MUSSAR D’ORAISA

 

Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei 5764

           

“These are the reckonings of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony, which was reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. The labor of the Levites was under the authority of Issamar, son of Aharon HaKohen. Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Yehudah, did everything that Hashem commanded Moshe.” (Shemos 38:21-22)

 

This week’s sedra deals with a recounting, in detail, of work related to the mishkan: how much of each item was necessary for its construction, greater detail of how to complete the vessels and garments, etc. But if we are only going into greater detail about information we already know, what is the need for this preface of Eileh p’kudei hamishkan, these are the reckonings of the Tabernacle? Let the Torah flow right into the greater detail, because we already know that we are dealing with the mishkan. The Torah must be telling us with this preface that there is something special specifically related to the creation of the mishkan, not just the vessels themselves. What lesson are we to learn from the feeling or events surrounding the construction of the mishkan?

Sforno explains this preface to mean that the way the mishkan was created, in a fashion of incredible holiness from beginning to end, ensured the survival of the mishkan through war and wear, unlike the First and Second Temples, which although they were incredibly holy they did not live up to the standards of the mishkan because they were lacking in the preface to their construction. The mishkan that Moshe Rabeinu built remained intact over time and was never captured or desecrated. Sforno says that four contributing factors to this are alluded to in the two pesukim above:

1. It was a Tabernacle of Testimony in which the Tablets of Testimony rested, symbolizing Hashem’s forgiveness and His close connection to Klal Yisroel.
2. It was created at the behest of Moshe Rabeinu, the leader of Klal Yisroel.
3. The service of the Levites, (who had been faithful after the sin of the golden calf), as well as all the other components were under the charge of a great man, Issamar.
4. Bezalel and those who worked with him were of distinguished lineage and incredible righteousness, among the tzaddikim of the generation.

Therefore, says Sforno, the Shechina dwelled there in the work of their hands and the mishkan did not fall into the hands of oppressors. But the Beis HaMikdash built by Shlomo HaMelech, although it was built under his charge, it was built with gentile labor rather than the righteous of the generation. So although the Divine Presence dwelt there, it was lacking compared to the mishkan. Its parts became worn over time and needed upkeep. And eventually it fell to the Babylonians. The Second Temple was built with the permission of Koresh, the king of Persia, and did not even have the Shechinah dwell there, nor did it have the Tablets of Testimony. It too was destroyed. The Sforno continues that compared to the gold and silver used in Shlomo’s and Herod’s Temples, the amounts used in the mishkan were insignificant. Yet the mishkan surpassed both in holiness. This shows that the Divine Presence rests not where there is abundance of wealth, but rather among righteous people.

      Gross materialism, today’s avodah zara, is a taavah that is very hard to overcome. It is an overt presence affecting the society we live in, reaching deep into even the Torah observant community. Some “Torah communities” quickly trade away certain aspects of Torah and tradition to pursue the ideology of materialism. It permeates every aspect of most people’s lives and even manages to hide itself behind a façade of Torah observance, corrupting the way that we celebrate Chanukah and send Shaloch Manos on Purim. We must learn that Hashem wants us to serve him with righteousness, in a Torah fashion every step of the way as in the construction of the mishkan. The sin of materialism corrupts Klal Yisroel with a taavah to live and act more and more like the goyim around us, drawing us away from learning Torah and serving Hashem toward unnecessary material pursuits. If we want the Shechina to dwell among us again, we must lay the foundation in a righteous manner, performing mitzvos, learning Torah, serving Hashem properly, and avoiding the sin of materialistic thinking.

 

Yitzchok Pinkus

Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim