Vayakhel-Pekudei

David Freilich
Yeshivat Sha’alvim

Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudai details the delivery by Moshe Rabbeinu of the commandment to build the Mishkan to the Bnei Yisrael, and the subsequent completion of said commandment. Prior to that commandment, however, Moshe Rabbeinu commands Bnei Yisrael and commands them on the mitzva of Shabbos. This placement of the commandment for Shabbos is troubling for a few reasons. The most obvious one, however, is the connection between Shabbos and the Mishkan; that is, the apparent lack of one. Why are the two juxtaposed? What lesson or law are we being taught?

Rashi famously comments (Shemot 35:2), for the second time, that the warning for Shabbos preceded that of the Mishkan in order to establish an order of priority; that is, to ensure that all knew that even though the work of the Mishkan was incredibly important (for they were, quite literally, building a “house” for God!), it was not to be constructed at all on Shabbos, for it did not have the power to push aside the Shabbos.

The Ohr HaChaim, Rav Chaim ben Attar, explained that there is a deeper meaning to the connection, one that also connects to the events described in the parsha we read last week. The sin of the Golden Calf was, on a פשט level at the least, an act of idol worship, something that is known to be incredibly serious. The extent of its gravity is not as well known. However, the gemara (Horiyot 8.) tells us that, “One who serves avodah zarah is considered as if he denied the entire Torah.” An act of avodah zara is not just like any other sin. Rather, it is a comprehensive rejection of the entire Torah, a destabilization of a persons’ commitment to Hashem.

This necessitated a completely new start as a result, a recommitment to Yiddishkeit and Avodat Hashem. It was for this reason, the Ohr HaChaim explains, that Hashem gave them the mitzva of Shabbos yet again; for, as the Midrash (Shemot Raba 25:12) tells us, “Shabbos is ‘equal’ to the entire Torah”. It was through watching and keeping Shabbos that they rectified, in some basic sense, the blemish that they created within their emunah. Their keeping of Shabbos constituted a reaccepting of the Torah and of emunah. More specifically, as the gemara in Shabbos 118: tells us, “One who guards Shabbos as Halacha prescribes, even should he be a worshipper of foreign gods, like those who lived in the generation of Enoch, will have his sins pardoned.”

This, Rabbi Attar suggests, is why the pasuk uses the extra language of, "Laasot ohtam", in the above pasuk. For it was through the ensuing commandment, that of Shabbos, that the Jews were able to recreate themselves as servants of Hashem, fix the blemish that they created within themselves, and continue onwards and forwards in their service to Hashem.

And it was only after Klal Yisrael rectified this blemish within themselves, Rabbi Attar concludes, that   Hashem could once again give them the command to build the Mishkan; for the Mishkan was representing the fact that Hashem would once again be dwelling within every member of Bnei Yisrael. Prior to His dwelling amongst them, however, they had to reaccept the mitzvot and rectify the blemishes within themselves, thereby opening their hearts to Hashem and allowing Him to dwell amongst them.

The sequence of the pasukim still requires a slight clarification. However, for the immediate juxtaposition of the two seem to be implying a strong connection between the two pasukim, one a little more fleshed out than the one offered by the Ohr HaChaim. Is there any deeper connection between the two?

Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, explains that the secret lies within the messages given to us by the two, that which Shabbos and the Mishkan are trying to show each and every one of us.Shabbos, he explains, serves as a testimony to all who care to see that Hashem the Creator. This knowledge is absolutely crucial for every member of the nation, and the world; but it alone isn’t enough. The Mishkan gave testimony to the second and missing part of that which Shabbos showed.  Hashem did not just create the world and then leave, but rather is actively involved with every single detail of the world and keeps the world running every single second of the day, with the universe only existing because He wills it to be.

