Transcript
Good morning, Boker tov. May it be a good day for Klal Yisrael, a day filled with besoros tovos, yeshuos, v'nechamos. Big thank you to our parsha series sponsors, Becky and Avi Katz and family who sponsored in memory of David Grossman. Our learning is le'iluy nishmas Becky's father, Dov Malach Manash. This morning's shiur is sponsored by Sharon Wenger and Jonathan Wenger in loving memory of their dear husband and father Bruce Wenger, דוב ארי בן ישראל, on his upcoming 10th yartzeit. נשמה שתהיה לו עליה. And by the Ellis family in loving memory of זישקע בן שלמה לעוו, Stephen Ellis on his first yartzeit. His נשמה שתהיה לו עליה as well. As always, a big thank you to all of our sponsors. We have the privilege of reading two parshios this shabbos, and therefore learning two parshios today. If you like one parsha, you're gonna love two: Vayakhel, Pekudei. Page 516. We're gonna try to hit on both, try to make our way through some divrei torah on both Vayakhel and Pekudei. Of course all of our learning, we're very much thinking of our brothers and sisters in Israel, should be safe and secure and strong with a speedy sweeping defeat of our enemies and restore a sense of safety to Israel and beyond. ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל. Moshe assembles, he gathers the entire assembly of the children of Israel and he tells them, אלה הדברים אשר צוה ה' לעשות אותם. These are the things that Hashem commanded, this is what you must do. And then he proceeds, first Shabbos. ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה, six days do work, וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש שבת שבתון לה', כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת. That a person who does, כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת, a person who does melacha violates Shabbos. There is a death penalty, it's incredibly severe. And only then do we go on, ויאמר משה אל כל עדת בני ישראל זה הדבר אשר צוה ה', kachu me'itchem trumah. Accept donations and pledges and we're going to build a Mishkan. Now, I must tell you, every year we get to Vayakhel-Pekudei and I wonder, what am I going to say? What is there to say? We've seen this before, Trumah-Tetzaveh. Vayakhel-Pekudei are almost verbatim the direct repetition of Trumah-Tetzaveh. Of course Ki Sisa is in between, the sin of the golden calf, which is what precipitated the gift of the Mishkan to begin with, but we're repeating it all. And yet, and there's a good reason I feel that, and fear that, because if you look at Rashi, he has so little to say. If you do שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום with Rashi, if you review the parsha, if you're ma'avir ha'sedra with Rashi, these are the easiest parshios. Because Rashi said, check out what I said in Trumah-Tetzaveh. I'm good, it's basically the same measurements, same materials, same Mishkan, same clothing of the kohanim, so just check my commentary there, not much new to add. He does have new, but not much new to add. So you always wonder what are we going to add and yet, here it is, I'm sure we're going to have a lot I don't get to today, because there's always the beauty of Torah. You learn it, הפוך בה והפוך בה דכלא בה. When you learn it, when you dig deep into it, when you investigate, there's such depth, profundity, there's so much and it's always relevant to today, there's always a message to today. So Vayakhel, let's start with a nice tam, let's start with a message from רב ישראל מאיר דרוק שליט\"א in his Esh Tamid. מבואר בפסוקים כי שתי מצוות הללו נאמרו בהקהל. This word Vayakhel, Vayakhel means to gather, an assembly, a group. Moshe was told to deliver, to transmit these instructions, both about the Mishkan and about Shabbos. Davka specifically to the Jewish people not individually. Don't send out a broadcast list or WhatsApp or a mass email, gather everyone together, put them in a room, Vayakhel. Only when they are together, now tell them about Shabbos and tell them about Mishkan. Wonders Rav Druck: ויש לעיין מה מיוחד דוקא במצוות אלו שצריכות להאמר דוקא לפני כל ישראל ביחד. What is unique or specific about these two mitzvos? Why not gather us all to tell us about shatnez? Why not gather us all to tell us about Pesach? Why not gather us all to tell us about kilayim? Why specifically the mitzvos of Shabbos and Mishkan? U'v'yalkut, so Rav Druck quotes the Yalkut, the Midrash. ויקהל משה, רבותינו בעלי האגדה אומרים, מתחילת התורה ועד סופה, from the beginning of the Torah all the way till its end, אין בפרשה שנאמר ברישה ויקהל אלא זאת בלבד. There is no parsha that says berosha in the beginning the word Vayakhel else this one alone. This is the only parsha in the Torah, and by parsha it doesn't only mean a parsha as in what we read on any given week, it means a section, a chapter, a unit. This is the only unit of Torah that is introduced with the word Vayakhel. Go gather. אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, עשה לך קהילות גדולות, go create big community, ודרוש לפניהם ברבים הלכות שבת, and darshan, create or gather a big community and teach, teach the laws of Shabbos, כדי שילמדו ממך דורות הבאים להקהל קהילות בכל שבת ושבת, so that communities will learn for generations to come the value of community. I'm tempted to stop here. and tell you how I really feel, but I won't. But here, implicit in this midrash and the message of the beginning of our parsha is the notion of hakhel, of a kahal. There's a concept of a community. Not everyone making shabbos for themselves, not every other house being a private stiebel, not everybody maintaining their COVID minyan six years later, not everybody doing what's comfortable and what's convenient, but you see from our very inception, you see when we were already in the desert, there is a value, there's a concept called a kahal, a community. There's a concept of community, community transcends, community is much bigger than the sum of its parts. The idea of a community, of a community gathering, of a community caring, of a community that's loyal, of a community that learns together, of a community that davens together, a community that advocates and fights together, of a community that learns together, ולכנוס בבתי מדרש ללמוד להורות לישראל דברי תורה איסור והיתר כדי ששמי הגדול יתקלס בין בני. So Hashem says gather. There's a concept, there's a value to community. It's not only about what's comfortable and convenient. Sometimes you gotta walk past a few of those comfortable, convenient, fast killer kiddish, no speech minyanim, to get to the community, because community is bigger than ourselves. We need, we lean, we rely on community. And the people who worship at the altar of convenience and comfort, it's when they need community all of a sudden they find the phone number for community. They have a shailah, they need somebody to get a loved one to Israel or out of Israel during a war, they, God forbid, have a loss, they need a connection. Community has a value, not only in the time of distress or crisis or need. Don't wait for then, because maybe the community that you haven't been part of won't be there for you. But community has a value when you're part of it, even when it's not comfortable and convenient because you care about it, because you're part of it, because it means something, because you contribute, you participate, you practice, you're part of it. That's where when the Jewish people, when Klal Yisroel are going through something you feel connected. That's a place that is making a difference. Okay, enough of that. So that's a kahal. Enough of that, enough of that. Vayakhel, so this is the only part, a kahal, the idea of a kahal, of a tzibur, it's bigger. