English translation — פקודי

A.

In the Zohar in our parshah¹

it stands,

that when the Ark came to its place

(upon the Foundation Stone²)

— "He opened the Ark and said³

This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

Rabbi Yisa said: This verse the Congregation of Israel said to Him at the time when the Temple was built and the Ark entered its place.

Rabbi Chizkiyah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said it about the Congregation of Israel when Israel does His will — when Jews do the will of the Above — that then the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on His throne of glory and life is in the world and blessing and peace and love of all are found, and then He said: This is My resting place forever.

As one learns simply,

the three opinions divide⁴

in the Zohar into two: the first two opinions are in accordance with the simple meaning of the verses,

which speak about the time when the Ark came to its place⁵,

It is only that according to the first opinion, the <b>Ark </b>said "This is My resting place forever,"

and according to the view of R' Yissa, the <b>Congregation of Israel </b>said this,

According to the third opinion, however,

this seemingly has no connection to the plain meaning of the subject of the verses,

when the Ark came to its place in the Holy of Holies.

It is but not smooth: since the third opinion has no connection to the Mishkan and Mikdash and the entering of the Ark into its place,

the content of the matter in the Zohar here,

should the Zohar not have brought the interpretation <b>here</b> at all?

Ordinary interpretations on the verse "Zot Menuchati" are certainly here etc.

Also — regarding the first two opinions it is understood that the difference is not only who said "Zot Menuchati adei ad",

and as proven from that which at the beginning of the matter in the Zohar it says that "the appearance of the world and the vision of the world" was not seen "in the world until the Mishkan was built and established and the Ark entered into the Holy of Holies",

and from then on "the vision of everything appeared in the world and the world was established and they went with that Mishkan and with that Ark",

until it came "to that point which is beautiful landscape, joy of all

(the place of the Foundation Stone)

when it reached there, then the Ark opened and said".

— If Rabbi Yisa comes to say that not the Ark said this but "Knesset Yisrael",

he should have only said "this verse Knesset Yisrael said it".

From that which he repeats "at the time that the Beis HaMikdash was built and the Ark entered its place" it is understood that he adds another matter in this,

that this is connected

(not only with the Ark itself but also)

with the <b>time that the Beis HaMikdash was built</b>.

4.

5.

The difference between these three opinions is both <b>who</b> said "This is My resting place forever" — the "Aron",

"Knesses Yisroel" or "Kudsha Brich Hu"; and also <b>what</b> it was said about: about His place

(Kodesh HaKodashim — on the Even HaShetiyah),

Time of the Beis HaMikdash,

or time that Yisroel do His will.

One must, however, understand:

a)

The content of the difference between the first two opinions: since according to both opinions it is about the same time and subject — "Ve'el Aharonu le'Atrei"⁶

— what is the content of the difference of the saying of "Aharonu" or — Knesset Yisrael?

What pertains to the first opinion, the introduction regarding the building of the Mishkan, "and the ark came into the inner sanctum" in the Mishkan,

since the verse "This is My resting place forever" speaks about the arrival of the ark in the Beis HaMikdash etc.

b)

2.

And the explanation: The difference between the three opinions is — what is the essential aspect in the Mishkan and Mikdash:

According to the first opinion,

(in the language of the Ramban⁷)

"The main purpose of the Mishkan is the place of the <b>resting</b> of the Shechinah, which is <b>the Ark</b>."

And therefore this opinion holds that "He opened <b>the Ark</b> and said, 'This is My resting place forever,'"

when it arrived at its place in the Holy of Holies.

According to the opinion of Rabbi Yissa, the main aspect of the Mishkan and the Temple is that Jews should have a fixed place to serve

Supernal One,

in the language of the Rambam⁸

"a house ..

prepared to offer in it the sacrifices and to celebrate to it three times a year",

what the matter revealed itself

(mainly)

"at the time that the Temple was built and the Ark entered its place" and Jews have the Holy Temple for service⁹

etc.,

and therefore is <b>Knesset Yisrael</b> said.

And according to Rabbi Chizkiyah, the main matter of Mishkan and Temple is — "and I will dwell <b>in their midst</b>",

the rest of the Supernal One is connected with that He dwells among

(in)

Jews¹⁰,

and therefore he learns that "the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him about Knesset Yisrael"¹¹.

