Parshat Vayakhel 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that Bnei Yisrael brought all the materials necessary for the building of the Mishkan. The pasuk states (Chapter 36, Pasuk 7), והמלאכה היתה דים לכל המלאכה לעשות אתה והותר. They brought enough for the work that needed to be done for the building of the Mishkan. The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh points out that there is a contradiction within the pasuk. First the pasuk says דים; they brought the sufficient amount of materials. And then the pasuk concludes with the word והותר which indicates there was more than enough; some was left over. Which one was it, he asks; דים or והותר?
The Ohr Hachaim answers that Bnei Yisrael actually brought more than was necessary; hence the word דים. But Hashem, out of His great love for Bnei Yisrael, ensured that everything was used and was made necessary for the Mishkan. Though it was really והותר, in practice it was דים.
The Sfas Emes offers a different explanation for this apparent contradiction. He says that the donations for the building of the Mishkan were meant to be L’Shem Shamayim, for the right purpose of performing the mitzvah and serving Hashem. When the command for the donations is first given in parshat Terumah, the Torah states (Chapter 25, Pasuk 1), ויקחו לי תרומה, Rashi comments ויקחו לי, לשמי. Hashem commands that it needs to be for My sake, and not with any ulterior motive and foreign consideration.
When one does a mitzvah, one can respond with a feeling of false pride in one’s actions. He might feel that his drawing closer to Hashem through his act makes him great. The Sfas Emes says in the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov that when one does a great deed or a mitzvah, he needs to recoil afterwards with a sense of fear and embarrassment. Rather than feel great pride in himself, when one draws closer to Hashem, he is more cognizant of his own shortcomings.
This idea recalls the words of the Rambam in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah. In the beginning of the second Perek, the Rambam teaches that there is a mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem, of loving Gd. He says that a way to achieve this is by viewing the beauty and the wonders of the created world around him. A person is immediately filled with love for Hashem and His amazing world. But then, continues the Rambam, one recoils back with fear and trepidation at his own fragility and insignificance. The same thing is true of performing mitzvos; the closer we get the more we realize our own weakness and wonder how we can stand before Him and do mitzvos.
When bringing donations for the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael were at risk of falling into the trap of getting too enraptured with their own generosity. And in fact, they brought more than was necessary, as the pasuk concludes, והותר. But the pasuk also says דים; they gave with the right intention and without losing their sense of proportion. They didn’t go overboard with a false sense of self, but rather gave humbly and within the bounds of the required motivation.
This idea is also indicated in the words immediately preceding this pasuk. ויכלא העם מהביא. Rashi explains it to mean the people restrained themselves from bringing. They used self-restraint in their bringing and brought in the right manner, though they brought more than was necessary.
This week is parshat Shekalim. The first Mishnah in Shekalim teaches, באחד באדר משמיעין על השקלים ועל הכלאים; on the first of Adar we announce the mitzvah of bringing the מחצית השקל for the public sacrifices. Since with the beginning of the month of Nisan the sacrifices were brought from the new donations, Beis Din would announce for everyone to bring their Shekalim a month before. This is why we read parshat Shekalim on the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh Adar. And they would also announce and remind everyone of the prohibition of Kilayim, of mixing prohibited seeds one with the other, since this was the sowing season.
The Sfas Emes sees a deeper connection between these two laws. When making donations, be it for the Mishkan or for the sacrifices of the Beis Hamikdash, it is prohibited to mix pure intentions with impure ones. Kilayim represents purity of action and thought, and not mixing something which doesn’t belong. Similarly, the challenge Bnei Yisrael met when bringing their donations for the Mishkan was insuring that they acted L’Shem Shamayim, and not allowing impure responses which would lead them astray.
The Sfas Emes adds that the כלאים of the Mishnah can also be understood in the same manner as ויכלא העם מהביא. Bnei Yisrael performed the mitzvah of giving to the Mishkan with restraint and limited their giving to the right motivation. They didn’t go overboard in their giving and refrained from mixing their good intentions with bad ones.
Good Shabbos
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