Midrash su Esodo 26:7

R. Jacob the son of Issi asked: Why does it say; I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth? Because the Tabernacle is equal to the creation of the world itself. How is that so? Concerning the first day, it is written: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1), and it is written elsewhere: Who stretched out the heavens like a curtain (Ps. 104:2), and concerning the Tabernacle it is written: And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair (Exod. 26:7). About the second day of creation it states: Let there be a firmament and divide between them, and let it divide the waters from the waters (Gen. 1:6). About the Tabernacle it is written: And the veil shall divide between you (Exod. 26:33). With regard to the third day it states: Let the waters under the heavens be gathered (Gen. 1:9). With reference to the Tabernacle it is written: Thou shalt also make a laver of brass … and thou shalt put water therein (Exod. 30:18). On the fourth day he created light, as is stated: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven (Gen. 1:14), and concerning the Tabernacle it is said: And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold (Exod. 25:31). On the fifth day He created birds, as it is said: Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let the fowl fly above the earth (Gen. 1:20), and with reference to the Tabernacle. He directed them to offer sacrifices of lambs and birds, and it says as well: And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high (Exod. 25:20). On the sixth day he created man, as it is said: And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him (Gen. 1:27), and about the Tabernacle it is written: A man who is a high priest who has been anointed to serve and to minister before God.³You write that this is not a direct quote from the Bible. On the seventh day The heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), and with regard to the Tabernacle it is written: Thus was completed all the work of the Tabernacle (Exod. 39:32). Concerning the creation of the world it is written: And God blessed (Num. 2:3), and of the Tabernacle it is said: And Moses blessed them (Exod. 39:43); with regard to the creation it is said: And God finished (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle it is written: On that day Moses made an end (Num. 7:1); of creation it says: And hallowed it (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle: And had anointed it and sanctified it (Num. 7:1). Why is the Tabernacle equal to heaven and earth? Because even as heaven and earth bear witness concerning Israel, as it is written: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day (Deut. 30:19), so the Tabernacle bears witness in behalf of Israel, as is said: These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). Hence it is said: Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth (Ps. 26:8).

“He brought me to the wine house, and his banner over me is love” (Song of Songs 2:4).
“He brought me to the wine house,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: The congregation of Israel said: ‘The evil inclination gained control over me like wine, and I said of the calf: “This is your god, Israel”’ (Exodus 32:4). When wine enters a person, it confuses him. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What, then, is “he brought me to the wine house”? The congregation of Israel said: The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a large wine cellar, this is Sinai. He gave me there banners of Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds, and I accepted them with great love.
Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: The congregation of Israel said: The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a large wine cellar, this is Sinai. He gave me there the Torah, which is expounded with forty-nine approaches for purity and with forty-nine approaches for impurity, the numerical value of “his banner [vediglo].⁴⁷Vav is equivalent to 6, dalet to 4, gimmel to 3, lamed–to 30, and vav to 6, which together equal 49. I accepted it with great love, as it is stated: “And his banner over me is love.”
Rabbi Yona said: Two colleagues who engage in a matter of halakha, this one says the source of the halakha, and that one does not say the source of the halakha, the Holy One blessed be He says: “His banner [vediglo] over me is love.”⁴⁸Although he cannot provide a source for his ruling, and therefore his conclusion is inaccurate, his efforts in Torah study are nonetheless beloved in the eyes of God. The word diglo is interpreted as referring to his incomplete [dilugo] studies (Maharzu). Rabbi Aḥa said: An ignoramus who calls love hate, e.g. [instead of] “you shall love” [ve’ahavta], [he says] “you shall hate” [ve’ayavta], the Holy One blessed be He says: His mistake [dilugo] is beloved to Me. Rabbi Yisakhar said: A child who calls Moshe Masheh, Aharon Aharan, Efron Efran, the Holy One blessed be He says: His ridicule [liglugo]⁴⁹The letters lamed and dalet are both lingual letters so liglugo replaces dilugo. is beloved to Me. Rabbi Ḥunya said: In the past, if a person would point to the image [of a king] with his finger, he would be punished.⁵⁰It was considered a lack of respect to point at a picture or statue of the king. Now, a person places his hand on a mention of God’s name and he is not harmed. Moreover, the Holy One blessed be He says: His thumb [gudalo] over Me is love.
The Rabbis say: Even if a child skips the mention of God’s name several times he is not harmed. Moreover, the Holy One blessed be He says: His omission [dilugo] is beloved to Me. Rabbi Berekhya said: Even all the subterfuge [digulin] that Jacob employed regarding his father, just as it says: “And the hides of the goat kids, she placed on his hands” (Genesis 27:16), the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘I rest My Divine Presence over them.’ That is what is written: “You shall make sheets of goats’ hair” (Exodus 26:7). Moreover, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “His banner [vediglo] over me is love,” his subterfuge [vedigulo] over me is love.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: The congregation of Israel said: ‘The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a large wine cellar, this is Sinai. There, I saw Mikhael and his banner, Gavriel and his banner, and my eyes saw heavenly rites and I loved them.’ At that time the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Since the desire of My children is for banners, they will encamp with banners.’ That is what is written: “Each at his banner according to the insignia” (Numbers 2:2).

