ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף במדבר 3:25

For the tablets of the testimony. Rashi is answering the question: “Mishkon” refers to the lower curtains, as he explains in Parshas Bamidbar (3:25), while the term “אהל” (tent) refers to the goats hair curtains that were above it. If so, how does the Torah say המשכן לאהל (lit. the Mishkon for the tent) which implies that the Mishkon was needed for the tent? Consequently, Rashi explains that it was “made to be a tent…” Re’m explains Rashi’s addition of the word “made” before the word לאהל (for a tent). Since the lamed of לאהל implies its purpose, as if it had said “to be a tent,” without its addition one would imply that the purpose [of the Mishkon] was related to the word “covered” — i.e. that the cloud covered the Mishkon to form a tent. However with the word “made” it is understood as being related to the Mishkon — meaning that the Mishkon was made as a tent. Rashi’s addition of the word “to be” would thus be in place of the lamed of לאהל. Furthermore, when Rashi adds the words “for the tablets of the testimony” this teaches that the Tablets were a testimony to Yisroel, not the tent. This is to be contrasted with the phrase “Mishkon of Testimony” (Shemos 38:21), which Rashi explains that it is “testimony to Yisroel…” For the word Mishkon (משכן) is related to the word Shechinah (שכינה — Divine Presence) which rests (שוכן) among us, a concept not appropriate for the word אהל. (Nachalas Yaakov). I have already fully explained in Parshas Terumah (Shemos 25:16) that sometimes the Tablets are referred to as “testimony,” sometimes the Torah is referred to as “testimony” and sometimes the Mishkon is referred to as “testimony.” See also the beginning of Parshas Pekudei (Shemos 38:21) etc. and elsewhere.

לעבוד ולמשא. The former, לעבוד, while the people were encamped; the latter while the people were journeying. ולמשא, at the time of the journeys. Seeing that earlier when the Torah said:ומשמרת בני גרשון באהל מועד, (3,25) it spoke about their carrying out their function at the time of the people being encamped, the Torah also stated that everything which was under their control while the people were encamped remained under their control during the journeys.

The eastern curtain. This was already explained in Parshas Bamidbar (3:25). When Rashi writes “the eastern [curtain]” this does distinguish it, because there was no other curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting aside from the eastern one. Thus this is only an embellishment of the explanation. Gur Aryeh explains that Rashi means to exclude the half curtain that was folded over in front of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, to the east, as mentioned previously in Parshas Terumah (Shemos 26:9). It was joined to the other curtains and it did not have a distinct identity in of itself.