However, since these and those are words of the living God¹²,

and further

In our matter,

Regarding opinions that are brought in the <b>Zohar</b>,

that "there is there no difficulty etc. and no dispute"¹³

— it can be said,

that one says one thing and one says one thing and they do not disagree.

That

is

Not only that all three opinions are

(true because they are all)

here in the Sanctuary,

but they are all here in a manner of <b>primary</b> and actual — only they speak about three separate times,

as follows.

3.

In the matter of the Sanctuary there are in general three times

(and matters)

: the Tabernacle¹⁴,

the Holy Temple in Jerusalem

(the first and the second),

the Holy Temple of the future — the third Temple.

And as it is also explained and hinted in the words of our Sages¹⁵

on the beginning of our portion¹⁶

"These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Testimony" — "the Tabernacle, Tabernacle twice hints at the Temple that was pledged twice in two destructions"¹⁷.

It turns out,

that the verse speaks here:

(a)

the verse does not depart from its <b>plain meaning </b>— about the Tabernacle,

And

(b)

<b>In the hint </b>about the “Mishkan <b>that was pledged</b>”,

and consequently

(c)

also about the future Holy Temple —

For since the verse hints at the destruction of the Temple with the language “Mishkan — <b>that was pledged</b>” it is understood,

that “destructions” is not that it

(the First and Second Temple,

which the verse here includes and hints at as one — “a hint <b>to the Temple </b>that was pledged <b>in two </b>destructions”¹⁸)

will, heaven forbid, <b>be nullified</b>,

but it is in a manner of <b>pledge</b>: a pledge goes out of the borrower’s domain and is found with the lender temporarily and in the end it is returned to the borrower — so too in our case,

that the Temple

(First and Second)

is only “<b>pledged</b>

(in two destructions)

” and afterwards it is returned to the Jews — the third future Holy Temple.

4.

The difference of the three matters — Mishkan,

Mikdash,

and the future Mikdash:

In the Mishkan was revealed primarily and first of all — the resting of the Shechinah which is <b>the Ark</b>,

which previously had not been.

Moreover: the matter of the resting

(“My resting place”)

of the <b>Ark</b> in a permanent manner was <b>primarily</b> in the Mishkan,

where the Ark was in its place the entire duration of the existence¹⁹

of the Mishkan; but not so in the Holy Temples — in the Second Temple the Ark from the outset was not²⁰,

and in the First Temple the Ark was not all the time

that existed,

because

(at the end of his time)

"<b>hid it </b>Josiah"²¹.

This is regarding the <b>Ark</b>.

However, the matter of the rest in general of the Mishkan and the Temple,

is on the contrary: the Mishkan they transported from place to place,

it is called Ohel,

with it there was not the matter of permanence²²

and rest,

however, in the <b>Holy </b>Temples,

their building was fixed in one place²³.

The two Holy Temples, however, were not — eternal buildings,

they were taken away from the Jews

(although the place remained in its holiness,

"the Shechinah is not nullified"²⁴).

The Third Temple, however, will be an <b>eternal</b> building.

5.

And based on this, one must explain the three opinions in the Zohar: The first opinion "He opened the ark and said, 'This is My resting place forever'" comes in continuation to that which "the Tabernacle was built and established, and the ark entered into the Holy of Holies,"

because the concept of rest which is related

(primarily)

to the ark,

its beginning and essence was revealed in the Tabernacle²⁵.

But this is not a rest in relation to the house

(Tabernacle)

itself,

and therefore regarding the Jews

(to what kind of place and house

they came)

it is said²⁶

"For you have not come to the rest and to the inheritance."

In the second opinion in the Zohar, the discussion is about the time of the Temple — "at the time when the Temple was built and the Ark entered its place",

that then the place and permanent building for the dwelling of the Shechinah was established,

and consequently, Jews arrived "to the rest and to the inheritance",

a permanent place prepared for service.

And in the language of the Rambam²⁷

: once the Temple was built in Jerusalem, all places were forbidden to build in them a <b>house</b>²⁸

for God, etc., and there is no <b>house</b> for all generations except in Jerusalem alone and on Mount Moriah, of which it is said, "And David said, etc. <b>This</b> is the altar for burnt offering <b>for Israel</b>," and it says²⁹

"This is My resting place forever"³⁰

In the third opinion, it speaks — at least alluded to

(and — the perfection of the Beis HaMikdash)

— about the third Beis HaMikdash of the future³¹.

