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SHEMOT

A Vort From the Rebbe: Terumah

Why the pasuk stresses that the Mishkan and menorah were built โ€œas you were shown on the mountainโ€, tying the Mishkan directly back to Har Sinai.

Part of Shemot · 5:01

Explaining why the Torah specifically notes that the Mishkan and menorah followed the pattern shown at Har Sinai, the vort argues that the Mishkan was meant to take the fleeting revelation of Matan Torah and anchor it permanently through the Jewish people's own effort. That in turn answers why Parshas Terumah opens with the call for donations before ever mentioning building a Mishkan โ€” the giving itself is what carries Sinai's revelation forward into something lasting.

Audio Transcript
Why the Mishkan and Menorah Are Called a Continuation of Har Sinai

A vort from the Rebbe on this week's parsha, Parshas Terumah. In Parshas Terumah the pasuk says, ื•ื”ืงืžืช ืืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื›ืžืฉืคื˜ื• ืืฉืจ ื”ืจืื™ืช ื‘ื”ืจ, you shall put up the Mishkan as you're supposed to, as the ืžืฉืคื˜ is, that you were shown on the mountain. Here the pasuk mentions that where were you shown by the Oybershter how to make the Mishkan? Shown on the mountain, which means Har Sinai. And the question is, why is it important to mention where you were shown? The main thing should say, put up the Mishkan as you're supposed to, the way you were told, the way you were shown. Why is it important to mention that it was on the mountain? Actually, we find another pasuk, which is a similar pasuk, and that pasuk is speaking specifically by the menorah. And the pasuk says by the menorah a similar thing, ื•ืจืื” ื•ืขืฉื” ื‘ืชื‘ื ื™ืชื ืืฉืจ ืืชื” ืžืจืื” ื‘ื”ืจ, you should look and see the way the shape is supposed to be as you were shown on the mountain. So it again says the word on the mountain. Why is it important to mention in the Torah that the Oybershter said as you were shown on the mountain? And the Rebbe explains, obviously the mountain means Har Sinai, and what the pasuk is trying to say that the Mishkan is a hamshach, a continuation of Har Sinai, of Matan Torah. What was Matan Torah? Matan Torah was a time when there was ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืืœืงื•ืช in the world, it was a great godly revelation to the world, but that revelation was temporary, it was only for a time being, it wasn't permanent, it didn't stay. And what the Oybershter wanted is that that giluy that came down by the by the Har Sinai, by by Matan Torah, should be channeled and come down in such a way that it should be here and stay here in a permanent way. And that's why he mentioned that the Mishkan you should put up as you were shown on the mountain, that means that Har Sinai is the beginning and this is the continuation of Har Sinai. And especially is it mentioned by the menorah, because the whole purpose of the menorah was to bring the light into the world. It says in the Chazal that why did the Oybershter want a menorah? ืœื ืœืื•ืจื” ื”ื•ื ืฆืจื™ืš, ื”ืฉื doesn't need light, and it's only to bring the light out to the world. So the menorah especially is to bring godly light into the world. So specifically by the menorah it says that the way to make the menorah, like you were shown on the mountain, because it comes from the mountain. Now the reason by the mountain, which means Har Sinai, it was only temporary, is because it came ืžืœืžืขืœื”. Using the terminology of Chasidut, it was a ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืžืœืžืขืœื” ืœืžื˜ื”, Hashem revealed himself. It wasn't that the Yidden worked on it to get it, they did certain things a little bit, it says, but the main thing was a ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืžืœืžืขืœื”. As we find by Yetziat Mitzrayim, when they went out of Mitzrayim, it says ื ื’ืœื” ืขืœื™ื”ื ืžืœืš ืžืœื›ื™ ื”ืžืœื›ื™ื ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉ ื‘ืจื•ืš ื”ื•ื ื•ื’ืืœื, ื”ืฉื revealed himself to them. Yetziat Mitzrayim we know was the preparation and the beginning of Matan Torah, it was a ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืžืœืžืขืœื”. When something comes from above, but it's not from within the person, as long as it's there it lasts, and then when it goes away, it wears off, but if something comes from within the people, then it penetrates to the person, so then it stays longer, it stays for a long time, it's a permanent thing. So the Giluy of Har Sinai, since it came ืžืœืžืขืœื”, was a temporary thing, and the Oibershter wanted that this should come down in a way that it should be here permanently and change and have an effect on the world, he said, \"Now I want you to do some you do something about it. You make the Mishkan, you give donations to the Mishkan, you make the Mishkan, so that'll come within you, and now whatever happened by the ื”ืจ, which means by ื”ืจ ืกื™ื ื™ ืžืชืŸ ืชื•ืจื”, will now be continuing in a permanent way.\"

Why Terumah Opens With Donations Before Even Mentioning the Mishkan

Which answers another question, the Rebbe asks a question, why does the Parashat Terumah start with Hashem saying to give donations, and then he says, \"Make for me a Mikdash\"? Wouldn't it make more sense he should first say, \"I want you to make a Mishkan,\" and then say, \"In order to make a Mishkan you got to have you got to have material, so give donations\"? He says first give donations, and then he says, \"Make for me a Mikdash.\" So the Rebbe answers, because first there was Matan Torah, what the Oibershter wanted that Matan Torah by Har Sinai should continue, that Giluy should continue, but you should do something about it, then it'll be permanent, not temporary. So right after when he's talking about Matan Torah, especially the end of Parashat Mishpatim talks about Matan Torah, now he says, \"Now do something.\" So the first things before he even says make a Mikdash, he says, \"You bring the donations, it'll come from within you, and that'll continue the Giluy of Matan Torah, because you will be doing it, and then that'll be the Mikdash that the Oibershter wants.\" So he first said, \"You give,\" and then, \"Make a Mikdash,\" so we'll understand, so he's explaining and the reason why he wants the the Mishkan, the Beit HaMikdash, etc., etc. And this is the reason why in by the ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื‘ื›ืœืœ, and especially by the Menorah, the Pasuk stresses you should do it as you were shown on the mountain, to stress that this is a continuation of Har Sinai.

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