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is telling Moshe Rabbeinu, aseh lecha kehillos gedolos. Don't make shabbos for yourself, make significant communities, meaningful communities, communities that connect, communities that collaborate, communities that combine, communities that complement, udarshon lifneihem and learn this, מכאן אמרו משה תיקן לישראל שיהיו דורשין בעניינו של יום, הלכות פסח בפסח הלכות עצרת בעצרת הלכות חג בחג. We have the idea, for example, of a community Shabbos HaGadol drasha. The idea of a community saying we're going to take something on together, we're going to learn, we're going to feel challenged, we're going to grow, we're going to be a community working on something together. We learn the laws of Pesach before Pesach and the laws of Shavuos before Shavuos and Sukkos before Sukkos. אמר משה לישראל אם אתם עושים כסדר הזה הקדוש ברוך הוא מעלה עליכם כאילו המלכתם אותי בעולמי. Hashem says if you make community, if you gather, if you create a people, then I treat it like you incarnated me, like you made me your king. Everybody's doing their own thing, everybody's local, everybody's making their own shabbos, everybody's doing what's convenient, Hashem says, ai, hi, I don't know where I go, I don't know who's connected to me, I don't know where I belong, I don't know where I fit in. It's when we connect, when we create community that he feels, I know you've come to invite me. So you see from this Yalkut, says Rav Druck, שהלכות שבת צריכים להיאמר דווקא בציבור. The laws of shabbos are meant to be transmitted and communicated to community כדי שילמדו גם כן הדורות הבאים להקהיל קהילות בכל שבת ושבת. Generations to come will understand community has a place for women, community has a youth department and a teen department, community has outreach, community has Israel advocacy, community has space and room for everyone, community has support groups and chesed. Community is critical from the very inception of the Jewish people. But specifically, again, why now? Why shabbos? Why mishkan? Venireh levayer. And here's where Rav Druck has his insight. מפני מה נאמרו דווקא ב' מצוות אלו בהקהל שבת ונדבת המשכן. Why davka when it comes to observing shabbos and building the mishkan? שמי מצינו שהיו עם ישראל באחדות מוחלטת רק פעם אחת בלבד. We only find the Jewish people experienced this sense of unity, this true cohesiveness, one time. Bema'amad Har Sinai. When we stood at the base of Mount Sinai, nobody saw differences, nobody saw division, nobody saw different yarmulkes and different parties and different partisanship, nobody saw differences. כמו שכתוב ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר ויחן שם ישראל כאיש אחד בלב אחד. We were all united, maybe different nuschaos and different minyanim, maybe different attitudes and perspectives, aval, but we were together כאיש אחד בלב אחד. שאר כל החניות בתרעומת ובמחלוקת. Every other time we encamped in the desert and beyond, we fought, we fought bitterly, we were competitive, and we blamed, and we criticized, and we condemned. לצורך קבלת התורה היו ישראל מוכרחים להיות באחדות. Why was that? Because the prerequisite, the prerequisite to receiving the Torah is being united, being together. אילו היה בפירוד ומחלוקת לא היה שייך לקבל את התורה. You cannot receive a Torah if the Torah is going to be weaponized. If the Torah is a weapon to criticize and condemn and knock down, then you're not worthy to receive the Torah. The prerequisite to receiving the Torah is a sense of unity, is a sense of love. That's not uniformity, just to be clear. The prerequisite to receiving Torah at Har Sinai, Hashem did not demand uniformity. We were still 12 tribes. 12 tribes had significant differences: different emblems, different logos, different encampments, different perspectives, different approaches. Diversity is critical. We don't demand uniformity, but the prerequisite to Torah and to community is unity. כשחטאו בני ישראל בחטא העגל אבדו מעלה זו שהיא באחדות. And when we worshipped the golden calf, we lost that sense of unity. כי החטא גורם לפירוד הלבבות. L'taavah yevakesh nifrad. Because people broke apart. People started to blame and point fingers and distance. כאשר נמצא מצב השלם המזוכך הזה כולם באחדות והחטא נובע מפירוד. Where does chet come from? The sin, the mistake, the miscalculation comes because there's machlokes, there's tension, there's animosity. כאשר אדם נפרד ואינו חלק מן הכלל, when a person feels separate and apart and different than the community, they're not functioning, caring, concerned, committed to community. That's where chet comes from. Why? Where is chet from? Chet comes from ego, comes from selfishness. But I want this, but I need this, but it's what I like, it's what feels good, it's what I want. I want to look at that, I want to say that, I want to eat that, I want to go there, I want to do that. Chet, mistakes, miscalculation, indiscretion, it comes because the ego has kicked in. We're choosing what feels good, feels right, what we want, rather than what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants. And when a person is able to be committed to a sense of unity, what they're saying is: it's bigger than my ego. It's not just about me. I set aside my ego for that which is bigger. I'm willing to be as we spoke about last Shabbos, I'm willing to be moser nefesh. Moser nefesh. When Moshe Rabbeinu screamed 'Mi Lashem Elai', this was the Chofetz Chaim's message to Rav Schwab. 'Mi Lashem Elai' says the Netziv is not just you know who's a good boy, who's a good girl, who didn't participate in the egel. It's mi Lashem? Who chooses Elokus over ego? Who's ready and willing to be moser nefesh? Moser nefesh. Our holy soldiers on the front lines, they're moser nefesh. Moser nefesh. You know, it just occurred to me in my davening yesterday and I started davening for them. We can think about, we can picture, many of us know, many of us are related to, soldiers who are serving in the IDF, in Israel's Air Force, and they're heroes. And they deserve to be celebrated and we're in awe and admiration and love and endless appreciation. But how many people are risking and serving and moser nefesh on the highest order we have no idea about? How many are in Iran right now, have been for the last 20 years and beyond? Undercover, leaving their families, even having no idea where they are. There's a friend of mine, through our community, through someone here, who was in the Mossad and shares what he's allowed to of extraordinary rescue operations and just told me a story two days ago. He had to go to a certain place to find a certain person. So why'd you have to find him? Did you have to kill him? He says: I didn't kill him, I found him. Where was it? Couldn't tell you where it was, when it was, you know, what personality he had to take out, what language, what dialect, what profile. Think about the mesiras nefesh. A person does that, no glory. There's no glory, there's no fame, there's no spotlight. No one will ever ever ever know. Why do you do that? Because you're moser nefesh for your people. To protect your people, someone's got to do it, and those are the ones who are willing and ready. And we should all daven every day for them, because they are extraordinary. Extraordinary. People like Eli Cohen, whose body's not even been recovered yet, but left his family, who didn't even know where he was and what he did. Mesiras nefesh, moser nefesh. So chet, when do we make mistakes? It's because we allowed our ego to kick in: but I want, but I need, but I like, but it's good for me, but it feels good. And that, that comes from peirud. Because when a person feels a sense of unity, the very definition of unity means I'm putting us over me. Unity could be in marriage. I'm putting this marriage, this relationship, you, us, we, over