Rabbi Menachem Schrader
Founding Director of OU-JLIC
The Mishkan – A National Project
Moshe Rabeinu's gathering of the Jewish people to launch the campaign to build the Mishkan is laden with heavy eternal messages relevant to us today.
The building of a sanctuary through which the Jewish nation will transmit its prayers to God cannot be a personal endeavor. The obligation to build the Mishkan is on the Tzibur, the totality of the Jewish people. While inevitably specific tasks will be performed by individuals, these individuals are agents of the national collective, and they are not mandated to do anything unilaterally or independently. Even Moshe himself could not build the Mishkan without the gathering of the people together for this united activity. While different people will make different contributions to this effort, both financially and actively, equal opportunity to donate is key.
Furthermore, all personal donation must be on top of the standard donation of a half shekel, the donation of uniformity. All of this is implied in the statement of Sefer haChinuch on the commandment to build the Temple, stating that it is a mitzvah incumbent on the Tsibur.
It is for this reason that the Jewish people are required to appoint a king upon entering the land of Israel before building the Temple (Talmud Sanhedrin chapter 2, Rambam beginning of hilchos Melachim) – It is only through a unified national government that the Jewish people could act in solidarity to collectively perform this mitzvah.
Therefore, all discussion and effort towards accomplishing this mitzvah in our own day must be channeled through national authority. Partisan activity in this regard is contrary to both the spirit and letter of the law of this mitzvah, which is steeped in the necessity of collective fulfillment.
There is a tale told about the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement. Apparently, he would daven Shemoneh Esrei for a very, very, very long time. His disciples, his congregants, they loved him, they loved him dearly, but what were they going to do for all that time between them finishing the silent Shemoneh Esrei and when he would finish? They wouldn’t dream of talking, of course…
So one day one of the Chassidim had an idea. When we finish Shemoneh Esrei, we’ll all slip out of the room, and in the next room, we’ll make Kiddush! We’ll poke our head in and when the rabbi finishes davening, we’ll all come back in. (The original Kiddush club!)
So the next week, they did exactly that. After they finished davening, they silently slipped out of the room one by one, and they were just about to start their Kiddush when! The rabbi finished davening, a good fifteen minutes earlier than usual.
After davening, one of the Chassidim went over to the rabbi and asked him, “Holy Rabbi, what happened? Usually your Shemoneh Esrei takes twenty minutes and today it took five minutes?!”
And the Baal Shem Tov explained, “The reason I am able to daven such a powerful and meaningful prayer is because I am strengthened by all of you standing in silent contemplation, I am lifted by your presence and mindset. But today,” said the rabbi, “I didn’t feel that strength and I had nothing to climb upon to reach the heights I normally reach.”
English
“ ‘These are the precepts (pekudei) of the Tabernacle, Tabernacle of Testimony’ (Exodus 38:21)—the commandments are the visitations (pikudim) of God. Each mitzvah is an opportunity and an invitation for an experience of the Divine. Through performing these sacred deeds you transform your life into a dwelling place, or tabernacle (mishkan) for the divine Presence (Shekhinah)”. Rav Yeevi
Martin Buber (1878-1965) Austrian-born Israeli Jewish philosopher
“Where is the dwelling of God?“ This was the question with which Rabbi Mendel of Kotzk surprised a number of learned people who happened to be visiting him. They laughed at him: “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole world full of God‘s glory!“ Then he answered his own question: “God dwells wherever we let God in.“ (from Tales of the Hasidim)
1. Moses gathers the people together as a community. Presumably, the people respond to his direction. What makes Moses' leadership potent?
2. What is the need to gather the community - is it practical, spiritual or both?
3. Moses was appointed by God, but future Kings are to be appointed by the people - which does not actually occur. Are leaders in the Tanakh hampered by the lack of democratic process? Why does democratic process seem to be essential today?
4. How does community improve spiritual connection?
5. Moses will offer instruction into what the community is commanded to do - positive mitzvot. What are the benefits of performing positive mitzvot?
6. If God is everywhere, what is the value of the community building a place for God to reside rather than individual spiritual practice?