“These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle of Testimony as it was counted ….” (Shemot, 38:21) “The accounts” (pekudei in Hebrew) is a term denoting prominence, or standing out, as in (Shmuel 1, 20:25), “and David’s place was empty [pakad],” meaning that his place was prominent so that no one else would sit upon it. By means of the Mishkan, it was prominently recognized that the Holy One, blessed be He, exists also in the physical world, which all the idolaters of the stars and constellations deny. This is the meaning of the verse, “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle of Testimony,” meaning the prominence of the Mishkan was that it was a Mishkan of Testimony. Testimony is something that is made quite clear, meaning that by means of the Mishkan it was made clear to the eyes of all the nations that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules, and exists in this lowly world. Who made this prominence? The verse states explicitly, “which was counted by the mouth of Moshe,” meaning that Moshe Rabeynu brought this prominence from the heavens to the earth in this world.
אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר כוּ'. פְּקוּדֵי פרש"י לְשׁוֹן בְּלִיטָה, כְּמוֹ (שמואל א' כ',כ"ה) "וַיִּפָּקֵד מְקוֹם דָּוִד", וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיָה מְקוֹמוֹ בּוֹלֵט שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מִי שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב עָלָיו. וְעַל יְדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, הָיָה בּוֹלֵט וְנִיכָּר שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִמְצָא בְּעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה גַּם כֵּן, אֲשֶׁר כָּל הָעכומ"ז מַכְחִישִׁים זֶה. וְזֶה פֵּירוּשׁ הַפָּסוּק "אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת", הַיְינוּ הַבְּלִיטָה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה עַל יְדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁהוּא מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת, עֵדוּת הוּא עִנְיָן מְבוֹרָר הַיְינוּ שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵר לְעֵינֵי כָּל הָאוּמּוֹת עַל יְדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹשֵׁל וְנִמְצָא גַּם בָּעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפֵל הַזֶּה, עַל יְדֵי מִי נַעֲשָׂה זֶה הַבְּלִיטָה, וּמְפָרֵשׁ הַפָּסוּק "אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה" הַיְינוּ שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הֵבִיא זֹאת הַבְּלִיטָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
“These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle of Testimony as it was counted ….” (Shemot, 38:21)
“The accounts” (pekudei in Hebrew) is a term denoting prominence, or standing out, as in (Shmuel 1, 20:25), “and David’s place was empty [pakad],” meaning that his place was prominent so that no one else would sit upon it. By means of the Mishkan, it was prominently recognized that the Holy One, blessed be He, exists also in the physical world, which all the idolaters of the stars and constellations deny. This is the meaning of the verse, “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle of Testimony,” meaning the prominence of the Mishkan was that it was a Mishkan of Testimony. Testimony is something that is made quite clear, meaning that by means of the Mishkan it was made clear to the eyes of all the nations that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules, and exists in this lowly world. Who made this prominence? The verse states explicitly, “which was counted by the mouth of Moshe,” meaning that Moshe Rabeynu brought this prominence from the heavens to the earth in this world.