IMREI SHEFER BY RABBI SHLOMO KLUGER
Vayakhel
Imrei Shefer - Parshas Vayakhel
   

Why does the Torah mention that Moshe assembled the people?

(35,1) “And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisrael, and said to them: These are the things which Hashem has commanded, to do them.”

Behold, the Torah mentions here that Moshe assembled the people, something which it has not mentioned before in connection with Moshe's speaking with the people. But we see that Hashem wanted Yisrael to have an atonement for the sin of the golden calf, and since they had willingly given gold for the idol, therefore Hashem commanded them to give gold for the Mishkan, whatever their hearts compelled them to give, so that the gold of the Mishkan would be an atonement for the gold of the calf, as Chazal speak about in the Midrash. Here too, when Yisrael sinned with the golden calf they did so in an assembly, as it says, “And the people assembled against Aharon”. Therefore, Moshe saw fit to command them to assemble so that it will correspond exactly to their sin - just like it says there “and the people assembled”, so too it says here “and Moshe assembled” the people - so that this aspect of their sin could be atoned for.

With this we can understand why Moshe said here “'these' are the things which Hashem has commanded”, but in posuk 4 in connection with the Mishkan he said, “'this' is the thing which Hashem has commanded”. Because also by the golden calf it says “and they said, 'these' are your gods, Yisrael”, but in Nechemiah 9:18 writing about the same event, it is says “and they said, 'this' is your god, Yisrael”. The reason for this difference is because there were at that time two groups within Yisrael. One group combined worshipping Hashem together with a false god, and therefore they said “these are your gods”, but the other group was more wicked, saying “this is your god” - the calf alone is your god. (This matter is explained more fully in a later piece).

Now, we find that Moshe Rabbeinu took care to rectify sins that were done with speech, as we see in the Midrash parshas Beshalach on the posuk 15:1 “Then Moshe sang” - Moshe said: With the expression with which I sinned before You, saying 6:23 “and from 'then' that I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not saved your people”, with that same expression I am fixing the matter, as it says “then Moshe sang”.

Here too, he wanted to rectify the sin that Yisrael had done with their tongues, and since they had sinned with the expression “these”, and the expression “this”, (or as it is brought in the Midrash, some sinned with ‘this’ - “because this man Moshe…we do not know what has become of him” (32:1)), Moshe came to rectify these two expressions, and said here, “These are the matters which Hashem has commanded”, and afterwards he said, “this is the thing which Hashem commanded”.

Why did Moshe instruct Yisrael about keeping Shabbos before instructing them about the Mishkan?

(35,2) “Six days shall work be done, and on the seventh day it shall be to you holy, a day of complete rest to Hashem; whoever does work on it shall be put to death.”

Behold, the reason why the command concerning Shabbos came before the instructions for the Mishkan I have explained in several different ways in my writings, but here I will explain a different, very simple explanation.

Moshe was concerned that Yisrael might think that since they had made the golden calf, how is it plausible that Hashem would have His Divine Presence dwell amongst them? Indeed, it is brought in the Midrash that the nations of the world made this argument, so there was a real concern that Yisrael would think this and conclude that the making of the Mishkan was in vain.

Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu first spoke to them about keeping Shabbos, because, as Chazal have taught, if someone observes Shabbos according to halachah, then even if he worships idols like the generation of Enosh he is forgiven. And therefore, since by their observing Shabbos the sin of the golden calf would be forgiven, they could now believe in the Mishkan.

Why, in speaking about the Mishkan, does the Torah emphasise that Moshe spoke to all the congregation?

(35,4) “And Moshe spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisrael, saying: This is the thing which Hashem has commanded saying. Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem…”

Why is the Torah so wordy here, saying “Moshe spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisrael”, something it did not do at the beginning of the parsha, concerning Shabbos. Indeed, why was it necessary at all to make this into a separate speech, when he could have just continued the first one?

I wrote above that there were two groups at that time in Yisrael, one which said “These are your gods”, and one which said “this is your god”. I will now explain the matter in more detail. Behold, in Nechemia it says 9:18 “Even though they had made for themselves a molten calf, and they said: This is your god who brought you out from Egypt; and they committed great provocations”. What does it mean that "they committed great provocations"?

It seems to me that the meaning can be understood from the gemora in Beitzah 25b, which comments on the posuk in Shoftim 10:6 “and they abandoned Hashem, and they did not serve Him” - they did not serve Him even together with another god. Said Hashem: If only they would make Me like this turmus (a type of vegetable) which comes for dessert. From here it is clear that if they had combined the worshipping of Hashem together with a false god, He would have been less angry. This is what the posuk in Nechemia is saying: “They said: This is your god who brought you out from Egypt; and they committed great provocations” - by not serving Hashem together with serving the false god. But those who said “these are your gods” sinned less.

