Exodus-Chapter-40
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
The final chapter of Sefer Shemot (Exodus) marks the culmination of a journey that began in slavery and ends in the presence of the Divine. After months of painstaking labour, the materials donated by the heart-led assembly have been transformed into the vessels of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). This chapter is not merely a logistical summary of assembly; it is the moment when the physical world and the spiritual realm find a point of convergence. It serves as a blueprint for how human effort, when aligned perfectly with a higher purpose, creates a dwelling place for the Infinite within the finite.
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Let
us read Exodus
Chapter 40, verses 1 to 38: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you
will find my commentary on same.
1 “And
יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 ‘On
the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent
of meeting. 3 And thou shalt put therein the ark
of the testimony, and thou shalt screen the ark with the veil. 4 And
thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the bread that is upon it; and
thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5 And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense before
the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the
tabernacle. 6 And thou shalt set the altar of
burnt-offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of
meeting and the altar, and shalt put water therein. 8 And
thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the gate of
the court. 9 And thou shalt take the anointing
oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it,
and all the furniture thereof; and it shall be holy. 10 And
thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and
sanctify the altar; and the altar shall be most holy. 11 And
thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it. 12 And
thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and
shalt wash them with water. 13 And thou shalt
put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him,
that he may minister unto Me in the priest’s
office. 14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and
put tunics upon them. 15 And thou shalt anoint
them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office; and their anointing shall be to
them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations’.
16 Thus did Moses; according to all that יְהוָה - the LORD commanded him, so did he. 17 And
it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. 18 And
Moses reared up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof,
and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars. 19 And
he spread the tent over the Tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above
upon it; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 20 And he took
and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the
ark-cover above upon the ark. 21 And he brought
the ark into the Tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened
the ark of the testimony; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 22 And he
put the table in the tent of meeting, upon the side of the tabernacle
northward, without the veil. 23 And he set a
row of bread in order upon it before יְהוָה - the LORD; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 24 And he
put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, over against the table, on the side
of the tabernacle southward. 25 And he lighted
the lamps before יְהוָה - the LORD; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 26 And he
put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil; 27 and
he burnt thereon incense of sweet spices; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 28 And he
put the screen of the door to the Tabernacle. 29 And
the altar of burnt-offering he set at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of
meeting, and offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 30 And he
set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water therein,
wherewith to wash; 31 that Moses and Aaron and
his sons might wash their hands and their feet thereat; 32 when
they went into the tent of meeting, and when they came near unto the altar,
they should wash; as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he
reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the
screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then
the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of יְהוָה - the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And
Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode
thereon, and the glory of יְהוָה - the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 And
whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of
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Below is my Commentary on Exodus Chapter 40:
Verses 1-16: (The Timing of the Dedication). The command to set up the Tabernacle on the “first day of the first
month” (Rosh Chodesh Nisan) is significant. This
marks exactly one year since the Exodus from
Verses 17-33: (The Order of Presence). Moses personally oversees the assembly. He begins from the inside
out: starting with the
Verses
34-35: (The Entry of the Shekhinah).
Once the work is “finished” (v. 33), the Cloud, the visible manifestation of
the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) covers the Tent of
Meeting. It is striking that even Moses, who built it, “was not able to enter”
at that moment. This teaches humility; human effort can prepare the vessel, but
the indwelling of the Spirit is a gift from above. It confirms that the
Tabernacle was not just a building, but a living ecosystem of holiness.
Verses 36-38: (The Blueprint for the Journey).
The book ends not with the Israelites stationary at Sinai, but ready to move.
The Mishkan was portable because the relationship with the Divine is not tied
to a single piece of land, but to the people themselves. The Cloud by day and
the Fire by night ensured that every stage of their journey was dictated by
Divine providence. The Fire in the cloud at night reminds us that even in our
“darkest” moments, the warmth and light of our purpose remain visible if we
choose to look toward the Sanctuary.
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My Closing Message:
With the conclusion of Chapter 40, we finish the second book of the Torah and traditionally declare, “Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek” Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened. We started Shemot as a family of seventy descending into exile and end it as a nation unified around a spiritual centre. The Tabernacle serves as a permanent reminder that our daily lives our gold, silver, fabrics, and woods can all be elevated. When we finish our “work” with the same integrity and precision as Moses, we create an environment where the Divine Presence naturally rests. May we carry this fire of purpose with us into every new journey we begin.
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