Pekudei - Exodus 40: 28-38 - Cloudy with a Chance of God

Chapter 40

28. He placed the screen for the entrance of the Mishkan.		כח. וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח לַמִּשְׁכָּן:
29. The altar of the burnt offering he placed in front of the entrance of the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting, and he offered up the burnt offering and the meal offering upon it as the Lord had commanded Moses.		כט. וְאֵת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה שָׂם פֶּתַח מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיַּעַל עָלָיו אֶת הָעֹלָה וְאֶת הַמִּנְחָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת משֶׁה:
30. He placed the washstand between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and there he put water for washing,		ל. וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַכִּיֹּר בֵּין אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן שָׁמָּה מַיִם לְרָחְצָה:
31. and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it.		לא. וְרָחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת רַגְלֵיהֶם:
32. When they entered the Tent of Meeting and when they approached the altar they would wash as the Eternal had commanded Moses.		לב. בְּבֹאָם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבְקָרְבָתָם אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ יִרְחָצוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת משֶׁה:
33. He set up the courtyard all around the Mishkan and the altar, and he put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard; and Moses completed the work.		לג. וַיָּקֶם אֶת הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב לַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת מָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר וַיְכַל משֶׁה אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה:
34. And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Eternal filled the Mishkan.		לד. וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד יְהֹוָה מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן:
35. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud rested upon it and the glory of the Eternal filled the Mishkan.		לה. וְלֹא יָכֹל משֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן וּכְבוֹד יְהֹוָה מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן:
36. When the cloud rose up from over the Mishkan, the children of Israel set out in all their journeys.		לו. וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכֹל מַסְעֵיהֶם:
37. But if the cloud did not rise up, they did not set out until the day that it rose.		לז. וְאִם לֹא יֵעָלֶה הֶעָנָן וְלֹא יִסְעוּ עַד יוֹם הֵעָלֹתוֹ:
38. For the cloud of the Eternal was upon the Mishkan by day, and there was fire within it at night, before the eyes of the entire house of Israel in all their journeys.		לח. כִּי עֲנַן יְהֹוָה עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יוֹמָם וְאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לַיְלָה בּוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל מַסְעֵיהֶם:

Guide Questions

1. According to the Stone Chumash on verse 35 (p. 540), how does Rashi explain that the Torah says in this portion that Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, but in Numbers 7:89 it says that Moses could? What is Ramban's opinion? Have you ever had an experience that was so intense you could only do it sometimes? When?

2. According to Etz Hayyim (p. 571), what is the significance of the word וַיְכַל in verse 33? How do you think building the Mishkan, or creating anything for that matter (writing a song, drawing a picture, etc.) is like God creating the world?

3. According to Etz Hayyim (p. 572), how does the book of Exodus begin, and how does it end? Why? What other places in Judaism do we learn this lesson?

4. In the poem "At the Tent of Meeting" by Sherry Blumberg in the Women's Torah commentary (p. 566), what do you think the lines "Let the opening of the tent, encourage the opening of the text" mean? What message do you get out of the whole poem?

5. In Text Messages, (109-110), what does Rabbi Paul Yedwab's personal mantra "no boat" have to do with the coming of God's Presence into the Tabernacle? Have you ever had a time when something you prepared for suddenly became worthwhile, like a cloud unexpectedly settling in? When?