Parshas Pekudei
1. In the Torah in general, and in the Written Torah in particular, every word and even every letter is precise and carefully counted. Many halachos are derived from individual words, or even from individual letters, of the Torah. Nevertheless, in the parshiyos of Vayakhel and Pekudei, the detailed description of the vessels of the Mishkan and the priestly garments is repeated, although they had already been described once, in the finest detail, in the parshiyos of Terumah and Tetzaveh.
Seemingly, the Torah could have said briefly that the Jews made the vessels of the Mishkan and the priestly garments as G‑d had commanded Moshe, and in that way saved dozens of verses?
2. The reason that many halachos are not stated explicitly in the Torah, and must instead be derived from individual letters, is this: since the halachos can be known from a superfluous word or letter in the Torah, if they were stated explicitly, that would be a redundancy of words (superfluous speech).
This is also the reason that many laws appear in the Mishnah only by way of an allusion, while in the Gemara they are set out at length1. For the Mishnah is written in concise language compared to the Gemara; so if, from the style and precise wording of the Mishnah, the laws can be derived from an allusion, then stating them explicitly would have been a redundancy of words. And the same applies to the Gemara in relation to the Rishonim, and to the Rishonim in relation to the Acharonim.
According to this, the question mentioned above becomes even stronger: seemingly, the entire description of the making of the Mishkan in the parshiyos of Vayakhel–Pekudei is a redundancy of words?
3. The answer to this follows the same lines as the answer given to a similar question:
Why are the offerings of the Nesi'im (the tribal princes) in Parshas Naso repeated twelve times with all their details? Seemingly, it could have said of each Nasi that he brought the same offering as the Nasi before him?
The answer to this is that each Nasi, through his offering, accomplished different things, different hamshachos (drawings-down of G‑dly light), as is alluded to in the Midrash on Parshas Naso3. Therefore the Torah cannot say that he brought the same as the Nasi before him, for each one drew down a different hamshachah.
4. In a similar way, one can answer the question regarding the sedros of Vayakhel–Pekudei:
The Mishkan that G‑d described to Moshe, as it is described in the parshiyos of Terumah and Tetzaveh, and the Mishkan that the Jews made, as related in the parshiyos of Vayakhel and Pekudei, allude to two separate Mishkans, and in the words of our Sages2: "משכן למטן משכן למעלן" ("a Mishkan below, a Mishkan above"). That is why the Torah enumerates all the details once again.
In detail: the vessels of the Mishkan and the priestly garments, as they were commanded (in Terumah–Tetzaveh), were: a) from G‑d, b) to Moshe Rabbeinu. The superiority of this, particularly in this matter, is threefold:
a) The one who heard and received the word, Moshe, was a soul of Atzilus. That is, while he was here below, he was as if in the World of Atzilus itself, as in the saying of our Sages, "שכינה מדברת מתוך גרונו" ("the Shechinah speaks from within his throat").
Although all souls derive from Atzilus, that means only that their root is in Atzilus4. By contrast, "souls of Atzilus" means that even below they are on the level of Atzilus.
Although there is a difference between the souls and the vessels of Atzilus, as stated in Iggeres HaKodesh5, "שכבר יצאו ונפרדו מהכלים" ("they have already gone out and separated from the vessels"), which refers to souls of Atzilus, nevertheless they are still on the level of Atzilus.
b) The manner in which he received the word and the prophecy was: "ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה" ("There has not arisen another prophet in Israel like Moshe")6. Within this itself there are two details: a) Moshe "עמד על עמדו" ("stood on his feet")7 while the prophecy was revealed to him, unlike other prophets. b) Moshe's prophecy was on the level of "zeh" ("this") and not on the level of "koh" ("thus"). That is, with all the prophets, their physical body confused them even in receiving the revelation of "koh," but with Moshe Rabbeinu, his body was a vessel even for the level of "zeh."
c) The place of receiving was on Mount Sinai8, where Moshe stood on a higher level than when he was below. The proof: there, "לחם לא אכל ומים לא שתה" ("he did not eat bread and he did not drink water")9, although even after Moshe "came down from the mountain," his eating and drinking were different from those of all other people.
From all this it is understood that such a Mishkan is not made of physical gold, silver, and so on10.
