Shalom and thank you for your question! You ask if the matter of healing is a part of the overall plan of the Tabernacle, and if it was ‘paid for’.
I’m not sure what you mean by paid for, but we will discuss the whole idea of the Tabernacle, and where healing comes in to it, and where healing comes in to the teachings of Judaism.
G-d created the world, as we are taught in Genesis 1:1, and the first humans were Adam and Eve, who disobeyed G-d’s instruction by eating from The Tree of Knowledge, therefore they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. This set the path for a pattern of ‘sin and repentance’ or in terms that we can relate to better in our day – making mistakes and fixing them up. This pattern was meant to continue until the Messianic Age, which is very close, G-d willing, when the world will have become totally rectified.
Just as there are stages in a child’s growth and development, so too there are stages in the spiritual growth and development of the world in general, and of the Jewish nation in particular. A child initially knows only of his own needs. He may be very attached to his caregivers but only somewhere in toddlerhood does he realize that he hurts them if he strikes out at them when he is upset or curious. He may be fascinated by another baby or child but not realize that he shouldn’t pull their hair. Cain was jealous of Abel and murdered him, but was not smitten down in return by G-d. He was given a chance at life although he had to bear a sign that he had done a grievous sin. (This sign protected him from the vengeance of human beings as well.) Abraham at three years old, while being hidden in a cave from the king Nimrod, achieved the ‘toddler’ stage for the world. (Nimrod made himself out to be Divine but his astrologers told him that someone would be born who would challenge that. Indeed that was Abraham. ) Abraham sought the real G-d. At first he thought that it might be the sun or the moon, but when he saw that neither of them illuminated the world twenty four-hours a day, but rather each replaced the other regularly, he realized that there must be a higher being, a Creator who we cannot see. He began to stand up for this belief and spread it, thus introducing monotheism to the world.
In the desert the Jews had already undergone the ‘school’ of slavery, but also the ‘highschool’ of being willing to leave behind the slave mentality – following their leader Moses into the unknown, hearing the first two of the Ten Commandments directly from G-d, and being taught the rest of the Torah by Moses. Now it was time to put it into practice…
This is the purpose of the Tabernacle in the desert, later on of theTabernacle in the Land of Israel, and later on of the First and Second Temples. The Sages of the Talmud explain to us that ‘G-d desired to have a dwelling place in the lower’ realms,’ meaning in the physical world. This means that G-d strongly desires that we enter a partnership with Him. We believe in Him – designate a physical place in the world but even more so a spiritual place within ourselves, to be the inner compass of how to navigate all the the worldly activities and challenges through the Divine consciousness and direction. In a situation like this, where we are constantly working on our connection with G-d, healing is of course part of the picture. Today we know well that mind and body are interconnected, if we are talking about physical health. This doesn’t mean there won’t be illness when we carry out G-d’s will. We believe that everything happens for a G-dly purpose even though we don’t understand it. However when our consciousness and awareness are focused on the Divine goal of making the world a dwelling place for G-d, our psyche is strengthened and this helps our physical health.
To relate to your question on the level of what happened physically in the desert, we learn from the instructions given for the encampment that ‘Your encampments should be holy,’ (Deuteronomy 23:1,) and this meant among other things that there had to be places for taking care of bathroom needs OUTSIDE the encampment, as there was no plumbing yet. Arrangements for hygiene on a practical level were made.
In the fortieth year of the Jewish people’s stay in the desert, G-d sent them a plague of poisonous snakes, because they complained about the heaven-sent food, the manna. Moses placed a copper serpent on a tall pole and when they looked up towards it, they were healed. (Numbers 21:5-9). The Sages of the Talmud ask: “Can a snake kill or give life? Rather, when the Israelites would look up and subject their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they would be cured.”
I am not familiar with other specific places or practices directly to do with healing during the period of the Sanctuary in the desert, but the people were protected from many things and also their clothing was cleansed – by the Clouds of Glory that accompanied them miraculously. The plague of snakes being a purposeful exception.
Healing came as a result of reconnecting with G-d.
We hope this has been helpful!
