When Shlomo Hamelech built the Beis Hamikdash, in his prayers he said the following.
"Behold the Heavens cannot hold you, so too this house (referring to the Beis Hamikdash), (Melachim 1-8-27).
Hashem restricted His Divine presence to be able to rest in this world.
The question is, why did Hashem ask Klal Yisrael to build the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash? Why didn't Hashem just command the Malaachim to build some Heavenly, beautiful palace for Hashem.
We find that Eliyahu Hanavi appeared to a poor righteous Jew and told him to sell him as a slave. His new owner asked him to build his palace and when he finishes he can go free. Eliyahu davened to Hashem. Hashem sent Malaachim who finished the building overnight and Eliyahu Hanavi was freed. This story is brought down in the Midrash and we sing it the song 'Ish Chassid Haya' on Motzaei Shabbos.
Why didn't Hashem do the same by the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash?
Furthermore, the Gemara tells us (Baba Basra 75., Sanhedrin 100.) about a student of Rabbi Yochanan who merited to see the Malaachim preparing the big beautiful stones that will be placed on the walls of Yerushalaim when Mashiach comes. Why didn't Hashem do the same for the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash?
We can understand the answer with the following story told over by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler.
There was a couple happily married with their young son living in a small village in prewar Poland.
When the war broke out, Poland was taken over by the Germans. They were out to kill all the Jews.
The young couple sat down to plan their escape. They decided that it was too dangerous for the father and son to stay in Poland as they would be surely be recognized as Jews. They had to run away. The mother would join one of the kind non Jewish neighbors and blend in as one of their family. They planned to reunite as soon as the circumstances would allow.
The farewell for mother and son was agonizing. Who knew if they would still get to see each other again.
Father and son escaped through the dangerous roads and borders until they made it alive to England.
It was there they became acquainted with Rabbi Dessler.
When the war finally ended the father managed to make contact with his wife who had also survived the war. He traveled to fetch her from the kind neighbors.
She told her husband that she couldn't wait to see their son again and give him a hug. This had been her thoughts throughout her years hiding during the war.
Her husband told her that their son was waiting for them in England.
When they finally arrived in England something strange happened.
Before the war the father was busy supporting the family and the mother looked after her son. She had been so close and attached to her son.
But now it was the opposite. The father was attached very closely to his son, whereas the connection between mother and son was much colder.
What changed?
Rabbi Dessler explains that we think that the love to a person arouses the will to want to give them. It is true in a certain sense. But the opposite is also true. By giving, it strengthens the connection and arouses love.
Before the war it was the mother that was busy looking after her son and that built up such a strong relationship and closeness.
But during the war it was the father that risked his life to protect his son, he looked after him, providing him with food and clothing. These actions automatically built up such a powerful connection between father and son.
Similarly, we find parents love their children a lot more than the children love their parents. Children are capable of doing things to their parents which we wouldn't expect them to do after the way we have treated them. But we have to remember that we are the ones giving to our children so our love is strengthened towards them. They are receiving so they cannot reach such a level of closeness to us.
But then we see something interesting. As our parents become older and need our help, we start giving them and investing to help them. Suddenly our feelings and closeness to them becomes much stronger because now we are the ones giving.
That is why Hashem wanted us to donate our money and things to the Mishkan. By us giving and getting involved in building the Mishkan for Hashem it aroused Klal Yisrael to become closer and more devoted to Hashem.
This is true in nearly everything we do. If we invest and give it causes us to become closer and more connected. It applies to our parents, spouses, children, students, community and more. Automatically the more we will receive in return long term.