But the vessels of the Sanctuary and the priestly garments as they are described in Vayakhel–Pekudei were made: a) by Jews, the majority of whose souls are souls of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah11; b) here below; c) from physical gold, silver, copper, and so on.
5. Nevertheless, despite the great difference between the "potential" and the "actual," when was the purpose of G‑d's will fulfilled, and when was His assurance of "ושכנתי בתוכם" ("and I will dwell among them") realized? Specifically in the physical Mishkan of Vayakhel–Pekudei, and not in the spiritual Mishkan of "הראת בהר" ("which you were shown on the mountain"), as the Midrash says there.
For "נתאוה הקדוש ברוך הוא להיות לו יתברך דירה בתחתונים" ("the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place in the lower realms") specifically. And as stated in Tanya12, this refers to this world, "שאין התחתון למטה ממנו" ("than which there is none lower"). Although it is physical and material, and moreover there is a doubled and redoubled darkness there, as Tanya enumerates in detail, nevertheless, and precisely because of this, the ultimate purpose of the Divine intent is fulfilled specifically in this world.
This makes better understood the question asked about the precious stones that the Nesi'im brought for the Sanctuary: since that was a miraculous event13, how could priestly garments be made from them? After all, the entire purpose of the Mishkan and the Sanctuary is that they be made specifically from physical things; so it should not be something miraculous, but rather things that are enclothed in nature.
6. The moral lesson for us is that one should not become discouraged, thinking, "How can I come to do something of the Supernal Will and fulfill the Supernal Intent?" when one knows what state one is in, and that in general we find ourselves in the doubled and redoubled darkness of this bitter exile. One must consider that, despite this, G‑d assures us that if one is only "נדיב לב" ("generous of heart"), meaning that one does something with Jewish warmth and heartfelt sincerity, then "and I will dwell among them": G‑d helps one accomplish it and fulfill the Supernal Intent.
7. The two Mishkans are alluded to at the beginning of the parsha: "אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות" ("These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony"). Seemingly, it should have said, "These are the accounts of the Mishkan of the Testimony." Why does it say "Mishkan" twice? But these are the two Mishkans: the Mishkan that G‑d showed to Moshe, and the Mishkan that the Jews built.
The word "Testimony" is not said about the first Mishkan, the one G‑d showed, but specifically about the second Mishkan, the one the Jews built.
Testimony applies specifically to something hidden. For something open and revealed, no testimony is needed. (That is why the law is that for the sanctification of the new month, although testimony is required, if the Beis Din themselves saw the moon, they may sanctify the month without receiving testimony, "דלא תהא שמיעה גדולה מראיה" ("for hearing should not be greater than seeing")14.) Moreover, for "מילתא דעבידא לאגלויי" ("a matter that is bound to come to light") full testimony is also not required15. The entire concept of testimony applies only to a hidden matter (something concealed).
According to this we will understand why the word "Testimony" is said specifically about the second Mishkan, and this is for two reasons:
a) That Mishkan was the work of human hands and made of physical things, in which G‑dliness is not openly revealed; therefore testimony about it is needed. But the first Mishkan is spiritual and revealed, so no testimony about it is needed.
b) Specifically through the physical Mishkan one draws down Atzmus (G‑d's very Essence), which is higher than all revelations, something entirely hidden16. In the Mishkan that G‑d showed to Moshe there were revelations, hamshachos, illuminations and influences, but not Atzmus. By contrast, in the Mishkan that the Jews built in physicality, there specifically was the "and I will dwell among them," which means the drawing down of Atzmus.
Although the Mishkan that the Jews built was made of physical things (they took gold, silver and copper and built a Mishkan out of them, gold and silver and copper in the plain sense),
yet that itself is the reason, as is explained in Chassidus, that "עיקר שכינה בתחתונים היתה" ("the principal Shechinah was in the lower realms"): not revelations, but the principal Shechinah itself17.
