TORAH PORTION
Saturday, March 16, 1991
8:30 p.m. — 12:30 a.m.
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
14601 WEST LINCOLN
OAK PARK, MICHIGAN
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Trip courtesy of Hamilton, Miller, Hudson & Fayne Travel Corporation
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STATE LICENSE #M17416-63R
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r•
Shabbat: The Foundation
Of Our Affinity To God
MIRIAM HUFFSTUTTER
Special to The Jewish News
0
m- sages teach us that
nothing in the Torah
is redundant — not
even one word is repeated un-
necessarily. Yet, in the book of
Shemot we find the com-
mandment concerning the
Sabbath repeated several
times, including in this
week's parsha, Vayakhel.
Two questions arise: What
is the purpose of repeating
this commandment, and se-
cond, what is the significance
of its repetition in the open-
ing statement of Moses to the
children of Israel?
Other questions arise con-
cerning the linkage of Par-
shat Vayakhel with Parshat
Pekudey. What are their
similarities that they should
be linked, and what are their
differences that they should
be separate?
To answer all these ques-
tions, one must go back to the
previous week's Torah portion
and examine the events that
had taken place.
In 31:16-17, God commands
Moses to tell Israel:
"Wherefore, the children of
Israel should keep the Sab-
bath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations,
for a perpetual covenant. It is
a sign between Me and the
children of Israel forever." In
the very next chapter, we read_
the story of idolatry in the
form of the golden calf. In the
physical absence of their
spiritual leader, Moses, they
panicked and resorted to
their most base instincts.
With Parshiyot Vayakhel
and Pekudey we see three
stages of dialogue between
God and the Jewish nation.
The Lubavitch Rebbe ex-
plains that first comes the
"awakening from above," the
Divine initiative and com-
mand to unite one's self with
God. Then there is the human
response in which man rises
to the challenge of obedience
to God's mitzvot even though
he may not understand or
agree or like His demands. At
this stage, man goes through
a process of shedding his delu-
sions of self-sufficiency and
makes room in his heart — a
tabernacle — for God to
reside.
Finally, the Divine response
floods the human sanctuary
with "the glory of the Lord."
Thus, Vayakhel instructs
man in what he must create
Miriam Huffstutter lives in
Oak Park.
and how he must create it
(the tabernacle).
Pekudey details the result of
the Divine response. To
underscore this point, it is in-
teresting to note that the
Torah emphasizes that only a
half shekel, not a full shekel,
per head was required. The
words shekel and nefesh (soul)
have the same numerical
value. Chassidus explains
that God wanted a half shekel
because he wanted a half soul
— a broken spirit, not an ar-
rogant one.
The Shechina cannot dwell
where there is arrogance or
false pride. Such traits
manifest themselves in a
stubborn nature. One who is
stubborn will resist the
Divine will thus preventing
himself from becoming a
vessel for bracha (blessing)
and shalom. The Gemarah
expands on this regarding
shalom bayis (peace in the
home) between a husband
and wife. When one spouse is
stubborn toward the other,
shalom cannot exist. At Har
Sinai, the Jewish nation
became married to God. The
Jewish people expressed their
willingness and desire for the
marriage by declaring, "We
Vayakel-Pekude:
Shabbat Parah
Exodus 35:1-40:38,
Numbers 19:1-22,
Ezekiel 36:16-38.
will do and we will under-
stand," thus shedding their
arrogance and stubbornness.
The Midrash says that the
tabernacle testified to the
whole world that God had
forgiven Israel for the sin of
the golden calf. Hence, the
Torah speaks of the taber-
nacle of testimony. Perhaps
another reason for the taber-
nacle was a recognition of the
frailty of the human condi-
tion. Har Sinai was an im-
movable structure, whereas
the tabernacle was a movable
structure containing within it
the ark of the covenant. The
message is clear: No matter
where the Jew lives, inside
the land of Israel or in the
Diaspora, his relationship
with God is permanent, his
obligation to abide by the con-
venant is all pervasive no
matter where we are. The
foundation of this relation-
ship with our creator is the
Sabbath. By _observing the
Sabbath there is a weekly
recurring acknowledgement
of our relationship with God.
(
N