It wasn't just a matter of unfolding some tents and calling it a day. The Torah tells us, in Exodus 40:17, that it was "in the first month during the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was erected." But what kind of erection are we talking about?

The Rabbis of the Midrash delve deep into the details, asking a seemingly simple question: "It was on the day that Moses concluded" – what day was it? Bamidbar Rabbah explores this verse, and the answers they come up with are fascinating.

Rabbi Zeira raises an interesting point, suggesting that if the Tabernacle was erected at night, it couldn't be used for service during the day. Then it gets even more intricate. We have different opinions on just how much erecting and dismantling Moses was doing. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Yosef suggests Moses erected and dismantled it twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. But Rabbi Ḥanina the Great ups the ante, saying it happened three times a day! According to him, it was once for the daily morning offering, once for the inauguration itself, and once for the daily evening offering. Talk about a workout!

Where does the idea of dismantling come from, anyway? Rabbi Zeira cleverly points out: "The day that Moses concluded" – the day that his erections [of it] concluded. If there were multiple instances of erecting, there must have been multiple instances of dismantling too.

So, picture this: on the New Moon of Nisan, the Tabernacle goes up. Then, on the second of Nisan, the red heifer is burned – a crucial step for purification. The next day, the third of Nisan, the water containing the ashes of the red heifer is sprinkled upon the Levites, as Numbers 8:7 instructs: "Sprinkle upon them purification water."

But here's where it gets even more interesting. Remember the Golden Calf incident? Because the Levites took action against the idol worshippers, as we read in Exodus 32:27–28 ("Each slay his brother.… The sons of Levi acted in accordance with the word of Moses…"), they were considered ritually impure, defiled by contact with the dead. Normally, they'd require two sprinklings with the purification water. But, instead of the second sprinkling, God commanded them to shave, a fascinating substitution!

And it wasn't just the Tabernacle and the Levites getting prepped. Moses himself was sanctified in the cloud for seven days, as Exodus 24:16 describes: "The glory of the Lord rested upon Mount Sinai." Aaron and his sons? They were sanctified with oil and blood, as Leviticus 8:30 details: "Moses took from the anointing oil, and from the blood that was on the altar, and he sprinkled it on Aaron [and on his vestments, and on his sons, and on the vestments of his sons with him, and he sanctified Aaron and his vestments, and his sons and the vestments of his sons with him]." Aaron, being the High Priest, got the extra special treatment of having the anointing oil poured directly on his head.

The Midrash goes on to meticulously describe how the Levites were sanctified – with sprinkling, shaving, offerings, and a wave offering. And, of course, the Tabernacle itself was sanctified through erecting, dismantling, and anointing.

There's a debate about the order and method of anointing. Rabbi Aivu asks, if it says "He anointed it and sanctified it," why does it also say "He anointed them and sanctified them?" Rabbi Aivu brings in opinions from Rabbi Taḥlifa of Caesarea and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. One suggests that after each individual anointing, there was a collective anointing. The other proposes that "He anointed them" refers to an anointing in this world and another in the World to Come, signifying that the vessels were sanctified for all time.

Similarly, the Midrash explores the verse "And attached the sheets one to another with the hooks" (Exodus 36:13), questioning why the verse then states "And the Tabernacle was one." Again, Rabbi Aivu cites Rabbi Taḥlifa of Caesarea and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. One says that after attaching each sheet individually, they were all attached together. The other suggests that "the Tabernacle was one" signifies both uniformity in size and a unified anointing.

The discussion even delves into the specifics of which vessels were anointed and how. Rabbi Yoshiya believes liquid measures were anointed inside and out, while dry measures were only anointed inside. Rabbi Yonatan disagrees, saying liquid measures were only anointed inside, and dry measures weren't anointed at all.

The key takeaway? Vessels that weren't anointed couldn't sanctify their contents. As Leviticus 23:17 states, referring to the two loaves of waving, "From your dwellings you shall bring two loaves of waving…[they shall be baked as leavened bread, a first offering to the Lord]." They only become holy after they're baked.

So, what does all this meticulous detail tell us? It highlights the immense care and precision that went into preparing the Tabernacle, the Levites, and the people for service to God. It wasn't a haphazard affair. Every step was deliberate, every detail significant. And perhaps, it also reminds us that holiness isn't just about grand gestures, but also about the small, seemingly insignificant acts of preparation and dedication. Just something to think about.