8. With this we will also understand what is stated in the Yerushalmi18: "בכל יום אדם מתפלל שמונה עשרה... כנגד י"ח ציוויין שכתוב בפרשת משכן שני" ("Every day a person prays eighteen [blessings]... corresponding to the eighteen commands written in the parsha of the second Mishkan"). The Yerushalmi calls the Mishkan of Parshas Terumah–Tetzaveh the "first Mishkan," and calls the Mishkan of Parshas Vayakhel and Pekudei the "second Mishkan." And since in the second Mishkan the phrase "כאשר צוה" ("as [G‑d] commanded") appears eighteen times, therefore we pray eighteen blessings.
The Yerushalmi immediately raises an objection there: seemingly, "as [G‑d] commanded" appears nineteen times? It answers there: "ואתו אהליאב בן אחיסמך עד סופיה דסיפרא" ("from 'and with him Oholiav the son of Achisamach' until the end of the book"). That is, one counts only the expression "as [G‑d] commanded" that appears with Betzalel and Oholiav together, but where "as [G‑d] commanded" appears with Betzalel alone, it is not included in the count. Seemingly, this is not understood: a) What is the connection between the eighteen blessings of prayer and the eighteen times "as [G‑d] commanded"? b) What is the connection of prayer specifically with the second Mishkan? c) Why is "as [G‑d] commanded" counted against the eighteen blessings only where Oholiav is also mentioned?
It is even less understood: it is known19 that tefillah (prayer) derives from the term for joining (as in "התופל כלי חרס" ("one who joins an earthenware vessel") and "נפתולי נפתלתי" ("I have been joined")), for the essence of prayer is the joining and bonding of the one who prays to G‑dliness. This should then have a connection to Betzalel alone, who was of the tribe of Yehudah, more than to Oholiav of the tribe of Dan, because: a) the tribe of Yehudah is the most elevated among the tribes (as stated in the Midrash20, that this is why Betzalel and Oholiav specifically were chosen: "המעולה שבשבטים והירוד שבשבטים" ("the most elevated of the tribes and the lowest of the tribes")); b) Yehudah derives from the term for acknowledgment, and has a particular connection to the Shemoneh Esrei21, since the cleaving to G‑d in prayer can come about only through acknowledgment and self-nullification. So why is it connected specifically with mentioning Oholiav?
9. On the verse "סולם מוצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה" ("a ladder set upon the earth, and its top reaching heavenward"), the Zohar22 says: "סולם דא צלותא" ("the ladder is prayer"). The Midrash23 says: "סולם זה סיני" ("the ladder is Sinai"), meaning Torah. Chassidus explains the difference between Torah and prayer: Torah is a drawing down from Above to below (from above downward), and prayer is an ascent from below to Above (from below upward).
This is the meaning of "a ladder set upon the earth, and its top reaching heavenward" (in the context of prayer): the ladder stands "artzah," not simply "ba'aretz" ("on the earth," with a beis with a sheva), but "artzah" with an added hei, which means that it extends toward the earth24, toward earthliness, lower than the earth25. And the service is to take the lowest things, even what lies beneath the earth, and to elevate them not only to "shamayim" (heaven), the encompassing lights, but much higher, to "shamaymah" with an added hei, the encompassing lights of the encompassing lights, and still much higher, to "hashamaymah," Atzmus (the Essence). That is where one must elevate the physical things.
And as said earlier, this is a service from below upward, a service in the manner of the service of a servant. Although because of this itself there is a delight in it, its essence is the service of a servant.
Although a power for this is granted from Above, which is the meaning of "וישכם לבן בבוקר" ("and Lavan rose early in the morning"), that every morning the Supernal Whiteness shines26, this is nevertheless no more than a granting of strength; the service itself is from below upward.
This makes understood the connection of prayer specifically to the second Mishkan, because both share the same concept: taking physical things and making of them a Mishkan and dwelling place for G‑d.
10. Since prayer is an ascent from below upward, and one must elevate even the very lowest things, and according to the well-known saying that one must take along even the slippers27, then just as within oneself one must take along all the powers of the soul, including the lower powers, and elevate them,
so too with the Jewish people in general: before prayer one must accept upon oneself the mitzvah of "ואהבת לרעך כמוך" ("You shall love your fellow as yourself"), as stated in Pri Etz Chaim28, and the Alter Rebbe brings it in the Siddur. One must include oneself together with everyone; and even the Jews who are on the level of Oholiav, "the lowest among the tribes," as the Midrash says, must also be elevated.
