Shmot

The last half of Sefer Shemot “begs us” to compare and contrast the building of the Mishkan to that of Shlomo’s Beit Hamikdash.

We have seen over the last two weeks that it was important that the donations to the Beit Hamikdash be brought voluntarily, and not out of coercion. Yet, in the beginning of this week’s parasha, we find a donation that everyone is required to take part in.

Last week we dealt with the difference in the commandment to erect the Mishkan through donations out of the goodness of people’s heart and Shlomo’s effort to build the Beit Hamikdash through coercion and task masters. We will now continue the theme and see how matters developed.

We are generaly accustomed to think that Israel's acceptance of the Torah was a one-time event that took place on the sixth of Sivan. In reality, however, the people of Israel accepted the Torah no less than three times

They shall make for Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (25:8). Sefer HaChinuch writes that this is the source for the positive commandment “to build a house for the sake of HaShem... where we can offer our sacrifices to Him...” After a lengthy discussion, he concludes, “This mitzvah applies when the majority of Jews [dwell] in their Land, and it is one of those mitzvot that are not incumbent upon the individual, rather the community.”

In its initial instructions to prepare for the construction of the Mishkan, the Torah refers four times to words that imply that Bnei Yisrael’s contributions would be voluntary (three times, “terumah” and, once, “yidvenu” (Shemot 25:2-3). The Mishkan was to be built with a feeling of volunteerism, not coercion.