In this shiur, we will analyze the double designation of the Mishkan as the "Mishkan of the testimony" and as the "tent of meeting." What is the significance of these terms, and what do they reflect about the nature of the Mishkan? We will further study the meaning of the outside appearance of the Mishkan, which looked like a shepherd's tent.
The building of the Mishkan was a tikkun for Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden. The Exodus from Egypt created, as it were, Am Yisrael. The building of the Mishkan facilitated a return to a state in which God goes about amongst Bnei Yisrael.
God tells Moshe, "And I will meet with you there and speak with you from above the covering, from between the two keruvim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony" (Shemot 25:22).
Last week, we discussed discrepancies in the formulation of verses over the course of a textual unit with regard to the person or people being addressed, alluding to additional dimensions of understanding. In approaching this week’s parsha, we note a similar phenomenon, which sheds light on the unique role of the Kohanim in lighting the menora.
The Torah gives a prominent place to the laws of the Mishkan and the sacrifices, which seems to indicate their centrality. The Prophets, however, minimize their importance, focusing on the principles of justice and interpersonal relations. In this shiur, we will demonstrate how the Prophets read the Torah, in particular the order of the parshiyot from Yitro and on.
