Parashat Pekudei: The Tabernacle & Jewish Particularity

In Parashat Pekudei, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik explores the profound mystery of God's presence among the Jewish people, as depicted in the construction of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem. This narrative raises the question of how an infinite God can dwell within a finite space, a paradox that even King Solomon, with his divine wisdom, found perplexing. Solomon's acknowledgment of this mystery underscores the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people, a relationship that theologians like Michael Wyschogrod describe as the "scandal of Jewish particularity." This concept is further illustrated by the historical resilience of the Jewish people, who have survived against overwhelming odds, maintaining their identity and faith through millennia of persecution and exile.