Pekudie תרל”ה

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות כו’ עדות הוא שמחל הקב”ה חטא העגל.
These are the countings of the Mishkan of testimony (Shemos 38:21). (Shemos Rabbah 51:4) It was a testimony that HaShem forgave them for the sin of the Golden Calf.
ובגמרא עדות הוא שהשכינה שורה בישראל כו’.
The Gemara (Shabbos 22b) states that it is a testimony that the presence of HaShem still rests among them.
כי המשכן הי’ תיקון החטא ומקודם החטא לא הוצרכו לעבודה במעשה ומלאכה ע”י שהקדימו נעשה לנשמע הי’ בטל כח העשי’ לגמרי. ואחר שחטאו במעשה הוצרכו לברר בפועל ע”י מעשה שע”י שעשו המשכן ברצון המקום ב”ה כדכתיב כאשר צוה כו’.
This is because the building of the Mishkan had come to repair the sin of the Golden Calf. Before they had sinned there was no need to do any physical work, for they had exclaimed “na’aseh v’nishma – we will do and we will hear”, (with the commitment to do even before hearing) they completely nullified the need for the realm of “action”.
However after they sinned in the realm of “action”, they now needed to purify in action, through the work of the Mishkan, by doing the will of HaShem “as He commanded”
הי’ זה עדות שעדיין הם במדריגת שם בני ישראל שמיוחדין להקב”ה שלא יצאו מבחי’ מדריגתם ע”י החטא ח”ו שיש חטא במקרה כו’ כמ”ש בספרים.
This was therefore a testimony that they were still on the level of the title of Bnei Yisrael, who are unique to HaShem. They did not lose their status through the sin, Heaven forbid, for as the holy sefarim state, there is a concept of sin, done through happenstance.
ומעשה המשכן הי’ עדות למדריגה הראשונה שהי’ להם קודם החטא.
The building of the Mishkan, was therefore a testimony to their original level, that thy were on before they sinned.
ובמדרש מה נעשה במותר אמר הקב”ה עשה משכן לעדות. יובן עפ”י דברינו. דכתיב והמלאכה היתה דים והותר. ומקשים דלאו רישא סיפא דכיון דהותר לא שייך דים.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 51:2) states that Moshe asked HaShem what they should create with the leftover donations to the Mishkan, HaShem said to make a resting place for the first (broken) luchos. (This was not in the original commandment to build the Mishkan for it was not supposed to have been broken).
In line with what we have said this can now be understood.
Our sages ask (See Ohr Hachaim) that it says the “work was enough and extra, now this is seemingly a contradiction, if it is enough then there is no leftover?
אך באמת מ”ט לזה שהי’ מותר. כי אם בני ישראל היו מוכנים לתת נדבת המשכן מאיזה צד בא להיות מותר.
However, why would there really be any leftovers, if Bnei Yisrael were truly prepared to give to the Mihskan(with the right intentions) then there should be nothing extra?
אך נראה כי הי’ זה עצמו לברר כי מדריגת בנ”י למעלה ממעשה המשכן כמו שהיו קודם החטא רק שלא יכלו להתקרב למדריגתם אחר החטא אם לא באמצעיות מעשה המשכן.
However it would seem that this is indeed to reveal that Bnei Yisrael now attained their original level (prior to the sin), which was above that of the level of the work of the Mishkan.
However, now, the only way to get back to that level was through the work of the Mishkan.
ואחר המשכן נתברר שהם למעלה מבחי’ המעשה ונמצא שהמותר הוא עדות והבן:
Yet after the creation of the Mishkan, they were now back to their original status, which is above the status of the Mihskan. This is represented by the left overs, for it demonstrates that they were on a higher level. For this reason they used it for the box to contain the original luchos. And understand this.
(Their heart in which they placed all the holiness, is above the Mishkan, The heart with which they gave to the Mishkan, is above the Mishkan,
However after they brought everything to the Mihskan, and they were not purified, it showed that they were really above this level. This is represented by the “leftovers”, for they were originally on a higher level, to which they now returned! )

וע”ד הרמז פקודי המשכן הם המצות פקודי ה’ ישרים.
These are the פקודי records (counting) of the Mishkan (Shemos 38:21). This can also be understood on the level of “remez” (the hinted to secrets of the Torah) as referring to the mitzvot. For the Mitzvot are also called פקודי: “the commands of HaShem פקודי are righteous.
והם מביאין השראת השכינה.
It is these (mitzvos) that draw down HaShem’s presence.
לכן נקרא פקודי המשכן משכן העדות. פי’ איך בא השראת השכינה ע”י המצות. ע”י שכל מצוה היא קבלת מלכותו ית’ שהוא עדות שמשועבדים אנחנו לעשות רצון המקום ב”ה אבינו מלכנו.
It is for this reason that the records of the Mishkan are called the Mihskan of testimony.
This means that the way to draw HaShem’s presence down is through the Mitzvot. Since each mitzvah is an acceptance of the dominion of HaShem, which is a testimony that we are subjected to fulfill His will, Our father and King.
וע”י העדות זה שבני ישראל מעידין עליו ית’. משרה הקב”ה שכינתו על המצות. דאיתא הביט הקב”ה בתורה וברא העולם.
Therefore it is through the testimony that Bnei Yisrael testify about HaShem, that He (in turn) rests His presence on the mitzvot. (As above, we can draw down His presence through the mitzvot).
For we know the principle that HaShem looked into the Torah and created the world.
להבין דברי חכמים יש לשים לב איך יצאו מעשה בראשית מכח עליון שהוא גבוה מעל גבוה.
(Therefore) to understand the words of our sages, we need to pay attention to how the creation of the world came about from the Power of HaShem which is so high upon high. (How did it filter down from such a high place into physicality)
אך ע”י התורה והמשפט. כי משפט יש בכל דבר איך להתנהג בדבר זה עפ”י התורה. ומצד זה יש קיום לכל המעשים מצד שיש להם שייכות אל התורה שהוא רצונו ית’.
However it is only through the Torah and the law – mishpat (that there is an ability for anything physical to exist). This is because everything has in it its laws, of how to use or interact with it, in accordance with the Torah.
It is due to this that all things have existence, for they have a connection to the Torah, the will of HaShem.
וכמו שברא הקב”ה העולם בכח התורה. כמו כן כפי מה שבנ”י מבררין זאת שכל קיום העולם הוא ע”י התורה ומצות שמתלבשין בעשי’ כל כך מעוררין השגחתו ית’ כמו בשעת הבריאה.
Now just as Hashem created everything through the Torah, so too in as much as Bnei Yisrael clarify that the entire existence of the world is through the Torah and Mitzvot, which are enclothed in their actions (by following the law of the Torah In every action), so too they awaken the involvement of HaShem just as it was at the time of creation.
וז”ש אורייתא וקוב”ה וישראל חד שמעידין זה על זה כדאיתא במד’.
This is the idea that is taught in the Midrash that The Torah, HaShem and Yisrael are one. This means that they testify on each other (and give each other strength, they are dependent on each other)
וזהו משכן העדות. והבן כי הוא כלל גדול בתורה:
This is the idea of “The Mishkan of testimony” (for it is a testimony to the involvement and existence of HaShem in creation). And understand this idea, for it is a great principle in the Torah.

