Provided by Ben Gruen
In this week’s parsha, K’lal Yisroel receives instructions on how to build the Mishkan.
The outside structure of the mishkan consisted of the יריעת, the cloth which served as a roof for the mishkan, and of the קרשים, the beams, which supported the mishkan.
There were 2 layers of the יריעת – the top consisted of 5 יריעת sewn to another 5 יריעת and the second layer, which was on top of the first layer, consisted of 11 יריעת 5 :יריעת sewn to another 6 יריעת.
Why did Hashem not instruct K’lal Yisroel to make the יריעת from one big piece? Why did there need to be 2 sections sewn one to another?
The בעל הטורים explains that the 2 sections of the bottom set of יריעת represented the 2 לוחות, which were given as 5 דברות corresponding to the other 5 דברות.
The Shem Meshmuel adds that according to the בעל הטורים, we can explain why the second layer consisted of 5 יריעת sewn to another 6. Since the first layer represented the לוחות, it makes sense that the second layer represented the second layer of תורה – the 5 יריעת represented the חמשה חמשי תורה and 6 יריעת represented the ששה סדרי משנה.
Generally, one builds a roof after the walls, not before. However, Hashem instructed K’lal Yisroel about the יריעת before the קרשים. Why? According to this explanation, it makes sense. Just like Hashem commanded K’lal Yisroel concerning the ארון before the other כלים, since the ארון represents תורה, which is of primal importance, so too the instruction of the יריעת came before the קרשים.