This is the meaning of "You shall love your fellow as yourself," according to the saying of the Baal Shem Tov that the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael applies even to a Jew who is at the other end of the world, whom one has never seen and with whom one has never had any connection.
When a Jew stands up to pray, that is, he has already made the preparations one must make before praying and is already ready to stand in prayer, then through the very act of standing to pray, and especially after the preparations for prayer, he becomes very greatly elevated, for he tears himself away from all worldly matters and stands before G‑d29;
so he may think: what connection does he have at that moment with a Jew who is not yet up to praying, not even up to the preparations for prayer, a lowly Jew? So he is told that the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael applies even to a Jew who is at the other end of the world, at a different end of his world spiritually.
Moreover, he is told that the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael applies even to one whom he has never seen (that is, even before he began to prepare himself for prayer) and with whom he has never had any connection, for that person is beyond comparison to him, even as he is before he stands to pray, when his soul is (no more than) "באפו" ("in his nostrils")30.
And this is not only the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael, which is the foundation of the entire Torah; it also affects his own prayer and his own ascents. Ahavas Yisrael is the preparation and introduction to his prayer.
The reason for this is that the order of ascent is that one must lift from the very lowest point, as in the well-known31 analogy that a building is raised by means of a lever.
And it is obvious that within his own soul, too, he must take along not only the Betzalel of his soul but also the Dan, the lowly element, of his soul. He must pray with all his powers together, and make of all of them a Mishkan for G‑d.
11. This is the meaning of the eighteen blessings of the Shemoneh Esrei corresponding to the eighteen times "as [G‑d] commanded" written in the second Mishkan where Oholiav is also mentioned: because the ultimate intent is to make a Mishkan also out of the matters of Oholiav, and so too in prayer, one must elevate Oholiav as well.
12. Just as in the Mishkan, through the elevation from below upward (and in particular through the offerings of the Mishkan, which were one of the principal services of the Mishkan), there later came the drawing down from Above to below, "and I will dwell among them" (a "pleasing aroma"), and the two, the ascent and the drawing down, brought about the "as [G‑d] commanded" ("tzivah" deriving from "tzavta," bonding and joining), the bond of the physical things with Atzmus, the union of created and Creator,
(and because the power for this bond comes from Moshe Rabbeinu, from the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu that exists within every Jew, therefore it says, "כאשר צוה ה' את משה" ("as G‑d commanded Moshe")),
so too with prayer ("תפלות כנגד קרבנות תקנום" ("the prayers were instituted in place of the offerings")): when there is the ascent, and the one who prays knows that he must turn to no one but G‑d alone, through this he draws down from Above all the hamshachos he needs, "Who heals the sick" and "Who blesses the years," and so on. And the ascent and drawing down bring about the union and becoming one of the person with G‑dliness, up to the highest union, which is the conclusion of the prayer, "with peace."
(From the sichos of Parshas Vayakhel–Pekudei, 5711 and 5718)
13. From Parshas Pekudei we enter Parshas Vayikra.
The connection between the two parshiyos is this: at the end of Parshas Pekudei it speaks of the cloud that was upon the Mishkan. The cloud is concealment, which did not let Moshe enter the Tent of Meeting: "ולא יכול משה וגו'" ("and Moshe could not..."). After that comes "ויקרא אל משה" ("And He called to Moshe"); calling is revelation (disclosure), the revelation that comes after concealment.
The revelation that comes after concealment is higher than revelation alone, as is known.
14. In a person's service, revelation that follows concealment is the service of teshuvah. For teshuvah comes after a person has distanced himself from G‑dliness, which is concealment, and teshuvah means "returning," which is revelation.
With teshuvah too, just as with revelation that follows concealment, there is "כפלים לתושיה" ("double the success")32, up to the ultimate teshuvah: "זדונות נעשו לו כזכיות" ("his willful sins become like merits"), "אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא" ("darkness is transformed into light") (willful sins become like merits, and darkness is transformed into light).
15. This is also the explanation of "במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדים צדיקים גמורים אינם יכולים לעמוד שם" ("In the place where baalei teshuvah stand, even complete tzaddikim cannot stand")33.
