Then R. Abba spoke on the verse: “And they shall take me a heave offering.” Said he: ‘When the Holy One showed Moses the work of the Tabernacle, he was perplexed over its construction, as has been pointed out. Now comes the question, if it was to Moses alone that the Holy One gave the Terumah (heave-offering, i.e. the Shekinah), how could he have given her to others (i.e. communicated the Presence of God to the people), for it says that “the children of Israel should take a heave-offering”?
We may answer by a parable. A King stood in the midst of his people, but his Queen was not with him. As long as she was absent the people did not feel secure and were somewhat uneasy. But as soon as the Queen arrived the whole people rejoiced, feeling that they were now safe. In like manner, although the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Israel many signs and wonders through Moses, they did not yet feel sure of themselves, but as soon as the Holy One said, “They shall take me a heave-offering that I may dwell in the midst of them” (v. 8), their confidence was at once firmly established and they rejoiced in the worship of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is written: “And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up (kalloth) the tabernacle… that the princes of Israel brought their offerings….” (Num. 7, 1-3), namely on the day when the Bride (kallah) of Moses (Shekinah) came down to earth.
Now the question might be asked: Wherever the expression “and it came to pass” occurs in Scripture, is it not always connected with something sad? And the answer would be that something sad occurred also on the day when the Tabernacle was completed and the Shekinah came down to earth. For a celestial Accuser stood at Her side who covered Her Face with a veil of thick darkness to prevent Her from finding Her way down to earth. And we have been taught that a thousand and five hundred myriads of accusing angels were round about Her for the same purpose.
At the same time, also, a multitude of supernal angels rose up before the Throne of the Holy One, and said: “Lord of the world! All our splendour and all our refulgence emanates from the Shekinah of Thy Glory, and should She now descend to those below?” But in that hour, the Shekinah gathered up all her strength and, breaking through that darkness, like one breaking through strong barriers, came down to earth. As soon as they saw this they all cried together with a loud voice: “O Lord our God, how mighty is thy name in all the earth” (Ps. 8, 1): “mighty”, because She had thus broken through so many barriers and restraining hosts and had come down to earth to reign over all. All of which explains the use of the ominous expression, “and it came to pass”, in connection with the completion of the Tabernacle, indicating the pain that was suffered by many celestial armies on the day when Moses’ Bride (the Shekinah) came down to earth.
Therefore it is said: “That they take Me a heave offering.” Observe it does not say “Me and a heave offering”, but “Me as a heave offering”, to show that all is One, there is no separation, and the Tabernacle in its completion was in the likeness of that above: the one corresponded with the other in every detail, that the Shekinah might be located in it in all its aspects. Here in this world the Tabernacle was fashioned like unto the body which contains the spirit, and the Shekinah, which combines the upper with the lower, and which is the Holy Spirit, entered into this kind of body
so that the brain should dwell in a shell, all according to purpose. So the Holy Spirit becomes, as it were, a body to contain another spirit, subtle and luminous, and in this way all is contained one within the other, until it enters this world, which is the last external shell (klifah).
The toughest husk is the one within the shell of this world, just as in a nut the outside shell is not the toughest, but the inner husk. So also above, the hard, withstanding shell is the other spirit which rules in the body; within it is a softer shell, within which again lies the brain.
פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר, (שמות כ״ה:ב׳) וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ וְגוֹ'. מֹשֶׁה בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, הֲוָה קָשֶׁה קָמֵיהּ, וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקָם בֵּיהּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וְהַשְּׁתָּא אִית לָן לְמִקְשֵׁי הָכָא, אִי תְּרוּמָה דָּא, יָהֲבָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, הֵיךְ יָהֲבָהּ לְאַחֲרָא, וְאָמַר דְּלִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִקְחוּ הַאי תְּרוּמָה.