Now, Chazal teach that one who observes Shabbos according to halachah, even if he worships idols like the generation of Enosh is forgiven. And since Moshe Rabbeinu wanted very much to seek a rectification for Yisrael, to atone for the sin of the golden calf, he warned them about observing Shabbos, because by accepting upon themselves to keep the Shabbos it is as if they had already observed it. As it is written in Daniel 10:12 “for since the first day that you set your heart to contemplate and to fast before your G-d, your words were heard”. And in general, with regard to Yisrael a good intention is considered like a deed. Therefore their acceptance to keep Shabbos helped to atone for their sin of the golden calf.

But Chazal were very exacting in their choice of language when they said, “even if he worships idols like the generation of Enosh”, because the generation of Enosh did not completely deny Hashem and that He had created the world. Rather, they argued that they also needed an intermediary, since it is not honourable for Hashem to deal with the lower creations, as the Rambam has explained at length. Therefore, Chazal said specifically that one who worships idols like the generation of Enosh, who at least admits that there is a G-d - for him observing Shabbos will help in forgiving his sins. But someone who worships idols completely and denies that G-d exists, for him observing Shabbos will certainly not help to atone for him.

Now we can understand better that which I wrote above, that Moshe said the expressions ‘these’ and ‘this’ to atone for the two groups who used these expressions. For each group he used the expression which was appropriate. For those who said “these are your gods’’, worshipping Hashem in combination with a false god, Moshe said as a rectification, “these are the things which Hashem commanded, to do them. Six days work shall be done…”, and they accepted upon themselves to keep the Shabbos, and this helped to atone for the sin of the golden calf. But that group which had said “this is your god”, and had completely denied Hashem, for them keeping Shabbos would not help by itself to atone for the sin of the calf. They needed to achieve atonement by donating to the Mishkan, which is a rectification for both groups - since it helps for the more wicked group, all the more so it helps for the less wicked group.

This is why Moshe first mentioned the rectification of keeping Shabbos, which helps only for some of them, but afterwards he said the more inclusive rectification. And therefore in connection with the Mishkan it says “and Moshe spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisrael”, because the donation for the Mishkan was an inclusive atonement for all the congregation of Yisrael for the sin of the golden calf.

At what point is an offering called an offering for Hashem?

(35,5) “Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem; every generous hearted person shall bring it, Hashem's offering - gold, silver, and copper.”

We can explain this posuk according to the teaching of Chazal, that gifts which have not yet been tithed are as if they have already been tithed. That is, those gifts which are ready to have their tithes separated from them, are considered as if they have already been separated.

It follows that even those gifts where there is no obligation on the person to give a tithe, nevertheless, if the person is a generous person and he always normally gives, then even before he separates it the offering is already considered to have been separated, and it is already accredited to him and called an offering of Hashem, and it just needs to be brought. But for the person who is not normally generous it is not considered to be an offering to Hashem until he actually performs the separation.

This is what the posuk is saying: “Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem”, because most people need to take it and separate it to make it an offering, and only then it is called “an offering for Hashem”. But “every generous person” is accredited by the posuk as if the offering was already separated. Therefore, it says “every generous person shall bring it, Hashems offering”, because it is already considered Hashem's offering even before the separation, and only needs to be brought.

What part of an offering is attributable to the person who is giving it?

(35,5) “Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem; every generous hearted person shall bring it, Hashem's offering - gold, silver, and copper.”

Another way to explain this posuk is that the only part of the donation that is attributable to the person is his good intentions, that he gives with a full heart. But the giving itself is not attributed to the person, but rather to Hashem, “for Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says Hashem” (Chaggai 2:8), as Chazal explained on the posuk “who preceded me that I should pay”.

This is what the posuk says: "Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem" - take literally from yourselves and give with a good heart and good intentions. But afterwards, with respect to the actual deed of giving, "every generous person shall bring it, Hashem's offering - gold, silver, and copper". Because the actual giving of gold, silver, and copper is the offering of Hashem and not from the person, because everything comes from Hashem.

What was the difference between the purpose served by the garments of Aharon and by those of his sons?

(35,19) “The meshwork garments to serve in the Holy, the holy garments for Aharon the Kohen, and the garments of his sons for officiating in the preisthood.”

Why does the posuk not say "'and' the holy garments for Aharon the Kohen", as it normally writes elsewhere? Also, why by Aharon does it say “holy garments for Aharon the Kohen”, and not "for officiating in the priesthood", as it does by the sons? Or why by the sons does it say “and the garments of his sons for officiating in the priesthood”, and not "the garments of his sons the Kohanim"?

It seems that the posuk is coming to say that the garments of Aharon and his sons both had something in common, but that there was also a difference between them. Because Aharon was already intrinsically fitting to be a Kohen, and did not need garments to sanctify him. On the contrary, he was fitting that clothes should be made for him for glory and splendour. But his sons were not intrinsically fitting for the priesthoood, and it was the garments which sanctified them to make them fitting to be Kohanim.

This is what the posuk is saying: “The meshwork garments to serve in the Holy” - in this aspect they were all equal, that they were for serving in the Holy. But in the actual purpose of the garments they were not equal. Rather there were “the holy garments for Aharon the Kohen”, who was already intrinsically a Kohen, and the holy garments were a fitting thing for him. But “the garments of his sons were for officiating in the priesthood”, to make them fitting to officiate.

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