It is only on the basis of Shabbos, the belief in Hashem as the Creator, that the testimony offered by the Mishkan, that Hashem is an active participant in the running of the world, is any good. However, belief in the fact that Hashem is active in the running of the world now as well is crucial as well. It is only on the basis of Shabbos, the belief in Hashem as the Creator, as the Ohr HaChaim explained, that the Yiddin were able to construct the Mishkan. However, it is only with the construction of the משכן, with the belief of Divine Providence in every aspect of our lives, that one can truly be considered to be living as a Jew, to be with God.

By what means do these two fulfill their purposes? The liturgy we daven on Shabbos pounds into our head time and time again that Hashem created the world; while the 10 daily miracles involved in the Avodat HaKodesh  proved without a doubt to the Jews that Hashem exists and is actively involved in running the world.  

The aforementioned idea, however, can get a little depressing when given a little thought. For although this is a beautiful idea, about how Shabbos and the Beit Hamikdash, when combined, serve to give Klal Yisrael the proper emunah necessary to be a believer, it is a little hard to realize nowadays when we, because of our many sins do not merit to have a Beit Hamikdash. How, then, are we supposed to find this belief nowadays?

It could very well be that this power of the Mishkan, to give us the emunah of Hashem's control over the universe, joined its companion in Shabbos; however, more specifically, in one aspect of Shabbos; that of the Shabbos table. My Rebbe, Rav Yehuda Turetsky, pointed out that when one looks, they are apt to find a lot of halachot which serve to connect to the Shabbos table to the Miskan. For instance, the Zohar points out that just as the menorah was in the northern part of the Heichal and the shulchan was in the southern part of the Heichal, so too our Shabbos candles should be situated in the northern end of the room, while our table should be more towards the southern end of the room. Additionally, there is a requirement to have salt for the Challah when eaten, as a reminder for the fact that the karbanot were sprinkled with salt when offered on the mizbeiach. These halachot, as well as several others, point to some connection between our Shabbos tables and the Mishkan; some sense exists of our Shabbos Table being a remembrance and a continuation of the Mishkan. The Shabbos table experience, with the family eating together and speaking Torah, discussing the events of the week with an eye to see the Yad Hashem within all the occurrences, should serve to reinforce within ourselves the knowledge that He really is watching over us, and taking charge in all the happens in the world. It is this combination of the knowledge that Hashem is the Creator of the world as well as the King of all that goes on inside it that Shabbos gives us.

The world we live in is not a very pashut one, so Hashem gave us the tremendous gift of Shabbos. A day to back out of the pressures of the world, refresh our emunah and connection to Hashem, rectify all blemishes we may have acquired over the week, and emerge once again with the aim to make a Kiddush Hashem on every act that we perform.  Particularly when we finish the long winter זמן of learning and enter into Zman Nissan ahead of us, a time that isn’t as clear-cut and ordered as yeshiva is, it is important to remember that we have a time every week where we can and must reconnect, to ensure that our basics are still strong and that we are still attached to Hashem. May we to merit take that connection with us everywhere we go in life!


David Silber
Yeshivat Sha’alvim

    In the beginning of our parsha, the pasuk says “kol ish asher nisuh'o libo, v’chol asher nudvah rucho oso,” “Every man whose heart uplifted him, and everyone whose spirit inspired him” (35:21). Why does the Torah use this double phraseology? The Or Hachaim describes the distinction being made with this specific language.

    He explains that there are two levels of people who gave for the materials of the Mishkan. There were those that wanted to give, and therefore gave according to what they were able to afford, which is the group of people being referred to in the second half of the pasuk by the description "nudvah rucho"- gave according to his spirit, according to what he can afford. However, the higher level of giving, those described with the phrase "nisuh'o libo", are those that gave not due to what they were able to give, rather they gave purely of how much was needed for the Mishkan, regardless of if it was within their range. The pasuk itself shows that this form of giving is more chashuv, by adding the word, "ish", while by the second part of the pasuk it only says "asher nudvah", without mentioning the word "ish" which shows a higher status.