At the time when the Jews will fully carry out the will and intention of the Most High — "when Israel does His will",

in perfection — the House will be an eternal House,

it will never

Being taken from Jews,

and then says the Holy One, blessed be He, &lt;b&gt;about the Congregation of Israel&lt;/b&gt; — "This is My resting place &lt;b&gt;forever and ever&lt;/b&gt;",

because the indwelling of the Above among Jews is in a manner of "My resting place forever and ever",

a rest and eternal heritage &lt;b&gt;in revelation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;.

6.

Just as this is regarding the Mishkan,

the Holy Temple

(the first and the second)

and the third Temple, that these are not separate matters,

but one matter and continuation: the commandment

(the &lt;b&gt;individual&lt;/b&gt; obligation)

of "And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary" began and they fulfilled it in the building of the Mishkan,

continued&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

was in the first and second Holy Temple and in its completeness&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

as the commandment of Your will it will be in the building of the third Temple speedily in our days,

Similarly, this is also regarding the details that he emphasizes in the Zohar — the rest in connection with the <b>Ark</b>,

<b>the Holy Temple</b>,

<b>the Congregation of Israel</b>,

<b>the Holy One, blessed be He</b> — these are not separate matters,

but — one continuum.

One will understand this with an introduction of the precision of the language in the third opinion,

that it is a)

lengthy: "This one sits on the throne of His glory and life upon &lt;b&gt;the world &lt;/b&gt;and blessing and peace and affection &lt;b&gt;of all &lt;/b&gt;is found" — and also b)

At first glance, what is the matter relevant here?

— Here it is speaking that the Holy One, blessed be He, says "This is My resting place forever"

(only)

"upon &lt;b&gt;the Congregation of Israel&lt;/b&gt;" and not in relation to the world in general.

7.

The explanation in this: "He opened &lt;b&gt;the Ark &lt;/b&gt;and said 'This is My resting place forever etc.'" is the service of Torah&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;

as understood,

this is indeed the entire concept of the Ark — "In the Ark there were only the two tablets of stone"&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;

; and the perfection of Torah is when the engagement in Torah is in a manner of rest and there are no matters that disturb — as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;

"The Torah was not given to be expounded except to eaters of the manna."

And as has been spoken many times the explanation,

that in order to understand and "take in" Torah properly,

one must be free from all disturbances that confuse,

like the eaters of the manna.

At the time of the study of Torah as is proper,

is great study that brings to deed³⁸,

Torah comes down into the deed of the commandments and effects that this should be in perfection,

with which is accomplished the refinement of the world — and this is expressed in that which "<b>was built</b> for Me the Sanctuary etc.": there is built in the world a structure

fixed for the Above³⁹,

and in this there is

(power and action and existence of G‑d)

Torah

("and the ark entered its place").

And then,

"At the time that it is built,"

says <b>Knesset Yisrael</b> "This is My resting place forever" — it becomes the

(completeness of)

rest of the Jews,

carrying out their intention,

that "I was created to serve my Master"⁴⁰,

through fulfillment of His will — Torah and mitzvos

And at the time that "Yisrael do My will" is "the Holy One, blessed be He, said to <b>Knesset Yisrael</b>...

This is My resting place forever",

it becomes, as it were, the completeness of the Holy One, blessed be He,

because "Yisrael and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one"⁴¹.

The proof of this,

and where does this express itself,

says the Zohar "דהא כדין קוב"ה יתיב על כורסי יקרי׳ וחייס על עלמא וברכה ושלום וחביבותא דכלא אשתכח" — at the time that the existence of the world does not interfere with the service of Jews — and on the contrary,

the conduct of the world itself,

even the physicality,

is in a manner of blessing and peace,

a place prepared,

suitable and assisting to the conduct of Jews⁴²

— "כדין אמר זאת מנוחתי כו׳",

then it is revealed that the Congregation of Israel are a "dwelling for His presence",

the inner intention and the matter of a dwelling for Him is fulfilled "to dwell and to reside in the souls of Israel"⁴³

below.

ח.

Based on this it is also understood regarding the Mishkan and the Holy Temples,

They are one matter and continuation,

which began with the building of the Mishkan,

and it is in a manner,

that the Holy Temples bring and cause the matter and the revelation in the building of the Third Temple⁴⁴.

