Parshas Vayakhel-Para
My Heart Is In The Gold!
“Moshe said to the entire congregation of the B’nei Yisrael, saying, ‘This is the word that Hashem has commanded.’” (Shmos 35:4)
Rav Chaim of Volozhin zt”l, was the preeminent student of the Gaon of Vilna and the founder of the Volozhin Yeshiva. The Yeshiva hired several people who went around from city to city and from village to village collecting money to help support the Yeshiva. One of the fundraisers approached Rav Chaim Volozhin. He said that if he were given his own horse and cart, he could save significant time and be much more effective collecting money for the Yeshiva. He also suggested that the Yeshiva provide him with a proper suit and coat. If he gave the impression that he was representing a high-class institution, the results would be more impressive. Rav Chaim Volozhin agreed with his idea.
There was one Jew in a certain city who always used to give generously to the Yeshiva. Rav Chaim noticed that the next time this fundraiser went to this man’s village, the man did not give a donation. The fundraiser said that he usually received a warm reception and a sizeable donation, but this time he received a cold shoulder and no donation. Rav Chaim decided to personally go to this man to ask for a donation. He went to the fellow who explained why he refused to give a donation this time. He said that every year when he donated, he thought to himself, “I am giving to the Volozhiner Yeshiva, the pre-eminent Torah institution in the entire region, so that young men can sit and learn Torah and develop into great Jewish leaders.” This past time I saw the fundraiser dressed in fancy clothes coming with his own cart and horse. I asked myself, “Is this what I’m giving my money for? Am I donating so that this man can have a horse, a cart, and fine clothes? I want my money to go for the study of Torah not for transportation costs and fancy clothes.”
Rav Chaim Volozhin answered the man’s concern through an explanation about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. He told the man that there was gold that was used for the holiest items in the Mishkan such as the Aron, the Menorah, the Shulchan, and the Mizbeyach that was used to burn incense. There was also money used in the Mishkan for items that were less holy, for example, the boards and the curtains. Bezalel was given a special form of Ruach HaKodesh, Divine Spirit which let him know the motives of each donor. If the motives were totally for the sake of Hashem, then that donation was used for the holiest vessels. If a person gave money with some ulterior motives, such as a desire for honor, then Bezalel knew to earmark that money for the boards, the curtains, or the less holy utensils in the Mishkan. Both types of people were involved in a special mitzvah and were rewarded. However, the gifts from the ones with the holier thoughts were used for the holier vessels. Rav Chaim continued that the same was true with donations to the Yeshiva. Some people give money strictly so that the young men can learn Torah. However, some people cannot focus on the main purpose of a Yeshiva and are turned off if they see an old building or a poorly dressed representative of the Yeshiva. It is for the latter category of contributors that I had to give my fundraiser new clothes and his own horse and wagon. Rest assured, Rav Chaim told this former donor, that I know the holy intent with which your contribution is given. Your money goes only to support the Torah learning of our students. It is the money of the other people who focus on material matters or who also give to receive personal honor that is used to purchase the horse and carriage and wardrobe of my fundraiser. Of course, they are also performing a special mitzvah to help support students learning Torah. However, their money goes to pay for more mundane things. (Yalkut Lekach Tov by Yaakov Yisroel Beyfus and Rabbi Yissocher Frand on Torah.Org)
Hashem instructed Moshe to collect donations from Bnei Yisroel to construct the Mishkan. “Moshe said to the entire congregation of the B’nei Yisrael, saying, ‘This is the word that Hashem has commanded.’” Rashi says that this is what Hashem commanded “me” to “tell you”.
The Midrash says that Moshe felt pain that he was not given the opportunity to personally participate in donating towards the Mishkan.
Why wasn’t Moshe also asked to donate to the building of the Mishkan? The Talmud (Jerusalem Talmud Shekalim 1:5) says that the Mishkan was built as an atonement for the sin of the golden calf. Perhaps you can answer that since Moshe did not participate in the sin, he was not asked to participate in its construction.
Rabbi Shlomo Kluger z”l says that Hashem did not want Moshe to feel bad. The Torah says, “Moshe could not enter the Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested upon it, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan (Shmos 40:35).” What was the purpose of placing the cloud over the Mishkan, preventing Moshe from entering, and then calling Moshe to enter? Had Hashem not blocked entry into the Mishkan with a cloud, He would not have needed to invite Moshe inside! Rabbi Kluger explains that Hashem did this because Moshe felt bad that he had not donated anything to the Mishkan. By blocking entry to the Mishkan and then allowing only Moshe inside, Hashem demonstrated how beloved Moshe was to Him. (Shlomo Katz on Torah.org).
Rabbi Uren Reich (Vayimaen.org) gives a beautiful explanation of why Moshe was not permitted to donate to the Mishkan. The Torah tells us that no one was forced to give. Yet, everyone wanted to donate to be part of this special mitzvah. Only Moshe Rabbeinu was not permitted to give. He felt pain that Hashem did not permit him to donate. Why didn’t Hashem permit him to donate? The Mishkan was not built with the silver and gold that Bnei Yisroel gave. Hashem has His own silver and gold. The Mishkan was built by the love for Hashem that Klal Yisroel demonstrated when they gave away their most precious possessions for the Mishkan to be built. Sacrificing their prized possessions for Hashem showed how much Bnei Yisroel loved Hashem! The Chasam Sofer (Shmos25:20) concurs with this, based on the Talmud (Brachos 35A). Rabbi Reich continued that Moshe was unable to show his love to Hashem this way. Moshe was so removed from physicality that it had no meaning for him. It would not have been a sacrifice for him to donate anything. Had he been permitted to donate something, that item would have been lacking the special love which was manifested by the sacrifice of prized possessions for Hashem.
Rabbi Reich learned a beautiful lesson from this. He said, “We have opportunities because of the weakness of our generation that greater tzadikim did not have.”
We demonstrate our love for Hashem when we overcome challenges. The greatest tzadikim of previous generations did not have the same challenges that we have because the same temptations that we have did not exist for them. They would not have been able to show their love of Hashem had they overcome these temptations because they were not tempted by them. But in our generation, we have many opportunities to show our love for Hashem when we overcome those challenges.
We live in a world lacking honesty and morality. We are surrounded and inundated by challenges that attack our holy, Jewish souls. These challenges are opportunities!! They are opportunities to show Hashem how much we love Him by trying our best to overcome them.
