Relating the Mishkan's Structure to Its Vessels (I)

 

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This week’s shiurim are dedicated by Mr Emanuel Abrams
in memory of Rabbi Abba and Eleanor Abrams

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The Relationship Between the Structure of the Mishkan and the Vessels (I)

 

INTRODUCTION

 

            In last year's lectures on the Mikdash, we dealt at length with the structure of the Mishkan and its meaning, as well as with the relationship between its various parts. We considered the materials and the colors of the Mishkan and its internal division in an attempt to understand the meaning of each component, as well as the spiritual significance of the structure as a whole.

 

It is our intention this year to deal with the vessels themselves – their essence, their location, and the relationship between them. We will first deal with the relationship between the structure and the vessels in general, and afterwards we will consider the essential nature of each of the vessels.

 

Is there, in fact, a relationship between the structure of the Mikdash and its vessels? Does the one have greater importance than the other?

 

CARRYING THE MISHKAN

 

            In the account of the carrying of the Mishkan in the book of Bamidbar, the structure of the Mishkan is divided among the sons of Levi - Gershon, Kehat, and Merari:

 

And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the Ohel Mo'ed shall be the Mishkan, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Ohel Mo'ed, and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the Mishkan, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all its service… And their charge [of the sons of Kehat] shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service… And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the Mishkan, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all that belongs to it. And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords. (Bamidbar 3:28-37)

 

            It seems that ordered according to their importance, the descendants of Levi are the sons of Kehat, the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Merari, and from here we may draw conclusions regarding the great importance of the vessels. It was the sons of Kehat who carried the vessels; after them came the sons of Gershon, who carried the fabric portions of the Mishkan (the curtains, the screens, the hangings of the courtyard); and after them came the sons of Merari, who carried the boards, the bars, the pillars and the sockets of the Mishkan and the courtyard.

 

            From this it follows that the vessels come before the structure and exceed it in importance, and that regarding the structure, the curtains are of greater importance than the boards.

 

            The priority given to Kehat is not stated explicitly. Indeed, according to the simple understanding, the sons of Levi were born in the following order: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari (as is clear from Shemot 6:16). As we find elsewhere in Scripture, in this case as well, the chosen son is not the firstborn.

 

            The simple explanation is that Kehat was chosen because Amram, Moshe’s father, was Kehat's firstborn son. Kehat was essentially chosen because of his grandsons – Moshe the prophet and leader and Aharon the High Priest.[1]

 

            Some use this idea to explain Korach's argument. Korach challenges Moshe and Aharon: "All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you raise yourselves up above the congregation of the Lord?" (Bamidbar 16:3). Some suggest that Korach was primarily disturbed by the allocation of the kingship and the priesthood to the two sons of Amram, and the withholding of all office from the sons of Yitzhar and Chevron, to the point that the son of the youngest brother, Elitzafan the son of Uziel, was appointed as tribal prince of the Levites.^[2] In Korach's opinion, the offices should have been more equitably divided among the brothers: The kingship to the oldest of the sons of Kehat – Aharon; the priesthood to the oldest of the sons of Yitzhar – Korach; and the tribal princedom to the oldest of the sons of Chevron.

 

“AS YOU WERE SHOWN IN THE MOUNTAIN”

 

            The relationship between the Mishkan and the vessels also emerges from the command given to Moshe regarding the building of the Mishkan. As we saw last year in the lecture dealing with the internal division of the Mishkan, the commands can be broken down as follows:

 

            First, following the general statement with which the command regarding the Mishkan opens (Shemot 25:9), the vessels are mentioned, after which the Torah notes: "And see that you make them after their pattern, which was shown you in the mountain" (Shemot 25:40).

 

            This is followed by a description of the structure of the Mishkan, first the curtains and then the boards, at the end of which it is stated: "And you shall rear up the Mishkan according to its fashion which was shown you in the mountain" (Shemot 26:30). The Torah continues with the command regarding the outer altar, at the end it stating: "Hollow with boards you shall make it; as it was shown you in the mountain, so shall they make it" (Shemot 27:8).