me. And unity can be community. I'm putting community over me. But it's not comfortable to walk past all those places, okay, but community. Community's bigger than me. I'm putting Klal Yisrael over me. I'm willing to be moser nefesh. Mesiras nefesh for Klal Yisrael. So when a person chet comes... cheit comes from peirud. cheit comes from ego over Elokus. Unity comes from Elokus over ego. This will be a chapter in the book, ego and Elokus. ישנם שני מצוות המסוגלות לגרום לאחדות. So there are two mitzvos that we have, says Rav Druk, that lead, they cultivate a sense of unity. And they are the Mishkan and Shabbos. Be'ur hadvorim, נדבת המשכן מצינו שכל ישראל שותפים בו. When it came to the Mishkan, we were all partners. We all contributed. It belonged and it was all of ours. כי כולם הביאו נדבה למשכן. Everybody donated. Everybody collaborated. Everybody partnered. They were all stakeholders and investors. וכיון שכל אחד ואחד היה חלק במשכן היה המשכן מאחד את כולם. V'haya hamishkan echad, כי המשכן מאחד בתוכו את כולם ללא פירוד. Because anyone who contributed felt this is our shared home. This is our place. This is where we all belong. It's what in our Mikdash Me'at we're trying to create. Which direction am I pointing? To our expansion, to the new building, to what's going up. We, we made a commitment and we followed through that we're not instituting a building fund, but we are looking for 100 percent participation. Why? For us, true, but more for you. Because nebech, what's a person going to feel like when they come and daven and enjoy minyanim, shiurim, and learning, chesed, programs, panels, concerts all around the clock, someone's going to make their simcha and say, I'm just a taker. I didn't, I have no part in this. I didn't give anything to it. I'm just benefiting, I'm just enjoying, but I didn't even participate. nebech such a person. I feel bad for how a person's going to feel. But for all those who do give, that place is ma'achid, it unites everyone who has a part and says, this is us. This is community. This is our family. This is our people. This is a place that we all belong. So the Mishkan was that place because everyone gave. Because everyone gave. We see that with the Keruvim, we see the Keruvim, the image on top of the Aron that our parsha describes. They looked at each other, they were united, they were integrated, they collaborated, they partnered. So Mishkan united people. The second mitzvah that unites people is Shabbos. Shabbos is siman achdus Yisrael. הרי עושים עירובי חצרות ושיתופי מבואות. Why are you allowed to carry? We only carry because what do we have in our community, a Eruv? Now, I don't want to flex or show off, but it's possible we have the best eruv, among the best eruv in the world, certainly in the country. Our Greater Eruv is fantastic, but specifically also because we have a broader eruv that certainly we are significantly part of and is 100 percent mehudar. It's a fantastic eruv. But Montoya Circle has three and a half canals around it. Because tel hamislakeit, the, the angle of the canal wall counts as a wall. We have three and a half real walls around Montoya Circle. So even some great Rabbis who generally don't rely on eruvin will carry here because this is three and a half legit, not imaginary, full walls with a tzuras hapesach. So an eruv, how does an eruv work? Why are you allowed to carry within an eruv? If you're only allowed to carry in a private domain, how does the eruv work? That's exactly how it works. What the eruv says is by drawing a boundary, and then sharing, Rabbi Berbowsky and I just did the eruvei chatzeiros last Erev Shabbos, two Erev Shabboses ago, because we make it over matzah. For those who have a minhag not to eat matzah a month before Pesach, we always do it before we bench Rosh Chodesh Nissan. And then we put out last year's eruvei chatzeiros matzah at Shalosh Seudos in all the shuls. Why do we do that? Because that matzah is owned by all the Jews who live in the eruv. An eruvei chatzeiros means we lift those matzos and acquired on behalf of all the Jews who live in the eruv and who are destined, thanks to MDY and snowstorms, to move into that eruv in the coming year. So we lift the matzah on behalf of all those who live in the eruv. Why does co-owning matzah allow, enable an eruv? Because what it says is, it's not just my backyard which is my reshus. We drew a boundary. We have a string. We have walls. We have a boundary around this entire area. We break bread, we own matzah together, and therefore we are all united. Everyone in this eruv, we are united. We are together. Shabbos, which is all about an eruv, eruv techumin, eruvei chatzeiros, eruvei mevuos, it's all about unity and connection and bringing us together. That's what Shabbos is all about. That's when we gather to learn. That's when we connect. That's the holy Shalosh Seudos, ra'ava d'ra'avin. Me'atah yesh lomar, שכיון שמצינו בשתי מצוות הללו שבנינם עיקר מאחד את כל ישראל, since the Mishkan united us and Shabbos unites us. Shabbos, eight minyanim but one campus. Shabbos, we set aside differences and we come together. Let's daven together, learn together, have kiddush together, enjoy meals together, play together, laugh together, learn together. Shabbos fosters a sense of unity. Mishkan created a sense of unity. And that, says Rav Druk, is why these two mitzvos are unique. The only parsha that begins Vayakhel. And you could I could speak for hours just on that word Vayakhel as I started to do but that's Hashem saying Kahal, Kehillah. Be a Kehillah, be a community. It's a lost, lost, lost art in Klal Yisrael. There are so few communities left. There's shuls, they're minyan factories, they're shtiebels, there's a lot going on and it's great. It's beautiful. We're davening more than ever, we're learning more than ever, there's a lot of wonderful things about it. But even within those, we have to, must focus on creating community, a kehillah, a kehillah. What does it mean to be a kehillah? It's not for the parsha class, but what does it mean to be a kehillah? How is a kehillah different than a minyan factory? How is a kehillah different than a Daf Yomi factory? How is a kehillah different than a killer kiddush factory? What is kehillah that's bigger and different and transcends and that's worth it and that's important and that we should be willing to be moser nefesh for? That's the opening word Vayakhel. Hashem says kehillah, make and be part of a kehillah. It matters, it means something. It's important, it's important. פרק לה פסוק כא. Turn the page. This kehillah. Now we have the contributions, the solicitation, the construction of the Mishkan. ויבא כל איש פרק לה פסוק כא ויבאו כל איש אשר נשאו לבו וכל אשר נדבה רוחו אתו הביאו את תרומת ה למלאכת אהל מועד ולכל עבדתו ולבגדי הקדש. Every person who what what are the criteria? Heart inspired and spirit motivated. Which of course begs the question: What is the difference between what? nesa’o libo and nadva rucho? Everyone who's heart motivated and every man whose heart inspired and spirit motivated. What's the difference between heart inspired and spirit motivated? For our campus, I don't care if you have neither of those things as long as the check clears. Just in case you're curious. But here for the Mishkan, you had to be both nesa’o libo and nadva rucho. You have to have an inspired heart and a motivated soul. What's the difference? I saw Rav Shmuel Berenbaum ask that question but we're not going to get into it today. I want to focus on a different word. The word oso. That word oso in this passuk is extra. וכל אשר נדבה רוחו אתו הביאו את תרומת ה. He, every man whose heart inspired him came and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion