Like many other passages in the description of the making of the Mishkan, the completion of the building echoes a line from the creation narrative: “God saw all that He had made, and behold – it was very good”
The literary parallels between the Divine creation of the universe and the Israelites’ construction of the Tabernacle are intentional and consequential. The Tabernacle was a micro-cosmos, a universe-in-miniature. In creating the universe, God made a home for humanity. In building the sanctuary, humanity made a home for God. And just as, at the beginning of time, God had blessed creation, so Moses blessed those who had a share in its human counterpart. What is the nature of the similarities between the creation and the building of the Mishkan? Through an examination of the text we can learn about the concept of holiness, and that it is not objects that are holy. It is human action and intention in accordance with the will of God that creates holiness.
This article is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.
To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