(Exod. 26:7:) THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF GOATS' HAIR <FOR A TENT OVER THE TABERNACLE;>…. This text is related (to Mal. 1:2): I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD.²⁹Tanh., Exod. 7:9. Who spoke this verse? Malachi spoke it. When? When he rebuked Israel. Malachi said to them (in Mal. 3:8): WOULD ANYONE ROB GOD? <YET YOU ARE ROBBING ME.> They answered him (ibid., cont.): HOW ARE WE ROBBING YOU? Our masters have said of the generation of Malachi: He rebuked them, and they answered him. He said to them (ibid.): WOULD ANYONE ROB (QB') GOD? R. Levi said: That (i.e., QB') is an Arabic word.³⁰RH 26ab; M. Pss. 57:2. When an Arab comes to talk with his companion <and> says to him: Are you stealing (GNB) from us? <he says:> Are you robbing (QB') us? (Ibid.:) WOULD ANYONE ROB (QB') GOD. Then he said (ibid., cont.): BUT YOU SAY: HOW ARE WE ROBBING YOU? IN THE TITHE AND THE PRIESTLY SHARE, because they are not collecting them properly. Again he said to them (in Mal. 1:2): IS NOT ESAU JACOB'S BROTHER? And you say (ibid.): HOW HAVE YOU LOVED US? By universal custom, when someone has two sons, one first-born and one younger, who receives the most? The first-born. Esau came out < of the womb> first, as stated (in Gen. 25:25): THE FIRST (i.e., Esau) CAME FORTH RUDDY. It was proper for him to receive two shares, but I did not act in this way. Instead Jacob received two shares, this world and the world to come. Esau said so to Jacob (in Gen. 33:12): LET US GO ON OUR JOURNEY…. Let both of us walk in the world <together>.³¹Gen. R. 78:14; Deut. R. 1:20; Tanna deve Eliyahu Zuta 19; y‘AZ 2:1 (40c); cf. T‘AZ 3:4; PRE 37. Jacob said to him: Take your world and go away. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 33:14): PLEASE LET MY LORD GO AWAY…, UNTIL I COME TO MY LORD IN SEIR. R. Jacob said: I went through all the Scripture <to see> whether Jacob did or did not go to Seir, and I found no < indication that he did so>. Then when is he going <there>? In the Age to come, as stated (in Obad., vs. 21): FOR SAVIORS SHALL GO UP ON MOUNT ZION <TO JUDGE THE MOUNTAIN OF ESAU,>…. Therefore (in Mal. 1:2): YET I HAVE LOVED JACOB. Jacob is a partner with Esau in this world; {I <am a> } [but Esau is no] partner with Jacob in the world to come. Solomon said (in Prov. 5:17): LET IT BE FOR YOU ALONE AND NOT FOR STRANGERS ALONG WITH YOU.

(Mal. 1:2:) I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD. See how he has cherished you. From the earth to the sky is a journey of five hundred years.³²Hag. 13a (bar.); yBer. 1:1 (2c). And likewise from the first sky to the second, from the second to the third, from the third to the fourth, from the fourth to the fifth, from the fifth to the sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh. Now it is unnecessary to calculate from the hoofs of the beasts (in Ezek. 1:5–13),³³For these calculations, see Hag. 13a (bar.) but the throne is above all of them. See how I cherished you! <I loved you so much> that I forsook³⁴The translation here follows the parallel text in Tanh., Exod. 7:9. The Buber text has the passive (hophal), “I was forsaken.” them all and said to you: Make me tent sheets of goats' hair, and I will come to dwell with you. R. Joshua ben Levi said: If the peoples of the world had known how good the Tabernacle was for them,³⁵Lev. R. 1:11; Numb. R. 1:3. they would have surrounded it with encampments and fortifications.³⁶Lat.: castra. Why? Before the Tabernacle was erected, the divine word went forth and entered into the midst of the tents belonging to the peoples of the world. Then they were seized with panic, since it is stated (in Deut. 5:23 [26]): FOR WHO IS THERE OF ALL FLESH THAT HAS HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LIVING GOD FROM THE MIDST OF THE FIRE, AS WE HAVE, AND LIVED? You heard it and are alive, but the peoples of the world heard it and were seized with panic in the midst of their tents. And you should not only say < this > about the Tabernacle, but even the Temple was good for them. Where is it shown? That is what Solomon ordained in his prayer (in I Kings 8:41, 43 // II Chron. 6:32, 33): AND LIKEWISE, <WHEN> THE FOREIGNER, WHO IS NOT OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, <COMES FROM A FAR COUNTRY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR NAME>…, MAY YOU HEARKEN UNTO <HIM IN YOUR> HEAVENLY <ABODE>….³⁷Above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 6:14. But when Israel came to worship, what does he say (in vs. 39)? AND GIVE TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO [ALL] HIS WAYS, SINCE YOU KNOW HIS HEART…. Yet in the case of the foreigner, whether they do or do not do <what is right >, give him whatever he asks, (according to vs. 43, cont.) SO THAT ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH [MAY KNOW] <YOUR NAME>…. Therefore, the Temple was good for the peoples of the world. [R. Samuel bar Nahman said: Before the Temple was built, the world rested upon a throne³⁸Gk.: thronos. of two legs; but since the Temple has been built, the world is firmly established³⁹Rt.: BSS; cf. Gk.: basis. and stands in its place. And you should not <only> say: The Temple. Even the Tabernacle was good for the peoples of the world.] Therefore the Holy One said to Moses: Make me a tabernacle (rt.: ShKN), because I desire to dwell (rt.: ShKN) with my children. When the ministering angels heard that, they said to him: Sovereign of the World, why are you leaving heavenly beings and descending to earthly beings? Your glory is that you <dwell> in the heavens, YOU WHO (according to Ps. 8:2 [1]) HAVE SET YOUR MAJESTY OVER THE HEAVENS. The Holy One said to them: By your lives, I am doing just as you said. Habakkuk said (in Hab. 3:3): GOD IS COMING FROM TEMAN. Then afterwards (in the same verse): AND THE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS PRAISE. The Holy One said to them: Now how are you surprised over this? Look at how I cherish the earthly beings, so as to descend and dwell under tent sheets of goats' hair. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 26:7): THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF GOATS' HAIR.