oso, oso. That word oso the passuk would read and be understood exactly the same without that word. So whenever you have a word that if it weren't in here, everything would mean the same, you have to wonder, why is it here? What does the word oso add? This is not my question, it is the question of the heiligeh Magid Yosef, Rav Yosef Suratzkin. לכאורה תיבת אתו יתירה כמו כן כפל הלשון כל כל אשר נשאו לבו וכל אשר נדבה רוחו. What's the difference between the two? But also why is the word kol need to be repeated and why have the word oso at all? Ube'ur, he quotes his father, שמדת הנדבים לומר הרבה ולעשות מעט. He says most campaigns, we were warned about ours, most campaigns have different people will warn you different numbers, there is a percentage of the people who pledge who don't pay. So even if you raised, which we haven't yet, a hundred percent of the budget, know five percent, twenty percent, we heard from experts, anywhere between five percent and twenty percent of people who pledge aren't going to pay. לומר הרבה ולעשות מעט. The many of the donors, the pledgers say a lot and do little. בשעה שמעשה מזרז לדבר מצוה המבטיח גדולות. So when you have the big cause match matching campaign, charity matching campaign, everybody's matching and meeting and speaking and names are going up and everyone's count me in and I'm in and I my pledge and I'm good to go. אבל כעבור זמן כשיגיע עת לשלשל המעות מכיסו. When it's time to pay up the pledge, when Talia emails you from Israel and says, thank you so much, it means the world, we're so grateful, how was the best way we can collect, what is the best way you'd like to pay, over how long, how, then all of a sudden silence, disappearance. אז יקפץ ידו ויסתפק במעט. All of a sudden people close their fist. כאן מעיד התורה שכל אשר נדבה רוחו אתו הביאו. The Mishkan was exception. בדיוק ולא הפילו מאומה. You know what their rate was? Donor pledge to collection? One hundred percent. Says Rav Suratzkin that's the pshat. כל אשר נשאו לבו וכל אשר נדבה רוחו אתו הביאו. Everything everyone pledged, it was all paid up, it all came in, it all came through. It all came through, it all came through, it all came through. בדיוק כך נהג כל איש ואיש ביעד הקים הנדר בשלימותו everyone fulfilled their pledge, everybody honored their pledge. That's uniqueness number one about this campaign. Uniqueness number one, everybody came through, everybody paid up. We're going to get to uniqueness number two momentarily, momentarily. But first פרק לה פסוק כד. לה כד. כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת הביאו את תרומת ה'. Pasuk says all who separated a portion of silver or copper brought it as a portion for Hashem. וכל אשר נמצא אתו עצי שטים לכל מלאכת העבודה הביאו. Everyone who separated the wood brought it. I saw a beautiful explanation on the Imros Tehoros the holy Rachmastrivka quotes a beautiful from the Orach L'Chaim not the Or HaChaim, Orach L'Chaim on these words כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת. Let's translate again. What is the word Meirim? What does the word Meirim, Leharim mean? To lift up. Interesting Artscroll translates it differently. Look at the Artscroll: all who separated. It's an open book test people. Pasuk Kaf Dalet, verse 24. All who separated. All who separated. Am I reading the right Pasuk? Yeah, Pasuk Kaf Dalet. All who Meirim, all who separated. Says the Rachmastrivka: הרמז בזה אשר כל אחד מישראל שיש בו איזה מעלה צריך להעלות המעלה אל ה' יתברך. Whatever gift, talent, skill, blessing, resource you have, the reason we were given it is to lift it in the service of Hashem. על ידי שישתמש בו לכבוד ה' יתברך. That's why the Torah used the word כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת. It doesn't say anyone who donated, anyone who dedicated, anyone who sponsors, it says anyone who lifted. Who lifted. What do you mean lifted? You have to lift it? What are you like a Chassan making a Kabbalas Kinyan, selling Chametz, Kabbalas Kinyan? What do you mean lifted? Kol Meirim. Just give it. Again, you can wire it, Venmo, Zelle, carrier pigeon, whatever you want, cash, brown paper bag, however you want, we'll take it. We'll take it. But the Pasuk says that's not how you give it. The way to give it is Kol Meirim. You have to lift it. And says the Rachmastrivka, the image of lifting is whatever gift, talent, blessing, skill, resource you have, elevate it, lift it, lift it in the service of Hashem. עד שאמרו רבותינו our rabbis say the Midrash Tanchuma: כבד את ה' מהונך אל תקרי מהונך אלא מגרונך. Al tikri... כבד את ה' מהונך serve Hashem from what you have. Read it Migeronecha. אם אדם יודע לשורר יש לו להשתמש במעלה זו לשם. There are people with magnificent voices and they know how to sing beautifully and you go and you ask them to lead the Davening, no, not me, I'm not interested, I don't like, I'm not that good. You're Mechutzaf! Hashem gave you this talent, this blessing, this skill, who are you to deny it to the community, to the Kehilla? You have a skill, you have a talent, you're artistic, you can be a leader, you have charisma, you're an orator, whatever you can do. Kemo chen, whatever you can do. אפילו מידת הענווה ושפלות רוח צריך להעלות זאת לעבודתו יתברך. Somebody is humble and modest. The humility and the modesty you have to be directed and channeled in the service of Hashem. שלא לעצור אחר כך על ידי זה ממנו יתברך. Don't use the humility and modesty hide in the corner, not me, I don't need, I don't... No! The humility and modesty themselves need to be used and channeled and directed in the service of Hashem. וזהו פירוש הכתוב כל מרים. Whatever you lift Terumas Hashem. Lift your skill, talents, blessings, resources. Lift whatever you were given and let it be a Teruma, let it be a gift to Hashem. כל מיני הרמות ומעלות שישנם בבני אדם צריכים להעלות לה' תרומת כסף ענין השתוקקות וכיסופין. Terumas Kesef. The word Kesef means silver. But my favorite song, one of my icebreakers I like to play is to ask people if you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would the song be? It's an interesting thing to learn about people. If you could only listen to one song the rest of your life what would the song be? So thank you for asking, my song would be Ka-Echsof. Oh, the holy Ka-Echsof. Karliner, Ka-Echsof, Ka-Echsof. Echsof, what is the word Echsof, Kisufin? What does that word mean? Silver? No, Kisufin means yearnings. Yearnings. Ka-Echsof, my yearnings for You Hashem. Yearnings. So all my yearnings, everything I want to direct what I have, my talents, my skills, my blessings is Terumas Hashem. It is a gift to You. Mikol Meirim. To be lifted to and towards You. It's all to You. It's all to You. And this is hinted to in Kesef, Nechoshes, Atzei Shittim. He goes on and on and describes and plays this out. Thought it was a beautiful piece. inside on those words. Perek Lamed Vav, Pasuk Aleph. Turn the page, next perek, Lamed Vav Aleph. ועשה בצלאל ואהליאב וכל איש חכם לב אשר נתן ה' חכמה ותבונה בהמה לדעת לעשות את כל מלאכת עבודת הקדש לכל אשר צוה ה' Bezalel should carry out with his second-in-command, Oholiav, every wise-hearted man with whom, within whom Hashem endowed wisdom, insight to know what to do, all the work for the labor of the Shul, of the Shul, of the Mikdash, everything that Hashem has commanded. This is in the Lavushesh, back to the Lavushesh. Says Rav Druck, second Rav Druck of the day. The Medrash Rabba writes, כל מי שנתעסק במלאכת המשכן נתן בו הקדוש ברוך הוא חכמה בינה ודעת. Anyone who was tasked, anyone who was charged, anyone who is involved with the building of the Mishkan, Hashem endowed them, gifted and granted them, Chabad, Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. If anyone has connections, I'm trying to get Tucker to blame BRS for everything because we can raise some good money that way. Chabad, lots of people, they raise a lot of money. People walked into the local Chabad and dropped off a check after he blamed them for everything wrong in the world. So, Chochmah, Binah, we're all Chabad. Baruch Hashem, we all stand with Chabad. And if Chabad's biggest problem is they're trying to build the Third Temple, God bless. He nailed it, he's a hundred percent correct, at least on that one. Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. So Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as, of course, the Alter Rebbe, Tanya, what we're learning on Wednesday mornings, Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. So where did the Alter Rebbe get that from? Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as as a, as a motto, a statement, a philosophy? It's from our Parsha, from these Parshiyos. Anyone involved in the building of the Mishkan was endowed with Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. ויעשו כל חכם לב ולא בבני אדם אלא אפילו בבהמה וחיה. Because the Pasuk here says Chochmah u-tvunah baheima. You hear the play of words? The word baheima, what does it mean here? It's spelled baheima means in them. But don't read it baheima in them, says the Medrash, read it, punctuated differently, read it not baheima in them, but Beheima, in animal, שנתנה חכמה באדם ובבהמה. That in the building of the Mishkan, Hashem didn't only endow the human being with Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as—you have to differentiate what they are, for that you gotta learn Tanya with me or with anyone, what is the difference? Are they three synonyms for knowledge, for intellect? We don't have synonyms. There are subtle differences. What's the difference between Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as? Not for now, but there are differences. Whatever those differences are, not only were human beings endowed with that, but says the Medrash, baheima, Beheima, even animals were. חז\"ל דרשו בהמה אף לבהמות נתנה דעת תבונה לעבודת המשכן. Even the animals, even the animals who schlep the materials, even the animals whose hide we use for the materials, even the animal were endowed with Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. Wonders Rav Druck, why do I need animals to have Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as? I understand the artists and the artisans, I understand the architects and the, and the construction, I understand why we want them to have a spirituality, a holiness. We hired a design firm for our, our campus expansion. We have the architect, it's being built as you can see. We hired a Heimishe design firm, and one of the things that attracted us to them was in choosing the decor, it wasn't just what's in, what's fashionable, what's stylish. There's a Neshama to it. Ma'amar Chazal, what are the symbols, what is the significance, what's the Torah of this color, what's the Torah of that symbol, what's the Torah of that furnishing, what's the Torah of the layout of the room in that way? There's a Neshama, there's a Neshama. L'havdil, l'havdil, in other cultures they call it feng shui, the energy of the room. We don't, we don't have feng shui, but there's a Neshama to a room. There's a Neshama, there's an energy. So I understand that Bezalel and Oholiav had to be endowed with Chochmah, Binah, and Da'as. Hashem had to endow them with this divine wisdom and understanding and insight to bring that special skill to design. But the animals? What do I need the animals to have it for? So listen to what Rav Druck says. אפשר לבאר דברי המדרש שחלוקה חכמת התורה משאר חכמות בעולם שבכל החכמות אדם יכול להיות בקי בהם אך החכמה לא תשנה מהותו ואדם נשאר מושחת. Every other discipline and wisdom, you can be an expert in it and remain entirely unchanged by it. You can be an expert in it and entirely unchanged by it. Several years ago I remember a story of a scandal. There was a professor, I think it was Harvard, but it might have been another one of the Ivy Leagues. He was a senior professor of ethics who was discovered was living in the most unethical, inappropriate lifestyle. In other disciplines a person can be the world expert and it doesn't impact or transform the person, their character. כפי שמצינו את בלעם הרשע, yodeia da'as elyon, that Bilam Harasha, the wicked Bilam was described as knowing God, אך מצד שני הוא מושחת ומתועב ביותר במידות גרועות. But nevertheless he lived the lowest level, ayin ra, ruach gevoha, nefesh rechava. He had an inappropriate relationship with his donkey. Torah on the other hand, a person who really learns Torah, a person who taps into the depths of Torah, authentic Torah, Torah transforms. That's how you know. Is it Torah? Is the person learning Torah as the word of Hashem or was the person learning Torah as just another discipline? How do you know? Because did it change them? Is the person different as a result? Says Rav Druck, that's the pshat. Don't read it baheima, in them, read it beheima, that even the animal was endowed with chochma bina v'da'as. Vas epes that an animal would have chochma bina v'da'as? Says Rav Druck, שחכמת התורה משנה אף את החלק הבהמי שבאדם. Torah changes the animal instinct in us. It's not that Hashem gave chochma bina v'da'as to animals, the cow and the dog and the cat and the hamster. It's that Hashem gave chochma bina v'da'as to the animal instinct, to the animal impulse, to the animal in us. This too is Tanya, that every person is made up of two parts. There's the animal impulse, the animal instinct, the animal identity, that which we have in common with animals. And then we have our godly soul, חלק אלוה ממעל ממש, the godly soul, the godly spirit, godly part of who we are. So Torah doesn't only talk to the godly part of who we are. Part of the philosophy of Tanya, we've just been learning about kelipas nogah and the intent that we give it, we transform it, how you could take that which is neutral, eating, sleeping, and when we endow it with meaning and purpose, we elevate it and we transform it. So the animal act of eating can be either an animal indulgence or you can train and elevate the animal. We've discussed in Tanya, this is very different, Tanya's very different than say the Ramchal. Others believe that our mission, our job, is to slaughter the animal in us. There's an animal, we want to eat like a pig and keep our room like a pigsty and act like an animal. The animal in us that's impulse, that's compulsive behavior. The animal in us, we're going to talk about Shabbos HaGadol, freeing ourselves from modern addiction, our topic for Shabbos HaGadol, our own Yetzias Mitzrayim, because there are challenges, not only gambling and alcohol and watching the wrong images, but technology's a huge addiction that we may not admit it or be in help for it, but most of us need work from. So there's the animal in us. So the Ramchal and others say our job, our goal, we're trying to slaughter the animal. We want to be the godly soul, the godly spirit, no animal. Came along the Baal HaTanya and he said, what are you doing? The animal serves you, but you've got to train the animal. The animal has to be on a leash. The animal you need to plow. The animal you need to schlepp. The animal serves us, don't get rid of it, don't shecht it, don't purge it, train it and elevate it. And that says Rav Druck, maybe he doesn't invoke the Tanya, but maybe that's the idea, chochma bina v'da'as was baheima beheima, even in the animal, doesn't mean the animal like in the zoo, it means the animal in us, that Torah has the ability to train, to transform even the animal in us. Okay, פרק ל\"ח פסוק ח'. Wow, we're skipping. How did I just skip, sorry Lamed Vav Zayin. Lamed Vav