 

            Once again, a distinction is made between the structure of the Mishkan and the vessels, and the command regarding the vessels precedes the command regarding the structure.[3]

 

GOLD – PURE GOLD

 

            The pre-eminence of the vessels over the structure also emerges from the materials out of which they were made. As we saw in a previous lecture,[4] the vessels were made of pure gold; while the plating of the boards was also gold, it was not pure gold.

 

            Regardless of how we understand this distinction, the vessels are clearly higher in rank than the structure. This fact is certainly understandable, for the Shekhina reveals itself through the vessels, and it is through them that man serves God, whereas the structure constitutes a framework within which the vessels are found.

 

MISHKAN - MIKDASH

 

            It is possible that there is a fundamental difference between the Mishkan and the Mikdash with respect to the relationship between the vessels and the structure.

 

            The Mishkan was a temporary structure that could be disassembled, and it was essentially designed for the conditions of the wilderness. It would seem that there the vessels enjoyed greater importance, and that the structure served as a framework to house them. According to this, we can well understand the order in which God issued His commands to Moshe in Parashat Teruma, first regarding the vessels and then regarding the structure.

 

            In contrast, the Mikdash in Jerusalem was a permanent building. There it seems that the structure was of paramount importance, and that the vessels were placed inside it as an embellishment.

 

THE ORDER OF THE COMMAND AND THE BUILDING; WHICH IS FIRST – THE STRUCTURE OR THE VESSELS?

 

            Let is consider the various instances where the Mishkan is mentioned in the Torah, and thereby try to understand the order of events.

 

• In Parashat Teruma, in God's first command to Moshe regarding the building of the Mishkan, the command begins with the vessels (the ark, the table and the candlestick), continues with the Mishkan (the curtains and the boards), and concludes with the outer altar and the courtyard.
• In Parashat Ki-Tisa, when God tells Moshe that He has called by name Betzalel and Oholiav, the order is different: first the Ohel Mo'ed and afterwards the vessels, described from the inside outwards (Shemot 31:7-8).
• In Parashat Vayakhel, when Moshe first commands the people of Israel to build the Mishkan (Shemot 35:11 and on), the order is: the Mishkan, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars and its sockets, and only afterwards the vessels: the ark, the table, the candlestick, the incense altar and the burnt-offering altar.
• In Parashat Vayakhel, in the description of the work performed by Betzalel, the order is: the Mishkan, the curtains, and the boards, and afterwards the vessels: the ark, the table, the candlestick, the incense altar, the burnt-offering altar, the laver, and the courtyard.
• In Parashat Pekudei, in the description of how the Mishkan was brought to Moshe, the structure is mentioned before the vessels (Shemot 39:33 and on).
• In Parashat Pekudei, in God's command to Moshe to actually erect the Mishkan (Shemot 40:1 and on), the structure is mentioned before the vessels. This is similarly true later in the chapter (Shemot 40:18), when Moshe sets up the Mishkan - the curtains and the structure come before the vessels.

 

Why are the vessels mentioned before the structure in God's command to Moshe regarding the building of the Mishkan, whereas in the execution, the structure precedes the vessels? Several answers have been offered to this question:

 

1) The order of importance versus the order of actual execution:

 

            The primary source that attempts to explain the order and the difference between the command and the execution is a talmudic passage in Berakhot:

 

R. Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of R. Yochanan: Betzalel was so called on account of his wisdom. At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe: “Go and tell Betzalel to make me a Mishkan, an ark and vessels,” Moshe went and reversed the order, saying, “Make an ark and vessels and a Mishkan.” Betzalel said to him: “Moshe, our master, as a rule a man first builds a house and then brings vessels into it; but you say: ‘Make me an ark and vessels and a Mishkan.’ Where shall I put the vessels that I am to make? Can it be that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to you, ‘Make a Mishkan, an ark and vessels?’” Moses replied: Perhaps you were in the shadow of God and knew!^[5] (Berakhot 55a)

 

            According to this explanation, it may be argued simply that the vessels are in fact more important and of a higher rank than the structure, and this explains the order in which God issued His commands to Moshe. Even in the account of the vessels themselves, there is an internal order, beginning with the innermost vessels and moving outwards, from the Holy of Holies to the courtyard, similarly expressing their order of importance.

