Vayakel-Pekudei

While this week we have a long Torah reading I thought it would be best to keep this one short and sweet.

The post-golden-calf-gate stories bring us to the actualization of the detailed sanctuary/Mishkan and conclusion of the Book of Exodus. However, the parsha opens with Moshe gathering everyone together to hear the detailed instructions. Moshe begins his remarks with a reminder of the holiness of the sabbath and then proceeds to give the instruction for construction.

Six days work may be done and the seventh day will be for you holy, a hole say of complete rest to Hashem; whoever does work will be put to death (Shmot 35:2-3).

The Torah Temimah, the commentary of Rabbi B Epstein, makes quick work of the phrase it "will be for you" by stating, "'for you holy, and that place, profane" (quoting a mechilta). This insightful comments rings a familiar bell to those who have read AJ Heschel's The Sabbath. I believe the Torah Temimiah is emphasizing the power of a Jew to make a moment transcend a place a fill it with soulfulness in an unique way. Just as it possible to stand in a secular/profane place and have a feeling of holiness the opposite is true; one can stand in a holy place and feel regular and empty. To explain this phenomenon let's return to the Mishkan, an idealic example of a holy space.

Traditional commentators bring down the fact that the Torah's reminder of the sacredness of the Shabbat preceding the construction of the Mishkan teaches that the Mishkan was commanded not to be built on Shabbat and thus any act preformed in creating the Mishkan would be prohibited on Shabbat. One would think that the goal of a holy building such as the Hashem's home on this earth would demand all of our attention and actions around the clock - no! The Netivot Shalom comments that Shabbat and the Mishkan achieve the same goal, a dwelling place for Hashem in our midst. Thus it would be redundant to work on the building if we already are basking in the glory of the Lrd.

Here we return to the simple words of the Torah Temimah. It is up to the Jew to make something meaningful and dedicated to Hashem, for the Mishkan really is only stones, beams of wood and all of the technical details found in the rest of the double parsha. It could remain that way, or as it was done twice, the Mishkan could be destroyed and taken away from us if we do not see the important responsibility to diligently and constantly imbue it with sacredness and specialness. We can make a regular place uniquely holy the same way we can spoil a holy place and make it mundane. It rests with us - or as the Torah says it "will be for you"?