Bechukotai: Chapter 8

"And I will set My Tabernacle among you"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi tells us that God reproves and corrects those He loves but does not do so for those He hates so as not to give them a portion of Himself. Rabbi Yosi also talks about the spirits that wander about and chastise people.

Exile Shechinah Sin Tabernacle

30. "And I will set My Tabernacle among you" (Vayikra 26:11). The Tabernacle is the Shechinah. "My Tabernacle," means My pledge, as THE SHECHINAH was pledged because of the sins of Yisrael AND WENT INTO EXILE WITH THEM. "And I will set My Tabernacle," My pledge, surely. This is like the fable about a man who loved his neighbor. He said to him: 'I have the highest regard for you and wish to dwell with you.' HIS FRIEND said: 'How can I be sure you shall live with me?' He took all the delightful objects of his house and brought them to him. He said: 'Here is my pledge that I will never part from you.'

30. וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְגוֹ.' וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. מִשְׁכָּנִי: מַשְׁכּוֹנָא דִּילִי. דְּהִיא אִתְמַשְׁכְּנָא בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי, מַשְׁכּוֹנִי וַדַּאי. מְתַל לב"נ דַּהֲוָה רְחִימָא לְאָחֳרָא, אָ"ל וַדַּאי בִּרְחִימוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִית לִי גַּבָּךְ, בָּעֵינָא לְדַיְּירָא עִמָּךְ. אָמַר הֵיךְ אֶנְדַּע דְּתֵידוּר גַּבַּאי, נָטַל כָּל כִּסּוּפָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ, וְאַיְיתֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָמַר הָא מַשְׁכּוֹנָא לְגַבָּךְ, דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָךְ לְעָלְמִין.

Exile Shechinah Tabernacle

31. Likewise, the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to dwell among Yisrael. What did He do? He took His precious delight, THE SHECHINAH, and brought it down to Yisrael. He said to them: 'Here I give you My pledge, so that I will never part from you.' Though the Holy One, blessed be He, has gone away from us, He left the pledge in our hands, AS THE SHECHINAH IS WITH US IN EXILE, and we keep His delight. When He asks for His pledge, He will come to dwell with us. Hence, IT IS WRITTEN: "And I will set My Tabernacle (Heb. mishkan) among you," meaning I will give a pledge (Heb. mashkon) in your hands that I will dwell with you. And though Yisrael are now in exile, they have the pledge of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they never left Him.

31. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בָּעָא לְדַיְּירָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה עֲבַד, נָטַל כִּסּוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְנָחִית לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר לוֹן, יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָא מַשְׁכּוֹנָא דִּילִי גַּבַּיְיכוּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא אֶתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיכוּ לְעָלְמִין. ואע"ג דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְחִיק מִינָן, מַשְׁכּוֹנָא שָׁבִיק בִּידָן, וַאֲנָן נַטְרִין הַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ, מַאן דְּיִבְעֵי מַשְׁכּוֹנֵיהּ יֵיתֵי לְדַיְּירָא גַּבָּן בְּג"כ וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם, מַשְׁכּוֹנָא אֶתֵּן בִּידַיְיכוּ, בְּגִין דְּאֵדּוּר עִמְּכוֹן. ואע"ג דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הַשְׁתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא, מַשְׁכּוֹנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הוּא גַּבַּיְיהוּ. וְלָא שָׁבְקוּ לֵיהּ לְעָלְמִין.

Shechinah Soul, The Tabernacle

32. "...And My Spirit shall not abhor you" (Ibid.). This is likened to a man who loved his friend and wished to dwell with him. What did he do? He took his own bed, brought it to his house and said: 'Here is my bed in your house, so that I shall not go away from you, your bed and your possessions.' So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say: '"And I will set My Tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you." Behold My bed, THE SHECHINAH, in your house. Now that My bed is with you, know that I shall not be separated from you.' Therefore, "and My soul shall not abhor you;" I WILL NOT GO AWAY FROM YOU.

32. וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם, לב"נ דְּרָחִים לְחַבְרֵיהּ, וּבָעָא לְדַיְּירָא עִמֵּיהּ, מַה עֲבַד, נָטַל עַרְסָא דִּילֵיהּ וְאַיְיתִי לְבֵיתֵיהּ. אָמַר דָּא עַרְסָא דִּילִי בְּבֵיתָיךְ, בְּגִין דְּלָא אַרְחִיק מִינָךְ, עַרְסָךְ, וּמָאנָךְ. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר, וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם, הָא עַרְסָא דִּילִי בְּבֵיתַיְיכוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּעַרְסָא דִּילִי עִמְּכוֹן, תִּנְדְּעוּן דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיכוּ, ובג"כ וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם.

Camp

33. "And I will walk among you, and will be your Elohim" (Ibid. 12). Now that I have given you My pledge, you will surely know that I walk with you, as it is written: "for Hashem your Elohim walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore shall your camp be Holy" (Devarim 23:15).

33. וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים, כֵּיוָן דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא דִּילִי גַּבַּיְיהוּ, בְּוַדַּאי תִּנְדְּעוּן דַּאֲנָא אָזִיל עִמְּכוֹן, כד"א כִּי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אוֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ.

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