 

            According to this explanation, the reason that the execution begins with the structure is practical, following simple logic – first build the structure and then bring in the vessels.

 

2) The inner substance versus the outer framework:

 

            In a similar direction, the difference between the two approaches can be formulated not as a clash between the important and the practical, but as one between inner substance and outer framework.

 

            According to this understanding, the essence of the Mishkan in the command to Moshe is its inner substance, which is expressed in the vessels of the Mishkan. The vessels constitute the core of the Mishkan; from this perspective, the external structure serves merely as an external framework that contains the vessels. A sanctuary without vessels has no independent meaning; all of its meaning comes from the vessels that are found inside it.

 

            The other perspective, i.e., that of Betzalel, according to which the structure precedes the vessels, insists that the structure limits the sanctity within the structure, not allowing it to burst out beyond the boundaries of its walls. It is precisely the walls that have the power to create a distinction between the various levels of sanctity, determining who is permitted to enter and into which portion of the building.

 

            The difference between the two understandings can also be formulated as the relationship between love and fear:[6]

 

• Moshe, who emphasizes the importance of the vessels, represents the inside – love, the very connection between the people of Israel and God.
• Betzalel, who sets the structure first, represents the framework, whose boundaries are clear and which distinguishes between the different sections.

 

In continuation of this understanding, the change can be connected to the sin of the Golden Calf. One of the understandings of that sin is that the people were in need of something tangible in order to create a connection with the Shekhina, and in Moshe's absence they chose to make a calf. In this sense, the calf served as a substitute for the vessels, which were represented by Moshe. In the wake of the sin, Betzalel asked that he be allowed to start with the structure, so that he may set clear and fast boundaries, and then fashion the utensils within a framework.[7]

 

3) Study, as exemplified by Moshe, versus action, as exemplified by Betzalel:

 

            The Maharal, in his commentary Gur Aryeh, explains:

 

Even things that his master did not tell him, etc. – You might say: Why didn't Moshe command to make the Mishkan first? It may be suggested that Moshe put the vessels first because the vessels are more important than the Mishkan, as is proven by the fact that the vessels were borne by the sons of Kehat, and the Mishkan by the sons of Merari, and the sons of Kehat were of higher rank than the sons of Merari. And one should begin with the most important thing. But as for the execution, the Mishkan had to be made first, because the Mishkan safeguards the vessels. Therefore, Betzalel, who was in charge of the execution, understood that the Mishkan had to be made first. But Moshe who was in charge of the study alone started with the vessels. But the matter of the execution which should be made first in actual practice, he forgot, to the point that Betzalel, who was in charge of the execution, had to remind him. About this Moshe said to him: "Perhaps you were in the shadow of God." For Moshe was in charge of the study, but not the execution, and Betzalel was in charge of the execution. In short, Moshe understood the matter of study, because he was in charge of study, and one should begin study with the things that are most important. And Betzalel who was in charge of execution, understood how the matter must be executed. (Gur Aryeh, Shemot 38:22)

 

            The Maharal first establishes that the vessels are more important than the Mishkan, proven from the fact that was mentioned at the beginning of this lecture - the vessels were borne by the sons of Kehat, while the Mishkan was carried by the sons of Merari.

 

            His main distinction is between Moshe and Betzalel, between the command and the execution, between study and action. In actual fact, the Mishkan safeguards the vessels, and therefore Betzalel makes the Mishkan first. In contrast, when it comes to study, one should begin with the vessels, which are more important.

