“Revealing Hidden Praise”[1]
Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei 5780[2]
לזכר נשמת אסתר תהלה בת ר’ גבריאל פינחס
Based on “Erev Shabbos Parsha Inspiration” by Rabbi Phillip Moskowitz[3]
Written by Rabbi Dani Staum[4]
Why does Torah repeat the construction of Mishkan?
Rabbeinu Bechayei – Hashem’s way of “checking in”. How is it going? Don’t send child off to yeshiva/seminary for year and don’t speak to them. You want to know how they are doing. Follow up. So too, this is Hashem’s way of following up with us. How is it going?
Rav Hirsch – Building Mishkan had tremendous details, very mundane tasks. When engaging in many mundane tasks there is a danger that can lose sight of the broader picture, symbolism and significance. Hashem split into two – in Terumah and Tetzaveh He told them what to do. But danger that they can forget the purpose is really about kedusha and connection. So Hashem repeats all details to help them and us remind ourselves with every vessel made of the real objective of Mishkan.
Ralbag – It is fitting for anyone in charge of others and trying to motivate others to constantly praise them for a job well done. We take for granted that people will follow orders. But that’s not the natural way of people. Regarding the construction of the Muishkan, the Jewish people followed instructions, so Moshe praised them for every single vessel that they did.
The Torah often criticizes the failings of Klal Yisroel. So now when they did a great job the Torah repeats it over and over. Moshe blessed them with positive reinforcement.
In the 1950s Fredrick Hertzberg published a study about motivational factors. He found that the most powerful motivator is self-achievement and being valued. When someone feels encouraged, they want to do more.
We’ve been given very detailed instructions about what to do – from CDC, from the shul, etc. It has not been an easy week, especially for parents of young children, trying to arrange a schedule for them and keeping to it. We should learn from the Ralbag to focus on what did go well and to praise and encourage everyone. Show appreciation to our teachers who had to transform in-house classrooms into virtual classrooms, literally overnight in less-than-ideal circumstances. We are very quick to criticize. We should be equally quick to show positive encouragement to ensure that people feel valued, so that they will want to do more and will be happier doing it. That’s what Moshe does throughout Vaykahel-Pekudei.
In his sefer abput Shabbos, Rav Pincus notes 7 connections between Shabbos and Mishkan:
- Both bring about forgiveness for sins
- We wear special clothes
- There is an emphasis on lighting candles
- There is an emphasis on cleanliness and washing prior
- The Shulchan. In the Mishkan it was one of the vessels and on Shabbos it is a core part of our Shabbos experience, the Shabbos table
- The beautiful smells – the ketores in the Mishkan and the unique smell of Shabbos (whether cholent or Clorox)
- Reverence – Morah Mikdash and Shabbos
What’s the connection between Shabbos and Mishkan?
Both are there to foster and cultivate feelings of connection with Hashem. We go through week wandering somewhat aimlessly, in a labyrinth and maze, not knowing exactly where we are headed. Shabbos gives us direction and reminds us of what our real purpose is. A day of refocus.
Rabbi Pincus related an anecdote about Rabbi Avrohom Farbstein[5], one of the Roshei yeshiva of the famed Chevron Yeshiva. Rabbi Farbstein was a skilled orator and would travel and lecture about living a Torah life to eclectic audiences. He had a decent command of the English language and was careful to translate all the verses and statements he quoted into English.
On one occasion he delivered a very powerful lecture to a crowd of unaffiliated Jews in America. After the lecture a fellow approached him and told him, “Rabbi, I want you to know that I really appreciated your lecture and I was emotionally moved by what you said. You really touched my heart and inspired me. However, there was one word you didn’t translate although you repeated it quite a few times during your lecture. What is ‘Hakadoshbaruchhu’[6]?”
Rabbi Pincus noted that our Torah observance is somewhat analogous to that man’s understanding of the lecture. We love to perform the mitzvos and be involved in all of the beautiful rituals endemic to Torah observance. But we often forget to contemplate and think about ‘Hakadoshbaruchhu’.
