Exodus 33:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moses, in a state removed from all human concerns, turned his focus away from worldly thoughts and withdrew to his distant tent of meeting. Consequently, those who seek the Lord are drawn to this sacred place. Thus, let the one who is furthest from earthly matters toil to raise his tabernacle, so that his life may be grounded and enduring, remaining firm in faith.

In diversity, there exists differentiation, dissimilarity, and distinction; yet to transcend this multiplicity and unite with God, the singular and true Source, is to elevate oneself to a higher awareness of the Divine. This principle is illustrated by Moses, who established the mental sanctuary (Ex. 33:7, 11-23) from the Divine, engaging in dialogue with God. It is perilous to attempt to articulate the inexpressible through spoken language, as words inherently involve duality and more. It is far more fitting to perceive realities in silence with a unified spirit, for this enables steadfastness in indivisible unity rather than in separateness.

The term in Hebrew translates literally to tent, as noted in our translation, while in many Western versions it is interpreted as tabernacle (mishkan). This has led some scholars, including O. Gerlach and others who reference Michaelis and Rosenmüller, to propose that prior to the establishment of the tabernacle, Israel possessed a sacred tent. However, this view has been challenged by modern critiques that find no support from the word's etymology or scriptural evidence.