Parshat Pekudei
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

The Book of Shmos concludes with the assembly of the Mishkan by Moshe Rabbeinu and the dramatic appearance of God's cloud of glory on the Mishkan.

Rashi (on 39:33) quotes the Tanchuma which explains that the Jews were unable to erect the Mishkan due to the immense weight of its planks, whereupon they brought it to Moshe, who was subsequently was commanded by Hashem to assemble it. (God left this task to Moshe, as he did not participate in other aspects of constructing the Mishkan.) When Moshe asked Hashem how it would be humanly possible to erect such a weighty structure, Hashem replied that Moshe should perform the physical movements of erecting the Mishkan, and it would miraculously go up.

Since, after all, Moshe's strength was not required to assemble the Mishkan, why was it necessary for him specifically to erect it? Furthermore, is there any symbolism in the inability of humans to assemble the Mishkan and its supernatural assembly?

In light of the fact that the Mishkan served to rectify the Chet Ha-Egel (Sin of the Calf), I suggest that the act of erecting the Mishkan must be seen as relating in detail to that sin. Just as Moshe was told that the second set of Luchos (Tablets) was to be carved by him, rather than by God, and God was then to inscribe the Aseres Ha-Dibros (Ten Commandments) on the man-made slabs, so, too, the Mishkan's completion necessitated Moshe's human effort, and Divine action accomplished the total feat. The message (as I explained in Parshas Ki Sisa) is that Bnei Yisroel had taken God's presence for granted, and they needed to display effort in their desire to regain their closeness with Hashem. They had to recognize that God's will and actions are beyond human comprehension and that fulfillment of Torah is based on God's terms and conditions. Thus, the Jews were commanded to build the Mishkan as a show of desire to connect with God. However, the Jews had to realize that despite their efforts (i.e. building the glorious Mishkan), God remains in ultimate control and authority. Therefore, the Luchos and the Mishkan - which completed the rapprochement with Hashem - were divinely completed at the point that human effort ended, for this was a statement and demonstration of God's authority and human limitation, which were the lessons to be embodied so as to rectify the Chet.

Thus, since Moshe was charged with teaching the Jews the above lesson - first by smashing the first set of Luchos, which the Bnei Yisroel did not deserve, and then by carving the second Luchos, which Hashem inscribed - he was designated to complete the lesson via the erection of the Mishkan.

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