Vayakhel | Concluding the Book of Shemot

 

     The double reading of Parshiyot Vayakhel-Pekudei this Shabbat concludes the second of the five books of the Torah, Sefer Shemot.  The division of the Pentateuch into five books is more than just a convenient method of organization.  On one level or another, each book constitutes an independent unit of sorts, a self-contained body of text within the broader context of the Torah.  This is perhaps most clearly expressed in the regulations concerning the writing of the Torah scroll, which require several blank lines separating the end of one sefer from the beginning of the next. 

 

     We can only wonder, then, as to the location at which the Torah chooses to end the Book of Shemot and begin the third of the five, books, Vayikra.  By way of introduction, let us briefly review the basic structure of the Book of Shemot:

 

a. Bondage & Redemption (1:1-15:21):

The subjugation of Benei Yisrael through the splitting of the Sea of Reeds

b. Journey to Sinai (15:22 through chapter 18)

Benei Yisrael's experiences as they travel from the Sea to Mount Sinai

c. The Revelation (chapters 19-24)

The story of the Ten Commandments and series of laws presented thereafter

d. The Tabernacle (chapters 25-40)

The laws concerning the construction of the Tabernacle and the execution of those laws, interrupted by the account of the golden calf

 

A look at the first several chapters of the Book of Vayikra reveals that the opening of this book flows directly from the conclusion of Sefer Shemot.  Chapters 1-7 describe the different types of sacrifices offered in the newly constructed Mishkan, and chapters 8-10 tell of the final consecration rituals of the kohanim and Tabernacle.  Seemingly, then, we should include these ten chapters in the same topical unit as section IV of the Book of Shemot, the section of the Tabernacle.  Yet, the division of the five books cuts right through this unit, separating the completion of the Tabernacle from Sefer Vayikra, in which its regular functioning begins.

 

     Particularly troubling is the location of Vayikra chapters 8-10 - the story of the consecration of the kohanim, an account that we would have expected to find in our parasha, Vayakhel-Pekudei.  Generally, parshiyot Vayakhel-Pekudei, which span chapters 35-40, directly correspond to parshyiot Teruma-Tetzaveh (and the beginning of Ki-Tisa), or chapters 25-31.  Quite simply, the commands concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, presented in Teruma and Tetzaveh, are executed in Vayakhel-Pekudei.  One set of laws, however, the guidelines for the formal consecration of the kohanim (Shemot 29), are not executed in parshiyot Vayakhel-Pekudei; this occurs in parashat Tzav (Vayikra 8-10).  In other words, the book of Shemot ends with some "unfinished business," an entire section of laws relevant to the Mishkan awaiting fulfillment.  This reinforces our basic question: why does Sefer Shemot end in the middle of the Tabernacle unit?

 

     In fact, a casual reading of the final verses of Sefer Shemot and the opening of Sefer Vayikra shows a natural flow and progression with no apparent reason to be disrupted:

 

"… Moshe completed the work.  The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.  Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.  When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would set out, on their various journeys; but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until such time as it did lift.  For the over the Tabernacle a cloud of the Lord rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.  The Lord called to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting… " (Shemot 40:33-Vayikra 1:1)

 

     The verses describe the descent of God's Presence over the Mishkan, which prevented Moshe's entry into the tent.  The Torah then digresses to note a further impact of the cloud, that it regulated the nation's travel schedule.  Then, the first verse of Sefer Vayikra returns to the main story and tells that once God summoned Moshe, he was allowed entry into the Mishkan.  Why must we begin a new sefer to learn of Moshe's ultimate entry into the Tent?  Why does the Book of Shemot leave us "hanging," with Moshe locked out of the Mishkan?

 

The Two-Staged Descent of the "Shekhina"

 

     We must conclude that the division between the two books reflects a basic distinction in theme between the discussion of the Mishkan at the end of Sefer Shemot and that which opens Sefer Vayikra.  Though they may appear as a single, continuous narrative, the wedge driven between the two sections calls upon us to delineate their distinctive qualities and themes.

 

     An important clue to this distinction is the two accounts of the descent of the Shekhina (God's Presence) onto the Mishkan.  The first, as we have seen, appears in the concluding verses of Sefer Shemot.  The Shekhina descends upon the Mishkan in the form of a thick cloud, and, as a result Moshe cannot enter the Tent.  In addition, the cloud's presence over the Tent prevented the nation from embarking; only when the cloud lifted, symbolizing God's readiness to travel, as it were, could and must Benei Yisrael embark on their journey.  We read of the second account of the Shekhina's arrival in Parashat Shemini, Vayikra chapter 9.  Upon the completion of the final consecration rituals and sacrifices, God appears in the form of a heavenly fire that descends and consumes the sacrificial meat: "… the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people.  Fire came forth from the before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering… and the people saw and shouted and fell on their faces" (Vayikra 9:23-24).  What does this second appearance of the Shekhina add to the first?  If the cloud had already descended, why the need for the spectacular display of fire?

 

     The simple answer seems to lie in a clear distinction between the "Presence" of God and the "Revelation" of God.  Sefer Shemot concludes with God's taking residence, as it were, among the Israelite people.  He does not, however, reveal Himself to the people. The cloud indicates His Presence but does not reveal His Presence.  Only in Sefer Vayikra are we told that "the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people," prompting their enthusiastic response: "and the people saw and shouted and fell on their faces."

