The Divine Blueprint for the Mishkan-—Israel’s Sanctuary and Dwelling Place for the Shechinah
The message of Parshat Terumah is one of transformation—elevating the physical world, sanctifying our lives, and preparing for the ultimate revelation of Divine Presence.
THE MISHKAN AS A MICROCOSM OF CREATION: DIVINE ACT OF CREATION
The Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 12:13) reveals a profound parallel between the creation of the universe and the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). This connection demonstrates that the Mishkan is not merely a physical structure but a microcosm of the universe, reflecting the divine act of creation and the ongoing expansion of the cosmos.
I. The Universe as a Woven Fabric – The Expanding Cosmos
The Midrash cites Psalm 104:2, “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain”, paralleling Exodus 26:7, “And you shall make curtains of goat’s hair for a tent over the Tabernacle”.
This suggests that the fabric of the Mishkan’s curtains mirrors the expanding universe, a concept remarkably aligned with modern cosmology (i.e., the Big Bang and cosmic expansion).
The Zohar (Bereishit 31b) teaches that the universe was created through divine light contracting and expanding, much like the curtains of the Mishkan being stretched out over sacred space.
📖 Ramban (Nachmanides on Exodus 26:1): The curtains of the Mishkan represent the heavenly spheres, shielding the Divine presence while allowing spiritual light to flow into the world.
📖 Vilna Gaon (Kol HaTor 2:2): The fabric of the Mishkan is akin to the spiritual layers of reality—concealing and revealing Divine truth, similar to the concept of Tzimtzum (Divine contraction).
II. The Seven Days of Creation and the Seven Elements of the Mishkan
The Midrash compares each day of creation to an aspect of the
Mishkan’s construction, suggesting that the Tabernacle is a recreation of the cosmos within a sacred space.
On the first day of creation, Hashem declared, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). This corresponds to the Divine Light of the Shechinah, as the Mishkan was established to be Hashem’s dwelling place among Bnei Yisrael (Exodus 25:8). Just as light was the first element of creation, the Mishkan serves as a revelation of divine illumination in the world.
On the second day, Hashem created the firmament to separate the waters above from the waters below (Genesis 1:6). This separation parallels the Veil (Parochet) in the Mishkan, which divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:33). The veil represents the cosmic boundary between the physical and spiritual realms, emphasizing the layers of divine concealment and revelation.
On the third day, the waters were gathered together, and dry land appeared (Genesis 1:9). In the Mishkan, this corresponds to the Laver (Kiyor) for washing, which was made of brass and used for the purification of the Kohanim (Exodus 30:18). Just as the separation of water and land established order in creation, the laver symbolizes the purification process necessary for approaching holiness.
On the fourth day, Hashem created the sun, moon, and stars to illuminate the heavens (Genesis 1:14). This is reflected in the Menorah (Golden Candelabrum) of the Mishkan, which was crafted from pure gold (Exodus 25:31). The Menorah represents celestial light and divine wisdom, guiding the Israel people in their spiritual journey.
On the fifth day, Hashem created the birds to fly above the earth and the fish to swim in the seas (Genesis 1:20). This corresponds to the Cherubim (winged angels) that were placed on the cover of the Aron (Ark) in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25:20). The Cherubim, with their outstretched wings, symbolize heavenly beings and the spiritual ascent of man toward Hashem.
On the sixth day, Hashem created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26). In the Mishkan, this is reflected in the role of Aaron, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), who serves as the perfected human representation of divine service (Exodus 28:1). The Kohen Gadol embodies the highest spiritual potential of man, serving as an intermediary between Hashem and the people.
On the seventh day, Hashem completed creation and sanctified it as Shabbat (Genesis 2:1-3). This parallels the completion of the Mishkan, as it is written, "Thus was finished all the work of the Tabernacle" (Exodus 39:32). Just as Shabbat is the culmination of creation, the Mishkan completes divine service, bringing Hashem’s presence into the physical world.
