Gathering's Goal
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
After the Torah records Moshe's descent from Sinai with the second set of luchot, the day after Yom Kippur, the Torah tells us that Moshe gathered all of Bnei Yisroel. In his first message, Moshe again teaches Bnei Yisroel about Shabbat observance. Then, in a second message to the gathering, he instructs Bnei Yisroel to bring all the materials for building the Mishkan and begin its construction.
Interestingly, in all the places that Moshe speaks and instructs Bnei Yisroel, the Torah never emphasizes that Moshe gathered all the people together except here. What is the significance of these mitzvoth that it was absolutely necessary to announce them to every man, woman and child of Bnei Yisroel. Rabbi Druck quotes the Midrash that notes that the laws of Shabbos are so fundamental that it is important for all generations to gather together to learn these laws together, thereby emphasizing the importance of these laws.
But why is it important to learn these laws together? Rabbi Tuvya Weiss zt”l, citing Rabbi Lopian zt"l, who learned from the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, uses a different verse as am analogy to answer our question: "For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light."(Proverbs 6:23) Just as every candle needs a light/fire to ignite it, so does every mitzvah require a fire to infuse the mitzvah and ignite the soul. Mitzvah observance is not meant to be merely technical. It is meant to have passion and soul. Since on Shabbat we are meant to be free of material concerns, we should use Shabbat to study Torah and the laws of Shabbat, as we are meant to study the laws of each holiday as it approaches.
Citing the Kli Yakar, Rabbi Weiss tells us that if Bnei Yisroel keeps two Shabbatot the redemption will come. But he interprets "two Shabbatot" not as two weekly Shabbatot, but as the two aspects of Shabbat, the technical aspect and the spirit of Shabbat. If we observe, practice and study together in groups, we light the candle with the fire, for "When there is a multitude of people, there is the King's honor." (Proverbs 14:28) By learning together, we create kiddush Hashem, sanctification and glory to God's name.
Shabbos itself has special power. The medrash tells us that, while every other day of the week is partnered with another day, Shabbat is paired with Bnei Yisroel; Bnei Yisroel is the eternal partner of Shabbat. By gathering all the Jews together, Moshe was teaching that Shabbat observance is a communal responsibility, writes Rabbi Scheinerman. While "zachor/remember" is a personal obligation to observe Shabbat, "shamor/guard the Shabbat" implies that one must ensure that his friend also observes Shabbat. Similarly, building the Mishkan and maintaining it was a communal responsibility, as indicated by the obligation of every Jew to donate a half shekel toward the construction of the rings for its base. This gathering and the laws here taught must be the response to the sin of the golden calf.
In Meirosh Tzurim, Rabbi Reiss shows us how perfectly balanced the Torah is. We know that when anything is at one extreme, the only way to achieve balance and equilibrium is to move it to the other extreme at least temporarily. [Think of a folded piece of paper. Just unfolding it will accomplish little. To have it lay at least relatively flat, one must fold it completely in the other direction. CKS] Bnei Yisroel had indeed gathered together once before. The same word, vayakhel, is used when the nation gathered upon Aharon to make for them a god. That tremendous desecration of God's name required an equally forceful sanctification of God's name through an equally large gathering of the entire nation. Now they would gather together to build the Mishkan and atone for the sin of the golden calf.
The Jewish soul seeks connection to Hakodosh Boruch Hu and unity with the rest of Bnei Yisroel. Sin, however creates divisiveness. The unity of coming together was broken through the sin; it would be recreated by coming together in holiness.
Indeed, the coming together of all of Bnei Yisroel at the foot of the mountain was a prerequisite for receiving the Torah. Rabbi Uziel Milevsky zt”l explains that the three character traits that are the source of sin and support the yetzer horo are lust, jealousy, and haughtiness. Each of these was counteracted with one of the preparations for receiving the Torah. To not engage in marital relations countered lust; to refrain from ascending the mountain countered haughtiness; encamping as one countered jealousy
All three of these traits were part of the original sin of eating the forbidden fruit, and they repeated themselves in the future generations. However, these traits are negated through the dominant traits of our Patriarchs. Avraham Avinu's kindness counteracted jealousy, and reestablished the connection between man and his fellow man. Yitzchak Avinu's total sanctity [as a sacrificial lamb] reestablished the connection between man and God. Finally, Yaakov Avinu who is characterized as truth is the man of complete integrity, with a truthful relationship with himself, negating physical influences.
Unfortunately, Bnei Yisroel succumbed to all of these faults in their worship of the golden calf. This vayakhel would counter those egregious lapses. The day Moshe descended the mountain was Yom Kippur, a day when all human desires are curtailed; through constructing the Mishkan, Bnei Yisroel were repairing their relationship with God; in gathering all the Jews together, Moshe was rekindling the feeling of kehillah, community, to rectify the feelings of jealousy.
