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Wishing you a

Happy
St. Patrick's

Love Is In
The Details

Day

Parshat Pekudei: Exodus 38:21-40:38;
I Kings 7:51-8:21.

from the shops at

I

n this week’s parshah, we con-
would salt the fish; Rav Chisda would
tinue reading about the building
cut up beets; Rav Yosef would chop
of the Tabernacle and finally see
wood; and Rav Nachman would shlep
it completed. In all, there are
things that were needed for
four parshiot that deal almost
Shabbos on his shoulder.
exclusively with the build-
All of these sages could
ing of the Tabernacle and the
have easily exempted them-
vessels and vestments used
selves from these seemingly
inside it.
trivial tasks; but they loved
The Torah goes into enor-
Shabbos, and they wanted
mous detail describing every
to be involved in every little
facet of the construction. It
detail of creating the perfect
even repeats everything twice Rabbi Leiby
Shabbos. The love was in the
Burnham
— once when it was com-
details.
manded and once when it was
The Tabernacle was the
built. This is uncharacteristic
place in which God would
of the Torah, which normally
live with His people. The
is very brief. Why did the Torah go
only way it could be built was if we
into such detail specifically here?
lovingly built it according to all the
Additionally, people often wonder
details that God wanted as details are
why Judaism stresses all sorts of intri-
the basis of a real loving relationship,
cate laws. Why can’t we just love God?
not thoughts or feelings.
Why isn’t it enough for me to talk
Similarly, the details contained in
to Him a few times a day in my own
all the mitzvot are the building blocks
words, give Him thanks and tell Him
for the temple we can create within
that I love Him?
ourselves for God. By meticulously fol-
Let’s answer that with this question.
lowing the details He asks of us, we are
Would it be enough for me to simply
putting Him above ourselves; in that
tell my wife I love her and do nothing
way, we build a big relationship with
else for her? How about if I told her
God, using all the little bricks.
five times a day? How about if I did for
Rabbi Leiby Burnham is director of outreach
her whatever I found meaningful? Of
for the Weiss Family Partners in Torah at the
course not.
The way you show someone you love Southfield-based Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.
them is by doing all the little things
they want you to do for them. By tak-
ing out the garbage, by writing a little
CONVERSATIONS
love note, by doing the dishes and
• What actions build the strongest
by packing a lunch for her to take to
relationship with God: What I find
work.
meaningful or what God asks of me?
Not only does doing those things
• What new action can I add to my
show her you love her, but they also
daily routine that I would do simply
build your love for her because you’re
because God asks it of me?
sacrificing for her. Taking care of the
• Why is love built when we do
little details is what builds the big love.
things others ask of us more than
We find a focus on detail by even the
when we do things we want to do
greatest of sages. The Talmud recounts
for them?
the chores that various great rabbis
would do to prepare for Shabbos. Rava

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March 10 • 2016

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