SEDRAH SELECTIONS PARSHIOS VA'YAKHEIL-PIKUDEI 5770 BS"D

Ch. 35, v. 1: "Va'yakheil Moshe" - And Moshe assembled - Rashi says that the assembly to command the bnei Yisroel to contribute for the building of the Mishkon took place on the day after Yom Kippur. This was an excellent time to take up the collection of the building materials. Since Hashem cannot reside where there is haughtiness, "ein ani v'hu y'cholim lodur b'diroh achas" (Tonna D'vei Eliyohu based on T'hilim 101:5), having just gone through a Yom Kippur, when people have just confessed their many sins, they are quite contrite and very humbled. (n.l.)

Ch. 35, v. 3: "Lo s'vaaru aish b'chole moshvoseichem b'yom haShabbos" - Do not ignite a fire in any of your residences on the Shabbos day - This refers to igniting a spiritual fire to become more elevated on this holy day. The preparation for Shabbos should not begin on Shabbos itself, but rather, it should begin earlier. (Chasam Sofer)

Ch. 35, v. 3: "Lo s'vaaru aish b'chole moshvoseichem b'yom haShabbos" - Do not ignite a fire in any of your residences on the Shabbos day - Although the gemara offers opinions for the prohibited act of lighting a fire to be singled out among the 39 different "m'lochos," Rabbi Yonoson Eibeschutz in Tiferes Yonoson explains that in the first set of the Ten Commandments the verse explains that Shabbos was given "Ki sheishes yomim ossoh Hashem es hashomayim v'es ho'oretz ……va'yonach ba'yom hashvii" (Shmos 20:11). The gemra Psochim 53b says that the creation of man igniting a fire took place on the night after Shabbos. If so, this wasn't included in the "va'yonach ba'yom hashvii," and is therefore singled out here.

Ch. 35, v. 22: "V'chol ish asher heinif tnufas zohov" - And every man who has waved a waving of gold - Here the verse says that an "ish" has done this, while by the donations of silver and copper of verse 24 we do not have the word "ish." If we were to assume that a donation of gold is considered a substantial donation and one of silver or copper as a more minor donation (obviously it also depends upon the volume donated), then the omission of the word "ish" by silver and copper is understood. If a married woman gives a present that is considered substantial without her husband's consent, it is not binding, and the object must be returned. If it is minor, then her giving it is binding. This is why "ish' is mentioned in our verse, as the giving of gold MUST involve the man, while by the donating of items of lesser value the man's consent is not required. (n.l.)

Ch. 35, v. 24: "Kol meirim trumas kesef unchoshes" - All who lift a tithe of silver or copper - Earlier in verse 22, where it discusses the donating of gold, the verse expresses itself differently, "V'chol ish hasher heinif tnufas zohov." Why there do we have "t'nufoh' and here "haromoh?" M.R. 51:10 says that the donated gold for the Mishkon brings atonement for the donated gold for the golden calf. The silver and copper aren't for an atonement, but simply a donation with no reciprocal benefit intended. All offerings that are brought to attain atonement have as one of their services, "t'nufoh," meaning waving the offering or some of its parts up and down, to and fro. These movements ward off punishment from sources that surround us on all sides. Since the gold donated for the Mishkon had an atonement component, it needed the "t'nufoh" ritual. Since the silver and copper did not, there was no need for "t'nufoh," and "haromoh" sufficed. (Imrei Shefer)

Ch. 36, v. 26: "V'chol hanoshim …… b'chocmoh tovu es ho'izim" - And all the women …… with wisdom spun the goats - The gemara Shabbos 74b says that the women displayed a great sense of wisdom, spinning the hairs of the goats into thread while the hairs were still attached to the goats. The M.R. 48:3 exponds the verse, "Chochmoh usvunoh voheimoh" as if it said "v'heimoh," an animal. This refers to the goats themselves. Not only did the women display a special skill, but the animals, which would normally squirm when their hair would be twisted while still attached, also stood still, allowing for the women to do this. We can thus explain the last words of our verse to mean that the women, along with the goats, "es" being translated as "with," displayed wisdom. (Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Pardes in Kovetz Hapardes 18:10:58)

PARSHAS PIKUDEI

Ch. 39, v. 43: "Va'y'vo'reich osom Moshe" - And Moshe blessed them - Rashi says that the blessing was, "Y'hi rotzone shetishreh Sh'chinoh b'maa'sei y'deichem." Why was it necessary for Moshe to invoke this blessing if Hashem has already done so, "V'ossu li Mikdosh v'hochanti b'sochom?" The Ksav Sofer answers that Moshe gave a different blessing. The gemara Shabbos 32b says that the words of the verse, "v'choval maa'sei y'deichem" refers to punishing one's children, who are the "maasei y'deihem of their parents." We can thus say that Hashem's blessing was that the Sh'chinoh would rest upon those who have built or had a hand in the construction of the Mishkon. Moshe went beyond this and invoked the blessing that the Sh'chinoh should reside in the "maa'sei y'deichem," their children as well.

Rabbi Y.Z. Pollack of Antwerp adds that the gemara M.K. 9a says that upon the completion of the two weeks of festivities for the completion of the first Beis Hamikdosh Hashem blessed each couple and they all had sons within a year. This is an indication that the sanctity of the Mikdosh should spread onto the upcoming generations as well.

Ch. 40, v. 17: "Va'y'hi bachodesh horishon bashonoh hasheinis b'echod lachodesh hukam haMishkon" - And it was in the first month of the second year on the first of the month the Mishkon was erected - The word Mishkon here means the lowest roof covering, as we find in parshas Trumoh. It was the first thing to be set up, even before the "kroshim" walls. This was made possible either by people holding it up (a daunting task as it required being elevated 10 "amos" and was very wide), or it stayed in position through a miracle. (Sforno)

Why would Hashem needlessly wrought a miracle if things could readily be done in a natural manner, setting up the walls and then placing the covers upon the walls? Perhaps we can say that the walls represent the physical support that keeps things up, while the cover, which is above the heads of those who enter, represents the heavenly spiritual. By having the roof placed into position first, and by having it remain in position miraculously, we can learn the lesson that we must first and foremost focus our efforts on the physical, and that maintaining the physical is really a result of the spiritual. (n.l.) A simple explanation of Moshe's additional blessing might be that Hashem's blessing would be that the Sh'chinoh would rest upon the nation by virtue of their building a Mikdosh, and that this sanctity revolves around the services done in the Mishkon. Moshe added that there should be a blessing in the daily handiwork, i.e. activities.

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See also Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha, Chasidic Insights and Chamisha Mi Yodei'a