“These are the numbered things of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony.”
It is written in Midrash Rabbah, “Why does it write ‘tabernacle’ twice? Rabbi Shmuel said that it was mortgaged twice [‘mortgage’ and ‘tabernacle’ have the same root in Hebrew]. This is why the members of the great assembly say, ‘We have acted very corruptly,’ and corruption is mortgaging, as it is said, ‘he will not corrupt [take mortgage].’ What is the testimony? Rabbi Shimon said, ‘It is a testimony to all the people of the world that there is forgiveness to Israel.’”
We should understand what is a mortgage. Normally, one who lends money to his friend and wants to be certain that he will repay his debt, receives from him a mortgage. Thus, what does a tabernacle mean here? that the Creator reclaimed the Temple? What should Israel pay that they did not pay, and for which He took the tabernacle so He could be certain that we will pay the mortgage? Also, what is the testimony, and why does it immediately imply that the tabernacle was mortgaged twice?
It is written in The Zohar, “‘These are the numbered things of the tabernacle.’ Rabbi Shimon started, ‘In the beginning God created.’” We should understand the conjunction between the “In the beginning” and the counted things of the tabernacle? It is written in The Great Midrash, “In the beginning… created… created from where?” We should understand the meaning of existence from absence.
But first we must understand what is “we,” who must pay the debt and redeem the tabernacle. Creation is called “will to receive,” and this is called “existence from absence,” and the need for concealment is because of the bread of shame.
Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Elazar both said, “When one needs people, his face changes as chrome. It was said, ‘as when vile things become high in the eyes of people.’ What is ‘become high’? There is a bird in the coastal cities whose name is Ke-Rum [become high]. When the sun shines on it, it changes into several colors” (Berachot 6b).
The sun refers to abundance. “The coastal cities” are those on the seashore. The “sea” is called Hochma [wisdom]. A “bird” is when a person lifts himself from worldliness, for it is the conduct of the bird that when it flies, it conceals its legs and spreads its wings. Legs means spies, and wings are covers for the head, as it is written, “And with two, it covers its face.” “Covering” means faith.
When the abundance appears over it, he is ashamed, meaning he feels the bread of shame.
The Temple means the revelation of pleasures called the “instilling of the Shechina [Divinity].” The payments mean that it will be reception in order to bestow, and the reception of the mortgage, as is implied right in the beginning, is a testimony that there is forgiveness, for He took the Temple only as collateral, and He is destined to return it to us soon in our days, amen.
Thus, there is a testimony that there is forgiveness, meaning that He intends to return to us when we have paid our debt, meaning when we have the power of bestowal, at which time there will be Dvekut [adhesion], a certain measure of revelation of His Godliness to an extent that the lower ones can receive.
It follows that a soul is only a part of the Shechina [Divinity], which is called “The whole of the soul of Israel,” meaning the full measure that the Creator wants to be attained. This is called “the desire to do good to His creations.” A “soul” is regarded as a part of the Shechina, meaning a part that the lower one can attain according to the measure of the purity.
This is why our sages said, “Moses is tantamount to 600,000,” meaning that Moses was rewarded with a measure of revelation of Godliness that was available to be revealed to the whole of Israel. This is the meaning of “The Shechina speaks from the mouth of Moses,” meaning that Moses was rewarded with the general revelation called Shechina.