לג) וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ {פ} (לד) וַיְכַ֥ס הֶעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ (לה) וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ (לו) וּבְהֵעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכֹ֖ל מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ (לז) וְאִם־לֹ֥א יֵעָלֶ֖ה הֶעָנָ֑ן וְלֹ֣א יִסְע֔וּ עַד־י֖וֹם הֵעָלֹתֽוֹ׃ (לח) כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כׇל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכׇל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
(33) And he set up the enclosure around the Tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen for the gate of the enclosure. When Moses had finished the work, (34) the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of יהוה filled the Tabernacle. (35) Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of יהוה filled the Tabernacle. (36) When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would set out, on their various journeys; (37) but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until such time as it did lift. (38) For over the Tabernacle a cloud of יהוה rested by day, and fire would appear in it*in it I.e., in the cloud. by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.
In the Presence of God
Do not imagine that YHWH stopped at sunset to change clouds. There was a single cloud 24/7,[9] and (besides its utilitarian purpose during the escape) its purpose was to protect Israel from the sight of YHWH’s kavod. At night, when it grew darker, the intense brightness concealed by the cloud during the day became visible enough to appear as fire........
The kavod depicted there is very much physical. The cloud is what protects human beings from potentially fatal exposure to the intense energy of YHWH’s Presence.
https://www.thetorah.com/article/in-the-presence-of-god
....if we understand that there was one pillar—fire surrounded by cloud—then its form is understood from the point of view of someone perceiving the pillar. During the day, we see a pillar of cloud, and during the night, the light of the fire shines through.
Marc Wolf, Between the Fire and the Cloud
https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/between-the-fire-and-the-cloud/
The aleph is called aleph ze-ira: the small aleph. Why the small letter?
In order to begin the process of creating, the Divine Aleph, the Alufo Shel Olam contracts itself within itself to open a space where finite and seemingly independent realms can co-exist. It’s about the Divine making room for something other than itself. This model stands in contrast to “m-lo kol ha-aretz kvodo.”
In Lurianic Cosmology and Kabbalah a first step of creation is called Tzimtzum. There is a contracting or concealing of Godself, a drawing inward, creating a no-thingness and a separation so there is room for another process to unfold.
In another sense, tzimtzum can be seen as a relationship platform. Moses, and each of us, struggle to have our own place in the cosmos. And that requires a contraction, the creating of a small aleph by others. Tzimtzum is an act of sacrifice, creating an opportunity for independent self-determination.
(1) It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Nubia. (2) In those days, when King Ahasuerus occupied the royal throne in the fortressaI.e., the fortified city. Shushan, (3) in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all the officials and courtiers—the administration of Persia and Media, the nobles and the governors of the provinces in his service. (4) For no fewer than a hundred and eighty days he displayed the vast riches of his kingdom and the splendid glory of his majesty. (5) At the end of this period, the king gave a banquet for seven days in the court of the king’s palace garden for all the people who lived in the fortress Shushan, high and low alike. (6) bMeaning of part of this verse uncertain.[There were hangings of] white cotton and blue wool, caught up by cords of fine linen and purple wool to silver rods and alabaster columns; and there were couches of gold and silver on a pavement of marble, alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mosaics. (7) Royal wine was served in abundance, as befits a king, in golden beakers, beakers of varied design. (8) And the rule for the drinking was, “No restrictions!” For the king had given orders to every palace steward to comply with each man’s wishes. (9) In addition, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for women, in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
“Of King Aḥashverosh,” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Everywhere in this scroll that King Aḥashverosh is stated, Scripture is referring to King Aḥashverosh. Everywhere that king is stated alone, it can be either sacred [referring to God] or profane [referring to Aḥashverosh].
וְאִי תֵּימְרוּן שׁוּם בִּישׁ עָלָהּ, דְּאִסְתְּאָבַת בַּאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וְזָכְתָה לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בָּהּ רוּחָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (אסתר ה) וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת. הָא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, (ישעיה מב) אֲנִי יְיָ' הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן וּתְהִלָּתִי לַפְּסִילִים. וְרוּחָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת, דְּאִיהִי שֵׁם דְּאִתְלַבְּשַׁת בְּאֶסְתֵּר.
Zohar on Ki Tetze
You may say that Esther has a bad reputation (by saying) that she was defiled with Ahasuerus, yet she was worthy that the Holy Spirit, (Malchut), would be clothed in her as written, "Esther put on her royal apparel, מַלְכוּת" (Esther 5:1). Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I am Hashem, that is My name, and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8). The Holy Spirit is the Shechinah and is a name that was clothed with Esther.
Purim is so-called because of Yom HaKipurim [the Day of Atonement. But literally, "the day like ( =k’) Purim"] because in the future we will delight in that day [the Day of Atonement] and transform it from [a day of] affliction to [a day of] delight [just like Purim]…
And just as on that day he [the High Priest] adorns himself with the garments of atonement [the four white garments signifying the aspect of chesed] so too, regarding Esther it is written, "and she donned her royal garb" (Esther 5:1). Just as with these [white garments, the High Priest] enters the innermost sanctuary [where he attains atonement for the Jewish People], so too, "[Esther] stood in the inner courtyard of the king" (ibid.) [dressed in her royal garb] and "she found favor in his eyes."
Now, what caused the Shechinah [the Divine Presence] to become afflicted with exile
[Just as the Jewish People were exiled from the Holy Land after the Temple was destroyed, so too, the Shechinah was exiled from its place in the Temple, as the verse states, "They shall make for Me a Temple, and I will dwell among them"? (Ex. 25:8)]
The secret of the matter is [alluded to in the following, a verse in the Megillah]: "So I shall come before the king though it is against the law" (Esther 4:16) because she came without her husband.
[The intention here is that the Shechinah, regarded as a "female" and gevurah element since it is associated with the sefira of malchut, appears without the "male" counterpart – Zeir Anpin.]
[From Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 21 p. 57b.
Translated with commentary by Rabbi Moshe Miller]
Rabbi Mordechai Finley:
The precision of the planks, the curtains, the rods, the menorah, the altars, the tables, the ark, the keruvim are like notes of a song, the words of holy speech. The sung and spoken words of the Mishkan that we build together are not finished for others to gaze upon and enter. The notes and words must be sung and said continuously, like a Ner Tamid, the eternal flame. Our hearts create the sanctuary into which the cloud, the fire and the voice are housed, into which holy song and holy words are sounded. Every time we assemble, to sing, to listen, to learn, we are reassembling the Miskhan, from our wisdom, discernment and knowledge, from our generosity of heart, from our weaving of every fine craft that the human spirit can shape.
https://www.rabbifinley.com/post/the-cloud-the-fire-and-the-voice-torah-portion-pekudei
Resources:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/470542.35?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
https://www.sophiastreet.com/parsha/divrei-torah-sermons/tetzaveh-esther-royal-garments/
https://members.alephbeta.org/playlist/leviticus-purpose-and-context-explained