Parshas Vayakhel

Parshas Vayakhel, 5784

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Every Yid Can Be Great

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֥ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' לֵאמֹֽר

And Moses spoke to the entire community of the children of Israel, saying: "This is the word that the Lord has commanded to say…(Shemos 35:4)

This and Parshas Kedoshim are unique. They are the only two parshiyos in the Torah that were said before the entire assembly of the Jewish people.

Why were these sections specifically said before the entire gathered assembly?  What can we learn from this for our Avodas Hashem?

Parshas Kedoshim contains a critical mitzvah. The pasuk says (Vayikra 19:2), דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדשִׁ֣ים תִּֽהְי֑וּ- Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy…Being holy seems like a lofty standard.  It would be easy for someone to think to themselves that this mitzvah is for the precious few tzaddikim, for the true Baalei Avodah. Therefore, the Alshich explained, Parshas Kedoshim was said before every Jew to teach them that every single yid can achieve holiness; everyone can strive spiritual exaltedness. This is not beyond reach of anyone and is within the grasp of all who are willing to apply themselves.  Therefore, this mitzvah had to be said to the entire gathered assembly; to the entire Jewish people.

The Toldos Yaakov Yoseif explained that this is also why Parshas Vayakehl needed to be said to the entire Jewish people.

The Sifri (Parshas Mattos ) explained that there was difference between the prophecies of Moshe and all of the other prophets.  The prophets began their prophecies with the word כה-thus. Moshe, however, was on a far higher level of clarity that represented a different dynamic in his relationship with Hashem. And, he prophesied with the phrase זה הדבר-this is the word…

This is the deeper lesson being taught here.  Every yid had to be there.  They all had to present to hear that every yid can achieve greatness like Moshe did.  Every yid  can and must strive for spiritual excellence.  Every yid can achieve,  This is the word….

ב.

וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל משֶׁ֗ה אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' לַֽעֲשׂ֥ת אֹתָֽם:

Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: "These are the things that the Hashem commanded to make. (Shemos 35:1)

The parsha begins by Moshe gathering the entire Jewish nation to learn about the laws of Shabbos followed by the construction of the Mishkan. How can we understand the narrative and proximity of these events?  Why does the entire nation need to be present for the laws of Shabbos and the construction of the Mishkan?

Chazal taught (Zohar Breishis 27b) us that anyone who is angry is considered like an idol worshipper. Why would anger be equated with such a severe sin?

The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that we must continuously work on living a life of emunah in Hashem’s Hasgacha Pratis.  Every event in our lives, everything we have and all that we lack is provided by an exacting Divine Providence and intervention.  When someone is angry, it is inevitably a denial of Hashgacha Pratis. If you are mad that a business deal fell apart, or someone harmed you in some way, that emotion is crediting that some other element in this world has jurisdiction over what happens in your life. If you truly believed in Hashgacha Pratis and that Hashem is ever present guiding the events of your life how could you ever be angry, or jealous, or disappointed? You have everything that Hashem knows that you need to have in any given moment.  You are experiencing everything you are meant to experience.

Therefore, when someone becomes angry, they are compared to someone who worships idols, who is dependent on a foreign god.

Division amongst yidden is the byproduct of this “Avodah Zara.”  Every quarrel, argument, every ounce of baseless hatred and every judgmental comment is a denial of Hashem and His Hashgacha Pratis.  These middos that create division in the Jewish community can be stripped down to one misguided worldview: thinking that someone or something can impact your life besides Hashem.

Ahavas Yisroel is fundamental for so many reasons.  One of them is that Ahavas Yisroel is an also an expression, appreciation and acknowledgement of Hashgacha Pratis.

The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that the achdus and unity that was created at Har Sinai was interrupted with the Eigel, the Golden Calf.  That act of idol worship introduced division into the world.  The Vayikach Moshe notes that in every Parsha that discusses the Eigel, the Jews are only referred to as a “nation” and not Bnei Yisroel.  A nation has divisions.  Bnei Yisroel  has complete unity.  The first time Bnei Yisroel is used again is in our pasuk, when Moshe gathers the yidden together.

And, they gather to first learn about Shabbos, which is a recognition of Hashem’s Hasgacha.  When someone struggles all week with their livelihood and takes a step back on Shabbos, it is the awareness that everything is in Hashem’s hands.

Understanding and believing in Hasgacha Pratis through Shabbos is why it has the power of Shalom, bringing peace and serenity to the world and into our lives. It can unite the divisions and create true achdus.  Therefore, Chazal taught (Shabbos 118b) that even an idol worshipper can find forgiveness for that sin on Shabbos.  We let go of our divisions when we eradicate the belief in false gods, imaginary forces, and grasp onto the emunah of Hasgacha Pratis.

The Zohar explains that Shabbos in one of Hashem’s names that is “complete from every angle”.  Shabbos can remedy the sin of idol worship because when someone truly prepares for and accepts the kedusha of Shabbos, they acknowledge that everything is dictated by Hashem, He is complete from all sides.

This concept of achdus by gathering and learning about the laws of Shabbos is a prerequisite for the Mishkan. [ Perhaps this is also why Shabbos was given before Mattan Torah while the Jews were still in Marah. The word Marah can mean “bitterness”.  A yid needs to let go of his bitterness, accept that everything is Hashagha Pratis as expressed by Shabbos, and only then can he accept the Torah.  Without achdus, there is no Torah.] 

Chazal taught that the Mishkan was a kaparah, was how the yidden found forgiveness for the Eigel. And, only after that mentaility of idol worship was eradiacted and rectified could Hashem’s presence, could the Shechina, dwell in this world and be felt in our lives.

Therefore, Hashem gathered all of the yidden to reenforce the idea of Ahavas Yisorel when the  the laws of Shabbos were presented along with the Mishkan, the two processes and events that helps us lean into the idea of Hasgacha Pratis, which eradicates Avodah Zara and the denial of Hasgacha Pratis leading to a unified, loving and caring Jewish people.

The Seforim HaKedoshim also note that the mikvah is alluded to by the word וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל-and gather because they both share the same gematria.

Achdus and unity is transformative. It can purify the impure just as a mikveh does. Simply being around other Jews can elevate a person and their Avodas Hashem. It isn’t just a polite and loving existence, but an expression of a true Emunas Hashem.