As Rebbetzin Smiles reminded us, we are now in the month of Adar, a month parallel to Elul. [Some of our Sages say the world was created in Nisson while others say it was created in Tishrei. Adar and Elul correspond to these differing views. CKS] Purim, with its specific mitzvoth, is a great unifier. We have the opportunity during this month to work on ourselves, to be honest and judge where we ourselves may be weak and try to improve. Let us work together to bring the redemption closer.
Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter tells us that only in the merit of the people coming together as a tzibur, as a unified group to build the Mishkan was Bnei Yisroel pardoned. Only a nation that is unified with a common purpose can survive. The Mishkan was the unifying factor that now created a new entity with a purpose. They were no longer a group of people only physically together. Atonement was achieved only in the merit of the tzibur, of the congregation, and, according to the medrash, Hashem wrapped Himself in a talit and took on the role of the shaliach tzibur, the congregational representative.
Being part of the tzibur can manifest itself in different ways. It means you don't push others aside to perform "your" special mitzvah. It means you do not impose your style of davening or remove yourself from the group when the minyan goes at a different pace, or sings more or less than you like. Davening especially should be b'shem kol Yisroel, on behalf of all Yisroel [together], writes Rabbi Eisenberger in Mesilos Bilvovom. In fact, continues Rabbi Eisenberger citing Tana Dvei Eliyahu, Bnei Yisroel had the merit of only one mitzvah in Mitzrayim that was more precious to Hashem than 100 mitzvoth -- they were united and did kindness for each other.
So important is the concept of kehillah, gathering together, that centuries later, when the Beit Hamikdosh was completed, "VayikhalShlomoo/Solomon gathered together all the elders... to bring up the Ark of the Covenant... Vayikohalu kol ish Yisroel/ and all the men of Israel assembled..." This was the unity required for Hashem's presence to enter a material structure, writes Rabbi Reiss. And where did the cornerstone for the Beit Hamikdosh come from? According to our tradition, this stone dates back to Yaakov Avinu who, when fleeing from Esau, surrounded himself with twelve stones as he slept, twelve stones that miraculously merged into one stone by morning. Yaakov understood prophetically that this place, where the twelve tribes represented by the twelve stones would unite into one nation, would be the place to build Hashem's house. Hashem will rest only "among them," when all of them are together. When a group of ten Jews gather together, even if they are not davening or learning Torah, there is so much sanctity present that even an angel cannot continue to exist there.
With this same thought in mind, when Yaakov Avinu descended to Egypt, he brought cedar saplings with him to grow and to be used later in building the Mishkan that would continue to unite his descendants. In fact, points out Rabbi Bernstein quoting the Gra zt”l it was not the structure that brought down God's presence, but that Bnei Yisroel were unified and assembled around it.
Both Shabbat and the Mishkan can unify the people. On Shabbat, we create an eiruv that can combine individual properties into a jointly held domain, allowing Jews to carry between individual homes and creating community. Similarly, every Jew contributed a half shekel to the building of the Mishkan, and later to the Temple, making these structures the symbols of national unity.
Bnei Yisroel had achieved this level of unity when they stood at the foot of Mount Sinai. At that time, God's presence could dwell within everyone. However, after the sin, it required the entire congregation to bring the shechinah down. Since both Shabbat and the Mishkan create unity within Bnei Yisroel, the collective brings down the Shechinah which then can flow to the individuals. Shabbat represents the sanctity of time, while the Mishkan carries the sanctity of place. These, then, are the new guidelines for the presence of the Shechinah. We are commanded to observe Shabbat bechol moshvoteichem, in all of your dwelling places. Shabbat is about unity, making your individual homes part of a community. Do things together. Invite others to join you for a meal, for learning, or even to play some board games (especially the children).Then the Shechinah will come down to the group and flow to each individual.
In a heartwarming piece, the Divrei Yisroel, the Modzitzer Rebbe zt”l, suggests that Moshe, having ascended Mount Sinai three times for forty days each time, missed his people. Much as a father on returning from a long business trip rushes to see his family, so did Moshe go straight to ha'am, to his people to reconnect with them. As Rabbi Reiss notes, he gathers them together la'asot otam/to do them. While Moshe continues with the repetition of Shabbat observance followed by further instructions for building the Mishkan, "to do them" seems to hang in space. To do what? Rabbi Reiss quoting the Beis Yisrael zt”l suggests that Moshe was subtly telling Bnei Yisroel that there is purpose in just coming together in unity and love. As we recite in every Amidah, " Who... brings the Redeemer [to the Patriarchs' children] for His name's sake with love."
The strength of the Jewish people has always been in their unity, from our very birth as a nation, throughout our history, to this very day. May we feel our connection to each other and our love for each other so that we can soon be gathered around the unifying Beit Hamikdosh with the speedy arrival of Moshiach.