Zayin before we go to that. I told you there was one unusual feature of the Mishkan so far. Number feature number one of the Mishkan was, of this campus campaign, number one was that what? One hundred percent pledges were paid. That was Rav Meged Yosef, Rav Sorotzkin's first, אותו כל כל אשר נדבו לבו כל אשר נדבו רוחו אותו. Every person who pledged, every person who promised, every vow was fulfilled and was paid. And now we have another. Now we have another. Says Rav Druck, dayam. Is this not Rav Druck, sorry, oh, dayam, that everything was paid. ויצו משה ויעבירו קול במחנה לאמר איש ואשה אל יעשו עוד מלאכה לתרומת הקודש. Here is the second unique about the Mishkan. Moshe commands everybody. Look at what he says. Again, פרק ל\"ו פסוק ו' פסוק ז'. Moshe commands, his voice went out in the camp, איש ואשה אל יעשו עוד מלאכה לתרומת הקודש. Stop the campaign, no more donations. Why? Why? ויכלא העם מהביא והמלאכה היתה דים לכל המלאכה לעשות אתה והותר. Because very unusual, the work had been enough, there was extra. They finished their campaign, not only did they collect And would it be so bad to have an endowment? My finance committee would say: would it be so bad to have an endowment? Would it kill you for the Shul to have a little extra, a little surplus, a little rainy day fund, a little endowment? The Rebbe, by the way, didn't hold of endowments. The Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT\"L was against endowments. He felt if Klal Yisrael has money, there are important things to spend it on now. Don't put it away for an endowment. Interesting. But why not put away for a rainy day? Maybe there's going to be a leaky roof in the Mishkan. Maybe the Mishkan air conditioning is going to be on the fritz. Maybe the Kelim are going to get worn out. Why can't we have a little extra? What's the downside of accepting a little bit more? Why this unprecedented and un-replicated shutting down: no more donations? So the Meshech Chochmah gives a technical answer. Meshech Chochmah says halachically it would create a conundrum. Why? Because whatever was donated would have a sacred status but the surplus wasn't necessary so what do you do with the funds or in this case the commodities that were donated that are going to have a sacred status but you can't use them? It's a whole halachic problem. That's the Meshech Chochmah's approach. Rav Menachem Benzion Sacks, you know I'm fond of quoting Menachem Benzion, he has another answer. And he says the following, I thought this was a fantastic insight. We usually think of a donation as easing the burden on others. If you give a donation, you provided relief. Donate to Tomchei Shabbos, you gave relief. Maos Chittim, as always, a lot of people need a lot of help for Pesach. The more that you give, the more relief you're going to give others. And in those cases, there's no end to the donation because there's always people who are going to need more relief. But in the case of the Mishkan, the surplus didn't ease the burden, the surplus added to it. How's that? Why would a surplus add to the burden instead of easing it? Listen to this insight of Menachem Benzion. Who was responsible for schlepping all the materials? Who was responsible for going place to place and carrying the Mishkan, its Kelim, assembling, disassembling, transporting the utensils, the goods, the commodities? The Levi'im. If you allowed people to donate even one ounce more than what was necessary, you just increased the burden of the Levi'im to schlep it, to carry it. Says Rav Menachem Benzion Sacks: Moshe Rabbeinu was concerned with showing loyalty and sensitivity to the Levi'im. Don't give more than what's necessary because you have added to their burden instead of easing it. Now they have more to schlep and we don't do that. That's answer number two. That is what Rav Menachem Benzion Sacks says. Malbim. Malbim comes from a different angle. Rashi tells us numerous times the Mishkan was an atonement for Cheit HaEigel. If infidelity towards Hashem alienated us from him, then building him a home and feeling we were in his presence brought us closer. Now, the greatest repair to the damage from enthusiastic donations to the Eigel was even greater, more enthusiastic donations to the Mishkan. What was the root of the mistake of the Cheit HaEigel? We spoke about this previously, says the Malbim. The problem was that we volunteered a ritual and a practice that was not commanded of us. The Cheit HaEigel didn't come from above. Hashem didn't dictate it. We decided it on our own. And we're not entitled, we're not allowed. So says the Malbim, giving beyond what God asked once again puts us ahead of him. Why are you giving more? Hashem says this is all you need to give. That capacity to have a boundary, the capacity to stop, the capacity to say no, the capacity to listen to his rules even when they don't make sense to us is the antidote and the atonement for the Cheit HaEigel. אזוי זאגט דער מלבי\"ם. So we saw the Meshech Chochmah says halachic conundrum, halachic technicality, that surplus would have a sacred status you wouldn't know what to do with it, don't give more. Menachem Benzion Sacks said normally when you give you ease a burden, in this case giving adds to the Levi'im's burden, so stop giving when we have what we need. Says the Malbim: why was it important to stop? Because the Cheit HaEigel was doing it our way not Hashem's way, so Hashem says I am going to tell you to stop even when it makes sense to you to keep going and you now, if you want to atone for your mistake, repair for the mistake, it'll be by showing that you're ready to do it my way even when it doesn't make sense to you. But I want to give a fourth answer. And this, brother Ben, is maybe an original thought. This is a fourth answer. This is my original suggestion. Pasuk says ve-hamelachah hayetah dayam. The work was dayam. The word dayam, I might have told you this before, the word dayam comes from the word dai. What does the word dai? Enough. Enough. When Hashem created the world, the Midrash says the elements competed with one another for dominance. The elements in Hashem's world competed who's in charge, who's in control, who was superior. Who was supreme. Fire first wanted to rule, water wanted to flood the earth, dry land wanted to shrink the borders of the ocean. Each one wanted to live without limits, each one wanted to dominate, each one wanted to not be told what to do. So Hashem turned to all of His creation and what did He declare? Dai. And in fact, this is one of God's names, just like Hashem's other names we don't pronounce, we say Shakai because we don't want to pronounce it, but for the purpose of learning, Shadai is one of God's holy names on the outside of your mezuzah. Shadai. Where does it come from? She'amar le'olam dai. God's name is Shin-Dalet-Yud because He said to the world: Genoog. Enough. Boundaries. Stop sign. Enough. Enough. In many ways the Mishkan we're taught is a microcosm of the world. The creation of the Mishkan parallels the creation of the universe. How we define how we keep Shabbos, which commemorates creation, by what was creative labor that went into the building of the Mishkan. So maybe, maybe maybe, the message of Moshe is that even when it comes to the building of this holy dwelling place for Hashem called the Mishkan, there's a time that we have to learn to say dai. That we have enough. There's a value in recognizing that we have enough and even in realizing we've contributed enough. Vehamelacha hayta dayam. This project was finished, the goal's complete. Moshe is telling them be proud, be comfortable, move on to the next phase and the next job, that a person has to have the capacity to say I'm satisfied. I