Then R. Abba spoke on the verse: “And they shall take me a heave offering.” Said he: ‘When the Holy One showed Moses the work of the Tabernacle, he was perplexed over its construction, as has been pointed out. Now comes the question, if it was to Moses alone that the Holy One gave the Terumah (heave-offering, i.e. the Shekinah), how could he have given her to others (i.e. communicated the Presence of God to the people), for it says that “the children of Israel should take a heave-offering”?
אֶלָּא וַדַּאי לְמֹשֶׁה יָהֲבָהּ, וְלָא יָהֲבָהּ לְאַחֲרָא. לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה בְּגוֹ עַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא הֲוַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא עִמֵּיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. כָּל זִמְנָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא לָא הֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, לָא מִתְיָּאֲשֵׁי עַמָּא בֵּיהּ, וְאִינּוּן לָא יַתְבִין לְרַחֲצָן. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, כָּל עַמָּא חֲדָאן, וְיַתְבֵי בְּרוּחְצָּנוּ. כַּךְ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבַד לוֹן נִסִּין וְאָתִין עַל יְדֵי דְּמֹשֶׁה, לָא מִתְיַאֲשֵׁי עַמָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם. מִיַּד אִתְיָאַשׁוּ כֻּלְּהוּ, וְחַדּוּ בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (במדבר ז׳:א׳) וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה דְּנַחְתַּת כַּלַּת מֹשֶׁה לְאַרְעָא.
We may answer by a parable. A King stood in the midst of his people, but his Queen was not with him. As long as she was absent the people did not feel secure and were somewhat uneasy. But as soon as the Queen arrived the whole people rejoiced, feeling that they were now safe. In like manner, although the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Israel many signs and wonders through Moses, they did not yet feel sure of themselves, but as soon as the Holy One said, “They shall take me a heave-offering that I may dwell in the midst of them” (v. 8), their confidence was at once firmly established and they rejoiced in the worship of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is written: “And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up (kalloth) the tabernacle… that the princes of Israel brought their offerings….” (Num. 7, 1-3), namely on the day when the Bride (kallah) of Moses (Shekinah) came down to earth.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, וַיְהִי בְּכָל אֲתָר לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא לִישָׁנָא דְּצַעֲרָא, וְהָכָא כְּתִיב וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם. אֶלָּא, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא נַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא, אִשְׁתְּכַח מְקַטְרְגָא לְגַבָּהּ, וְחַפְיָא הַהוּא חָשׁוּךְ קְבַל לְגַבָּהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא תֵּיחוֹת. וְתָנֵינָן, אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מְאָה רִבּוֹא מַלְאָכִין מְקַטְרְגִין, אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ לְגַבָּהּ בְּגִין דְּלָא תֵּיחוֹת.
Now the question might be asked: Wherever the expression “and it came to pass” occurs in Scripture, is it not always connected with something sad? And the answer would be that something sad occurred also on the day when the Tabernacle was completed and the Shekinah came down to earth. For a celestial Accuser stood at Her side who covered Her Face with a veil of thick darkness to prevent Her from finding Her way down to earth. And we have been taught that a thousand and five hundred myriads of accusing angels were round about Her for the same purpose.
וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כָּל כְּנוּפְיָא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אָמְרוּ קַמֵּיהּ, מָארֵי דְּעָלְמָא, כָּל זִיוָא וְכָל נְהוֹרָא דִּילָן בִּשְׁכִינַת יְקָרָךְ אִיהוּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא תֵּיחוֹת לְגַבֵּי תַּתָּאֵי. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתַּתְקְפַת שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְתַבְרַת הַהוּא חָשׁוּךְ קְבַל, כְּמַאן דְּמִתְּבָּר גְּזִּיזִין תַּקִּיפִין, וְנַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּךְ, פָּתְחוּ וְאָמְרוּ (תהילים ח׳:ב׳) יְיָ' אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מַה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ. אַדִּיר וַדַּאי, דְּתַבְרַת כַּמָה גְּזִּיזִין וְחֵילִין תַּקִּיפִין, וְנַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא, וּשְׁלִיטַת בְּכֹלָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וַיְהִי, צַעֲרָא דְּקַבִּילוּ כַּמָה חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין, בְּיוֹמָא דְּכַלַּת מֹשֶׁה נַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא.
