Adar I 24, 5776/March 4, 2016
Our sages teach that G-d first "thought of" creating the world, and then, in order to enable the future world's ability to endure, first created the concept of "teshuva," that is, the capacity to both repent and to forgive. Only after teshuvah was brought into being did G-d proceed to create the world in six days, as recorded in the opening verses of Genesis.
There is a striking parallel between this teaching and the Exodus narrative of the building of the Mishkan - the Tabernacle of the desert. Back in parashat Terumah, G-d shares with Moshe His intention that Israel should build for Him "a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8) This is followed in the Torah narrative by the incident of the golden calf, after which Moshe pleads on behalf of his people and G-d reveals toMoshe His willingness to forgive Israel the sin of the golden calf. And now, following Israel's repentance and G-d's forgiveness, Moshe shares with the entire nation of Israel G-d's desire for Israel to create for Him a spacial reality in which His Presence can dwell - a Tabernacle.
Just as man could not exist in G-d's world a day without the potential for teshuvah(repentance), so too, G-d's presence cannot dwell in man's world without the reality ofteshuvah. In other words, the building of the Tabernacle is the continuation and the completion of the creative process started by G-d and recorded in Genesis. Just as G-d created man from a lump of clay and then breathed divine life into man, by the merit of Israel's building of the Tabernacle G-d can breath His Divine presence into this world, elevating all existence and bringing man closer to his Creator.
By entrusting Israel with the "finishing touches" to creation, G-d was not only exhibiting the greatness of His ability to forgive past errors, He was expressing His supreme confidence that Israel could rise to the occasion and become G-dlike , taking up the task of creation.
G-d's motivation, as it were, in creating the world, was to create a reality that was distinct from Him, and then to bless that reality with His goodness, an act of Divine altruism. This selfless desire to bestow good on the other, is the secret of creation that Israel discovered and replicated when building the Tabernacle. This week's Torah reading,Vayakhel, describes the many details of the Tabernacle and its vessels. But more importantly, it describes the entire nation of Israel answering Moshe, taking him up on his call for "every man whose heart uplifted him... and everyone whose spirit inspired him to generosity" (ibid 35:21) to bring of their possessions the materials needed for the Tabernacle. This generosity of spirit extended well beyond the bringing of their possessions and, as Vayakhel later describes, included the effort made by the entire nation to construct and fashion and build all the components of the Tabernacle and the sacred vessels, just as G-d commanded them. It was their selfless and generous heart that guided Israel in their work, and it was the G-d like quality of utter selflessness that endowed the finished product, the Tabernacle, the final and concluding detail of creation, with the ability to welcome G-d's presence into the world. It wasn't the beams or the curtains that created the sacred space of the Tabernacle: it was the pure and unadulterated intention of doing it solely because G-d said "Do it for Me" that rendered the enclosed area of the Tabernacle sacred space.
Likewise, it wasn't the completed Holy Tabernacle that retroactively lifted up and refined the children of Israel, but it was the act of building the Tabernacle, of fulfilling G-d's intention with every fiber of their beings, the wisdom and understanding and generosity of their hearts and minds directing the holy work of their hands, that lifted up and made holy the completed Tabernacle. In short, Israel took G-d's commandment "build for Me a sanctuary" seriously, without prevarication or hesitation, without a question of G-d's sincerity or doubt of their own ability to fulfill G-d's command.
Many people today say that Israel is not ready to build the Holy Temple, that we have not yet risen to the spiritual refinement or unity as a people necessary to take on the holy task of building for G-d a sanctuary so that His presence may dwell among us. Who could have imagined, (if not G-d ), that the children of Israel who had just descended into the maelstrom of the golden calf could immediately after be capable of creating a space so pure and so holy that G-d would rest His presence there. It was the very act of taking on the commandment, of throwing themselves whole-heartedly into the building of the Tabernacle that raised up, purified and united the people.
When the Holy Temple was destroyed that last final detail of creation which perfected and imbued creation with beauty and holiness, was dislodged, broken and lost. Following two thousand years of exile Israel has returned to the "build for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them" moment in time. G-d has reconciled with Israel. He is ready to begin anew. Are we?
-The Temple Institute
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