Parshat Pekudei 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the first pasuk in this week's parsha, Eileh Pekudei HaMishkan, Mishkan Ha'Eidus. The Torah refers to the Mishkan as Mishkan Ha'Eidus, the Mishkan of testimony. It needs to be understood exactly what the Mishkan is testifying about.
Rashi teaches that the testimony of the Mishkan is that it testifies that Hashem has forgiven Bnei Yisrael for the sin of the golden calf. The fact that the Shechinah rested in their midst indicates a forgiveness, for otherwise the presence of Hashem would not remain among them. The Ramban brings a different p'shat and teaches that the Eidus refers to the Luchos Ha'Eidus found in the Mishkan. Being that the Aron and the Luchos are essential to the Kedushah of the Mishkan, the Mishkan itself is referred to as Mishkan Ha'Eidus.
The question then becomes, why are the Luchos themselves referred to as Luchos Ha'Eidus? What is the testimony of the Luchos?
The Sfas Emes teaches that everything in the created world is meant to be a testimony that Hashem created the world. And the Torah, as expressed through the Luchos, is the greatest testimony that Hashem created the world. But there is a difference between the first Luchos and the second set of Luchos. The first set was Torah Shebichsav; Bnei Yisrael experienced firsthand in a clear manner the presence of Hashem. Through this miraculous experience they saw Hashem as the giver of the Torah and the creator of the world. As a result of being at Matan Torah, Bnei Yisrael were now designated as witnesses for Hashem; Atem Eidai.
This changed with the sin of the golden calf. After losing their high level of holiness they had achieved at Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael were no longer able to serve as witnesses who clearly saw the presence of Hashem. They lost their status of visual witnesses. The second set of Luchos weren't Ma'asei Elokim; they were carved out by Moshe himself. The second set represented Torah Shebe'alpeh; the Torah was no longer experienced visually and was now meant to be taught orally. They now had a new status of witnesses; testimony based on knowledge rather than visual experience.
How did they achieve this status? The experience of Matan Torah was so intense, that even though they sinned, they retained the impression of their visual experience. And even future generations now had the awareness of Hashem as the creator of the world engraved in their hearts. As we say in the bracha over the Torah, V'Chayei Olam Nata Besocheinu. Instead of being witnesses of vision they became witnesses of knowledge; knowing Hashem as creator without having seen a visual proof themselves. This become their new status with the second set of Luchos.
These two variations of testimony are expressed in a pasuk in Vayikra. The pasuk is describing the sin of one who withholds testimony and swears that he has no ability to testify. The Torah says about this person who takes such an oath and is in reality a witness (Chapter 5, Pasuk 1), V'Hu Eid, Oh Ra'ah Oh Yada. The Torah seems to be describing two types of witnesses; a witness who sees and one who knows information even though he didn't actually see the event.
These are the two types of testimony Bnei Yisrael achieved before and after cheit ha'egel. Before the sin, Bnei Yisrael were witnesses who experienced Gd visually at Har Sinai. They were witnesses of the Oh Ra'ah variety. But after the cheit Bnei Yisrael still maintained their status as witnesses, albeit of the Oh Yada form. For with the giving of the second set of Luchos and now the building of the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael remained witnesses. And their testimony was based on an understanding engraved in the heart of every Jew that Hashem created the world. And this is the function of Bnei Yisrael; through their actions and fulfillment of mitzvos informing the world that Gd is the creator of the universe.
Good Shabbos
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