Exodus 40:33

וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃

And he erected the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the court gate. Moshe finished the work.

The construction of the Tabernacle marked a profound transition for the Israelites. Half of the book of Exodus is dedicated to this structure – its detailed plans, the challenges faced during its construction, and ultimately its completion. The Tabernacle is unique among all human-made structures in that it had the potential to house within it the tangible presence of the Almighty. Only one other creation shares this capacity: the universe itself. We affirm this idea three times a day in our prayers when we declare, “Kevodo malei olam” – “the universe is filled with God’s glory.” In this sense, the Tabernacle is a microcosm of the universe, both created with the unique power to contain God’s presence.

This connection is reflected linguistically as well. The same Hebrew words used for God’s completion of creation are used to describe Moses’ completion of the Tabernacle. The word “vayachal” (completion) and “melacha” (work) appear in this way only in these two contexts – the six days of creation in Genesis and the building of the Mishkan.

Another remarkable link emerges through gematria, the numerical value of Hebrew words. The critical last four words of this verse, “Moshe finished the work,” total 913, the same numerical value as “Bereshit” (in the beginning), the very first word of the Torah. This suggests that the Tabernacle is more than a physical structure; it represents a new beginning, mirroring the moment of creation itself.