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This week’s Parsha is ויקהל-פקודי, the final פרשה in ספר שמות. At the end of the ספר, after the משכן is fully assembled, the Torah states: “ויכס הענן את־אהל מועד וכבוד ה׳ מלא את־המשכן - and the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan.” As a result of this כבוד, Moshe was unable to enter the אהל מועד. The תורה then describes the ענני הכבוד, illustrating that it would lead בני ישראל throughout the מדבר. Finally, ספר שמות concludes stating: “כי ענן יהוה על־המשכן יומם ואש תהיה לילה בו לעיני כל־בית־ישראל בכל־מסעיהם - for the cloud of HaShem was on the Mishkan by day, and fire by night, in the eyes of all of the house of Israel, in all of their journeys.” This ending is striking and raises many questions. Firstly, what does it mean that the כבוד ה׳ filled the משכן, and why is this something that prevents משה רבינו, someone who spoke to HaShem face to face, from entering the אהל מועד? Furthermore, why must the Torah state that the cloud was over the משכן by day and the fire by night - what is the significance of this? And finally, how do these passages contribute to and conclude ספר שמות as a whole?
By יהושע משה בן שלוםThis week’s Parsha is ויקהל-פקודי, the final פרשה in ספר שמות. At the end of the ספר, after the משכן is fully assembled, the Torah states: “ויכס הענן את־אהל מועד וכבוד ה׳ מלא את־המשכן - and the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan.” As a result of this כבוד, Moshe was unable to enter the אהל מועד. The תורה then describes the ענני הכבוד, illustrating that it would lead בני ישראל throughout the מדבר. Finally, ספר שמות concludes stating: “כי ענן יהוה על־המשכן יומם ואש תהיה לילה בו לעיני כל־בית־ישראל בכל־מסעיהם - for the cloud of HaShem was on the Mishkan by day, and fire by night, in the eyes of all of the house of Israel, in all of their journeys.” This ending is striking and raises many questions. Firstly, what does it mean that the כבוד ה׳ filled the משכן, and why is this something that prevents משה רבינו, someone who spoke to HaShem face to face, from entering the אהל מועד? Furthermore, why must the Torah state that the cloud was over the משכן by day and the fire by night - what is the significance of this? And finally, how do these passages contribute to and conclude ספר שמות as a whole?