בפסוק ותכל כו’ ויעשו בני ישראל ככל אשר צוה ה’ כו’.
(Shemos 39:32) “All the work of the Mishkan and the Ohel oed was completed… and Bnei Yisrael did as HaShem commanded Moshe, so they did”
כי המשכן הי’ תיקון העשי’.
The idea of the Mishkan was to repair the realm of action. (See above תרל”ה 1)
לכן כתבו חז”ל כי כל מה שהי’ במשכן נק’ מלאכה. כי נתקן בעבודת המשכן כל המעשים הנמצאים בעולם.
Therefore our sages wrote that all actions that were performed in the Mishkan are called מלאכה (the definition of forbidden works on Shabbos, and the demnstartion of man’s control over physicality). For through building the Mishkan Bnei Yisrael repaired all the actions that are to be found in the world.
ונק’ משכן העדות שביררו בנ”י במעשה זו כי כל הבריאה של הקב”ה. וכמו במעשה בראשית הי’ מאמר על כל דבר וירא אלקים כי טוב ואח”כ בכלל וירא כו’ כל אשר עשה כו’ טוב מאוד ויכל כו’ ויברך כו’.
It is for this reaosn that it is called the Mishkan of testimony. For it serves as a testimony that Bnei Yisrael revelaed that the entire creaion is HaShem’s.
Therefore just as in creation in everythign that HaShem made, it states “and HaShem saw that it wa s good” and then at the end of creation on the entir ecreation it states “And HaShem saw that everythign that he created was very good, and He blessed them”
כמו כן במשכן בכל פרט כאשר צוה כו’ ואח”כ ותכל כו’ וירא משה כו’ והנה עשו כו’ כאשר צוה כו’ ויברך אותם כו’.
So too in the building of the Mishkan, in every part it states “as HaShem commanded” and then afterwards “and the work was completed…and Moshe saw that they had done as HaShem commanded… and he blessed them”.
רק שהי’ עתה תיקון הבריאה מצד שמיוחד לבנ”י בפרט. לכן נעשה הכל ע”י משה.
However (the difference between the building of the Mishkan and the creation ofthe world) is that now the reparation of creation was through Bnei Yisrael specifically, and therefore it was all done through Moshe.
ובזוה”ק ע”פ מה רב טובך כי הקדוש ב”ה גנז אור הראשון תוך מעשה בראשית כמ”ש בכל דבר וירא כי טוב.
The Zohar explains the pasuk (Tehillim 31:20) “How great is your kindness”, that it means that HaShem hid the original light of creation in the creation f the world, for in each thing He created it states “and it was good” (the good referring tot he originallighto f creation wich is called “good”).
והפי’ כי השגחת השי”ת הוא רק על הטוב כי לא יגורך רע כתיב.
The explanation is that the involvement of HaShem is only good, as it states (Tehillim 5:5) “Evil cannot aide with You”
והפי’ כי בוודאי סוף כל דבר מביא טוב. וצדיק זוכה לטוב בהתגלות כמ”ש אמרו צדיק כי טוב כו’. ולרשע נגמר הטובה שלא בטובתו בעולם הזה או בעולם הבא.
This means that int eh end everything is good. The righteous merits the good, in a revealed way as it states (Yeshaya 3:10) “Praise the righteous man for he is good”.
The wicked also terminate their goodness in this world or in the world to come (*)
אבל קיום כל הבריאה על ידי הטוב הנמצא בו ועל ידי מעשה המשכן ביררו בני ישראל הטוב שבעשי’ וממנו נעשה המשכן ועי”ז תקנו כל העשי’.
However the existece of creation is through the good that is found in him, and it is through the building of the Mishkan that Bnei Yisrael revealed through their work, the good that is to be found in the realm of action. It was through thsi that the Mishkan was created and through which they repaired the realm of action.
וז”ש ותכל כו’ ויעשו בני ישראל שע”י המשכן נתקנו כל בחי’ העשי’ להיות כאשר צוה ה’:
This is the idea of “and the work was complete…Bnei Yisrael did so”, for it was through the Mishkan that they repaired the realm of action as HaShem commanded.