Our story begins with the verse, "They shall take Me a gift" (Exodus 25:2). But where does this gift come from? Shemot Rabbah dives into this, connecting it to a verse in Psalms: "You ascended on high; you took captives; you acquired gifts among men; even the deviant, for the Lord God to dwell there" (Psalms 68:19). Now, usually, we think of this verse as being about God. But here, the Midrash gives it a twist. It's talking about Moses!
Think about it. Moses ascended Mount Sinai. "Moses ascended to God" (Exodus 19:3), and "Moses approached the thick cloud" (Exodus 20:18). He literally went "on high." And what did he bring back? The Torah! In a way, he "took captives," bringing back divine wisdom, a treasure from the heavens. Now, if a king's armies are captured, he's not exactly thrilled, right? So, is God upset that Moses is taking something?
Not at all. The verse says, "You acquired gifts among men" (Psalms 68:19). It's a gift! As Shemot Rabbah beautifully puts it, God is saying, "I ascribe in your regard as though I gave it to you as a gift." It's not a forced taking. It's a loving exchange. Even though it might seem like Moses wrestled the Torah from the angels, God sees it as a present, a symbol of connection.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. "Even the deviant," the verse continues, "for the Lord God to dwell there" (Psalms 68:19). What does that mean? The Midrash explains that God is responding to the whispers of the idolaters. They're saying, "God will never return to be with Israel because they engaged in idol worship!" As it is written, "They have quickly deviated" (Deuteronomy 9:12).
But God reassures Moses, "Even if they are deviant, I will not forsake them, and I will reside with them." Even when we stumble, even when we stray, the possibility for connection remains. It's a profound statement about the enduring nature of God's love. Even the "deviant" – those who have turned away – can still be a place where God's presence dwells.
What a powerful message, right? It reminds us that the gifts we offer, even our imperfect selves, can create a space for divine connection. And that even when we feel furthest from God, the possibility of return, of reconciliation, is always there.