber), R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

Chronology –

• Achronological – Sifre and Tanchuma maintain that the command to build the Tabernacle is achronological. Though it appears before the Sin of the Golden Calf, it actually was first commanded after, and in response to, the sin.
• Chronological – Though Lekach Tov and R. Bachya agree that the building helped atone for the nation's error, they assert that the command, nonetheless, preceded the sin. God, in his mercy, provides a "cure" for the disease" even before one gets sick.

Why now? According to these commentators, had the people not sinned, there would have been no need for the Mishkan. Once they erred, though, building a house for God was an essential part of their atonement process.⁹

No mention before ascending – According to the Sifre and Tanchuma, when Hashem instructed Moshe to ascend, He really was only directing him to receive the Tablets. It was only the second time on the mountain that Moshe was told of the Mishkan.

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" – Though God was in the people's midst before the sin, afterwards, the only way He was willing to dwell amongst them, was if they built a house for Him.

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General Atonement

The Tabernacle was built as a vehicle through which people could atone for their sins.

Sources: Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Shemot 27:1About Midrash Aggadah (Buber), R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

Chronology – Though R. Yosef Bekhor Shor follows Chazal and assumes achronology in the command, this position could easily hold that the story is in its proper place. God commanded to build an edifice to facilitate the atonement process, unrelated to the nation's specific blunder with the Calf.

Why now? If one asserts achronology, then one might suggest that the major offense of the nation made it evident that a site for atonement was necessary. Alternatively, if one maintains chronology, one might suggest that soon after giving the initial laws, Hashem instituted a process for atoning when one transgresses them.

No mention before ascending –

"וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" –

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Crux of the position –

Sign of Forgiveness

Sources: TanchumaTerumah 8Pekudei 2About the Tanchuma, RashiShemot 31:18Shemot 38:21Vayikra 9:23About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,

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Concession to Human Foibles

Sources: R. Yehuda HaLeviKuzari 1:97About R. Yehuda HaLevi, RambamHilkhot Beit HaBechirah 1:1About R. Moshe Maimonides,

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Compromise

Shift in Purpose

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Dual Focus

Mishkan / Sacrifices, Mishkan / Incense Altar

Sources: AbarbanelShemot 35Yirmeyahu7About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoShemot 24:18Vayikra 11:2Kavanot HaTorah 6,13About R. Ovadyah Seforno,

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¹ He notes the mention of God's glory both descending on Mt. Sinai and filling the Mishkan, the prohibition against coming too close, and the boundaries that are set around each.

² The roots of this explanation can be found in the words of R. Shemuel b. Chofni GaonIbn Ezra Shemot Long Commentary 19:13About R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon who points out that Hashem's glory moved from the mountain to the Tabernacle. See also R. Yosef Bekhor Shor on Shemot 40:29 similarly.

³ See Cassuto similarly.

⁴ He explains that the different ordering of the making o fthe vessels in Parashat VaYakhel is pragmatic. One cannot construct the ark until there is a house to place it in; thus the physical structure is built first and only afterwards are the vessels made.

⁵ Compare R. Yosef Bekhor Shor Shemot 30:1 who similarly sees the Mishkan as modeled after a human palace. The outside altar and sacrifices are like a kitchen, the table and menorah are the inner rooms of the palace while the inner sanctum with the ark is comparable to the king's own bedroom.

⁶ One might question why this was not done in Israel itself. Perhaps, God preferred the nation to dedicate as a collective, something which would be less practical upon arrival in Israel when the nation would be distracted by wars of conquest and subsequently dispersed to their individual inheritances in the Land

⁷ Shadal emphasizes that the sin did not prompt the command, but, to the contrary, delayed its execution as God didnot desire to dwell amongst a sinning nation.

⁸ Shadal is consistent in his understanding of the sacrificial service, viewing it as being similarly motivated. For example, he asserts that one of the reasons for the prohibition of leaving over meat from an individual sacrifice was so that the person would be forced to share with others, leading to loving connections amongst the nation.

⁹ Thus, the gold of the Tabernacle was supposed to atone for the gold of the Calf. see Lekach Tov for other parallels.