The final two Parshiyos of Shemos, Vayakhel Pikudei focus mainly on the building of the Mishkan, making the special clothes of the Kohen Gadol and how the Divine Presence rested in the Mishkan.
The Ramban in his introduction to his commentary on the Chumash writes that the book of Bereishis is the book of creation, the creation of the world and the creation of the Jewish nation. The book of Shemos is the book of exile and redemption. The redemption didn’t finish with leaving Mitzrayim. The redemption still needed Matan Torah - the Jews receiving the Torah and then the peak when Hashem rested His Divine Presence in the Mishkan and amongst Klal Yisrael. When Klal Yisrael reached this stage they were truly redeemed from slavery and true servants of Hashem.
But after the Torah tells us how the Shechina rested in Klal Yisrael the book of Shemos doesn't finish. The Parsha continues with two more Pesukim to tell us about the travels of Klal Yisrael in the desert. The Passuk writes that when the cloud (the special cloud that proved the presence of the Shechina) arose from on the Mishkan, Klal Yisrael would continue their travels and if the cloud didn't rise then Klal Yisrael wouldn't travel until it arose.
Then the final Passuk writes that the cloud of Hashem was on the Mishkan by day and a pillar of fire at night that could be seen by all of Klal Yisrael on their travels.
Why did the Torah add these two Pesukim just before the end?
Rabbi Yankel Galinsky brings the following explanation.
One of the 39 Melachos of Shabbos desecration is the demolishing of a building. But the original prohibition of demolishing is only if it is in order to rebuild a new building in its place.
Chazal tell us that we learn the 39 Melachos of Shabbos from the different jobs done when building the Mishkan.
The problem is that by the Mishkan when it was taken apart for travel it wasn't rebuilt in the same place. It was taken apart, Klal Yisrael would travel to a new location and only then the Mishkan was rebuilt. If so how did our Rabbis explain this prohibition differently that Min Hatorah it needs to be rebuilt in the same place?
By Rabbi Dovid Caro