 

     God's Presence, as described in our parasha, is distant, impersonal, and imposing.  Even Moshe, who spent forty days and nights within the cloud hovering over Sinai together with the Almighty (see Shemot 24:15-18), could not enter the premises of the Almighty's new abode.  The only tangible effect His Presence has is to freeze Benei Yisrael's movement: the accompaniment of the King in the camp binds the nation to His itinerary.  Here God's Presence is represented by a cloud - the symbol of obscurity and remoteness.  At the end of Sefer Shemot, God takes residence among the people but they may not visit Him or even see Him.

 

     As Sefer Vayikra unfolds, the entire nature of God's residence takes on an entirely different quality.  First and foremost, "He called to Moshe… "  For the first time since the Shekhina's descent, a human being may penetrate the sacred chamber and there experience direct communion with the Almighty.  Moreover, even the masses are invited inside should they wish to bring an offering: "Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When any of you present an offering of cattle to the Lord… "  The formerly inviolable territory of the Mishkan described in Sefer Shemot is made accessible by Sefer Vayikra.  The King has now welcomed His subjects to His private chamber, where they can offer gifts and earn His favor: "He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in his behalf before the Lord" (Vayikra 1:3).

 

     This explain why the Torah records the consecration of the kohanim only in Sefer Vayikra.  The kohanim are "consecrated to serve Me as priests" (Shemot 29:1), serving as the royal butlers, if you will, who tend to the Lord's residence and its upkeep.  However, the Presence of the Shekhina of Sefer Shemot gives rise to a dilemma of sorts: God's transcendent, imposing Presence precludes the possibility of the intrusion of mortals into His quarters.  Therefore, while the preparation of the kohanim is included in the theoretical discussion of the Mishkan in Parshiyot Teruma-Tetzaveh, its execution cannot take place in Sefer Shemot.  Only in Sefer Vayikra, when access to the divine residence becomes possible, can human beings be appointed as God's servants.

 

     Thus, whereas "He called to Moshe" may at first appear as a natural continuation of the earlier verses - "Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting" - it actually marks a fundamental change in the nature of the Shekhina's Presence.  The "off-limits" quality of Sefer Shemot gives way to the opening of the Tabernacle doors that occurs in Sefer Vayikra.  The dividing line drawn between Parashat Pekudei and Parashat Vayikra is in effect a distinction between imminence and transcendence, between a relationship based entirely on distance and "yir'a" (fear and reverence) and one characterized by intimacy and "ahava" (love).

 

Themes of Sefer Shemot and Sefer Vayikra

 

     That the theme of man's entry into God's chamber characterizes Sefer Vayikra, is clear and evident.  This Sefer is devoted to the complexity of this encounter.  Sefer Vayikra indeed invites man inside God's chamber, but hinges this invitation on the visitor's compliance with a wide array of rules and regulations.  Parshiyot Vayikra and Tzav deal primarily with the specifications to be followed when bringing a sacrifice to God.  The second major unit of the sefer, consisting primarily of Parshiyot Tazria and Metzora, spell out the required standard of "tahara," ritual purity, that God demands inside His Sanctuary. 

 

     Less obvious, however, is the relationship of the theme characterizing the final chapters of Sefer Shemot with the rest of this Book.  Recall from earlier in the shiur our listing of the major topics covered in Sefer Shemot: bondage & freedom, Revelation at Sinai, the Mishkan.  Thus far in the shiur, we have developed the final topic and showed that Sefer Shemot speaks specifically of God's Presence in the Mishkan, but not Benei Yisrael's interaction with it.  How does this specific aspect of the Shekhina relate to Sefer Shemot in general?  What theme can we identify that runs through the three basic elements of this Book - redemption, Revelation and the Shekhina?

 

     Unlike Sefer Bereishit, which tells of individuals, Sefer Shemot is the story of a nation.  The transition from Sefer Bereishit to Sefer Shemot is the transformation of Yaakov's children and grandchildren from a family to people.  More generally, Sefer Shemot is the story of the formation of Am Yisrael, the Israelite nation.  Whereas Sefer Bereishit tells of the roots of Am Yisrael, Sefer Shemot tells of the establishment of Am Yisrael.  This process involves not merely the people's gradual development into a multitude and attainment of national independence, but also the quality of this nation, its unique, defining characteristic and nature.  God tells Moshe before He begins the process of the Exodus, "I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God" (Shemot 6:7).  This nation that forms in Sefer Shemot is defined as "God's nation."  Herein lies the basic purpose of the Exodus, and this marks the essential character of Am Yisrael, or "Am Hashem." 

 

The second half of the Book of Shemot describes the two central manifestations of this character: divine creed and divine presence.  The Israelites become God's nation first and foremost by committing themselves to His laws.  But additionally, they are His because it is among them that He "resides."  As they are the ones with whom the Shekhina's representative Presence dwells, Benei Yisrael are, indeed, the Nation of God.  The Book of Shemot, then, tells the story of the forging of this nation.  The first half relates how this nation emerged, whereas the second describes the intrinsic quality that characterizes it: its serving as God's representatives by obeying His laws and hosting His Shekhina.

 

     Sefer Shemot is therefore more interested in the presence of the Shekhina itself, rather than how Benei Yisrael interact with it.  Once God has established His proverbial "earthly abode" within the Israelite camp, Sefer Shemot has reached completion.  The following Book, Sefer Vayikra, outlines the terms by which the people can experience communion with God once this basic quality of the nation - the Nation of God - has been established.

 

Shabbat Shalom