can be proud, I can lean in. This is complete. What's my next challenge? What's my next mission? Yes, but when it came to this one, dai. Hashem maybe is again conditioning the critical importance of that Chazal Kohelet Rabba highlights there's a basic human quality: מי שיש לו מנה רוצה מאתיים. If a person has maneh, he wants masayim. We never enough, we're always hungry, insatiable appetite, drive, ambition. Now those are good qualities: ambition, aspiration, determination, they're good when they push us towards greatness, but sometimes they come at a cost. And what's the cost? The insatiable appetite, a voracious need for more, for the latest, for the newest, for the best, it robs us, it denies us of serenity and of happiness, and it distances us sometimes from what matters most. When do we really set ourselves free? When we have the ability to say dai. I have enough. These were a slave nation, this group who left Egypt were slaves, they had nothing. And now they needed to learn how to say dai. Enough. Genoog. Genoog. Now this is a very familiar word to you because not too long from now we're going to be singing it. It's a very popular song: Dai daiyeinu. Why do we sing dai? We don't just sing Dayeinu, we sing Dai, dai, daiyeinu. Dai. Because Dayeinu is: it would have been enough. None of those things would have been enough. It would have been enough each of them to say thank you to Hashem. Dayeinu. Dai. Would have been enough to say thank you to Hashem. So living with limits and finding happiness within what we have and maintaining that capacity to say Dayeinu, it's enough, is liberating, it's empowering, it's enriching. It's Hashem she'amar le'olamo dai, who told his world dai. We sing Dayeinu, that's freedom, the ability to say dai. And that's what Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching. Even this incredibly noble project, even this Mishkan, building this Mishkan, vehamelacha hayta dayam. Dai. We have the ability even with this to say dai. For now, dai. And that is a very very important and very lofty idea. Okay, let's move over to Parshat Pekudei which we didn't even start. Lamed-Chet Chaf-Aleph. I can't believe we didn't start. Eileh pekudei haMishkan. These are the accounting of the Mishkan. Oh we spoken so much in the past: the accounting, what went right, what went wrong, and so on. The last parsha of the book of Shemot. With this we end, Chazak. Just when Klal Yisrael need a Shabbos Chazak, we get a Shabbos Chazak. Im yirtzeh Hashem by this Shabbos when we all scream Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek, it should be because the war is over, we won, safety and security, and lots of flights for people to go wherever they need to. Chazak, chazak. So it begins with a summary of the critical components of the Mishkan and includes an accounting of the donations and a list of materials, but first beforehand the Torah tells us more importantly the people who made it happen. And we just saw it in Vayakhel. Torah over and over again acknowledges the craftsman, the arts. artisans the builders the architects and it credits most בצלאל בן אורי בן חור this young man and his second-in-command Oholiav and each time they're called Chochmei Lev Chochmei Lev. By focusing not only on the plans and the measurements and the dimensions and the materials and the mechanics but also on the people on their character on their sincerity on their authenticity the Torah is communicating a critical message. It's not only important what we do but who we are and what we bring to what we do. Right? Because the Torah doesn't just talk about build this here the measurements here the dimensions here the materials the Torah talks about the intent and the Kavannah of the people who do it. What is our consciousness? What's our motivation? What is the mindfulness? Every action every experience all that we do is made up of the physical component but there's a Pnimius there's a Pnimius there's a Pnimius. What is the Kavannah? What is the depth? What's in our heart? What are we bringing of ourselves to it? Not just the act but what else are we adding to it? Therefore the Sforno describes listen to the Sforno. The gold and the silver that fashioned the Keilim of the Mishkan was all different categorically different than any other gold and silver in the universe. It was imbued with and transformed by the intent of the people who gave it. Listen to the Sforno. כל אחד מחלקי המשכן הכתובים למעלה הם אותם הפקודים שנאמר עליהם ובשמות תפקדו את כלי משמרת משאם ביד איתמר וזה כי כל אחד מהם היה ראוי להיות נחשב ויקר בשם באשר הוא זה הפרטי לא בלבד באשר הוא מזה המין וכל שכן שצדק זה על כל אחד מכלי המקדש הקודש אשר במשא בני קהת. You didn't only refer to it by name of the category it belonged to. You didn't just call it fork but you had a name for each fork. This fork is Reuven this fork is Shimon you named every utensil every item individually. That which is done with pure intent with holy purpose and mission with mindfulness and meaning has Nitzchios to it. When we just do things generically then they wear out then they disappear. But when we imbue something with intent and purpose and Pnimius then it achieves Nitzchios then it's something which is enduring and then it's something which lasts. The Mishkan is built from the donations of these recently poor slaves and they got this wealth in the desert and at the sea. It was assembled not from those materials and goods but from the modest jewelry and the used clothing and the sheets that the generation could scramble together. And the Sforno says that the Beis HaMikdash which was built look at the contrast. The Beis HaMikdash was built by hired laborers from Tzor. We outsourced the building of the Beis HaMikdash and they had no connection to what they were building. They were just a construction crew. So that Beis HaMikdash was destroyed all of it. The inferiority of the building is evident from the fact that the building itself Chazal tell us regularly needed renovation and repair. Second Beis HaMikdash was built by Koresh he hired pagans and it too was destroyed and lost. The Mishkan was built by people who had Chochmas Lev. Every donation came from their heart their intent their consciousness their Kavannah and therefore it's Nitzchi it was forever. The Keilim of the Mishkan never fell into enemy hands. They were never destroyed. Sforno says the original Keilim are going to resurface with Techiyas HaMeisim. Not only when Mashiach comes we'll have a Beis HaMikdash and the Keilim in it will be from the original Mishkan because the things that are built with Chochmas Lev when it comes from the heart with that Kavannah with that intent with that Pnimius then it's forever. Sforno learns this from the words Atzei Shittim Omdim. The word Omdim is taken to mean they will endure indefinitely. Atzei Shittim Omdim what's done with Chochmas Lev is Nitzchios is forever is forever. נצח ישראל לא ישקר. The enduring legacy the future the destiny of the Jewish people it is immutable it is undeniable it is something which is forever. It is forever. Which is not this Parshah Shiur which is over any minute and I have to decide what else we're still going to get in here. Okay let's go to Vayivarech Otam פרק לט פסוק מג. When Moshe finishes then we reviewed now the first half of Pekudei is reviewing all the Bigdei Kehunah and then it brings us the completion the summation the end of Sefer Shemos is everything about the Mishkan and Moshe Rabbeinu's supervision of it. פרק לט פסוק מג top of page 536. וירא משה את כל המלאכה והנה עשו אתה כאשר צוה יהוה כן עשו ויברך אתם משה. משה, who by the way was not involved, משה lifted, he erected the Mishkan, but he was not involved in the collection of the Mishkan, in