“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to the L-RD.” – Exodus 35:2, JPS 1917 Tanach
Before giving the commandment to B’nei Yisrael, concerning the terumah (offerings) that are to be brought (silver, gold, and various materials for the building of the Mishkan, a free will offering from the heart of each and every individual), H’Shem instructs Moshe to remind the B’nei Yisrael about Shabbat.
The juxtaposition of the commandment to observe Shabbos, with the commandment, concerning the construction of the Mishkan is significant. As holy as the project of the Mishkan is, the building of the Mishkan does not supersede the sanctity (holiness) of Shabbos; therefore, even work on the Mishkan was prohibited on the Sabbath.
Additionally, the Shabbos points toward acknowledgment of H’Shem, Who created the world in six days, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, belief in a H’Shem is primary; and, perhaps, by implication, a greater imperative than the construction of the Mishkan. That is the essence of what is truly necessary: first, a belief in the existence of G-d; then, a desire to draw near to Him through our avodah (service).
Although the Mishkan was the officially prescribed way to serve H’Shem, through the bringing of offerings, today the main way to do so is through the service of the heart (prayer). Prayer may be enacted on a communal basis, as well as a personal level – external aspects of prayer, and an internal heartfelt connection to H’Shem, that strengthens the inner dimension of our soul.
Our ultimate avodah (service) reflects the purpose of the Mishkan, inasmuch that we are to make ourselves into a temple for His Presence, for this is implied in the commandment, “let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among [within] them” (Exodus 25:8, JPS). The Mishkan serves as a dwelling-place for H’Shem’s Presence, the Shechinah, and is a model for us as vessels for the Shechinah, too.
The Tree of Life 