Tzaddikim have merits, and within this itself there are two levels: a) the drawing down through the positive mitzvos, which is the line of "and do good"; b) the drawing down through the prohibitive mitzvos, the line of "turn away from evil," but this is still no more than pushing away the evil, not transforming the evil itself into good. In a matter and service of revelations there are limitations: evil remains evil and must be pushed away. But teshuvah, which touches the essence of the soul, and correspondingly Above touches Atzmus, there there are no limitations. The willful sins themselves become merits.
And this is the meaning of the ultimate "calling" that comes after the concealment: not pushing away and removing the concealment, but rather "לילה כיום יאיר" ("the night will shine like the day").
16. And this is a directive to everyone in his service: whatever state he finds himself in, he must not, G‑d forbid, despair; on the contrary, through the concealment one can attain a higher revelation.
So too regarding the generations in general. The question is asked: there were many finer generations than today, and nevertheless they were still far from the Redemption; how then are we to understand that specifically in this generation, of which it is said "אכשור דרא בתמיה" ("the generation has 'improved,' to our astonishment"), the Redemption will come? The answer to this is: on the contrary, that itself is the reason, as explained above.
Before dawn the sleep is deeper, and then one must take very great care not to oversleep, G‑d forbid, and to rouse oneself toward the light of morning, until we will merit "the night will shine like the day."
(From the sichos of Parshas Pekudei, 5717)
Notes
1) See Taanis 21a; the Rambam's Introduction to his Commentary on the Mishnah, the section beginning "Achar kach re'eh."
2) Midrash Rabbah, [OCR unclear: chapter reference], and onward. See Torah Or 8b; Likkutei Torah, Berachah 98c.
3) Bamidbar Rabbah [OCR unclear: chapter], 12, and in many places.
4) See above, p. 16.
5) Section 20.
6) Devarim 34:10.
7) Rambam, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 7:3.
8) Zohar II, 159a. See also Bamidbar Rabbah 12:8. Apparently these are differing Midrashim regarding the Talmud (Menachos 29a). As for the question raised by the Ein Yaakov (there, and on Berachos 55a), the Zohar there raises the question and resolves it.
9) Shemos 34:28.
10) See Bamidbar Rabbah 12:8: "red fire," etc.
11) Torah Or, the discourse beginning "V'eileh HaMishpatim."
12) Chapter 36.
13) Yoma 75a.
14) Rosh Hashanah 25b.
15) Rosh Hashanah 22b.
16) See Sefer HaMaamarim 5700, p. 51.
17) See the discourse beginning "Basi LeGani" 5711 (Sefer HaMaamarim Basi LeGani, p. 29ff.; Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat vol. 1, p. 3ff.).
18) Berachos 4:3.
19) Torah Or 79, end of column d.
20) Shemos Rabbah 40:4.
21) Torah Or, the discourse beginning "Yehudah Atah"; the discourse beginning "Yehudah Atah," 5688.
22) Zohar I, 266b; III, 306b; Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 45.
23) Bereishis Rabbah 68:12.
24) See Kli Yakar on the verse.
25) See Bereishis Rabbah (end of chapter 68): "Set upon the earth" — "and they stood at the bottom of the mountain," etc.; "like the valley of Dura," etc.
26) Torah Or 24b.
27) See the Sicha of Simchas Torah 5701, sec. 8 (Sefer HaSichos 5701, p. 32).
28) Shaar 3, chapter 2.
29) See Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 349ff.
30) Berachos 14a. This is explained in the Introduction to Likkutei Torah on the Three Parshiyos (Or HaTorah, Bereishis vol. 6, 1120a ff.).
31) Torah Or 4a.
32) See above, p. 186.
33) Berachos 34b; Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:4. And see Sefer HaMaamarim 5709, p. 183, in the note.
Key Lesson
G‑d's dwelling place was realized not in the spiritual Mishkan shown to Moshe, but in the physical Mishkan built by ordinary Jews from gold, silver and copper; so too our prayer must lift up even the lowest things and the lowest Jews, the "Oholiav," along with ourselves. However dark our situation or our generation, we must never despair: a generous heart brings "and I will dwell among them," and the revelation that follows concealment is the greatest of all.