What Comes After Freedom?

Slavery doesn’t end when the chains are broken. According to the Ramban, the Jewish journey to freedom didn’t conclude when they marched out of Egypt, crossed the sea, or even received the Torah at Sinai. True freedom arrived with an architectural project that revolutionized humanity’s relationship with the Divine, forever.

This week’s Torah portion is the first of five portions that almost exclusively focus on the construction of the Mishkan – the Tabernacle that houses God’s Divine Presence. Why does building God’s sanctuary get such prominence in Exodus, the book of our national formation? Wouldn’t these architectural details fit better in Leviticus, the book about the Tabernacle and its priestly service?

The Ramban¹ offers a striking answer: the Egyptian slavery didn’t end when we left Egypt. It ended when we built the Mishkan. Why would constructing a sanctuary complete our journey to freedom?

Freedom From or Freedom To?

The answer to this question struck me deeply a few years ago as I prepared for Passover. To more viscerally connect with my ancestors’ experience of liberation, I decided to research African slavery in the United States—a period of recent history with its own slavery and exodus story. In my research, I stumbled upon a dossier with hundreds of first-hand accounts of African slaves during their liberation. As I read, I began to see a shocking theme: the majority of newly liberated slaves would almost immediately return to their original masters as sharecroppers. Though these men and women were released from physical bondage, they lacked a higher purpose to guide their newfound freedom.

This insight sheds light on the Ramban’s revolutionary understanding: the Exodus wasn’t complete when the Jews left Egypt. Freedom isn’t just about escaping slavery; it’s about building something greater. For the Jewish nation, that purpose was the Mishkan—a Divine mission to build God’s earthly sanctuary. Until Sinai, we had been passive recipients of God’s miracles – from the plagues to the splitting sea to the manna. But with the command to build the Mishkan, we became active partners in creation itself.

The Mishkan wasn’t just symbolic; it was humanity’s first collaborative project with the Divine. Skilled artisans, weavers, and donors all contributed their talents and resources, meticulously following God’s specifications. Through this effort, the Jewish people transitioned from passive recipients of miracles to active partners in manifesting God’s presence in the world.

“Where Christianity sees humanity as in need of being saved, and Islam calls on them to submit to the will of God, Judaism advances the daring idea that humanity and God are partners in the work of Creation” – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Building the Divine Within

I’ll conclude with one final dimension to this divine partnership. In God’s initial command to build the Mishkan, He says something very strange: “Make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within you“. Why “within you” rather than “within it“?

The Malbim explains that the Mishkan’s very construction mirrored the human form – each vessel corresponding to different aspects of our physical and spiritual anatomy. Through its construction, we learned how to transform our entire being – from our basic physical drives to our highest spiritual aspirations – into a dwelling place for the divine.² As Rabbi Moshe Alshich explains: the essential home of God’s presence isn’t in a building; it’s within each and every one of us. When we use our freedom to create a home for God in the world, we become vessels for His presence.³ As Rabbi Sacks beautifully expressed: “It’s not what God does for us that transforms us, but what we do for God.”

Becoming a Player in God’s Game

A young boy, soon to be Bar Mitzvahed, once went to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe. As he was turning to leave, the Rebbe asked him “Are you a baseball fan?”

“Yes” he responded.

“The Yankees or the Dodgers?”

“Dodgers.”

“Ever go to a game?”

“Yes – just last month!”

“How was it?”

“Well, it was disappointing – they were losing 7-2 in the sixth inning so we left early.”

“And the players – did they leave too?”

“No! The players have to stay!”

“Why? Explain to me how this works.”

The boy answered: “In Baseball, there are players and there are fans. The fans can leave when they like – they’re not part of the game and the game continues after they leave. But the players need to stay and try to win until the game is over.”

With a twinkle in his eye, the Rebbe said to the boy: “In life, there are fans and there are players. I suggest you become a player.”

Though we no longer have a Mishkan, the call to be ‘players’ in God’s world is as urgent as ever. Every mitzvah we perform is an act of creation, a way of bringing God’s presence into our lives and the world around us. This Shabbos, I invite you to become a player. Choose one small mitzvah you plan to perform, whether it’s lighting Shabbat candles, making Kiddush, or reciting a blessing. As you do it, reflect on this act as your own way of building a sanctuary for God. Feel the satisfaction of contributing to something greater—of building holiness within and without.

Each mitzvah is a building block, transforming both our world and ourselves into a sanctuary for the Divine.

Shabbat Shalom!
Avraham

Inspired by the teachings of the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, may peace be upon him.

Share Foundations in Jewish Spirituality

1. Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270) was a renowned rabbi, philosopher, physician, and biblical commentator from Girona, who played a key role in Jewish scholarship and the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem. In his Introduction to the book of Exodus, he comments,
   והנה הגלות איננו נשלם עד יום שובם אל מקומם ואל מעלת אבותם ישובו. וכשיצאו ממצרים אע”פ שיצאו מבית עבדים עדיין יחשבו גולים כי היו בארץ לא להם נבוכים במדבר. וכשבאו אל הר סיני ועשו המשכן ושב הקב”ה והשרה שכינתו ביניהם אז שבו אל מעלות אבותם שהיה סוד אלוה עלי אהליהם והם הם המרכבה ואז נחשבו גאולים. ולכן נשלם הספר הזה בהשלימו ענין המשכן ובהיות כבוד ה’ מלא אותו תמיד.
   Now the exile was not completed until the day they returned to their place and were restored to the status of their fathers. When they left Egypt, even though they came forth from the house of bondage, they were still considered exiles because they were in a land that is not theirs,. entangled in the desert. When they came to Mount Sinai and made the Tabernacle, and the Holy One, blessed be He, caused His Divine Presence to dwell again amongst them, they returned to the status of their fathers when the ‘sod eloka’ (counsel of G-d) was upon their tents and “they were those who constituted the Chariot of the Holy One.” Then they were considered redeemed. It was for this reason that this second book of the Torah is concluded with the consummation of the building of the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Eternal filling it always.
2. Meir Leibush (1809-1879), known as the Malbim, was an influential rabbi and biblical commentator renowned for his precise textual analysis and innovative interpretations. He comments:
   “כי המשכן היה קבוצת כל נפשות ישראל לקומה שלמה מתיחסת עם האלהות שבעולם הגדול… וצוה וכן תעשו שכל אחד יבנה לו מקדש בחדרי לבבו, כי יכין א”ע להיות מקדש לה’ ומעון לשכינת עוזו””הנה במשכן עצמו רצה לצייר קומת האדם מצד גופו… כי בפנימי לפני הפרוכת היה שם הארון והלוחות… נגד המוח… ובמחיצה האמצעית היה שם הלחם הפנימי… נגד הלב… וחדרי בטן נגד עולם האופנים ונגדו חצר המשכן וכליו”
3. Moses Alshich (1508-1593), known as the “Holy Alshich,” was a prominent rabbi and biblical commentator in Safed. He comments:
   והוא בשוב לב אל אומרו ושכנתי בתוכם ולא אמר בתוכו. והוא כי הנה שמעתי לומדים מכאן כי עיקר השראת שכינה באדם הוא ולא בבית מאומרו בתוכם

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