8355 —בנין המשכן, מקדש אישי, ותורה כמרכז החיים

B"H, tenth of Adar Rishon, 5722.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"ch iy"a nu"n his work is heavenly work Yehuda Leib Raskin

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter. As we stand in the weeks when the Torah portion discusses the command to build the Mikdash (the Mishkan), and subsequently its actual construction, it begins with the command: Ve'asu Li Mikdash Ve'Shachanti Betocham ("They shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them"). This also clarifies the purpose: Ve'Shachanti Betocham ("I will dwell among them"). As our Sages explain: it does not say "I will dwell within it," but rather "among them," meaning within every single Jew.

The way to fulfill this command is specifically by taking physical things—gold, silver, etc., the thirteen or fifteen items mentioned in the portion—but they must be elevated: Ve'yikchu Li Terumah ("They shall take for Me an offering"). This elevation should be done in a manner that one's heart moves him to give—and for Me—for My Name.

Another point emphasized right at the start is that it begins with the command to make the Aron (Ark), which contains the Luchot (Tablets) and, as our Sages say, also a Sefer Torah. Even in the Mishkan itself—and similarly in the Beit HaMikdash—the Aron was placed in the innermost chamber and could only be reached after passing through the courtyard (Azarot and Ulam) and Heichal. The explanation is that this stresses that Torah is central—in both the literal world and in each person's own "small world."

Certainly for you there is no need to elaborate on learning from all these matters and their details regarding each of our actions at every time and place; for Torah and its instructions are eternal. And this is clear.

May it be G‑d's will that just as with building of the Mishkan then—each person did everything with remarkable zeal showing joy and desire to fulfill his Creator's will and bring pleasure to his Maker—and they did so with purity and holiness (for this was right after Yom Kippur when Hashem said: "I have forgiven according to your word")—so too should it be now for everyone in all these details—with light, vitality, and enthusiasm fitting with the saying of our master Admor HaZaken: "One must live with the times," meaning according to lessons from each week's Torah portion.

Blessings for good news in all mentioned above.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that building a sanctuary for G‑d starts with elevating physical things through heartfelt giving. The centrality of Torah guides our lives, and we should serve G‑d with joy, enthusiasm, purity, and learn practical lessons from each week's parsha.