 

            The Maharal adds here an interesting point connected to Moshe, namely, that in his essence Moshe is not connected to action, and therefore – and not by chance – he forgot the matter of execution.            The matter of study is connected in its essence to Moshe, and the matter of the execution is connected in its essence to Betzalel. Each of them, in accordance with his suitability, was placed in charge of the area that is appropriate for him.

 

4) The Mishkan as the place of the Divine service versus the Mishkan as the site of the resting of the Shekhina

 

            The disagreement between Moshe and Betzalel can be understood in yet another way.[8]

 

            Moshe, who reached closeness to God by ascending the mountain from below, sees the Mikdash primarily as a place of service to God. From his perspective, the essence of the Mishkan is its vessels, through which man serves God. The building is merely a shell that safeguards the vessels.

 

In contrast, Betzalel maintains that the primary function of the sanctuary is the very resting of the Shekhina, and therefore he asks to begin with the building of the structure. Therefore, Betzalel's main argument is that a person first builds a house, and afterwards brings in the vessels – first the resting of the Shekhina and afterwards the service of God. (According to this understanding, we well understand Betzalel's name; he was "in the shadow of God [be-tzel E-l], for his primary concern was the resting of the Shekhina).

 

There is room to ask, according to this understanding, whether the structure itself has any spiritual meaning without the vessels. Can the Shekhina rest in a wholly empty house? Or does the resting of the Shekhina still depends on the presence of the ark, its cover, and the keruvim (as the Ramban understands, that the primary objective of the Mishkan is the meeting, the speaking from between the two keruvim)?

 

This is a broad issue and subject to a disagreement between the Rambam and the Ramban, with the Ramban maintaining that the main function of the Mikdash is the resting of the Shekhina, and the Rambam arguing that the primary function of the Mikdash is man's service of God, his pilgrimages, and the like.^[9]

 

In this context, it is interesting that the Rambam, in his Sefer ha-Mitzvot (commandment no. 20), views the fashioning of the vessels as an integral part of the mitzva of building the Mikdash and makes no mention of the ark. According to the Rambam, this is very understandable. Since he understands that the Mikdash is essentially a place of service, and that the vessels are its most important feature (as they make the service possible), the fashioning of the vessels is part and parcel of the building of the Mikdash.

 

In contrast, the Ramban understands that fashioning the vessels is not part of the mitzva of building the Mikdash, but rather a preliminary act that makes another mitzva possible. The only vessel whose fashioning involves a separate mitzva is the ark, which plays a central role in the resting of the Shekhina.[10]

 

THE VESSLES – THE ASPECT OF MOSHE – FROM BELOW THE STRUCTURE – THE ASPECT OF BETZALEL – FROM ABOVE[11]

 

In conclusion, I wish to present yet another approach regarding the relationship between the vessels and the structure. The underlying assumption of this approach is that the establishment of a dwelling place for the Shekhina, a fixed place for the connection between heaven and earth, requires the full union of two elements that join together like the keruvim.

 

The male order makes its way down, descending from above downwards, from the inside outwards, and in that context, what is more sanctified is of greater importance. The vessels, which embody sanctity, are primary, whereas the place that is defined by curtains and boards is secondary.

 

In contrast, the female order represented by the bride – Keneset Israel, who sanctifies herself in order to meet her lover – advances in a natural manner, from the profane to the sanctified, from below upwards, from the outer world to inner sanctity.

 

This direction, from below upwards, necessitates that a place be set aside from the outset, fenced off from its surroundings, so that it be may be purified and readied for the resting of God's glory: "It is the way of the world that a person first build a house and afterwards take a wife." For this reason, the curtains and boards must be made first, and only afterwards the vessels, the embodiments of sanctity, for if not, "Where shall I put the vessels that I am to make?"

 

The first order is comprehended by the elite of the generation, whose heads are in heaven, like Moshe. The rest of the people require a container, an external framework, a structure of curtains and boards, in order to contain the light of the vessels.

 

It is for this reason that Betzalel, in the shadow of God, built the structure of the Mishkan before he fashioned its vessels.

 

(Translated by David Strauss) 

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