Pensamento Judaico sobre I Reis 8:13

The pains taken when constructing a shelter reflect the purpose that shelter is to serve. If the shelter is to be no more than a temporary hut shielding shepherds against the heat of the sun, its materials and the care expended on its construction will be minimal. If, however, it is to serve as an all year residence, the utmost care will be taken to construct it of durable materials and to ensure precise workmanship. Similarly, bodily attributes such as hair, smoothness of skin, clarity of voice, none of which perform vital functions, often deteriorate at a rapid pace. Vital physical attributes such as the heart, digestive system, etc., will be observed to have been constructed of a far more durable nature. Nations whose continued existence in history G-d considered vital, have been given the Torah and commandments, whereas those nations whose future was considered marginal, were only given seven commandments, as if to indicate that their historic lease on life was relatively brief, when compared with that of Israel. Compare Isaiah 40, 15, "here the nations are like a drop fallen from the bucket." On the other hand, concerning Israel, G-d said "Place these My words on your hearts.. so that your days on earth will endure a long time. (Deut. 11,18-21) In view of the above, it becomes difficult to understand why the Torah has expended so much ink and parchment in detailing everything about the tabernacle, since it was not to be a permanent structure. Since the tabernacle was to serve only as a temporary abode while Israel was on the way to the holy land and until a permanent temple would be built, all these detailed instructions are hard to comprehend. Had it not been for the sin of the spies, Israel would have entered the holy land at once, and construction of the permanent temple would have begun at once. When one compares the brief reference in Chronicles concerning the blueprint for the permanent temple, the contrast becomes even more startling. One would have expected a wealth of detail either in the book of Kings or in Chronicles, if these events had been described according to normal usage, (compare Chronicles I chapter 28)