A vort from the Rebbe on this week's parshah, Parshas Terumah. In Parshas Terumah the pasuk says: \"והקמת את המשכן כמשפטו אשר הראית בהר\". You shall put up the Mishkan as you're supposed to, as the mishpat is, that you were shown on the mountain. Here the pasuk mentions that where were you shown by the Oibershter how to make the Mishkan, shown on the mountain, which means Har Sinai. And the question is, why is it important to mention where he was 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: \"וראה ועשה בתבניתם אשר אתה מראה בהר\". 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 Oibershter 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 hemshech, a continuation of Har Sinai, of Matan Torah. What was Matan Torah? Matan Torah was a time when there was גילוי אלקות in the world, there was a great godly revelation to the world. But that revelation was temporary, it was only for the time being, it wasn't permanent, it didn't stay. And what the Oibershter wanted is that that gilui that came down by the מש- by the Har Sinai, 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. Says in the Chazal that why did the Oibershter want a menorah? לא ליה הוא צריך, השם 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 הר סיני, it was only temporary, is because it came מלמעלה, using the terminology of Chassidut, it was a גילוי מלמעלה למטה. 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 גילוי מלמעלה. As we find by יציאת מצרים, when they went out of מצרים, it says: \"נגלה עליהם מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא וגאלם\". Hashem revealed Himself to them. יציאת מצרים we know was the preparation and the beginning of מתן תורה. It was a גילוי מלמעלה. When something comes from above, but it's not from within the person, as long as it's there it lasts, and then when 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 גילוי of הר סיני, since it came מלמעלה, 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 something. 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 הר, which means by הר סיני מתן תורה, will now be continuing in a permanent way.\"

Which answers another question. The Rebbe asks a question: Why does the פרשת תרומה 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 מתן תורה. What the Oibershter wanted that מתן תורה by הר סיני should continue, that גילוי should continue, but you should do something about it, then it'll be permanent, not temporary. So right after, when He's talking about מתן תורה, especially the end of פרשת משפטים talks about מתן תורה, now He says, \"Now do something.\" So the first thing is before He even says make a Mikdash, He says, \"You bring the donations, it'll come from within you, and that'll continue the גילוי of מתן תורה because you will be doing it, and then that'll be the Mikdash that Oibershter wants.\" So He first said, \"You give,\" and then \"Make a Mikdash,\" so we'll under- so He's explaining and the reason why He wants the the Mishkan, the בית המקדש, etc., etc. And this is the reason why in by the משכן בכלל, 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. and especially by the