It states (25:8) בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש ׁמִק ְדָּש לִי וְעָשׂוּ, "They shall make a Mishkan for me, so that I may dwell among them." The Alshich Hakadosh asks why the Torah writes בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש, "I will dwell among them," in the plural tense? The Mishkan is one building, it should state בְּתוֹכוֹ ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש, "I will dwell in it." The Alshich HaKadosh answers that בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש, "I will dwell in them," means that Hashem will dwell "in them – in Klal Yisrael". Every Yid has the potential to be the abode for the Shechinah, and this is a great merit. How does one merit this?
There is another place that Chazal discuss being an abode for the Shechinah. It is in the Gemara (Shabbos 12), which states that the Shechinah resides above the head of the ill. What is special about the ill, that they become an abode for the Shechinah?
The sefarim explain that an ill person is reliant entirely on Hashem because he knows that no one can help him other than Hashem. When Hashem sees his high level of bitachon, Hashem comes and resides with him and helps him. Similarly, every person, whether he is wealthy or poor, when he attains awareness that he is entirely dependent on Hashem, Hashem will reside with him. The sefarim explain that this is כנגד מדה מדה. All his thoughts and hopes are that Hashem should help him. He "lives" with Hashem, and middah kneged middah, Hashem will reside with him.
Joy in Adar and the Mishkan
Chazal teach us that בשמחה מרבין אדר משכנס, that we should increase our happiness when the month of Adar arrives. The Meor Einayim wonders what the point of increasing happiness during the entire month of Adar is. The miracle of Purim occurred on two days, on the 14th and the 15th of Adar. So, it should be sufficient to be happy then. He answers that אדר means דר א, the עולם של אלופו, the Master of the World, dwells within this world. This is particularly felt during the month of Adar, and therefore, it is appropriate to rejoice the entire month.
It states (25:8) בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש ׁמִק ְדָּש לִי וְעָשׂוּ. Chazal (Yalkut and Vayikra Rabba 12) say "Whenever it states לִי, it is forever. The problem is that the Mishkan did not stand forever! In our generation, for example, there is no Mishkan nor a Beis HaMikdash. The sefarim answer (and as was taught by Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz zt'l) in accordance with the following Midrash (Shemos Rabba 33:1): "Does it ever happen that someone sells something and the seller is sold together with the item? Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to Yisrael, 'I sold you My Torah, and I am sold together with it, as it states (25:2) ת ְּרוּמָה לִי וְיִק ְ חוּ, "Take for Me a donation." These words could have been written without the word לִי. It could have stated ָהת ְּרוּמ וְיִק ְ חוּ, "Take a donation." However, as it is written, it means, "Take Me, together with the ת ְּרוּמָה." The Midrash explains that the ָהת ְּרוּמ in this pasuk alludes to the Torah, which Hashem gave to the Jewish nation. Hashem says ָהת ְּרוּמ לִי וְיִק ְ חוּ , when you take the Torah, you take Me, too.
The Midrash adds: It can be compared to a king who had an only daughter. A foreign king arrived and married the princess. After the wedding, the husband wanted to return with his wife to his homeland. The father said, 'The daughter that I gave you for marriage is my only daughter. I cannot be separated from her. I also cannot tell you not to take her, because she is your wife. So, do me this favor. Wherever you go, make a room for me so that I can live near you, because I am unable to depart from my daughter.' Similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to Yisrael, 'I gave you my Torah, and I can't depart from her. To ask you not to take her, I also cannot. Rather, בתוכו שאדור לי עשו אחד בית הולכים שאתם מקום בכל אלא, wherever you go, make Me a house that I can live in."
This is the reason it states ָהת ְּרוּמ לִי וְיִק ְ חוּ, Hashem requests that together with the Torah, take Me, as well. I don't want to depart from the Torah.
It states (25:9) תַּעֲשׂוּ וְכֵן כֵּל ָיו כָּל תַּבְנִית וְאֵת הַמ ִּשְׁכָּן תַּבְנִית אֵת ָאוֹתְך מ ַרְאֶה אֲנִי ֶׁראֲש כְּכֹל, "Like everything that I show you, the form of the Mishkan and the form of all its utensils, and so shall you do." On the final words, תַּעֲשׂוּ וְכֵן Rashi writes, לדורות, "for all generations". The physical Mishkan wasn't for all generations, but the concept of the Mishkan lives on in all generations. A person can build a Mishkan in his heart. He can become a place where the Shechinah resides.
In contrast, when one trusts in himself and in his abilities, and he doesn't realize that everything is from Hashem, he won't merit that the Shechinah will reside with him.
The concept of becoming a dwelling place for the Shechinah is especially relevant in Adar, because the sefarim teach that אדר stands for דר – א, the Alef is the Alufo Shel Olam, master of the world. He is דר, dwells, in this world. The Maor Einayim teaches that this is the special joy of Adar. Hashem dwells with us, and that is the greatest joy.
