The Power Hidden Within

The term Mishkan is generated from the word 'shachan' or dwell. This was because the Mishkan was the dwelling place for Hashem's presence.

Rashi, however, alludes to a different meaning. Mishkan as related to 'mashkon' or collateral. The Mishkan, he says, was thusly named because it stood collateral for the mortgage of Bnei Yisrael. Twice it was removed instead of an even greater debt.

Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, zatza"l, in the Emes Le'Yaakov, points out that when you suffer a financial fall from grace two things occur. Luxuries are sold off to cushion the fall and neccesities are mortgaged against a later recuperation. The fact that the mishkan was named a mortgage collateral teaches us that its function ( of having the divine presence dwelling amongst us ) is a neccesity, not a luxury.

And how do we accomplish this now, with the temple mount sitting barren of holiness ( and filled with quite a bit of the opposite ) ?

Enter the words of the Sefas Emes.

The Mishkan was also called the Mishkan HaEidus - Dwelling place of Testimony. Testimony to what ? To Hashem's presence.

A witness is only called in to testify to a questionable fact or bolster a shaky story - why would the Jewish people need such testimony that Hashem's presence was amongst them ? Because after the sin of the golden calf it wasn't such a sure thing.

But from this the Sefas Emes lears a powerful message - that before the sin Hashem's presence dwelled, not in the Mishkan, but within every Jew. And when the Mishkan has been mortgaged away for our sins, perhaps Hashem's presence is trying to find it's way back to it's original host - will we let it ?

Hatzlacha !