    In the Michtav Mei'Eliyahu, R' Dessler points out that we see this idea addressed as well in a different light by the Ketores, the incense. We see in the Zohar the incredibly high level of purity the Ketores possessed, which states that anyone who saw the straight pillar of smoke arise from the Ketores, will reach a level of clarity of heart, and the filth of the yetzeir hara will leave him, for the Ketores breaks the yetzeir hara. Yet, we know that there was chelbonah within the Ketores which had a very bad smell. How can it be that something so pure, so purifying, can have any taint whatsoever? The Radvaz explains that sometimes in order to reach complete d'veikus you need to break your own ratzon and to cancel out all other motives, to ensure that you are working purely to connect to Hashem. So while sometimes the struggle may not be so pretty or so smooth, like the chelbonah, it is a necessary ingredient to reaching the perfectly straight smokestack of d'veikus to Hashem.

    So too, by the donations for the Mishkan. How can it be that the best way to give, to connect to Hashem, would include giving beyond your means? How is that going to work out in the long run? I believe we can learn from the Ketores that sometimes the struggles which come with pure motives are necessary sometimes in order to ensure that you are giving and acting totally l'sheim shamayim.


Moshe Sacks
Orayta

    One of the major themes in Parshat Vayakhel is the mitzvah to keep Shabbat. Chazal tell us that this commandment is equal to all the other mitzvoth in the entire Torah: “The Holy One Blessed be He said to Israel, ‘If you merit keeping the Sabbath, I will consider it as if you kept all the mitzvoth of the Torah; and if you desecrate it, I will consider it as if you desecrated all the mitzvoth’” (Shemot Rabbah: 25:15). This statement is exceptionally perplexing. How could it be that if one keeps every mitzvah but ignores Shabbat, it is like he has kept nothing at all?

    The Chofetz Chaim answers this question from another statement of Chazal: “The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moshe, ‘I have a good gift in My treasure house, and Shabbat is its name, and I want to give it to Israel…’” (Shabbat 10b). This gemara comes to show us that Shabbat was given to us as a gift from Hashem. The Chofetz Chayim elaborates on this gemara: if an engaged woman returns all the gifts she received from her fiancé, she isn’t demanding better quality things. Rather she is making it clear that she no longer wants a relationship, and that the engagement is off. To take the Chafetz Chaim’s analogy one step further, the mitzvah of Shabbat is not only a present, but it is an engagement ring between Hashem and the Jewish people.

    There is an idea that we must always have two signs of the covenant with us at all times. Brit Mila counts as one sign, while tefillin and Shabbat switch off as the second. The focal point of kabbalat Shabbat is Lecha Dodi, in which we refer to G-d as our bride. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught: “the first day of the week has the second, the third has the fourth, the fifth has the sixth, but the Sabbath has no partner. The Sabbath pleaded to the Holy One, blessed be He: 'All have a partner, while I have no partner!’ G-d answers the Sabbath saying, ‘The Community of Yisrael is your partner’. And when they stood before the mountain of Sinai, He said to them,  ‘Remember what I said to the Sabbath, that the Community of Yisrael is your partner, [hence,] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Shemot 20:8)” (Shemot Rabbah 11:18).

In R’ Abraham Joshua Heschel’s work, The Sabbath, he describes how the Shabbat prayer parallels a wedding ceremony. “In the Friday evening service we say ‘Thou hast sanctified the seventh day,’ referring to the marriage of the bride to the groom. In Shacharit we say ‘Moses rejoiced in the gift [of the Sabbath] bestowed upon him,’ which corresponds to the groom’s rejoicing with the bride. In the additional prayer we make mention of ‘the two lambs, the fine flour for a meal offering, mingled, with oil and the drink thereof,’ referring to the meat, the bread, the wine, and the oil used in the wedding banquet. [In the last hour of the day we say] ‘Thou art One’ to parallel the consummation of the marriage by which the bride and groom are united.” (54)

Looking back at the statement from Chazal, it is clear why Shabbat is regarded as highly as it is. Shabbat is not just another mitzvah. It is a weekly reminder of our everlasting relationship with Hashem.