The Chidushei HaRim zt'l says that this is the reason we read parashas Terumah during Adar. The month is called דר-א, because Hashem is דר, dwells with us, and this is discussed in the parashah, מקדש לי ועשו בתוכם ושכנתי, that we should turn ourselves into an abode where the Shechinah will reside.
The Malbim writes, "On the day the Mikdash was set up below, the Mikdash in Heaven was built together with it. From then, Hashem's bounty comes to the world, according to the avodah and the kedushah that happen in the Mikdash below. Hashem commanded תַּעֲשׂוּ וְכֵן, that everyone should build a Mikdash in the courtrooms of his heart. He should prepare himself to be a Mikdash for Hashem, a place where the Shechinah resides. As it states (Shmuel 2, 7:11) 'ה ָלְּך יַעֲשֶׂה ב ַיִת כִּי 'ה ָלְך וְה ִגִּיד, 'Hashem has told you that Hashem will make you a house.' This means, you yourself shall become a house for Hashem. This is because Dovid was the fourth leg of the Merkavah (Hashem's divine chariot), and this aspect can be realized in all generations. People build a Mikdash in the corridors of their hearts, and they prepare a mizbeiach to sacrifice their entire soul for Hashem, and to be moser nefesh for Hashem's honor at all times, as Avraham said (Bereishis 18:27) וָאֵפֶר עָפָר וְא ָנֹכִי, 'I am earth and ashes.' He considered himself to be a korban olah for Hashem, and his ashes were gathered on the mizbeiach of his broken, humbled heart before Hashem."
Noam Elimelech (Vayeshev) writes, "I heard a sweet mashal from the mouth of Admor, the Magid of Ravni (the Magid of Mezritch) zt'l. He said that we see that now, in this bitter galus, we see people who are more easily able to attain ruach hakodesh than in the days of the nevi'im. The nevi'im needed a lot of hisbodidus to attain nevuah and ruach hakodesh. He explained this with a wonderful and sweet mashal: When a king is in his palace, and a friend comes to invite the king to eat a meal in his home, the king will certainly be angry. It isn't an honor for the king to leave his palace to go to someone's home, even if there will be a very large seudah prepared for him. The only way to invite the king to one's home is after one made all the preparations, and then he goes to very high-ranking officials (גדולים ופרקלטים מליצים), who speak and persuade the king to accept the invitation.
"However, when the king is travelling and needs a place to sleep on the side of the road, if he finds a clean room in a clean hotel – even if the hotel is in a village, the king will want to sleep there. The nimshal is self-understood. When the Beis HaMikdash stood, and the Shechinah resided in the Kodesh Kadoshim, if a person wanted to draw ruach hakodesh or nevuah, he would have to work very hard to attain it. But now in this bitter galus, the Shechinah is in galus with us, and due to our many sins, the Shechinah doesn't have a place to reside (ונד נע בארץ). The Shechinah immensely desires a place to dwell. If the Shechinah finds a clean place to dwell, within a person who is clean from aveiros, that is where the Shechinah will reside!"
We learn from his holy words that in our times, if a person purifies himself from aveiros, he can reach very high levels. He can merit madreigos of ruach hakadosh and be a place where the Shechinah resides!
It states (Yeshayah 33:15-16) בְּרָע מֵרְאוֹת עֵינָיו וְעֹצֵם מִשׂ ְגַּבּוֹ סְלָע ִים מְצ ָדוֹת יִשְׁכֹּן מְרוֹמִים הוּא, "One who... shuts his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell in heights, in rocky fortresses is his stronghold..." The Targum translates the words מְצ ָדוֹת מִשׂ ְגַּבּוֹ סְלָע ִים as follows: מקדשא בית משרוהי בית יהא. This means that he and his home will be a Beis HaMikdash. This is literal! He attains this level because he is cautious with his eyes.
In the desert, the holy abode is called Mishkan, and when it was built in Yerushalayim, it is called Mikdash, or "Beis HaMikdash". Yet, in this week's parashah, while referring to the Mishkan, it states (25:8) בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש ׁמִק ְדָּש לִי וְעָשׂוּ, The Torah calls the Mishkan a Mikdash! Shach (al HaTorah, from the Arizal's students) explains that the pasuk states ׁמִק ְדָּש here to hint that a person should make himself holy (מקדש means holy). If one does so, בְּתוֹכָם ָׁכ ַנְתִּיוְש, the Shechinah will reside on him.
Therefore, two types of Mishkans were built in the desert. One is a Mishkan where the korbanos were brought. The other is the Mishkan within the hearts of the Yidden who sanctified and purified themselves, until they were worthy to host the Shechinah. The Shach (al HaTorah) explains that this is the reason two expressions are used in this week's parashah. וְעָשׂוּ and תַּעֲשׂוּ ְכֵן. This is because two types of Mishkans were built.
