Responding to the Presence of Hashem
And Moshe assembled all the congregation of Bnai Yisrael and he said to them: These are the things that Hashem commanded that they be done. (Sefer Shemot 35:1)
- The Mishcan was a place for sacrifices
In Parshat Terumah and Parshat Tetzaveh Hashem commands Moshe to create the Mishcan – the Tabernacle. He communicates to Moshe the design of the Mishcan and of the garments for the priests and the kohen gadol – the high priest. In Parshat VaYakhel and Parshat Pekuday Moshe transmits the commandment and the specific instructions he received to Bnai Yisrael. The fabrication of the Mishcan and the garments is described. Parshat Pekuday concludes with a description of the Mishcan’s assembly.
Sefer VaYikra begins with the dedication of the Mishcan and the sacrifices that were to be offered on its altars. The Torah’s presentation of the Mishcan suggests that its purpose was to serve as a place for the offering of sacrifices. Fixed daily sacrifices were to be offered in the morning and afternoon. Additional sacrifices were to be offered on festivals. Individuals also offered personal sacrifices as expressions of thanks or as part of the process of atonement.
After Bnai Yisrael conquered and settled the Land of Israel, the Mishcan continued to serve as the spiritual center of the nation. Eventually, the Mishcan was destroyed. King Shlomo replaced the Mishcan with the Bait HaMikdash – the Sacred Temple. The Bait HaMikdash became the permanent sanctuary of Bnai Yisrael and the center of national spiritual life.
Yet have respect unto the prayer of your servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which Your servant prays before You today. That Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, “My name shall be there”. That You may hearken unto the prayer which Your servant shall make toward this place. (Sefer Melachim I 8:28-29)
- The Bait HaMikdash as a place of prayer
In its dedication, King Shlomo spoke to the nation about the function of the Bait HaMikdash. We would expect him to describe the Temple as a place for the offering of the nation’s sacrifices. However, King Shlomo makes no mention of the sacrifices offered in the Bait HaMikdash. Instead, he describes the Temple as a place of prayer. Why does King Shlomo not expound upon the Temple’s sacrifices? Why does he instead describe the Bait HaMikdash as a place of prayer? In order to resolve this discrepancy between these two treatments of the Mishcan and Bait HaMikdash another incident must be reviewed.
And Moshe took the tent and pitched it outside of the camp, far off from the camp; and he called it the Tent of Meeting. And it came to pass, that everyone who sought Hashem went out unto the Tent of Meeting, which was outside of the camp. And it was that when Moshe went out unto the tent, all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moshe, until he came into the tent. And it was that when Moshe entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent; and Hashem spoke with Moshe. (Sefer Shemot 33:7-9)
- Hashem’s estrangement from Bnai Yisrael
The passages above describe events that took place after Bnai Yisrael created and worshiped the egel – the golden calf. Moshe succeeded in his intervention with Hashem and He did not destroy the people for their terrible sin. However, the sin did have consequences. Moshe took a tent and he removed it from the camp. It seems from the narrative that in this tent Moshe received his prophecies. When Moshe sought prophecy, he traveled to this tent – now located far from the people’s encampment. Moshe would stand at the tent and a cloud would descend. This cloud expressed the influence of Hashem[1] and communicated that Moshe was prophesying.
What was Moshe’s objective in removing this tent and relocating it from the nation’s encampment? Rashbam explains that the tent’s removal communicated Hashem’s estrangement from the people. Hashem would not communicate with Moshe while he was in the camp. He could only receive prophecy by removing himself from the camp and traveling to the distant tent.[2]
Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle. And Moshe was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle. (Sefer Shemot 40:34-35)
- The establishment of the Mishcan and Hashem’s return to the camp
Parshat Pekuday concludes with a description of the assembly of the Mishcan. The Mishcan was assembled within the midst of the camp. The above passages describe the cloud that expressed the Divine presence descending upon the Mishcan. Moshe would no longer travel to a tent far outside of the camp in order to communicate with Hashem. Instead, he would seek the Mishcan – located in the center of the camp. There, he would encounter the presence of Hashem and receive prophecy.
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. (Sefer Shemot 25:8)
- The Mishcan was designed as a place for expression of Hashem’s presence
The return of Hashem’s presence within the midst of the camp of Bnai Yisrael fulfilled the objective of the Mishcan. This objective was described to Moshe when Hashem communicated to him the commandment to create the Tabernacle. He told Moshe that the nation should create the Tabernacle so that Hashem might dwell within the nation. It is in this context that the Torah so strongly associates the Mishcan with sacrificial service.
We can now understand the Torah’s emphasis upon the sacrifices offered in the Mishcan. The Mishcan was designed as a place that expressed the Divine presence. The sacrifices offered to Hashem in the Mishcan contributed to creating a place in which the Divine influence was evident. The Torah is asserting that the Temple in which Hashem’s presence is expressed must feature sacrificial service.
Personal sacrifices were also brought to the Mishcan. This was a consequence of Hashem’s presence within the Mishcan. No other place could be more fit for offering sacrifices than this unique place in which the presence of Hashem was manifested.
Nonetheless, King Shlomo did not focus on the sacrifices offered in the Bait HaMikdash. He described the prayers that would be offered in the Temple. Why did King Shlomo focus on these prayers?
- Responding to the presence of Hashem
Maimonides’ Sefer HaMItzvot – Book of Commandments – provides a listing and a brief description of each of the 613 commandments. He first lists and describes the positive commandments and then he lists and describes the negative commandments. Maimonides’ overall organizational scheme is not easily identified. However, it seems that his order communicates connections between individual commandments and sets of commandments. He begins his positive commandments with the obligation to accept the existence of Hashem. The second commandment is to accept Hashem’s oneness or unity. The third and forth commandments are to love and fear Hashem. The fifth positive commandment is to worship Hashem. Maimonides understands this reference to worship as a directive to engage in prayer. Why does Maimonides give the commandment to pray such prominence in his compilation of the Torah’s commandments?
It seems that Maimonides maintains that prayer is our response to awareness of Hashem. We acknowledge His existence and unity. This leads to our love and fear of Him. This love and fear achieves expression in the prayer that it inspires.
Let us return to King Shlomo’s treatment of the Bait HaMikdash. It seems that King Shlomo understood that sacrifices are crucial in establishing a place for expression of the presence of Hashem. However, he was concerned with a different issue. Once the presence of Hashem is among us, how should we respond? King Shlomo communicated to the people that we respond with prayer. In other words, sacrifices are essential in creating a place in which the presence of Hashem is expressed. Prayers are the activity in which we engage in response to that presence. King Shlomo was not instructing the people in how to create a house for Hashem. He was teaching them what to do with that house.
[1] Throughout this presentation, references are made to the presence of Hashem. These are not intended to be understood in their literal sense. Hashem in not associated with space or place. However, in the Mishcan and the Bait HaMikdash His influence was more clearly expressed or evidenced.
[2] Rabbaynu Shemuel ben Meir (Rashbam) Commentary on Sefer Shemot 33:7.