Mar 04 2024
Parashat Vayakhel begins with Moshe Rabbenu assembling Beneh Yisrael to convey to them the commands for the building of the Mishkan . But before speaking about the Mishkan , Moshe first told the people that they must observe Shabbat each week. The Rabbis explained that the mitzvah of Shabbat is connected to the construction of the Mishkan because the 39 melachot , or categories of activity that are forbidden on Shabbat, are derived from the building of the Mishkan . The 39 types of work that were needed for the building of the Mishkan are the 39 types of work which are prohibited on Shabbat. We must ask, why is this the case? Why is it specifically these categories of work – the activities needed when the Mishkan was built – that the Torah forbids us to do on Shabbat? To understand this connection between Shabbat and the Mishkan , let us briefly look at a pasuk in last week’s parashah , Parashat Ki-Tisa, regarding the mitzvah of Shabbat observance: ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת, לעשות את השבת לדורותם – “ Beneh Yisrael shall observe Shabbat, to make Shabbat for all their generations” (31:16). It is significant that the Torah here describes Shabbat observance as an action, as something that we are to do, or produce – לעשות . We would have assumed that we observe Shabbat by not doing , by refraining from certain things, by not going to work, by not driving, by not turning on our phones, by not cooking, and so on. To our surprise, the Torah commands us to “make” Shabbat – לעשות את השבת . What does this mean? The answer is that we are to make Shabbat a special day, a sacred day, a day of spiritual elevation. Someone who thinks that all he needs to do on Shabbat is refrain from the activities that are forbidden will not properly observe Shabbat. It goes without saying that abstaining from these activities is crucially important. But that is not enough. We need to “make” Shabbat by utilizing it not just for physical rest, but for kedushah , for spirituality, to grow and to deepen our connection with Hashem. We might draw an analogy to a spouse who simply checks off everything on the list of obligations to the other spouse. Practically, the spouse does everything required, but he or she does not invest time or emotional energy into the relationship, and does not work to build an emotional connection. Nobody would consider this person a good spouse. Checking all the boxes isn’t enough. The couple is expected to build something far more special and far more meaningful than just a practical arrangement whereby each side fulfills certain responsibilities. The same is true of Shabbat. Even if we ensure to avoid doing everything that is forbidden on Shabbat, we haven’t properly observed Shabbat unless we “make” Shabbat, turning it into a special day, a day of kedushah . This explains the connection between Shabbat and the Mishkan . Shabbat is to time what the Mishkan is to space. Just as the Mishkan is a special place of sanctity, distinct from everywhere else, so must Shabbat be a special time of holiness that is completely different from every other day. Shabbat cannot be just a Sunday without driving and without phones. It must be a Mishkan , a time when we reconnect with our families, with Torah, and with Hashem. Not coincidentally, the Torah begins this parashah by telling us that Moshe assembled Beneh Yisrael : ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל , Since time immemorial, Shabbat has been a time of gathering, when Jews come together for prayer, for Torah learning, and for spiritual elevation. A key component of “making” Shabbat is ויקהל , coming to shul for prayer and attending Torah classes. This is one of the important ways we make a Shabbat a sacred day. A second way is indicated by Moshe’s instruction to the people in this parashah : לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת – “You shall not kindle a fire in all your residences on the day of Shabbat” (35:3). Of all the many different Shabbat prohibitions, lighting a fire is the only one which is stated explicitly by the Torah. The explanation might be that the Torah here is teaching us to keep away the “fire” of stress and negativity on Shabbat. Throughout the week, we “light fire,” dealing with the stresses and struggles of life, and exposing ourselves to all the negativity in the media and social media. On Shabbat, all this needs to be kept out. If Shabbat is going to be our “ Mishkan ,” an experience of kedushah , we need to block out all the noise, all the tension, the controversies, the arguments, and the struggles. Shabbat must be a day of peace, joy and serenity, free of the “fire” of negativity. Let us make a commitment to not just keep Shabbat, but to “build” Shabbat like our ancestors built a Mishkan , making it a special day that uplifts us and rejuvenates both our bodies and our souls.