And as emphasized in the aforementioned statement of our Sages, may their memory be blessed, "a hint <b>to the Temple that was pledged </b>in two destructions for the sins of Israel",

that the return of the Temple is not a separate thing by itself,

but rather like a <b>pledge</b>,

that the intention of taking and holding a pledge is to ensure that the borrower will repay the debt from <b>before</b>⁴⁵,

D.

H.

The <b>that-was-mortgaged </b>of the Holy Temple

(the first and the second)

The body itself causes and ensures that Jews conduct themselves properly⁴⁶,

and therefore it will return.

T.

Since the command "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst,"

which is the mitzvah <b>for generations </b>regarding building the Mishkan and the Holy Temple is

(in its simple sense, that is to say)

was said regarding the Mishkan³³,

it is understood that in this Mishkan itself there are, as an example

(and similar to)

the three matters mentioned above: Mishkan,

Sanctuary,

the third House.

In the erection of the Tabernacle in our portion⁴⁷

(After "And all the <b>work</b> of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was completed")

there were three times

(and matters)

The time of the erection of the Tabernacle during the seven days of the consecration,

although then they had already set up the Tabernacle,

brought in the Ark etc. — not like before when there was yet no Tabernacle,

but only the labors and makings for the Tabernacle,

preparation for its erection — this was still not yet permanent,

for all seven days of the consecration Moses would set up the Tabernacle and dismantle it⁴⁸

; and although they then performed all the services of the days of the consecration "there is no [concept of] service adjacent to service of priests"⁴⁹.

On the eighth day of the consecration, "in the first month etc. on the first of the month the Tabernacle was erected"⁵⁰

— then there was "its erection for standing"⁵¹,

and it could <b>afterwards</b> be the service in the Tabernacle.

What is the difference between the two modes of erection of the Tabernacle itself,

one could say that it is analogous to the difference⁵²

between the Tabernacle which was

(primarily a private resting place for the Ark,

but the Tabernacle itself was)

a temporary dwelling — a tent; and the Holy Temple,

which was a permanent dwelling,

a place of rest for the Congregation of Israel.

After the establishment of the Mishkan on the eighth day of the inauguration

(and several services),

was only &lt;b&gt;later &lt;/b&gt;the dwelling of the Shechinah among Jews,

and as he &lt;b&gt;concludes &lt;/b&gt;in our parshah&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

"And the glory

of the Lord filled the Mishkan,"

that then was "and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people"&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;.

That this is akin to the rest in the Third Beis HaMikdash,

That "the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me regarding My congregation, etc., 'This is My rest forever'"

on the verse "And when the cloud was taken up from over the Mishkan": And so the dwelling of the Shechinah was permanent in the Mishkan, that it never departed from there at all until the Jews needed to travel, and this was not in Shiloh, nor in the First Temple, nor in the Second Temple],

And also in the Mishkan this was at the time

(and connected with)

"When Israel does His will" — perfectly, because the "He will cause His Shechinah to dwell among you",

was brought about through "his offerings and his service"⁵⁶

<b>In their perfection</b>

(And also)

of Aharon.

And then comes the completeness of the rest of the Mishkan,

"Mishkan of testimony — testimony to Israel that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave them for the incident of the calf, for <b>He caused His Shechinah to dwell among them</b>"⁵⁷.

Yud.

And through this <b>involvement in the Torah of</b> the House that is in all times" — Mishkan,

First and Second Temple —

(Torah),

whereby "I consider them as if they are <b>involved in the building of</b> the House" and one ensures that there should not be "the building of My House is idle"

(as explained by our Sages⁵⁸)

(commandments),

this hastens and speeds the revelation of the third House in actuality,

may it be revealed and come from heaven⁵⁹,

What then will be as above in completeness: completeness of &lt;b&gt;the Torah &lt;/b&gt;

(rest of &lt;b&gt;the Ark&lt;/b&gt;)

completeness of the people of Israel

("My resting place" of the Congregation of Israel&lt;sup&gt;60&lt;/sup&gt;),

the Name

(the Holy One, blessed be He)

complete&lt;sup&gt;61&lt;/sup&gt;,

It becomes revealed before the eyes of all the nations that which "the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Congregation of Israel etc. 'This is My resting place forever.'"

Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayikra-Purim 5739)