Pekudei: Chapter 6

"These are the accounts of the Tabernacle," part two

Synopsis

Rabbi Chizkiyah says that although the craftsmen began work on the Temple, it was finished on its own, and although God began work on the creation of the heavens and the earth they were finished on their own. As evidence for this he points out that all the verses pertaining to these events are in the passive tense, and concludes that all holy work is completed of its own accord. He turns to the account of Betzalel and Aholiav working on the Temple, and reiterates that this was the union of right and left. Next Rabbi Yisa tells us that the accounts were taken of the Tabernacle because this confirmed the work when it was finished. This accounting supersedes all previous events in the world.