Chidushei Shaarei
under the spiritual leadership of the Bostoner Rebbe
Back to this week's Parsha | Previous Issues
Back to this week's Parsha | Previous Issues
In this week's parsha, it says "And they shall make an aron,"
(25:10). This is written in the plural. Later on, in 25:23, it
says "And you shall make a shulchan". This is singular.
In 25:31, it says "And you shall make a menorah," which
is also written in the singular, both of them referring to Moshe
Rabbeinu. Thus, when the Torah tells us about the Aron, it uses
the plural, but by the other klei mikdash it uses the singular.
The meforshim ask, "Why this is so? The Aron should also
use the singular."
The Kli Yakar explains: What does the Aron contain? The Luchos
Habris. The Luchos symbolize the Torah. The command to build the
Aron is written in plural to symbolize that everybody has their
own portion in Torah. Each individual has to develop his own portion
of learning. This is like we say in the brocho of Ahavas Olam
"V'sen chelkeinu b'sorasecha," help us develop our own
part in Your Torah.
Rav Steinberger adds to this that the plural loshon also appears in "V'assu Li Mikdash, V'shachanti B'sochum." It does not say "B'socho," in the singular, but it uses the plural 'B'sochum," which refers to the heart of each Jew. Ramban explains that the main purpose of the Mishkan is to house the Aron. similarly, each Jew must make himself a kli, in order to receive and house the Torah. How does one do this? Through Avodas Hashem. And one can only do Avodas Hashem through Torah.
AVIDAN EITJE (including concepts heard from Ariel Abrams)
The design of the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash, contain allusions to the spiritual form of the B'nei Yisroel. According to the Malbim, the plan and form of the Beis Hashem slaps the sinner in the face. Since the format of the Mishkan is a hint to the ideal spiritual conduct of a Jew, the possuk does not say "So you shall make the Mishkan and it's keilim," but rather the words "v'kein ta'asu" are written at the end, which implies that Hashem will only dwell among us if we act according to the format of the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash.
The Midrash Rabbah at the beginning of this week's parsha teaches
us that "Veyikchu li Teruma" implies that when one acquires
Torah, one is acquiring Hashem! The Midrash compares this to a
king (Hashem) that marries off his daughter (the Torah) to another
king (the Jewish People). When the husband wanted to go back home
to his country, the king explained that he could not part from
his daughter, and, therefore, he requested that his son-in-law
build a chamber for him to live near his daughter. So, too. Hashem
wants to be near the Torah, so He tells the Jewish People to build
the Mishkan (and later on, the Temple) so that He can always be
with His beloved Torah, even though He gave it to the Jews.
One might ask, "Where is there any reference to the Torah
in the passage 'veyikchu li Teruma'?" The Ba'al Haturim explains
that the word "Teruma" is made up of the letters "Mem"
and "Torah" referring to the Torah which was given in
40 days. Also, the end of the previous Parsha states that "Moses
was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights" and
there received the Torah.
Based on the Nefesh Hachaim (Sha'ar 4, chap. 10), we can offer
another explanation. Rav Chaim of Voloshin, the disciple of the
Vilna Gaon, there explains that, indeed, by acquiring Torah, one
"acquires" Hashem Himself because as the Zohar often
states, Hashem and the Torah are one. Accordingly, we can further
explain that this is what the Midrash meant when it said that
"Veyikchu Li" is a reference to Torah - because the
Midrash understood that "Ve'Yikchu Li" may be interpreted
to mean " And they shall take Me". How is it possible
to "take" Hashem? Obviously, the Midrash is based on
the concept that Hashem and the Torah are one and inseparable.
From this, the Midrash understood that the Scripture was alluding
to the "taking" of the Torah, which is the same as "taking"
Hashem. The reference to Torah is thus clearly implied in the
words "veyikchu li"!
One may further ask, if Hashem remained near the Torah by dwelling
in the Mishkan (and the Beis Hamikdash), as we have seen in the
Midrash, then what happens after the destruction of the Temple?
Surely Hashem would not abandon "His daughter" at that
point in history?
The answer to this question is that the Rabbis teach us "Rabbi
Chiya ben Ami said in the name of Ulla, 'Since the Temple was
destroyed, the Holy One has no place in this world except for
the four amos of Halacha'" (Brachos 8a).
As the Rosh Yeshiva of Netzach Yisroel, Rav Yisroel Zev Gustman, zt"l, explained, we eat meat at a siyum during the nine days, because in a place where there is Torah, there was in fact, no destruction of the Temple! Just as the Shechina dwelt in the Beis Hamikdash, today, It dwells in the Halls of Torah Study! Indeed, when we study Torah, the Holy Temple is still standing for us, and the Shechina continues to dwell in our midst.
RABBI EPHRAIM MENDLOVITZ
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