At the same time, also, a multitude of supernal angels rose up before the Throne of the Holy One, and said: “Lord of the world! All our splendour and all our refulgence emanates from the Shekinah of Thy Glory, and should She now descend to those below?” But in that hour, the Shekinah gathered up all her strength and, breaking through that darkness, like one breaking through strong barriers, came down to earth. As soon as they saw this they all cried together with a loud voice: “O Lord our God, how mighty is thy name in all the earth” (Ps. 8, 1): “mighty”, because She had thus broken through so many barriers and restraining hosts and had come down to earth to reign over all. All of which explains the use of the ominous expression, “and it came to pass”, in connection with the completion of the Tabernacle, indicating the pain that was suffered by many celestial armies on the day when Moses’ Bride (the Shekinah) came down to earth.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה וְגוֹ'. וְיִקְחוּ לִי וּתְרוּמָה לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּכֹלָּא חַד בְּלָא פִּרוּדָא. וְעוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא, לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא שְׁכִינְתָּא מִכָּל סִטְרִין עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, הָכָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא עוֹבָדָא דִּילֵיהּ, כְּעוֹבָדָא דְּגוּפָא, לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא רוּחָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ, וְדָא אִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִתְכְּלִילַת לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וְאִיהִי רוּחַ קֻדְשָׁא.
Therefore it is said: “That they take Me a heave offering.” Observe it does not say “Me and a heave offering”, but “Me as a heave offering”, to show that all is One, there is no separation, and the Tabernacle in its completion was in the likeness of that above: the one corresponded with the other in every detail, that the Shekinah might be located in it in all its aspects. Here in this world the Tabernacle was fashioned like unto the body which contains the spirit, and the Shekinah, which combines the upper with the lower, and which is the Holy Spirit, entered into this kind of body
וּלְעוֹלָם אִתְמַשְּׁכָת וְעָאלַת גּוֹ רָזָא דְּגוּפָא, לְאַשְׁרָאָה מוֹחָא גּוֹ קְלִיפָא כֹּלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְחָזֵי. הַאי רוּחָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא, אִתְעָבִיד בְּגוּפָא, לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא בְּגַוִּיהּ רוּחַ אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה, דָּקִיק וְנָהִיר, וְכֹלָּא הָכִי אִתְאֲחִיד וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְעָאל דָּא בְּדָא, עַד דְּאִתְאֲחִיד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּאִיהוּ קְלִיפָה בַּתְרָאָה דִּלְבַר.
so that the brain should dwell in a shell, all according to purpose. So the Holy Spirit becomes, as it were, a body to contain another spirit, subtle and luminous, and in this way all is contained one within the other, until it enters this world, which is the last external shell (klifah).
קְלִיפָה תַּקִּיפָא אִיהִי לְגוֹ מִקְלִיפָה דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כְּגַוְונָא דֶּאֱגוֹזָא, דְּהַאי קְלִיפָה דִּלְבַר לָאו אִיהִי תַּקִּיפָא, קְלִיפָה דְּאִיהִי לְגוֹ מִינָּהּ, אִיהִי קְלִיפָה תַּקִּיפָא. אוּף הָכִי לְעֵילָּא, קְלִיפָה תַּקִּיפָא, אִיהִי רוּחָא אַחֲרָא דְּשָׁלְטָא בְּגוּפָא. לְגוֹ מִנֵּיהּ, אִיהִי קְלִיפָה קְלִישָׁא. לְגוֹ מִנֵּיהּ מוֹחָא.
The toughest husk is the one within the shell of this world, just as in a nut the outside shell is not the toughest, but the inner husk. So also above, the hard, withstanding shell is the other spirit which rules in the body; within it is a softer shell, within which again lies the brain.