Posted on 03/13/26
The Book of Shemos spans the most remarkable era in our history — from slavery to the exodus to the revelation at Sinai and the construction of an abode for the Divine Presence — concludes with the משכן — the Tabernacle finally emplaced.
The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of G-d filled the Tabernacle. Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of G-d filled the Tabernacle. (40 34,35)
This depiction of Moshe, the greatest leader of all time, seemingly shunned from entering the Mishkan, casts a disappointing shadow upon the fulfillment of his greatest dream.
There is also an apparent redundancy in these two verses and it's describing the 'Presence of G-d that filled the Tabernacle' twice.
The superficial reading of this portion seems to indicate that as soon as they finished the construction of the Mishkan and all its components they were told that on the first day of Nissan it would be inaugurated.
According to one Tannaitic opinion, on the twenty fifth of Kislev the work of Mishkan was completed, and its components sat folded up [for three months] until the first of Nissan, because G-d wanted the Mishkan to be erected in the month that Yitzchak was born.
G-d desired that the joy of completing the Mishkan should be intertwined with the joy of the day Yitzchok was born — the first of Nissan. (תנחומא פקודי סימן יא)
We usually associate Yitzchok with the attribute of דין — strict law, or גבורה — intense personal strength, not necessarily with שמחה — joy, and certainly not with צחוק — laughter, the very root of his name.
The first time we discover laughter in the Torah is when Avraham and Sarah at a very advanced age are blessed with the improbable birth of a son.
When a person abruptly encounters something absurd and beyond expectation — the natural response is laughter.
We live with certain assumptions of how situations will turn out. When things suddenly go in a totally different direction it evokes an instinctive laugh of disbelief.
יושב בשמים — He Who sits in heaven, ישחק — will laugh, ד' ילעג למו — G-d will mock them.(תהלים ב ד)
G-d 'laughs' at the absurdity and futility of our enemies who try to prevent what He has decreed.
We live in a world of delusions. We think we know better. We think we can foretell how situations will develop. We fear the unknown.
G-d laughs at those assumptions. (Rav Avraham Yafeh-Shlesinger באר שרים נשא)
Yitzchok lived with one reality — G-d.
Everything else exists within human limited scope and is merely part of an illusory world called שקר — untruth.
Yitzchok's inner unbreakable strength stemmed from his absolute trust in a benevolent G-d, knowing that there was nothing that could conceal that reality even when it seemed to the contrary and invisible.
Only then can one truly laugh at the face of an absurd world.
The Mishkan represented that unadulterated reality. When one was in the Mishkan's proximity there were no facades that could distract one from that truth.
No wonder its inauguration would have to take place on the day 'reality' was born into this world of falsity.
Perhaps the reiteration of the 'Presence of G-d filled the Mishkan' was intended to express that even when Moshe was not yet invited into the Mishkan, his sense of the Divine Presence was not in any way diminished.
This week marked the Yahrtzeit of the Holy Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk.
Many are familiar with a prayer he composed to recite before davening.
His most famous quoted sentiment that we 'not let jealousy enter our hearts… on the contrary, place in our hearts to see only the good n our friends and not their shortcomings!', is widely known.
I would like to familiarize you with one other excerpt.
Awaken our hearts and the hearts of all Your nation Israel to unify You in truth and love… 'Remove all מסכים — facades and partitions which separate us from You, our Father in Heaven. Rescue us from all obstacles, from failures and mistakes.'
May we be granted the ability to live in the real world.
May we not be deceived in thinking we can exist without You.
May we remain cognizant of your love and truth even when the clouds prevent us from seeing You.
Because You are always with us and the only reality that exists!
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן