azriel@homxb.UUCP (A.HEUMAN) (02/09/86)
PARESHAT TERUMA
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The Ten Commandments were given to Israel in the reading of Yitro
(two weeks ago) as were all the rules set forth in Mishpatim
(last week). At the end of last week's reading, Moshe ascends Mt.
Sinai to receive the stone tablets, a kind of culmination of the
Mt. Sinai revelation (the job is not finished until the paperwork
is done). But there is a curious break in the narrative before
Moshe actually returns with these stone tablets 40 days later.
This "break" consists of this week's reading (Teruma), next
week's reading (Tetzave) and part of the following week's reading
(Ki Tisa). The break contains the laws pertaining to the building
and maintenance of the Tabernacle, the laws pertaining to the
priestly clothes and service, and a continuation of the laws of
Shabbat.
Why the "break"? Why did these laws have to be presented at this
particular point?
Rashi quotes the Midrash Tanchuma that these laws were actually
presented only after Yom Kippur, when the sin of the Golden Calf
was forgiven and Moshe was given the second tablets. The Sforno
explains that the Tabernacle was not part of the original plan,
but rather became necessary only after the sin of the Golden
Calf. The end of the Midrash Tanchuma, which Rashi quoted,
further explains that the Tabernacle was firstly a testimony to
the world that the sin of the Golden Calf was forgiven and
secondly a healing atonement. Nechama Leibowitz, relying on the
Rambam`s view of the Tabernacle, adds that the Tabernacle has a
healing affect in that it satisfies the human need for tangible
symbols. This unsatisfied need was what led to the sin of the
Golden Calf in the first place. But why are the tabernacle and
priestly laws presented here if they were actually given later?
Moshe is about to return with the stone tablets only to find the
nation worshipping a Golden Calf. There is a principle that the
Torah prepares the cure before the onset of the disease.
Nechama Leibowitz quotes the Ramban (I couldn't find the original
Ramban) as rejecting the idea that the Tabernacle was an
afterthought or a concession to human frailty. The chronological
order of events is exactly as is written. The narrative of the
building of the Tabernacle is the interrupted text - with the sin
of the Golden Calf delaying it's culmination. In this case, what
is the underlying purpose of the Tabernacle and why were the laws
related to it taught when Moshe ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the
stone tablets, to the exclusion of all other laws and lessons
(that is - as far as the plain text is concerned)? S.R. Hirsch
writes in his work "Collected Writings" that the key is the
passage "And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among
them". The sanctuary coincides with G-d dwelling among Israel.
Three times, the sanctuary was destroyed. Once at Shilo, where it
stood for 369 years and twice at Jerusalem. One can read
Jeremiah, Chapter 7 to see why Shilo was destroyed. Subsequent
destructions were for similar reasons - corruption,
inconsistency, injustice etc. So the underlying purpose of the
tabernacle is to act as tangible evidence that G-d dwells among
the nation and does not reject them. J. B. Soloveichik in his
work "Halachic Man" develops the thought even further. He
develops the idea of the "homo religiosus" personality - which
strives to ascend from the world and reach a heavenly existence.
He develops the idea of the "Halachik Man (or woman)" who travels
in the opposite direction, who strives to bring His divine
presence down into the midst of our concrete world. "Holiness
does not wink at us from 'beyond' like some mysterious star that
sparkles in the distant heavens, but appears in our actual, very
real lives." Moshe ascends Mt. Sinai, but it is not the highest
mountain. It required that G-d descend to meet him. Moshe then
brings the stone tablets down the mountain. Again the heavenly
being brought to the tangible world. The sanctuary was built - a
symbol that the nation has brought G-d among them - through their
actions and way of life. TVBBA
Mishenichnas Adar Marbim Besimcha
Azriel and Chaya Heuman