TORAH PORTION

Attention To Detail

Shabbat Vayachel-Pekudei: Exodus 35:1-
40:38; 12:1-20; Ezekiel 45:16-46:18.

y

ou're finally there.
function of the Tabernacle.
You're in the
The purpose of the
process of build-
Tabernacle was to establish a
ing your dream home, the
physical structure where God
culmination of years of
could be accessed. Although
dreaming, planning and hard
God exists everywhere, He
work. Every day, you visit the
has deliberately concealed
construction site, marveling
Himself within this physical
at the building that is taking
world, making it difficult for
shape before your eyes. One
us to feel His presence. The
Rabbi
bright Monday morning,
Tabernacle, and later the
Elimelech
the chief electrician — the
Holy Temple, was that place
Silberberg
person responsible for wir-
where it would be easier to
Special to the
ing the entire structure —
have a sense of God.
Jewish News
comes in to do his job. After
Chapter 5 of Ethics of the
only two hours, he breezes
Fathers describes 10 miracles
past you and wishes you "goodbye'
that routinely took place in the Holy
"Goodbye?" you gape in surprise.
Temple as a manifestation of the Divine
"You're leaving already?"
Presence there. When Jews visited the
"Sure thing. I finished the job."
Tabernacle and Holy Temple, these
"Finished?! How could you have
miracles reinforced their belief system
finished everything in just a couple of
and their connection with God.
hours?"
In truth, every time one performs a
"Oh, no problem. I put in all the
mitzvah (commandment) — whether
major wires and connections."
it is donning tefillin, lighting Shabbat
"Every single room? Every single
candles, visiting the sick or extending
outlet? For the air conditioning, and the help to the needy — one can connect
ovens, and the computer systems, and
to and have a sense of God. But the only
way that one can access God through
"Hey, I don't sweat the small stuff,
a mitzvah is by paying attention to the
y'know. I got the main connections in
details, not just the "general idea;' just
— the general idea — and it'll be just
as the Tabernacle could only become
fine:"
the place where Godliness was revealed
You know, sure as it's Monday morn-
by meticulous attention to all the min-
ing, that it's very not fine. Because
ute details of its construction — as out-
without meticulous attention to all the
lined not once, but twice in the Torah.
electrical details, there will be no power
A sophisticated project will only be
flowing, your air conditioning won't
successful if we take note of all the
work and your computers and lamps
details; so, too, the observance of com-
and toasters and blow-dryers most cer-
mandments can only reach its ultimate
tainly won't be connected.
goal, connection to God, by paying
Parshat Vayachel-Pekudei culminates
scrupulous attention to all the fine
a four-week stretch of Torah portions
points.
that contain many specific details about
Although lighting Shabbat candles
the dimensions of the Tabernacle and
before Shabbat enters is always a mitz-
the materials that were used to build it.
vah, knowing how and when to recite
In fact, these details are stated not once, the blessing over the candles greatly
but twice within the course of these
increases its spiritual impact. Giving to
portions.
the needy is a fundamental mitzvah in
By contrast, most other command-
Judaism, but studying the laws of char-
ments are presented in the Torah most
ity and understanding the parameters
ambiguously. The Scriptures rarely
of this commandment truly enhances
elaborate upon the details and spe-
the spiritual impact and "connectivity"
cifics of the mitzvot; rather, they are
of tzedakah [righteousness].
expounded upon in the Oral Tradition
God is truly in the details. ri
of the Talmud.
To explain this puzzling phenom-
Elimelech Silberberg is rabbi of the Sara &
enon, our sages explain that one must
Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of
first understand the nature and the
West Bloomfield.

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