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The Symbolism of the Mishkan

By: SFW Students & Alumna
Lauren Biller (SFW '09)

This week’s Parsha continues from last week, discussing all the details about the Mishkan and the Kohanim. Rabbi Leibtag says that the Mishkan is a parallel to Har Sinai. This is why the Torah spends so much time describing the Mishkan, because really it represents and is symbolic of something much bigger. The Mishkan was a perpetuation of Maamad Har Sinai. Just like at Har Sinai, God meets and speaks to Bnei Yisrael in the Ohel Moed. But with the Mishkan too, how close can Bnei Yisrael actually get to God? The entire unit about the Mishkan begins in Parshat Teruma with “Vashachanti Betocham” and now it closes with the same idea: “Vashachanti Betoch Bnei Yisrael”. This whole section is about the Shechinah and how it is now amongst Bnei Yisrael. This is very similar to what occurs on Har Sinai and many ideas throughout this Parsha are parallel to Har Sinai. Just like the psukim in Tetzaveh about the ketoret say it burned and made a cloud of smoke; at Har Sinai too, there was a cloud of smoke. Moshe is the only person to go all the way up the mountain into the cloud of smoke because Bnei Yisrael got too scared to talk directly to God. Here too, the ketoret represents a protection (kapara) for Bnei Yisrael because now the Shechina is with them. The Kohanim are the only ones allowed in the Kodesh, just like Aharon and his sons get higher up the mountain than the rest of Bnei Yisrael; and just as Bnei Yisrael are allowed at “tachtit Hahar”, they are also only allowed in the chatzer of the Ohel Moed. All these parallels teach us that the Mishkan serves to prepare Bnei Israel for Har Sinai. It could not have been created only because we sinned with Chet Haegel. Along these lines, Ramban says we were supposed to have the Mishkan from the beginning and it was not as a result of the sin. Rather, it was created because we traveled for 40 years in the desert and needed a temporary Mishkan to physically represent God. We were supposed to have the Mishkan all along but could not wait 40 years until we got the permanent one. This is why the Mishkan is written before Har Sinai in the Torah. We needed to see the parallels between Har Sinai and the Mishkan since they both are the foundations for God being with us. Unfortunately, because of our sin at Chet Haegel, we made the Mishkan become temporary until we could build the permanent one.

          Rav Hirsch in his commentary takes this idea to the next level. He says only if we are ready for God’s torah do we stand before God- “Petach Ohel Moed Lifne Hashem”. The Mishkan is the home for the testimony of the Torah and therefore is the place where we meet God. We bring korbanot in the Mishkan and must show our true devotion and commitment to His torah in order for Him to come to us- “Ivaed Lachem Shama L’daber”.

          The Lekach Tov makes a connection between the Torah and the Mishkan too. The word “katit” is a hint to the ways of acquiring the Torah. Kings pass their kingship on to their sons and rich people pass on their wealth to those after them. But with the Torah, it is not passed on through Yerusha. Each and every person must put in the effort in order to accept it. Chazal point out that it says in the pasuk, “veasu Aron” in plural, while with regards to the other keilim in the Mishkan it says “veasiat” in singular. Only with the Aron does it say the word in plural which teaches us that every person must be busy immerse themselves in study of Torah in order to merit the Torah.