ככל אשר צהו ד' את משה כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העבודה. וירא משה את כל המלאכה והנה עשו אותה כאשר צוה ד'... ויברך אותם משה
Noticeably, the first pasuk which relates Bnei Yisrael following instructions and building the Mishkan uses the word avodah to describe the work performed. When Moshe Rabbeinu looks at the finished results, the Torah refers to it as melachah. While, on the surface, melachah and avodah are synonyms, a marked difference exists between them. Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, explains that the word melachah has a close tie with melech, king, royalty. Avodah, on the other hand, is derived from eved, slave – clearly a salient difference. The fact that avodah, labor/work is connected to eved, slave, is quite understandable. A…