RABBI LABEL LAM (Torah.org)
And Moshe did; according to all that HASHEM had commanded him, so he did. It came to pass in the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the Mishkan was set up. (Shemos 40:16-17)
When (the month of) Adar enters we increase in joy! – Talmud
What is so grand about building the Mishkan that it takes up so much space in the Torah. We have about 4 and ½ chunky Torah portions packed with detailed descriptions of what was commanded and how it was executed with precision. Every year we revisit this account of what was essentially a singular event in history event for this particular plan. In the meantime, though, mountains and mountains of practical and daily Hallachos are hanging by threads of very spare information provided in the Written Torah.
Can there possibly be a relationship between the Hebrew month of Adar, which hosts Purim and the completion of the Mishkan? Let us see if we can discover a connection. Also, how does Adar catalyze an increase in joy?
Let us take a journey back to the murky origins of the universe when the world was yet, “Tohu v’ Vohu”, void and astonishingly empty. In that very dark picture, there was a glimmer of hope literally hovering nearby. The verse reads, “And the spirit of ELOCHIM was hovering on the face of the deep”.
I don’t know if I am qualified to explain all or any of the primordial ingredients present when the world was so young. One thing, though, is abundantly clear. HASHEM- ELOCHIM was hovering in search of a landing port.
What does that mean? In whichever way we can understand it, like an airplane in search of a runway or a helicopter looking for a safe place to set down, still a giant question is begging for a sensible answer. Why was HASHEM hovering in search of a port, a place to land? Create such a space and land! You are the Creator!!!
When the Kotzker was yet a precocious child of 3, his Rebbe asked him, “Where can HASHEM be found?” The impish child answered his Rebbe, “Everywhere!” His Rebbe shook his head indicating that he had not given the right answer and he asked the same question again and again only to be given the same unacceptable answer. Then the Rebbe told him directly, landing a profound
