LUXURIES AND NECESSITIES

Why does the Torah devote so much detail to the construction of the Mishkan (the mobile Temple)? This is now the fourth consecutive Torah portion dedicated to its design and construction.

Ramban (d. 1270) explains that there were actually two distinct commandments to build the Mishkan. The first came before the sin of the golden calf, when the Israelites gathered at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. The Mishkan, with the Ark in the Holy of Holies, was meant to be a constant, tangible reminder of G-d’s presence, echoing the revelation at Sinai. However, after the Israelites sinned, this plan was suspended. Only after G-d forgave them and granted a second set of Tablets was the Mishkan reinstated. The detailed repetition of its instructions in this week’s Torah portion symbolizes that G-d’s presence had truly returned to their midst.

Yet, before discussing the Mishkan’s construction, the Torah first reiterates the commandment to keep Shabbat. We already learned about Shabbat in the Ten Commandments—why is it emphasized again here? Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (d. 1993) explains that this distinction highlights the difference between necessities and luxuries. In life, some things are essential for survival, while others, though valuable, are non-essential. This principle applies to our spiritual lives as well.

The Jewish people have survived for nearly two thousand years without a Temple. Some of our most significant religious works—the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch, the Zohar—were all composed without one. The Temple would undoubtedly enhance our spiritual lives, broadening our religious experience and deepening our connection to God. However, we can survive without it. By contrast, Shabbat is an absolute necessity. It is to the Jewish soul what bread and water are to the body. Without Shabbat, Jewish identity and continuity would wither.

This is why, before resuming the commandment to build the Mishkan, the Torah reminds us of Shabbat. The Israelites, having lost their spiritual balance through the golden calf, first needed to refocus on their core spiritual foundation before turning to the Mishkan. Indeed, the Talmud teaches that the Mishkan and Temple may not be built on Shabbat—reinforcing that, however sacred the Temple may be, Shabbat holds an even higher status.

We can relate to this lesson in our own lives. Five years have passed since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a time when synagogues around the world were forced to close. Though painful, we endured. But Shabbat never disappeared. Week after week, it remained a beacon of light, stability, and connection. This experience mirrors the Torah’s lesson: sacred institutions, no matter how cherished, are not the foundation of Jewish survival. That foundation is Shabbat.