At the end of almost every item described by Hashem that is to be made in the mishkan Hashem ends with the phrase "as you saw on the mountain." Yet later in parshat Pikudei instead of the phrase saying "they did like Moshe saw on the mountain" the pasuk says "as Hashem commanded Moshe." Why is there a switch from the way it is written in our parsha in comparison to how it is written later?
Right after the Jews had accepted the Torah on Har Sinia they were on the highest possible level that a human can be on. Since they were on such a high level Hashem was able to bring Himself down here and dwell with us, which is the purpose of why He created the world. To do this Hashem instructed Moshe how to create a house for Hashem. The way that Moshe should create the house that Hashem will dwell in in this world is to take the "house" that is in shamayim and bring it down to this world. Throughout the parshiyot of Terumah and Tetzaveh Hashem is teaching Moshe the process on how to bring His house from above down to this world. This is why each after utensil that Hashem tells Moshe He says that it should be the utensil just be like what you saw above, you should bring it down.
Then the Jews sinned with the eigel hazahav. After that sin Hashem wanted to destroy them all, but Moshe stopped Him. But even though Moshe had convinced Hashem not to destroy the Jews they still could not get back to the level that they were on at Matan Torah. On Rosh Chodesh Elul Moshe went back up to Har Sinai to get the second luchot. For the next forty days the Jews each individually took upon themselves fasting and repenting for the sin they did. Then on the tenth of Tishrei the Jews instituted a fast for the whole nation to anticipate the arrival of Moshe. (This is why we fast every year on that day, because just as the Jews in the midbar were able to get their tefillot answered so to will we.)
Even though the Jews had risen to a very high spiritual level they still did not get to the high level they were on at Har Sinai. After they got the second luchot Hashem retold Moshe to tell them to build the Mishkan. But this time it was different. This time they would not get the building from shamayim to come down, they would only get a building built by man. This is why the Torah said that it was built "as Moshe was commanded".
Since the mishkan was built by man and not by Hashem Himself was able to be destroyed but a building built by Hashem could never be destroyed. This is why later when Moshe requests permission to enter Eretz Yisrael he is denied, because if he would have gotten in he would have brought the beit hamikdash from shamayim down into this world, and then it could never be destroyed. If the Jews would have sinned Hashem would have to destroy them because He could not destroy the beit hamikdash.
But even with man creating the mishkan and the beit hamikdash there was still a lot of help from Hashem. The Ramban writes that it was a miracle the at the Jews in the midbar could have the ability to sculpt and embroider and engrave without any previous experience, the way they did it was that Hashem gave them Ruach Hakodesh so that they could build it.By the creation of the beit hamikdash there is a dispute on how the people were able to build it. One opinion says that Hashem put an image before their eyes of the stone being in a certain place and they put it there. Another opinion was that they would pick up the stone and their hands would bring them to the place where the stone needed to be and then they would just place it down. But either way, the point is that even the building not built by Hashem.
The reason why Hashem must help in the building is that once Hashem creates something it is part of Him. So too by the luchot, once Hashem had given the luchot to Moshe it was like He had given Moshe a part of Himself. So after the sin of the eigel, Hashem wanted to destroy them the way Moshe stopped Him was to keep the luchot, as long as we have something that is a part of Hashem we will never be destroyed.
In the future, in the times of Mashiach, may that time come soon, Moshe will gather the Jews from the four corners of the world and bring down the two beit hamikdashim. The first beit hamikdash will be hidden by the ananei hakvod while the second will be revealed but covered by the clouds. Once these are brought down to this world they will not be able to be destroyed.
Have a good Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh,
Mi Shenichnas Adar Marbim Besimcha!
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