Hashem tells the people that the Tabernacle is a place of "meeting": "?at the entrance of the Tabernacle (tent for meeting); Hashem will arrange an audience for you (plural), in order to speak to you there" (29: 42).

This notion of meeting is further explained: "I shall meet there with the children of Yisrael, and it shall be sanctified through my honor" (29: 43).

Rashi explains: "when I fix a time for a meeting, the meeting will take place in the "tent of meeting". The meetings take place at Heaven's instigation. Whenever G-d decides to speak to the people the meetings will be in that place.

The exact place that this meeting will take place becomes a problem addressed in Rashi's further comment. There are those of the Rabbis who understand the word "there" as referring to the copper altar. This is derived from the words "at the entrance of the Tabernacle?", which is the place of the daily burnt offerings on the copper altar. Others say, that the word "there" refers to the lid of the aron (ark). This seems to be explicitly stated in another verse, "And I will speak to you from above the lid" (25: 22). This verse states that the meeting would take place in the vicinity of the "lid" of the aron and so our verse (29:42) presents something of a problem.

Are the verses referring to the same meetings, in which case they should take place in the same place or different meetings that might take place in either place? Since our verse is not clear about them it would seem that the natural direction for interpretation would be to combine the two verses. Since 25:22 is clear and 29:42 is not, the simple interpretation would be that they are referring to the same place of meeting.

That this problem receives attention in our tradition, that the Rabbis find the problem worthy of concern, is odd. The factual dispute about the "place" cannot be answered in a definitive manner. The desert reality of the Tabernacle, which itself represented a temporary stage in the development of Jewish religious forms, is unknowable. We are more concerned that the tradition of interpretation clearly gives us two answers to a question which should have only one answer. We further wonder why Rashi teaches both of them.

The point according to Rashi, is that the single expression, "Hashem will arrange an audience for you, to speak to you there" has a double implication. We should be aware that the two places it might refer to are qualitatively different. The aron was in the most sacred of places, and in order to meet with Hashem in that place there had to be special preparedness on the part of the members of the meeting. Not every meeting could be scheduled in that place. Moshe our teacher, yes, but not if he comes with any sort of committee. The high priest was able to enter that place only once a year, and only after special preparation. However, the entrance to the Tabernacle was different. That was the place (verse 41) where the daily offerings were given. This was a sacrifice in which everyone participated (through their donations etc). This was the sacrifice that was "a pleasing fragrance, a fire offering for Hashem". This sacrifice created a "pleasing fragrance, a momentary change in the relationships; it created a space in which a meeting might take place even if the people were not worthy of entering the most sacred place in the Tabernacle.

We understand Rashi in a new and interesting way. The meetings will be organized in heaven; Hashem will give messages to the people in the Tabernacle. However, the Tabernacle contains several places that might be the venue for such a meeting. For Moshe our teacher who is always worthy, the meetings take place in the most sacred place, at the aron. For the people they are also able to meet at a designated place; its special sanctity is in part connected to their efforts.

[For further study, look at Rashi (25: 22). See also the Braita d'Melechet Hamishkan 14 and the Sifrei (Naso I 58).]

Gut Shabbos,
Chaim Brovender