Moses Took the Tent Like a Captain Fleeing a Rebel Legion

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 394:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And Moses would take the tent" (Exodus 33:7). Resh Lakish said: When Moses saw that they had forfeited a good gift, he too grew angry with them, as it is said, "And Moses would take the tent." How far away was it? A mile, as it is said, "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits" (Joshua 3:4). A parable: of a king who had a single legion, and they rebelled against the king. What did his commander-in-chief do? He took the king's standard and fled. So too Moses took the Tabernacle and went off with it. "And everyone who sought the LORD" — it is not written here "everyone who sought Moses," but rather "who sought the LORD." Even the angels and the seraphim and the troops would seek Him in order to take from Him permission to go out. They would say to one another: He is in the Tabernacle of Moses. The sun and the moon would seek permission to go out into the world, and they would go to the Tabernacle: "and everyone who sought the LORD."

Themes

MosesDivine PresenceTabernacle

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