Shabbos helps bring Hashem back in our lives, to help us cultivate that true connection, and remind us what is our real priority in life.
Throughout their years in the Midbar, Klal Yisroel followed the Cloud of Hashem by day and the Fire of Hashem at night.
What was the role of the fire and what was the role of the cloud?
Ibn Ezra – Protective measures – Jews were exposed in desert with Egyptians in hot pursuit. These protected Klal Yisroel.
Other Meforshim understand it as an early form of Waze. It directed them and showed them where to go. Follow the cloud.
Throughout Chumash Shemos the cloud and fire represents the presence of Hashem. Har Sinai was filled with smoke because Hashem descended in fire. Moshe ascended Har Sinai, and a cloud descended and covered the mountain for 6 days. And the appearance of hashem was like fire.
At the end of Pekudei it says that Hashem dwelled in Mishkan – clouds cover Ohel Moed, because cloud of Hashem on Mishkan and fire at night.
The combination of fire and cloud symbolizes G-d’s Presence.
Clouds and fire and both physical yet not physical. It’s there and you can see it, but you can stick your hand through it. It’s physical but lacks material substance.
Rav Aharon Lichtenstein explained that fire is light, symbolizing clarity. But clouds are opposite, symbolizing when things are unclear, misty, the mystery of what lies ahead.
Our relationship with Hashem is represented by clouds and fire. Fire symbolizes times of clarity intellectualism and logic. We see and understand G-d in the world. בכל דרכיך דעהו.
But there are many other times when Hashem’s ways are mysterious, nebulous and incomprehensible to us.
This idea represents what many of us are feeling at this time. We live in 21st century, age of technology and advancement. We get lulled into feeling that no matter what occurs, mankind can figure it out. Yet there are times symbolized by the cloud. Despite all we have accomplished, we don’t have any real mastery over the world. A week ago, no one could have fathomed that no one would be coming to shul this Shabbos, that there would be illness, and economic fears. We may feel fire sometimes but often our relationship with Hashyem is more like a cloud, and that’s when we need faith. In moments of mystery, we need to believe.
Hashem appears in fire and cloud, because our relationship with Him encompasses both.
The Be’er Moshe has a slightly different explanation: The final pasuk of Chumash Shemos says that the cloud of Hashem led them by day and fire at night. Why?
ענן is like word עניו – humility. (gemara Sanhedrin – exist). When we feel like we are on top of the world that’s when we need humility. But during times of darkness, when we feel lost and despondent, then we need to “fire ourselves up”. When we feel beaten as a people and wonder where Hashem is, we have to double down on our connection with Hashem and ensure that we connect with Him like fire.
B’chol maseihem – in all our travels of life we need to have those feelings.
During these times we shouldn’t say I can’t go to shul so let me stay in pajamas until 11:00. It’s an opportunity for us to focus on those things we normally cannot. Some people complain that they would have more kavanah if the guy next to them in shul wasn’t so loud. Now is their chance. “If it wasn’t for commute to work, I would spend more time with my children”. Now we have that time. All those things we never have time for, now we can.
During this time of לילה it should be a time of אש תהיה לילה.
- Hidden Praise is the loose meaning of Esther Tehilla, in whose memory these divrei Torah were transcribed. ↑
- Note: This is the first Parsha class Rabbi Moskowitz delivered online, the week after the Covid Restrictions went into place and shiurim transferred to Zoom. I have kept in italics the practical lessons applying to that period that Rabbi Moskowitz expressed. It should remind us of how difficult things were then and how grateful we have to be to Hashem that it is behind us. ↑
- “Erev Shabbos Parsha Inspiration”, March 20, 2020, posted on YUTorah.
https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecturedata/949336/Erev-Shabbos-Parsha-Inspiration ↑
- Stamtorah@gmail.com ↑
- 1917-1997; in his youth he learned in the Mirrer yeshiva in Europe. He married the daughter of Harav Yecheskel Sarna zt’l ↑
- Hakadosh Baruch Hu – the Holy One, blessed is He ↑