Musar do Liczb 24:5

Although there is not a single one of the 613 commandments listed in this פרשה, the famous blessing of מה טובו אהליך יעקב משכנותיך ישראל "How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwellings O Israel," is contained in our portion. Our sages have said that the expression "your tents," refers to periods when Israel is at peace in its homeland, whereas the word "your dwellings," refers even to periods when the Land and Temple of Israel is in ruins (24,5). Rashi explains that משכון is also "pledge", that even when there is no "temple," its very ruins are the guarantee that Israel will try to qualify for atonement. He quotes Eychah Rabbah on Lamentations 4,11 as his support.

We must try and understand why Rabbenu Bachyah was so selective in his comparison of the creation with the construction of the Tabernacle. He could have cited additional parallels. A look at a lengthy Midrash in Shemot Rabbah 33,4 quotes Rabbi Berechyah as presenting a long list of parallels between the Tabernacle and מעשה בראשית. The list includes many items found in the heavens such as ערפל, זבול, עצי שטים, כרובים, אופנים and many others. In each case Rabbi Berechyah demonstrates that the Tabernacle contained something parallel.