Why did the workers who built the Mishkan not erect it?
Rashi: Because, due to the weight of the planks, they were unable to lift them up. 1 And, because Moshe did not have a hand in Meleches ha'Mishkan, Hashem left it for him to erect. Even then, he only went through the motions of putting it up but the planks erected themselves. 2
R. Bachye (in 40:2 citing the Tanchuma): Betzalel, Ohali'av and all the Chachmei Leiv struggled ? unsuccessfully ? to erect the Mishkan; so they brought it to Moshe, who was upset at not having had a hand in manufacturing it; so Hashem told him that no human-being was capable of erecting it, but that he should go through the motions of erecting it and it would erect itself ? to let Yisrael know that, if the Mishkan was not erected through Moshe, it would never be erected! 3
Sifsei Chachamim: According to the Gemara in Shabbos, 92b, whereas the people were unable to erect the Mishkan due to its size; Moshe was able to, since he was ten Amos tall.
Rashi and R. Bachye: And this explains why the Torah writes later (in Pasuk 17) "Hukam ha'Mishkan" the Mishkan was erected).
See R. Bachye citing the Pasuk in Shir Hashirim 4:12 and Tehilim 45:15.
Why did a number of Levi'im not erect the Mishkan together, just like they did whenever they traveled?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because the initial erection corresponded to the creation of the world, before the angels were created, when Hashem set up Heaven and earth single-handedly. 1 It now required someone of the caliber of Moshe Rabeinu, to put up the Mishkan singlehandedly like Hashem created the world.
See Oznayim la'Torah.
What is the definition of "the Mishkan", "the Ohel" and "Kol Keilav", respectively?
