With the establishment of all the vessels of the Mishkan it is said, “as God commanded Moshe,” yet with the establishment of the courtyard this is not said. For the whole matter of “as God commanded Moshe,” was to say that the matter was as clear and explicit to Moshe at the time each vessel was established in its function as it was when God first spoke of it. This is as it is written (Torat Cohanim, Tsav, 1), “everywhere it is said, ‘tsav,’ ‘commanded,’ it means requiring alacrity when it was commanded and for all generations,” and for this reason it is said individually for each vessel, “as God commanded.” It is written (Bamidbar Rabba, 1:3), “before the Mishkan was erected the whole desert was suitable for speaking with God, and after the Mishkan was erected the desert was no longer suitable.”
Therefore after the courtyard was raised, and the erection of the Mishkan was completed in its perfection, it was no longer possible to say here, “as God commanded,” for “as God commanded” is said when the word is as clear and prominent as at the time when it was originally commanded from the mouth of God. This could not be so with the erection of the courtyard, for now the desert was not suitable for reception of the Divine word (only within the Mishkan itself), as now the Divine word was not explicit (in the desert). Therefore in the courtyard it is not said, “as God commanded.”
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, עַד שֶׁלֹא עָמַד אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד דִּבֶּר עִמּוֹ בַּסְּנֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג, ד): וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֱלֹהִים מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ (שמות יב, א): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר. וְדִבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּמִדְיָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ד, יט): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן. וְדִבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּסִינַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר א, א): וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי לֵאמֹר. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁעָמַד אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אָמַר יָפָה הִיא הַצְּנִיעוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מיכה ו, ח): וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲרֵי הוּא מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. וְכֵן דָּוִד אָמַר (תהלים מה, יד): כָּל כְּבוּדָּה בַת מֶלֶךְ פְּנִימָה מִמִּשְׁבְּצוֹת זָהָב לְבוּשָׁהּ.
... אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּךְ הוּא כְּבוֹדִי שֶׁאֱהֵא מְדַבֵּר מִלִּפְנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ז, פט): וּבְבֹא משֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.
...R’ Yehoshua be Levi said: If the nations of the world knew how good the Holy Temple was for them, they would surround it with fortifications in order to guard it. It was better for them than it was for Israel, just as Shlomo ordered his prayer “And also to the stranger, who is not of Your people Israel…” (Kings I 8:41 and it is written “…and do according to all that the stranger calls You for…” (Kings I 8:43) But when it comes to Israel, what is written? “…and give to each man according to his ways, whose heart You know…” (Chronicles II 6:30) If it was appropriate, He would give, and if not He would not. Don’t say that (they should value) the Holy Temple. Rather, if it were not for Israel the rain would not fall and the sun would not shine, because in their merit the Holy One brings plenty to His world. In the world to come the nations of the world will see how the Holy One is with Israel and they will come to cleave to them, as it says “In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations…” (Zechariah 8:23)