In the middle of the many detailed instructions for the service of the Tabernacle in parshat Tetzave, and just before the specifications of the dimensions of the Inner Altar, the Torah hints at a great secret: "I shall dwell among the Children of Israel, and I shall be their God. And they shall know that I am HaShem, their God, Who took them out of the land of Egypt, so that I dwell among them. I am HaShem, their God." (Shemot 29:45,46)
Our sages elaborate on the phrase "so that I dwell among them" in a midrash, hinted at by Rashi:
"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: 'The Almighty imposed conditions on Israel before they entered Egypt - that He would only take them out of there if they would build for him a Tabernacle and He would let His Shechina dwell among them, as it is written: "And they shall know that I am HaShem, their God, Who took them out of the land of Egypt, so that I dwell among them." And as soon as the Tabernacle was put up, the Shechina came down and dwelled among them. At that moment, all the conditions were satisfied.'" (Pesikta Rabbati 17)
Why did HaShem make these conditions before the Jews entered Egypt? Would it not have been more logical to make demands from the generation of Jews that would actually leave Egypt? And how could the Exodus have been conditional on the building of the Tabernacle? Was HaShem not bound by his promise to Abraham (Bereshit 15:14-16)?
The Divine plan is not contingent upon human promises. The Exodus would have taken place in any case. What the midrash is teaching us is that the nature of the Exodus from Egypt would be such that it would necessarily lead to the dwelling of the Shechina among the Jews. Though the redemption is a process that develops over time, its components are inextricably linked.
The last redemption will be like the first redemption. Not by chance we read in the Haftara for Tetzave about the altar in the final Temple. And not by chance this description is preceded by the prophecy: "I will dwell among them forever." (Ezekiel 43:9) The Hebrew word for "forever" is here le'olam. It can also be read as "against the odds", or "necessarily".
The return of the Jews to the Land of Israel is a historical necessity. It was decreed to take place and, just like the Exodus from Egypt, it is conditional on nothing. And similar to the Exodus, the nature of the return of the Jews to their land is such that it will necessarily lead to the construction of a dwelling place for the Shechina - the Third Temple. The process of the redemption cannot be stopped.
It seems that the leaders of the world and the state of Israel are obsessively doing all they can to prevent the inevitable from happening. We hear about visions regarding the division of the Land of Israel between Jews and Arabs. We hear about plans to disinherit the Jews of Gaza and Samaria, and about the creation of a sovereign Arab state of Palestine. We hear about demands that the Temple Mount be handed over to this state. It will not be.
Our sages elaborate on the phrase "so that I dwell among them" in a midrash, hinted at by Rashi:
"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: 'The Almighty imposed conditions on Israel before they entered Egypt - that He would only take them out of there if they would build for him a Tabernacle and He would let His Shechina dwell among them, as it is written: "And they shall know that I am HaShem, their God, Who took them out of the land of Egypt, so that I dwell among them." And as soon as the Tabernacle was put up, the Shechina came down and dwelled among them. At that moment, all the conditions were satisfied.'" (Pesikta Rabbati 17)
Why did HaShem make these conditions before the Jews entered Egypt? Would it not have been more logical to make demands from the generation of Jews that would actually leave Egypt? And how could the Exodus have been conditional on the building of the Tabernacle? Was HaShem not bound by his promise to Abraham (Bereshit 15:14-16)?
The Divine plan is not contingent upon human promises. The Exodus would have taken place in any case. What the midrash is teaching us is that the nature of the Exodus from Egypt would be such that it would necessarily lead to the dwelling of the Shechina among the Jews. Though the redemption is a process that develops over time, its components are inextricably linked.
The last redemption will be like the first redemption. Not by chance we read in the Haftara for Tetzave about the altar in the final Temple. And not by chance this description is preceded by the prophecy: "I will dwell among them forever." (Ezekiel 43:9) The Hebrew word for "forever" is here le'olam. It can also be read as "against the odds", or "necessarily".
The return of the Jews to the Land of Israel is a historical necessity. It was decreed to take place and, just like the Exodus from Egypt, it is conditional on nothing. And similar to the Exodus, the nature of the return of the Jews to their land is such that it will necessarily lead to the construction of a dwelling place for the Shechina - the Third Temple. The process of the redemption cannot be stopped.
It seems that the leaders of the world and the state of Israel are obsessively doing all they can to prevent the inevitable from happening. We hear about visions regarding the division of the Land of Israel between Jews and Arabs. We hear about plans to disinherit the Jews of Gaza and Samaria, and about the creation of a sovereign Arab state of Palestine. We hear about demands that the Temple Mount be handed over to this state. It will not be.