The Tabernacle as a Model of Mythic Time and Space Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei

(1) And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

(32) Thus was finished all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting; and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

(3) And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made.

(43) And Moses saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it. And Moses blessed them.

Another interpretation: The mishkan which is compared to the world which is called a "tent" just as the mishkan is a tent. How is this so? It is written in scripture, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...(Gn 1:1) and also it is written "who spreads out the heavens like a shawl/tent (Heb. yeria') (Ps 104:2). Regarding the Mishkan it is written, "you shall make coverings (Heb. yeriot) of goat's hair for the tent on the tabernacle. It is also written [in Genesis 1:6 for day 2] "Let there be an expanses in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water" and about the mishkan it is written, "the curtain shall separate for you (between the holy and the holy of holies) (Ex 26:33). For the 3^rd day [of creation] it says "let the water below the sky be gathered into one area (Gn.1:9)" and for the mishkan [it says], "And you shall make a copper laver and a copper stand for washing (Ex.30:18)" On the fourth day [scripture says], "Let there by lights in the expanse of the sky (Gn.1:14)" and for the Mishkan it says, "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold (Ex. 25:31)." For the 5^th day of creation it is written, "And the birds that fly above the earth (Gn.1:20) and the mishkan says, "The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above (Ex. 25:20). On the 6^th day the human being was created. And in the mishkan [narrative it states] bring near Aaron your brother (Ex. 28:1). On the 7^th day [of creation] it is written, "the heavens and the earth and all their array were finished (Gn. 2:1)" and about the mishkan [it is written], "All the work of the mishkan was finished." In the story of creation it is written "And God blessed [the 7^th day]" and [regarding the mishkan] it is written "And Moses blessed them (Ex. 39:43)." On the 7^th day [of creation it is written] "And God finished" and for the Mishkan "On the day that Moses finished setting up the Mishkan (Num. 7:1). On the 7^th day, "God sanctifies it (Gn. 2:3)" similarly for the Mishkan!

R. Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "When God told Moses 'make me a Tabernacle' Moses could have brought four poles and to stretch the tabernacle (tent) over them [to form the tabernacle]. Rather [since he did not do this] this teaches that the Blessed one showed Moshe [a vision] of heavenly fire: red fire, green fire, black fire, and white fire, and said 'make me a tabernacle. Moses said to God, 'but master of the universe, where can I find red, green, black, and white fire?' God said, in the image (heb. be-tavnitam) and pattern that I will show you in the mountain