Day of Creation | Genesis Reference | Parallel in the Mishkan | Exodus Reference | Spiritual Meaning |
Day 1 – Light | "Let there be light" Genesis 1:3 | Divine Light of the Shechinah | Mishkan as Hashem’s dwelling Exodus 25:8 | The Mishkan reveals divine illumination. |
Day 2 – Division of Waters | "Let there be a firmament" Genesis 1:6 | Veil (Parochet) separates Holy & Holy of Holies | “The veil shall divide” Exodus 26:33 | The veil represents cosmic separation between physical and spiritual worlds. |
Day 3 – Gathering of Waters | "Let the waters be gathered" Genesis 1:9 | Laver (Kiyor) for washing | “You shall make a laver of brass” Exodus 30:18 | The Laver represents purification, similar to the separation of seas and land. |
Day 4 – Creation of Sun & Moon | "Let there be lights in the firmament" Genesis 1:14 | Menorah (Golden Candelabrum) | “You shall make a Menorah of pure gold” Exodus 25:31 | The Menorah corresponds to celestial light—guidance and wisdom. |
Day 5 – Birds & Fish Created | "Let birds fly above the earth" Genesis 1:20 | Cherubim (winged angels on the Ark cover) | “The cherubim shall spread their wings” Exodus 25:20 | The Cherubim reflect heavenly beings and spiritual ascension. |
Day 6 – Creation of Man | "Let us make man in Our image" Genesis 1:26 | Aaron (High Priest) represents perfected man | “Bring near to you Aaron your brother” Exodus 28:1 | The Kohen Gadol represents humanity’s role in divine service. |
Day 7 – Shabbat, Divine Completion | "And G-d finished His work" Genesis 2:1 | Completion of the Mishkan | “Thus was finished all the work of the Tabernacle” Exodus 39:32 | Just as Shabbat is the culmination of creation, the Mishkan completes divine service. |
📖 Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto(Derech Hashem 4:6): The Mishkan serves as a spiritual blueprint of reality, mirroring Hashem’s divine order in creation.
📖 Ba’al HaTurim(Exodus 39:32): The phrase "VaYechulu" (And it was completed) is used in both the creation of the world and the completion of the Mishkan, emphasizing that both are acts of divine craftsmanship.
III. The Mishkan as the Repair of Creation (Tikkun Olam)
The world was created for holiness, yet after Adam’s sin, the presence of Hashem was concealed.
The Mishkan restores this lost connection, bringing Divine light back into the world.
📖 Midrash Tanchuma (Pekudei 11): "When Israel built the Mishkan, Hashem returned His Shechinah (Divine Presence) to the world, just as it was before Adam’s sin."
📖 Chassidic Teaching(Sfas Emes, Terumah 5637): The Mishkan is a model of the human soul. When a person sanctifies their body and actions, they become a dwelling place for the Divine, just as the Mishkan was.
IV. The Mishkan, the Beit HaMikdash, and the Third Temple
The First and Second Temples were physical embodiments of the Mishkan, but both were destroyed due to Israel’s spiritual decline.
The Third Beit HaMikdash, as prophesied in Ezekiel 40-48, will be a manifestation of the perfected universe, where Hashem’s presence is fully revealed.
📖 Rambam (Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 1:1): The Mishkan’s structure sets the precedent for the future Beit HaMikdash, which will be eternal and not subject to destruction.
📖 Vilna Gaon (Kol HaTor 2:3): The final redemption will restore the original state of creation, just as the Mishkan restored the light lost in Gan Eden.
V. The Personal Application: Becoming a Living Mishkan
Just as the Mishkan was built with human effort, so too must we build ourselves as vessels for the Divine.
The curtains symbolize the layers of concealment—our task is to reveal Hashem’s light in the world.
Shabbat is a "mini-Mishkan" in time—just as the Mishkan sanctifies space, Shabbat sanctifies time.
Torah and mitzvot are the "materials" we use to construct our inner sanctuary.
📖 Tanya(Likkutei Amarim 33): “Every Israel has the ability to be a dwelling place for Hashem, making his soul a miniature Mishkan.”
The Midrash: The Human Body as a Microcosm of the Universe
📖 Midrash Tanchuma(Parashat Pekudei 3) states:
"The Tabernacle was weighed equally with the whole world and with the creation of humanity, which is a small world (עולם קטן – olam katan). How is this? When the Holy Blessed One created the world, like a fetus in a woman, did G-d make it. Just as the fetus of a woman begins with its belly button and grows each way to its four sides, so too G-d began to create the world from the Foundation Stoneinitially, and the world was based from there."
This Midrash reveals that:
The world itself was formed like the human body, beginning from a central point (Even HaShtiyah, the Foundation Stone, from which the world was created).
The Mishkan, the universe, and the human being share the same blueprint, symbolizing that humanity is created in the Divine image (Tzelem Elokim).
Man is a miniature world (olam katan), meaning that the structure of the human being mirrors the divine order embedded in the Mishkan.
📖 Vilna Gaon(Aderes Eliyahu, Book of Yonah, Journey of the Soul):
"The Holy Temple—G-d’s Sanctuary—was a microcosmic model of the entire universe. All its edifices, storerooms, upper chambers, rooms, and holy vessels were paradigms of the Divine, representing the image, shape, and form of the Holy Universes and the structure of the components of the Divine Chariot. Man is a ‘little world’ who also encompasses within him all the elements of existence—in this sense, he too is a Sanctuary. Indeed, there are striking similarities between the layout of the Temple and human anatomy. When man sanctifies himself as required through the fulfillment of the mitzvot, the Divine Presence resides within him as it resided within the Holy Temple of Jerusalem."
This teaching explains that the human body is a microcosm of the Divine structure. Just as the Beit HaMikdash housed the Divine Presence, so too, a righteous individual sanctifies their body as a dwelling place for Hashem.
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