262) “And they will take a donation for Me from every man.” When the Creator showed Moses the making of the tabernacle, it was hard for him and he could not bear it. Now here we should ask, “If the Creator gives a donation, Malchut, only to Moses, how did He give her to another, saying that the children of Israel should take this donation?”
263) Indeed, He gave her to Moses and did not give her to another. It is like a king who was among his people but the queen was not with the king. As long as the queen was not with the king, the people does not determine that it will remain with them, and they cannot sit still confidently. Once the queen has come, all the people are happy and sit confidently.
Similarly, in the beginning, even though the Creator performed miracles and tokens for them through Moses, the people still did not determine that the Creator would be with them. When the Creator said, “And they will take a donation for Me,” “And I will set My tabernacle among you,” they all promptly determined that the Creator would be with them and rejoiced in the work of the Creator. It is written about it, “And it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished,” when Moses’ bride came down to the earth. This is why it writes Kalot [completing] without a Vav [because it also means “bride”], indicating the upper bride, Malchut, who came down to the earth to be in Israel.
264) “And it came to pass” always indicates affliction. Why does it write here, “And it came to pass on the day”? On the day when the Shechina came down to the land, a slanderer was on her, and darkness and gloom covered her so she would not come down. 1,500 10,000 slandering angels were over her, so she would not come down.
The descent of the Shechina below, to be in Israel, is in disclosure of illumination of Hochma in her. Her descent below is regarded as extension of Hochma from above downwards, which is extended only by the domination of the left line without the right. Hence, at that time there is one who slanders her, covering her with darkness and gloom that come with the domination of the left.
1,500 10,000 slandering angels are extended from the left line and half a line of GAR. It is so because the three lines are three times 10,000. It follows that the left line is 1,000 10,000, and half the middle line is 500 10,000. This indicates that both the judgements of the left and the judgements of the middle line appeared on her to hide the illumination of Hochma in her, so that she would not be able to come down.
265) At that time, the whole of the group of high angels are before the Creator. They said before Him, “Lord of the world, every brightness and every light of ours is in the Shechina of Your honor, and now You will go down to the lower ones,” so the illumination of Hochma in her will spread from above downward, and at that time her light will darken. At that time the Shechina strengthened, meaning united with ZA, and was included in his decision, meaning that in all the places, the illumination of the left will shine only from below upward.
Then she broke the darkness and the gloom, as one who breaks strong spears, great harm-doers, and descended to the earth. When they all saw it, they started and said, “O Lord, our Lord, how great is Your name in all the earth.” It is great indeed, for it broke several spears and strong forces, descended to the earth, and ruled over everything. This is why it is written, “And it came to pass,” indicating affliction that several armies and camps of angels suffered on the day when Moses’ bride came down to the earth.
266) This is why it does not write, “And they will take for Me and a donation,” but “And they will take a donation for Me,” to show that it is all one, without separation. the Shechina, which is called “donation,” is one with “For Me,” without separation, and the work of the tabernacle is as above, one corresponding the other, including the Shechina in all the sides, above and below. Here in this world, the work of the tabernacle is as the work of the body, so it is fit for inclusion of a spirit within it, meaning the Shechina, who is included above and below, and who is the spirit of holiness.
267) the Shechina is forever drawn and enters the body, the tabernacle, so that the Moach [brain] is inside the shell. The tabernacle and its vessels are like the shell to the Shechina, who is the Moach. It is all as it should be. Also, this spirit of holiness, the Shechina, is made inside the body so it includes within it another high and fine spirit that illuminates, ZA, who clothes inside the Shechina. Everything unites in this way and is included in one another, and one enters in the other until they unite and clothe in this world, which is the last shell, outside.
The upper mind dresses in the lower one. The upper one is like a Moach and the lower one is a shell with regard to it, until the lowest dresses in the actual impure shells. The shells, too, are one inside the other, upper one in lower one, until the last lower one among the shells dresses inside planet earth of this world. It follows that this world is the last shell, outside of all of them.
268) The strong shell of impurity is inside the shell of this world, like a nut whose external shell is not strong, meaning the nut’s green shell, which is soft. The shell inside of it is a strong shell, as hard as wood. Similarly, planet earth itself is a light shell, and the shell within it is the hard shell. It is the same above, as well: the hard shell is another spirit, which governs the body. Within it is a light shell, and within that is the Moach, which is the Shechina, the Nefesh [soul]. And within that is ZA, the Ruach [spirit].