Falling Down

In the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up. Moses set up the Tabernacle, placing its sockets, setting up its planks, inserting its bars, and erecting its posts. He spread the tent over the Tabernacle, placing the covering of the tent on top of it — just as the Lord had commanded Moses. -Exodus 40:17-19 (JPS Tanakh)

This passage, from the end of Torah Portion P'kudei and the Book of Exodus, shows us the completion of the Mishkan in the desert, constructed by Moses, and the long awaited coming of the Divine Presence, who will dwell among His people Israel. However, according to Zevachim 112 as presented by Daf Yomi Digest for March 2, 2011, it says something else:

Today’s daf discusses the various incarnations of the Mishkan.

The Toras Kohanim explains that when Moshe erected and took down the Mishkan throughout the week of miluim, this symbolized that he erected all seven future placements of the Mishkan: in the desert itself, at Gilgal, in Nov, in Givon, and in Shilo, as well as the first and second Batei Mikdash.1 The Beis Yisrael, zt”l, explained this in a very powerful manner. “Despite the Toras Kohanim, the exact purpose of Moshe’s erecting and taking down the Mishkan seven times is still unclear. After all, what was the point of this elaborate symbolism?

“It seems to me that Moshe made a spiritual impression in each of these Mishkenos. This impression enabled us to keep going despite these destructions. To bring this down to Jews in every generation, there are always difficulties and hardships facing us both in spiritual and material concerns. Moshe himself erected and took down the Mishkan to imbue in us the ability to start again and keep moving no matter what challenges and falls we may face. Even if we are weakened in avodah and put upon from within and without, we will always be able to get back up again. As the verse states, 'A tzaddik falls seven times and gets up.’”

Rav Mordechai of Lechvitz, zt”l, taught a similar lesson. “Chassidus depends on understanding the importance of every spiritual action. It follows that one who loses track of the vast greatness of every good act has lost touch with what it means to be a chassid.”

He concluded, “To put it bluntly, one who cannot daven minchah with enthusiasm immediately after committing the worst sin, chas v’shalom, has not yet stepped on the doorstep of true chassidus!”

Stories off the Daf
The Seven Incarnations of the Mishkan

Although I'm not Jewish and thus, not the direct audience for this teaching, I can still learn from it. As it says here, "A tzaddik falls seven times and gets up", which can apply to all of us when we fall, as long as we have faith that the Father of Creation cares about our falling down and our rising up.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. -Matthew 10:28-31

Why do we fall sir? So we might learn to pick ourselves up. -from Batman Begins (2005)

The road is long and often, we travel in darkness.