“They shall make a Mikdash for Me, and I shall dwell among them.”
This, perhaps, is the main source for the opinion of the Ramban, among other Rishonim, who maintain that the primary purpose of the Mishkan and the Mikdash was for the enshrinement of the Shechinah among the Jewish People. The same Shechinah that appeared at Sinai, the Ramban explains, is the Divine presence that dwells forever in the Mikdash.
Based on this understanding, the Ramban understands that there is a special mitzvah to fashion the Aron, which stands at the very heart of the Mikdash – the place where heaven and earth meet. The Aron, together with the tablets therein, represent the very covenant between Hashem and His people – the relationship that stands at the core of the Mikdash.
The Rambam, in contrast (Sefer Hamitzos 20), writes that the main purpose of the Mikdash was our Avodah – the sacrificial service. Based on his understanding, the Rambam explains that the principal vessel of the Mikdash is not the Aron, but rather the (external) altar on which the sacrifices were offered. In fact, there is no special mitzvah, according to the Rambam, to construct the Aron.
This position seems to emerge from a cursory reading of the book of Vayikra. Certainly, the strong focus on the sacrificial service and the unending attention to detail seem to indicate that this is the central function of the Mishkan and Mikdash.
So which is it – the dwelling of the Shechinah or the sacrificial order?
The answer is: both. The Mikdash is an embodiment of the connection between Hashem and His people. Yet, for this embodiment to be true it must include two sides – the side of Hashem and His Shechinah among us, and the side of the Jewish people and their offerings.
In the great scheme of things, the Jewish people are beneficiaries of Hashem’s infinite goodness. Yet, our receiving must take place in the context of a relationship that requires both sides to be fully present. If a connection is defined exclusively by one side’s giving and the other’s receiving, the receiver will be in danger of effacement, of becoming an object of giving rather than a subject of a true relationship.
The Shechinah thus descends on the Mikdash only in response to the sacrificial order, “gifts” that we give Hashem. This is not because Hashem requires our gifts, but because He desires to give as part of a relationship. We thus need to establish ourselves as subjects, part of a reciprocal relationship.
Throughout Parashas Teruma, we thus find repeated mention of the expression nedivus lev, “generosity of the heart.” Our contribution to the Mishkan must be made by choice and not by compulsion, because only through choice can we bring ourselves and be readied for receiving Hashem’s presence and His infinite bounty.
These principles apply to all our relationships. There is no such thing as a one-way relationship; there is always both giving and receiving. The important thing is to know how to give, and, no less crucially, how to receive. In both, the secret is to bring ourselves: to give ourselves when we give, and to bring ourselves fully so we can truly receive the other – not the object given, but the giver himself.
Even in group dynamics, we need to practice the art of giving and receiving. Bringing ourselves fully to the table renders us vulnerable, and to protect ourselves we are prone to taking rather than receiving and allowing others to take rather than giving. Both undermine the potential for being in a relationship.
By giving with integrity and receiving with candor we create homes and communities worthy of the Shechinah. May its light shine upon us.
