In the first few פרשיות of ספר שמות, we experience many of the most foundational events in the תורה. After leaving Egypt, בני ישראל experience Hashem's revelation like never before as He presents the עשרת הדברות, the ten most fundamental components of our faith. Following this, in פרשת משפטים we learn many everyday laws that are extremely important to our ability to function regularly and adjust to life outside of slavery. So it is surprising when in פרשת תרומה the Torah shifts to discussing the משכן and its כלים, and when in this week’s פרשת תצוה we learn about the בגדי כהונה and מזבח. While these are clearly important aspects of our ’עבודת ה, it doesn't seem integral and immediate that we must learn these details and build a temporary place for Hashem before entering ארץ ישראל and building a permanent בית המקדש.
Furthermore, this week is פרשת זכור which describes our Torah obligation to remember and ultimately annihilate עמלק. The פרשהends by describing the parameters of this obligation: וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ הֹ אֱלֹקיךָ לְךָ מִכׇּל אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הֹ אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח - When Hashem ultimately protects us from our enemies and brings us into our land, at that point we have an obligation to wipe out the memory of עמלק. While many aspects of this מצוה are difficult to understand, it seems particularly strange that we must wait until entering ארץ ישראל to act upon this commandment. Why is the מצוה of fighting עמלק, which directly involves the safety of בני ישראל in the מדבר, only enacted upon entering ארץ ישראל, while we are given immediate instruction about theעבודת המשכן? Shouldn’t concern for our safety take precedence over building a physical location for Hashem, who presumably will dwell amongst בני ישראל whether or not He has a physical home?
Nechama Leibowitz explains the profound impact עמלק had on בני ישראל’s journey in the following manner: Mankind as a whole might have taken one great step forward and acknowledged the sovereignty of the G-d of justice and truth. But then along came Amalek - unrestrained by the dread and awe that kept all the nations of the world in check - jumped as it were, to use the midrashic expression, into the boiling cauldron ... What was there to fear? ... They were wandering in the wilderness, weary and struggling. Why should they not be attacked and spoiled? This is the way of the world! In this manner the moment of awe at the mighty hand of G-d passed away and the atmosphere of astonishment at his miracles evaporated. The world returned to ... the idols of gold and silver, its faith in mortal power and brute force. The opportunity had been lost. And who was responsible? - Amalek.
According to this explanation, the מצוה to destroy עמלק is due not to the physical threat they pose but rather to the way in which they undermine Hashem, thereby limiting the world’s יראת שמים. Therefore, what better way to combat this threat than by immediately infusing our lives with the complex laws of the משכן and its כלים and עבודה, and enumerating the details of the כהנים, the closest ’עובדי ה.
The intricate laws of פרשת תרומה set בני ישראל up for success in living lives of קדושה, despite עמלק or any other roadblock. Perhaps this is why the קרבן תמיד, which highlights the utmost importance of consistency in our ’עבודת ה, is taught in this week’s פרשה. Although it is out of the context of the other קרבנות, and almost completely reiterated in פרשת פנחס, it is stated here to lay out the immediately relevant concept of daily service to Hashem.
In his הקדמה to ספר שמות, the רמב”ן explains that when בני ישראל left Egypt, they were still considered to be in גלות. Only once they reached הר סיני and built the משכן was the שכינה once again able to reside amongst them.
Only by building infrastructure to infuse godliness into our lives can we combat those who in every generation attempt to eradicate it, by instead bringing קדושה into the world. | 