Behar | Fear My Mikdash - Which Mikdash?

Behar | Fear My Mikdash - Which Mikdash? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The short Parasha of Behar Sinai is, as alluded to in its heading, out of sequence and was given by Hashem at an earlier point during the Stand at Sinai. We explore several options of what "Behar Sinai" may mean here and conclude that the reference is to the revelation given to Moshe when he was at the foot of the mountain, inside the cloud. We explore where this entire passage may have been given and then pose the question - what is the "Mikdash" referenced at the end - if this is before the notion of the Mishkan was introduced? By addressing this question, we come to a new understanding of the impact of the entire Parashah and of the significant and telling impact of the institution of Shemitah - Shabbat of the Land.

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