Commentaire de citation sur Jérémie 31:8

ועשו לי מקדש, “They shall make a Sanctuary for Me.” The reason the Torah refers to the Tabernacle as Temple, Sanctuary, from the word קדש holy, is that it was sanctified by the very Presence within it of the Shechinah. According to Shemot Rabbah 34,4 the words ועשו לי imply that Israel are G’d’s flock and He is their shepherd. This is the meaning of Ezekiel 34,17: “As for you, My flock, thus said the Lord G’d, etc.” The fact that G’d considers Himself our shepherd is based on Psalms 80,2: “Give ear, O shepherd of Israel! Appear, You who are enthroned on the cherubim.” There are numerous other verses quoted by the author, such as Isaiah 5,7, Psalms 121,4, Deut. 14,1 and Jeremiah 31,8 all making essentially the same point about the G’d-Israel relationship. This relationship bespeaks honour for the children when they are in the proximity of their father, and honour for the father when he is within the home of his children and feels welcome there. All of this is the meaning of the reciprocal relationship suggested by the words: “they shall make for Me a Sanctuary and I shall dwell amongst them. The words ושכנתי בתוכם may also be read as ושכינתי בתוכם, “so that My Presence will be amongst them.”

יבל .יוכל חיא תהיה לכם heißt im הפעיל: bringen, und zwar ein gebührendes Bringen, das Bringen einer Person zu einem Orte, der ihr gebührt, oder eines Gegenstandes zu einer Person, der er gebührt: אובילם (Jirm. 31, 8) oder יובל שי (Jes. 18, 6) Daher יבול der Bodenertrag, was der Boden dem Besitzer heimbringt, wie יובל ;תבואה und יבל, Kanal, Wasserleitung, durch welche Wasser dahingebracht wird, wo der Bedarf ist. יובֵל heißt nun der Bringer und zwar der Heimbringer, der Menschen und Güter in die entsprechende, gebührende Stellung und Ordnung bringt. Und davon heißt auch das Horn, mit welchem die die Herde heimrufenden Töne geblasen werden: שופר היובלים (Josua 6, 4 f.) oder קרן היובל (daselbst 8). Die um Jericho, die erste in Besitz zu nehmende Stadt des jüdischen Landes, mit Schofar geblasenen Jobeltöne, waren eine im Namen Gottes an die Stadt ergangene Aufforderung zur Ergebung oder, wenn man will, zur Rückkehr an den berechtigten Eigentümer. Der Zusammensturz der Mauern war ein Gehorchen dieser Aufforderung (siehe auch Schmot 19, 13). In allen diesen Stellen bezeichnet יובל wohl nicht sowohl das Horn als das heimrufende Tonsignal. Wenn nach Rosch Haschana 26a יובל auch דכרא, den Widder, איל, bezeichnet, dürfte sich das auch nicht von der gegebenen Bedeutung entfernen. Der איל, Widder, ist der Bringer, vielleicht sogar der Heimbringer der Herde, die ihm, dem leitend vorangehenden, folgt.

It is worthwhile to note that the total number of animals offered on New Moons was 11 as this number corresponds to the 11 hours which the sun is older than the moon. The sun was created (made operational) on the fourth day at the beginning of the day (night), whereas the moon was made operational 11 hours later. The number 11 also recalls the fact that the solar year is (on average) 11 days longer than the lunar year (12 months), seeing the solar year is 365 days and the lunar year 354 days.
The reason that the bulls were being offered in respect of Avraham (and Sarah) is because Avraham and Sarah originally were like טומטום ואנדרונינוס, hermaphrodite and epicene (people whose sexual organs were underdeveloped preventing them from bearing or siring children). The ram offered in respect of Yitzchak symbolised the uniqueness of the ram Avraham had slaughtered at the time, of which we learned in Avot 5,6 that it had been designated as such an offering since the days of the creation. The seven sheep offered in respect of Yaakov acknowledge symbolically that his features are engraved on the throne of G’d above the seven heavens (Bereshit Rabbah 68,18). The three tenths ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a gift-offering for each of the bulls correspond to the three verses in which G’d is described as appearing to Avraham (Genesis 12,7; 17,1; 18,1). The two tenths ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as gift-offering which accompanied the ram offering were in respect of the two verses in the Torah in which G’d is described as appearing to Yitzchak (Genesis 26,2; 26,24). The reason that only one tenth ephah fine flour mixed with oil was brought as gift-offering alongside the seven sheep is that we have only one verse in which G’d is described as appearing (וירא) to Yaakov (Genesis 35,9).
The reason that the Torah repeats the word עשרון in connection with the single tenth ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as gift-offering in respect of the seven sheep symbolising Yaakov, is that it alludes to both of Yaakov’s names, יעקב and ישראל. It also alludes to the two blessings he received (from his father), one instead of Esau’s blessing, the other prior to his departure to Charan. He also received 10 blessings when he was called Yaakov when his father gave him the first blessing (compare Genesis 27,28-29 and Genesis 32,30 [where the individual blessings are not enumerated; presumably G’d confirmed Yitzchak’s blessing. Ed.]). Yaakov also used the word עשר twice when he promised to tithe (twice) everything G’d would give him (Genesis 28,23). This applied especially to his son Levi as we pointed out in connection with Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer chapter 37 why Levi was considered the tenth son (compare author’s comments on Genesis 28,22). It may be worth considering in this connection that Jeremiah 31,8 quotes G’d as saying: “Ephrayim is My firstborn.” When you count backwards from Ephrayim you will find that Levi is the tenth son. When you count from Levi to Aaron in descending order, i.e. Gershon, Kehat, Merari, Livni, Shimi, Amram, Yitzhar Chevron, Uzziel, Aaron you also have Aaron as the tenth (collective) descendant of Levi named by the Torah (compare Chronicles I 6,1-3). This is also why we find in Chronicles I 23,13: “Aaron was set apart, he and his sons, forever to be consecrated most holy, to make burnt-offerings to the Lord, etc.”