Joyful Return and Divine Presence

ויקהל משה כו'.

“And Moses assembled…”

This introduces the moment when Moses gathers Israel for the command of the Mishkan.

למחרת יוה"כ כשירד מן ההר כמ"ש רש"י ז"ל.

On the day after Yom Kippur, when he descended from the mountain, as Rashi writes.

The Sefat Emet emphasizes the timing: immediately after forgiveness and renewed covenant.

כי בנ"י היו מתאבלים ועתה שחזרו בתשובה נתן להם הקב"ה ברחמיו מצות נדבת המשכן לשמחם.

For Israel had been mourning, and now that they repented, God in His mercy gave them the command of contributing to the Mishkan in order to gladden them.

The Mishkan is presented as a divine gift of joy following Israel’s repentance.

כי הנדבה בשמחה גדולה הביאו.

For they brought the donation with great joy.

Their joy in giving becomes the key spiritual element of the Mishkan.

ואיתא כל המצות שקבלו עליהם בשמחה עדיין עושין בשמחה.

And it is taught: every commandment that they accepted with joy is still performed with joy.

Joy at the moment of accepting a mitzvah creates an enduring spiritual imprint.

לכן אחר שהתחילו מחדש לקבל עול תורה ומצות בשמחה נשאר קבוע לעולם.

Therefore, once they began anew to accept the yoke of Torah and mitzvot with joy, it remained established forever.

This renewal after Yom Kippur set a permanent pattern of joyful service.

ויתכן לומר שעל ידי שהתנדבו בשמחה זכו לדורות ליתן להם ימי שמחה בסוכות.

And it may be said that because they contributed with joy, they merited for future generations the days of joy on Sukkot.

The Sefat Emet connects the joy of the Mishkan donations with the future festival of Sukkot.

אחר יוה"כ שבנ"י המה בעלי תשובות ניתן להם שמחה בעבודת ימי החג.

After Yom Kippur, since Israel are penitents, joy was given to them in the service of the festival days.

Sukkot follows Yom Kippur as a gift of joy specifically suited to those who have returned to God.

כמ"ש ולקחתם לכם כו' ושמחתם לפני ה'.

As it is written: “You shall take for yourselves… and you shall rejoice before the Lord.”

The Torah explicitly frames Sukkot as a time of commanded rejoicing.

כי מלאכת המשכן והסוכה הוא ענין אחד.

For the work of the Mishkan and the sukkah are one matter.

Both create holy dwelling spaces where the Divine Presence rests among Israel.

ועיקר הכל ע"י השמחה שבעל תשובה שמח בהתקרבותו אליו ית' זוכה להשראת השכינה.

And the essence of it all is that through the joy of the penitent—who rejoices in his closeness to God—he merits the indwelling of the Divine Presence.

The Sefat Emet concludes that the joy of return itself draws the Shechinah.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the joy of Israel’s renewed acceptance of Torah after Yom Kippur infused the Mishkan and future festivals with lasting joy, especially Sukkot, and that the happiness of a penitent attracts the Divine Presence.