By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California — Whether you say אֹשֶׁר, שִׂמְחָה, happy, rejoice, or bliss, it’s something we all desire. We don’t need “Google, MD” to tell us about happiness, when we learn how to derive deep happiness from the entirety of communal purpose and focus in building of the Mishkan.
Hillel teaches us “Do not separate yourself from the community.” Do we need the Blue Zones or the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to tell us about the importance of unity and connection? Hillel tells us further in Avos 2:5, “Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death.” He is suggesting that since we cannot trust ourselves, our synagogue, our community, is necessary for us to help sustain our spiritual stability. The beit k’neset, is a house of gathering for the community to bring us together as one. Is this what characterizes your synagogue? Or is there so much divisiveness, argument, conflict, that it is hardly a place of holiness? Like Moses, what do you bring to magnify holiness in shul?
Bringing respect and dignity, with a feeling of affection, in our synagogues, leaps from the pages of this parsha. The attention to detail that we read about goes beyond the textiles, metals, and designs. What about the details of how we treat each other? How all are welcome and greeted, and how do welcome and greet others? Our physical and spiritual space within our House of Worship best reflects the awe and dignity which Hashem, Moses, and Betzalel in particular, built into our Mishkan.
Moses gathered us all together to build the Mishkan. When we are united, gathered and assembled in the beauty of our Houses of Worship, where we learn and pray, where holiness is brought to our lives, it is clear then that we are surrounded by Hashem, a place where we can complete and perfect creation.
In Deuteronomy Rabbah 7:2, BT B’rachot 8a, we learn from Rabbi Aha ben Rabbi Hanina who says, “Happy is the man that hearkens to Me, determined to enter within My doors “(Proverbs 8:34). What is meant by “determined to enter within My doors”? The Holy One said, ‘When you go to pray within the synagogue, do not remain standing at the outer door, praying there.” Moreover, said Rabbi Aibu, “When you sit in a synagogue, the Holy One stands over you to wait on you, as is said, “God stands in the congregation of God” (Psalms 82:1).
The parsha hints at something quite illuminating. While we built the Mishkan, the process of doing so, the unity we experienced, our undistracted singular focus and purpose, our following Hashem’s plan, actually built us, says the Malbim. By building something, the builder changes.
Rabbi Dov Greenberg tells over the well-known story of the financially distressed man who tried to get into an exclusive, wealthy synagogue. The shul members were quite polite, so to avoid letting him in, they put him off with one excuse after another until, finally, the poor man got the idea. One day he went to the synagogue only to be rejected once again, and as he was walking away depressed and disheartened, he came upon Hashem.
Hashem asked the downtrodden man, “What’s leading you to look so sad?” The man said, “Because I’ve been trying to get into that shul for months and I can’t get in.” Hashem said, “You are in good company. I’ve been trying to get into that shul for decades, and I can’t get in, either.” Our focus would best not be on whom we stand above, but before Whom we stand in service. When we align our actions and priorities with this understanding, we can truly embody the sanctity of Kadosh l’Hashem.
Recall that after the Mishkan was complete, the people brought the furnishings to Moses. Rashi tells us that the reason the people did not build the Mishkan was they feared they were unable to build it without help due to the heavy beams they could not lift. Moses asked, “How can the Mishkan be built by man?” Hashem answered, “Involve yourself in building the Mishkan with your hand and though it will appear as if you were setting it up, it will actually rise upright and stand by itself.”
As the Midrash tells us, “Adam oseh beyadav v’Hakadosh Baruch Hu mevarech ma’aseh yadav” — “A person does with his hands and the Holy One Blessed Be He will bless the work of his hands.” Without Moshe’s help, the building would not have occurred. Once Moshe did his very best did the miracle of the building take place. “For this is the way of the all the miracles in the Torah and the Prophets – to do what is within man’s capability to do, and the rest will be in the hands of Heaven” (Ramban, Beresishit, 6:19).
We need to take steps to glorify our shuls and allow Hashem to add His holiness. Rashi says Moses blessed the people upon seeing what they had done, “Yehi ratzon shetishreh Shechinah b’ma’aseh yedeichem” — “May it be the will that the Divine presence abide in the work of your hands.”
It is time to focus on how our congregations can reignite this spiritual fire, to bring all back to this meaningful center of life. Without gentleness, thoughtfulness, and humanity, even with impressive, magnificent riches, glistening silver, and outstanding architecture, what have we? Berating, judging will not do. Love and compassion for all, will. A barely uttered, “G’Shabbos” while looking away won’t do. Let’s all try to judge others with more understanding and less suspicion. May we all be worthy of finding favor, both in Hashem’s eyes and in the eyes of those around us.
The parasha tells us, V’hinei asu otah ka-asher tzivah Hashem cayn aso, v’yvarech otam Moshe, “And it was done as G-d commanded, so it was done, and Moses blessed them.” What was the blessing Moshe gave to us? The sages tell us the blessing was “May it be G-d’s will that His presence rests in the work of your hands.” The work of our hands? That was the building of the Mishkan! Doing Hashem’s work, building His Mishkan single-mindedly, that’s the derivative of the blessing of happiness.
*
Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.