The Shekhinah Ascends Through Seven Heavens and Descends to the Tabernacle

Another interpretation of "And it came to pass on the day that Moses finished" (Numbers 7:1). Rabbi says: Wherever "and it came to pass" (va-yehi) is said, [it is one matter; but Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says: Wherever it says "and it came to pass" (va-yehi)], it is a matter that existed and then ceased for many days, and then returned to be as it was. This is what Scripture says: "I have come into my garden" (Song of Songs 5:1). At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He desired that He should have a dwelling among those below, just as He has among those above. He called Adam and commanded him and said to him: "Of every tree of the garden you may surely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it" (Genesis 2:16-17). And he transgressed His command. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: This is what I desired, that just as I have a dwelling among those above, so I should have one among those below; and one thing I commanded you, and you did not keep it. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, withdrew His Shekhinah to the firmament. From where? As it is said: "And they heard the voice of the Lord God moving about in the garden toward the breeze of the day" (Genesis 3:8). [And when they transgressed His command, He withdrew His Shekhinah to the first firmament.] Cain arose and slew Abel; immediately He withdrew His Shekhinah from the first firmament to the second firmament. The generation of Enosh arose and were idolaters, as it is said: "Then it was begun to call upon the name of the Lord" (Genesis 4:26), and He withdrew His Shekhinah from the second to the third. The generation of the flood arose, and it is written of them: "And they said to God: Depart from us" (Job 21:14); immediately He withdrew His Shekhinah from the third firmament to the fourth. The generation of the dispersion arose and said: It is not for Him to choose for Himself those above and give us those below. What did they say? "Come, let us build us a city" (Genesis 11:4). And what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do to them? "And the Lord scattered them abroad from there" (Genesis 11:8). He arose and withdrew His Shekhinah from the fourth firmament to the fifth. The Sodomites arose; what is written of them? "And the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners [against the Lord exceedingly]" (Genesis 13:13): "wicked" — to one another; "sinners" — in forbidden sexual relations; "against the Lord" — in idolatry; "exceedingly" — in the shedding of blood. Immediately He withdrew His Shekhinah from the fifth firmament to the sixth. The Philistines arose and provoked the Holy One, blessed be He; immediately He withdrew His Shekhinah from the sixth firmament to the seventh. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Seven firmaments I created, and until now there are wicked ones who continue to arise. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He folded up all the generations of the wicked and raised up Abraham our father. When Abraham our father arose and did good deeds, immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, descended from the seventh firmament to the sixth. Isaac arose and stretched out his neck upon the altar, and He descended from the sixth firmament to the fifth. Jacob arose, and He descended from the fifth to the fourth. Levi arose and his deeds were pleasing, and He descended from the fourth to the third. Kohath arose, and He descended from the third to the second. Amram arose, and they brought Him down from the second to the first firmament. Moses arose and brought down the Shekhinah. When? When the Tabernacle was set up. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I have come into my garden" — to the thing for which I had been longing. And this is "And it came to pass on the day that Moses finished." From here Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: "And it came to pass" (va-yehi) is nothing other than a matter that existed and then ceased for many days, and then returned to be as it was.