And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (Mal. 1:2). Malachi uttered this verse in rebuking Israel. He said to them: Will a man rob God? Yet ye rob Me (ibid. 3:8). And they replied: Wherein have we robbed thee¹²Their response seems to indicate that they were robbing the prophet and not the Almighty.? (ibid.). Our sages declared: Malachi rebuked his generation, but they replied to him: Wherein have we robbed Thee?

R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differ.⁴⁰Above, 7:5; Tanh., Exod. 7:6, 9; PR 33:10; cf. Shab. 28a; yShab. 2:1 (4d); Eccl. R. 1:9:1. R. Judah says: A large, clean beast was in the desert, and out of it they made tent sheets. R. Nehemiah says: It was a miracle. It was created for a time and hidden away. You yourself know that it is written (in Exod. 26:7–8): THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF <GOATS' HAIR FOR A TENT OVER THE TABERNACLE>…. THE LENGTH OF EACH TENT SHEET SHALL BE THIRTY CUBITS….. Who brings you tent sheets of thirty <cubits>? Hence you learn according to the words of R. Nehemiah that it was a miracle. [And you should not only say so concerning the tent sheeting, but there was even a miracle concerning the boards.] Where did the boards come from?⁴¹See Gen. R. 94:4 (traditional editions only). Our father Jacob planted them when he went down to Egypt. He said to his children: My children, you are going to be redeemed from here; and after you are redeemed, the Holy One is going to say to you: Make me a tabernacle. Just arise and plant cedars. When he tells you to make a tabernacle, the cedars will be available in your hands. Immediately they did as their father told them. They arose and planted cedars.

Yet see how much I love you that I leave all of this because of my love for you to tell you: And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Make for Me curtains of goats’ hair that I may come to dwell among you.

At first, His glory extended over the heavens, but later the earth was full of His praise. David said to them: He mocks you, for His praise extends over the earth, as it is said: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven (Ps. 148:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, continued: Why do you wonder about this? Observe how very much I love the earthly beings that I shall descend and dwell behind a curtain of goats’ hair for their sake. As it is said: Thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair (Exod. 26:7).

And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You find that everything constructed for the Tabernacle was made in its proper order. First he made the boards and joined them together. After that he made the curtain of goats’ hair to spread over them, as it is said: And thou shalt make a curtain of goats’ hair for a tent over the Tabernacle (Exod. 26:7). When he completed the ark, he made the cover that was to be hung before the ark: After he made the ark, he made the ark cover of pure gold (ibid. 37:6).

You find that whatever was in the Tabernacle was made in the proper order.³⁸Tanh., Exod. 10:10; Exod. R. 50:4. First he made the boards and joined them.³⁹Concerning these boards and how they were joined, see above, 7:9. Then after that he made tent sheets, which he stretched out over them, as stated (in Exod. 26:7) THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF GOATS' HAIR. Then after that he made the veil which was placed before the Ark. Then after that he made the Ark. Then after that he made the gold Mercy Seat on top of the Ark. R. Eleazar b. R. Jose said: I have seen it in Rome, and there were several drops of blood on it. I asked them what this blood was upon the Mercy Seat. They said: <It comes > from the blood of the Day of Atonement (rt.: KPR), when the High Priest came in and sprinkled it. Why is it named a Mercy Seat (rt.: KPR)? Because he atoned (rt.: KPR) < there > for the sins of Israel. Then after that he made the table on which the shewbread lay. Then after that he made the menorah which shed light over the table. See, he made it like an <ordered> array⁴⁰Gk.: taxis (“order”) of kings. of kings. Therefore (in Exod. 37:1): THEN BEZALEL MADE <THE ARK>.