the building of the Mishkan. So pasuk says משה saw the whole work and behold, they had done, they did exactly like יהוה commanded, vayivarech otam Moshe, and משה now gives a bracha. משה gives a bracha. משה gives a bracha. What's the bracha that משה gives? Rashi tells us, what's this bracha? אמר להם יהי רצון שתשרה שכינה במעשה ידיכם. May it be יהוה's will, yehi ratzon, shetishre Shechina that the divine will dwell on the creation of your hands, ויהי נעם יהוה אלהינו עלינו. This is one of the kapitelach of Tehillim that Moshe Rabbeinu, Tefillah Le-Moshe, we have kapitelach Tefillah Le-Moshe that משה wrote, this is one of the paragraphs of Tehillim that משה himself wrote because you see the reference here to ויהי נעם יהוה אלהינו עלינו. Yehi ratzon. Yehi ratzon. Says the Rechovos Rivka. מבואר שמה שאמר משה שתשרה שכינה במעשה ידיכם אין הכוונה על מעשה המשכן בלבד. This bracha that משה was given, משה says okay it's the opening of the Mishkan, we're done, we're finished, we've built it, we've raised all the money, we got all the materials, we put it together, we've built it, it's the day to give it a bracha. Gotta give it a bracha, Moshe Rabbeinu, yehi ratzon. But what is he giving the bracha to? Just the Mishkan? אין הכוונה על מעשה המשכן בלבד אלא אף גם על שאר מעשה ידיהם עסקי משא ומתן וכולם תשרה שכינה כי על ידי שהפרישו ממונם לנדבה לשם יתברך לצורך מלאכת המשכן נמשך מזה קדושה גם על שאר מעשה ידיהם שתשרה עליהם השכינה. Says משה, not only should the Shechina, yehi ratzon, not only should the Mishkan be blessed but all the rest of your endeavors and your efforts, all the rest of your material possessions should be blessed. Because you separated and you donated and you gave properly, you revealed that you get it why you have these things. By allocating and dedicating, by giving from what you have, you essentially elevated even what you're still holding onto and therefore the blessing is chap, the blessing is relevant not only to the Mishkan but also to everything, just like trumos u'maasros. When you separate and tithe a portion of the produce, that's what permits the personal use of the produce. So when a person gives tzedakah, when you donate, when you allocate, when you give, you've now rendered permissible everything that you still hold onto and it's equally holy. Part of what you have is meant to be used in holy work for others and part of what you have is for you to elevate in your own life and so the bracha of משה applies not only to the Mishkan but also to everything else, everything else that they had, azoi says the Rechovos Rivka. We have time for one last one, even though there are so many more. So I'll tell you bechol masa'eihem. Very end. Perek Mem pasuk lamed ches. The very end of Sefer Shemos, page 540. Last pasuk in Sefer Shemos. כי ענן יהוה על המשכן יומם ואש תהיה לילה בו לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם chazak chazak venischazek. The cloud of יהוה would be on the Tabernacle day, fire would be on it at night before the eyes of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys. Wonders the great Gerer Rosh Yeshiva, the great Rav Shaul Alter, wonders the Gerer Rosh Yeshiva, pasuk says that the cloud would be on it, on the Mishkan during the days and the fire would be on it at night before all the eyes in all of your travels. Rashi asks why the pasuk specifies that the cloud was there during all their travels. After all, the cloud over the Mishkan was also there not only in their travels, it was also there in their encampments, in their encampments. So why does the pasuk ask Rashi, why does it only say during their travels? So Rashi says that their entire sojourn in the wilderness is referred to as their travels because every encampment was just a waystation on their journey. So even the encampment is considered a travel. It's a beautiful Rashi. In other words, even where we are when we stop is part of our journey. It's part of our journey. You are where you're meant to be. We speak about in the Emunah shiur every week. We are where we're meant to be. A Yid, a Jew, is never stuck. Now far be it from me with tremendous sympathy for the people who are meant to be and trying to be elsewhere from where they are, both those trying to get back to Israel, because Israel's the only country in the world that people it's considered a rescue flight to bring people back into the war zone. I haven't heard of anyone trying to get back into Ukraine. Only Israel's it's considered a rescue to. try to get back in, but there are people there who are trying to get back, like Lee and others who are trying to get back and unable and haven't been assigned a new flight, and we shouldn't use the word stuck because a Yid is never stuck. A Yid is never stuck, and even if the airline and even if it's difficult and complicated, and I don't mean to minimize, it's overwhelming and it's filled with anxiety, and there's nothing worse than living with safek doubt, having no clue or idea when you'll be reunited with your family. Not minimizing, complicated, very difficult, but not stuck, because a Yid is never stuck. We are always all where we are meant to be. You think El Al's in charge? You think the government's in charge? You think Taba and Egypt and Jordan, every new company, because every Yid's always trying to make a buck, who just opened a business to get you where you want to go through whatever hostile country? You think they're in charge? None of them are in charge. You have to take your initiative and effort, fill out every form, use every form of proteksia you have, but in the end of the day it's the Eibershter who's in charge. And a Yid, a Yid is never stuck, and everyone is where they're meant to be until where they're meant to go next. So therefore, even where you are in your encampment is also part of the journey. That says Rashi. That's why even though the cloud was over them, even the encampment, not only during the journey, we call the encampment a journey because every encampment is also a journey. Every time we're stationary, every time we're so-called stuck, every time we're even encamping, that too is a journey. So says Sfas Emes, we finish with this. If all was included, then isn't it just as reasonable to look at it the opposite way? Why the Torah decided that the encampments would be included under the umbrella travels? Why not that the travel should be included under the umbrella of encampments? Pasuk could have said before the eyes of the entire house of Israel in all of their encampments. Why does it say in all of their journeys? Says Sfas Emes, Torah's teaching a lesson. That is, this world is not a place of encampment at all. Even the stations of our life are also just waystations in our journey to the next world. They're all included under the umbrella travel. We're moving through the outer courtyard in order to reach the palace. Like the mishna in Pirkei Avos, עולם הזה דומה לפרוזדור, we're just trying to get through. We're just going through. The courtyard, the courtyard of the Mishkan refers to a Yid's job in the world to attain Yiras Hashem. So we're just getting through. So that's why even our encampments are travels. We think we're encamped in this world. I have a home address, I have an email address, I have a WhatsApp address, I have all these addresses. Even our addresses are also part of our travels because we're not at any of these, we're not at any of these addresses permanently. All these addresses are temporary. So even our encampments and addresses are called journeys because they're all part of the greater journey called life. We barely got into Vayakhel Pekudei, so much more to say but we end here for now. May we hear בשורות טובות ישועות ונחמות. Have a great day.
