The passage in Bamidbar Rabbah 12 kicks off with a seemingly simple word: "Vayhi" – usually translated as "it was." But in the world of Jewish interpretation, nothing is ever just simple, is it? The Rabbis ask, why this word? What does it really mean in this context?
One interpretation suggests that "vayhi" hints at a previous agreement. Rabbi Yehoshua says that God made a deal with the Israelites way back in Egypt. God would free them, but only so they could build a Mishkan, a Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary. And the purpose? To allow God's Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, to dwell among them. As Exodus 29:46 says, God took them out of Egypt "to cause Me to rest in their midst.” It was all about creating a space for God to feel at home.
Think about that for a moment. Freedom wasn't just about escaping slavery; it was about building a relationship, a dwelling place, for the Divine.
Then Rav offers another mind-blowing idea. He suggests that something totally unprecedented happened on the day the Tabernacle was erected. Before that moment, from the very creation of the world, the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, hadn't actually rested down here. It was only with the construction of the Mishkan that God truly took up residence in the world below. That's why "vayhi" is used, marking a completely new era. It's a momentous occasion!
But Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai takes us on yet another twist. He says "vayhi" signifies something that was, then stopped, and then was restored. He points to the Garden of Eden. Remember in Genesis 3:8, how Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the Lord God proceeding in the garden"? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai sees this as the Shekhinah dwelling in the world. But then Adam sinned, and the Divine Presence departed. It didn't return until… you guessed it… the Tabernacle was built. So, "vayhi" represents a restoration of that initial, intimate connection.
So, what do we take away from all this? We have differing opinions, from the idea of a pre-arranged agreement to build a resting place, to the notion of God never dwelling on Earth until the Mishkan, and the concept of restoring a lost connection from the Garden of Eden.
Perhaps the key is this: The Tabernacle wasn't just a building; it was a bridge. It was a way to connect the earthly and the Divine, to create a space – both physical and spiritual – where God could truly be present. And isn't that what we're all striving for, in our own ways? To build those bridges, to foster that connection, and to welcome the Shekhinah into our lives, our homes, and our world.