Building the Mishkan and Its Three Stages

In פרשת פקודי we learn about the building of the משכן.

This was the first step in fulfilling the מצוה that Hashem had commanded the Yidden, וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִי בְתוֹכָם, “they should make for Me a מקדש, and I will dwell in their midst.”

Three General Stages of the Mitzvah

Over the course of our history, this מצוה is fulfilled in three general stages:

1. The משכן in the desert.
   It was called מועד אוהל, since it was a temporary structure, designed to travel with them in the מדבר, and the place where it was set up did not remain holy afterwards.
2. The first and second בית המקדש in ירושלים.
   While these were more permanent structures, and the location is eternally holy, they were both destroyed.
3. The third בית המקדש.
   This structure will stand forever. May it be built speedily in our days.

Three Phases with the Mishkan Itself

We also find an example of these three phases with the משכן itself.

1. The שבעת ימי המילואים, during which the משכן was most temporary, as it was put up and taken down every day.
2. ראש חודש ניסן, when the משכן was put up and left standing more permanently.
3. Only afterwards did the cloud appear, representing Hashem’s presence.

Further Discussion

What quality did the משכן have that the two בתי מקדש did not have?
(See אות ד and אות ט in the שיחה)