God's Presence in the Mishkan after the Golden Calf: The Nature of God's Relationship with Israel

In Vayakhel-Pekudei, there is an interesting phenonenon of the repetition (in certain places) of "as God commanded" - mostly occuring in the descriptions of the construction of the Mishkan vessels. It comes up once again after the Mishkan is set up. Afterward, God's presence is felt in the Mishkan to the extent that even Moshe cannot enter the Tent of Meeting.

 The description of Bnei Yisrael's fulfilment of God's instructions, and especially, the description of God's presence entering the Mishkan,  highlight the special relationship between God and Israel. Astonishingly, even after the Sin of the Golden Calf (and its aftermath), the relationship continues. In this shiur, we contemplate the duality of God's relationship with Israel as expressed in these chapters: there are aspects of the constancy (and difficulty) of a parent-child relationship, as well as the passion (and risks) of the marriage relationship.