A Thought on Parshas Pekudei
A Thought On Parshas Pekudei
"...v'lo yachol Moshe lavo...ki shochan alav he'anan..." (40:35)
"...and Moshe was unable to enter...for the cloud dwelled on the tent..."
Our verse implies that as long as the mystical Cloud hovered over the tent of communion (ohel mo'ed), it was off limits and even Moshe was unable to enter there.
Rashi and others are troubled by this, given that HaShem did speak to Moshe from within the tent. Based on Chazal, they conclude that as long as the Cloud hovered, Moshe could not enter and could not connect with the word of HaShem. When the cloud lifted, it was clear for him to enter there.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel has a different view of the verse. He wonders not only about the apparent barrier to connecting to the word of HaShem when the Cloud was present, but also about how the various forms of ritual avoda performed by the kohanim could have taken place - preparing the menorah lamps and arranging the loaves and lighting the incense - if the Cloud was a barrier to the mortal senses of sight and sound, movement, and olfaction.
He observes that further on (VaYikra 1:1) we learn that HaShem called to Moshe from the tent, which implies that even though the Presence was there, when HaShem gave him permission to enter, he was able to enter and commune with the Word. He further supports this with an earlier verse (Shmos 24:16) which says that "when the Glory of HaShem dwelled there along with the Covering Cloud then HaShem called to Moshe." From these verses, he argues, we see that the Presence and the Cloud presence were not barriers to Moshe communing and communicating with HaShem ka'va'yachol. What is the scope, then, of our verse which says that Moshe could not enter there beneath the Cloud?
He then notes that the words shochan alav he'anan - the Cloud hovered on it - begin with the letters shin ayin hea which spell out the word sh'ah which means "a short interval of time." We will recall that when Moshe ascended the mountain to receive the Torah, he is described as entering into the dark cloud in a way that no other person ever did. In this way, we can understand the scope of our verse as well. When the Cloud hovered over the tent, no one could enter. It was off limits in a manner reminiscent of Har Sinai. Even Moshe, who was "trusted in all of My House", was not able to enter there.
However, the difference was that for other persons, including Aharon and the kohanim, this was an unwavering reality. It was impossible to enter within and beneath the cloud presence. Moshe was able to enter there but only when beckoned. When HaShem spoke to Moshe from within the tent of communion, he had permission to enter within. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel sees the opening verse of VaYikra 1:1 cited earlier as historically contiguous with our verse above. When HaShem called to Moshe, Moshe could penetrate the void and enter beneath the cloud to commune with the Divine Presence.
No other person shared this status of being able to penetrate in that way, and it was thus only for "an interval of time" that such entry was conferred. Throughout the rest of our national history, no other person achieved that status. For all others, the sacred place was off limits under those conditions when the cloud was present.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...v'lo yachol Moshe lavo...ki shochan alav he'anan..." (40:35)
"...and Moshe was unable to enter...for the cloud dwelled on the tent..."
Our verse implies that as long as the mystical Cloud hovered over the tent of communion (ohel mo'ed), it was off limits and even Moshe was unable to enter there.
Rashi and others are troubled by this, given that HaShem did speak to Moshe from within the tent. Based on Chazal, they conclude that as long as the Cloud hovered, Moshe could not enter and could not connect with the word of HaShem. When the cloud lifted, it was clear for him to enter there.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel has a different view of the verse. He wonders not only about the apparent barrier to connecting to the word of HaShem when the Cloud was present, but also about how the various forms of ritual avoda performed by the kohanim could have taken place - preparing the menorah lamps and arranging the loaves and lighting the incense - if the Cloud was a barrier to the mortal senses of sight and sound, movement, and olfaction.
He observes that further on (VaYikra 1:1) we learn that HaShem called to Moshe from the tent, which implies that even though the Presence was there, when HaShem gave him permission to enter, he was able to enter and commune with the Word. He further supports this with an earlier verse (Shmos 24:16) which says that "when the Glory of HaShem dwelled there along with the Covering Cloud then HaShem called to Moshe." From these verses, he argues, we see that the Presence and the Cloud presence were not barriers to Moshe communing and communicating with HaShem ka'va'yachol. What is the scope, then, of our verse which says that Moshe could not enter there beneath the Cloud?
He then notes that the words shochan alav he'anan - the Cloud hovered on it - begin with the letters shin ayin hea which spell out the word sh'ah which means "a short interval of time." We will recall that when Moshe ascended the mountain to receive the Torah, he is described as entering into the dark cloud in a way that no other person ever did. In this way, we can understand the scope of our verse as well. When the Cloud hovered over the tent, no one could enter. It was off limits in a manner reminiscent of Har Sinai. Even Moshe, who was "trusted in all of My House", was not able to enter there.
However, the difference was that for other persons, including Aharon and the kohanim, this was an unwavering reality. It was impossible to enter within and beneath the cloud presence. Moshe was able to enter there but only when beckoned. When HaShem spoke to Moshe from within the tent of communion, he had permission to enter within. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel sees the opening verse of VaYikra 1:1 cited earlier as historically contiguous with our verse above. When HaShem called to Moshe, Moshe could penetrate the void and enter beneath the cloud to commune with the Divine Presence.
No other person shared this status of being able to penetrate in that way, and it was thus only for "an interval of time" that such entry was conferred. Throughout the rest of our national history, no other person achieved that status. For all others, the sacred place was off limits under those conditions when the cloud was present.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 3:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home