266 - Pekudei

Rashi in the beginning of this week's parsha quotes an interesting Gemara in Berachos (55a): "Betzalel was so called because of his wisdom. When Hashem told Moshe, 'Go tell Betzalel make for Me a Mishkan, an Aron and utensils,' Moshe reversed the order and told him to make the Aron, the utensils, and then the Mishkan. [Betzalel] said to Moshe Rabbeinu, "The way of the world is to first build a house and then afterwards bring the utensils inside, and you told me to first make the Aron and only afterwards to build the Mishkan. Where should I put the utensils that I make? Perhaps Hashem told you to build the Mishkan and then the Aron and utensils? Answered Moshe Rabbeinu, 'Maybe you were in the shadow of Hashem (b'tzal Ale) and that is how you knew!'"

Rav Wolbe writes (Alei Shur vol. II pgs. 503, 504) that Betzalel taught us a timely lesson. The purpose of the Mishkan was to house the Aron and the luchos that it contained. The Shechina would rest on the Aron and Moshe would receive his prophecy from the area in between the keruvim which stood upon the Aron. With this in mind, how could one not commence the building of the Mishkan with the construction of the Aron and instead choose to begin with the walls and curtains? The answer to this question was Betzalel's message for all generations.

We say in davening, "Search for Hashem and His might, seek His Presence always." One who wishes to fulfill the dictum of this pasuk might feel compelled to "search for Hashem" by trying to "seek His Presence." Whether it be through his prayers, his performance of mitzvos, or even via lofty thoughts, he will try to place himself in Hashem's presence. Yet, to his great chagrin he will not succeed in his endeavors. Moreover, the harder he pushes himself to attain this goal, the harder he will fall, thus causing him to decide that, "This is just not for me."

Where does the mistake of this well meaning individual lie? One who wishes to "seek Hashem's Presence" must build his own personal Mishkan. Just as there was specific order in the construction of the Mishkan, so too, one must follow this blueprint in the construction of his own Mishkan. He must begin building from the part of the Mishkan that is furthest from the Aron (Hashem's presence). He must first construct the outer walls and only then proceed towards attaining the ultimate goal. The "outer walls" represent the derech eretz which preceded the Torah.

If we too would like to build our personal Mishkan, we must be sure that the construction takes place in the proper order. We must first work on correcting and perfecting our character and middos - the true manifestation of the type of person that Hashem intended to create - and only then advance towards "seeking Hashem's Presence."

265 - Vayakhel

Chazal tell us (Brachos 55a) that Betzalel, who was charged with building the Mishkan, possessed the knowledge of how to connect the letters that were used in creating heaven and earth. This knowledge is the quality of da'as. Rav Wolbe writes (Alei Shur vol. I pg. 138) that da'as is a quality which enables one to unite even things that seem to be opposites. With this da'as, Betzalel succeeded in building the Mishkan; a structure that united spiritualistic Heaven with the materialistic Earth.

It might very well be that properly exercising this trait is the very purpose of creation. Hashem presents us with seemingly contradictory entities and our avodah is to fuse them into one single entity. We are given a body and a soul, heavens and earth; and with the middah of da'as we are supposed to unite them in order to accomplish our avodas Hashem.

Likewise, the Gemara tells us (ibid. 33a see Maharsha) that da'as is the ability to strike a balance between chessed and din, and similarly, the Beis Hamikdosh struck a balance between Heaven and Earth. Therefore, one who possesses the quality of da'as is so great that it is considered as if the Beis Hamikdosh was built in his days. Once again we see that da'as is the ability to fuse two opposites into a harmonious expression of avodas Hashem.

This being the case, a vital aspect of avodas Hashem is ensuring that our physical actions are united, i.e. act in consonance, with our spiritual knowledge. There have been brilliant thinkers who preached ethics and morals, but whose actions belied all that they espoused. This is not the Torah way. Any discrepancy between what one practices and what he preaches is duplicitous. It is an expression of shleimus when one's actions mirror their knowledge.

When we hear a drasha, learn a halacha or study a mussar sefer, the knowledge gained isn't meant to be stored away in the recesses of the mind. Rather, as the Ramban writes in his famous letter to his son, "When you finish studying from a sefer, contemplate whether there is an aspect of your learning that you can fulfill."

263 - Tetzaveh

"And I will dwell among Bnei Yisroel" (Shemos 30, 45). The Mishkan was built so that Hashem would have an abode wherein He could "reside" down here on Earth. However, one might wonder, "The Torah tells us that His glory fills the entire world. If so, what was unique about the Mishkan that it was described as Hashem's place of residence on Earth. Isn't Hashem found everywhere?"

Rav Wolbe (Alei Shur vol. II pg. 52) cites the Ibn Ezra (Devarim 31, 16) who sheds light on this question. The Ibn Ezra writes, "We know that Hashem is one; the discrepancies come as a result of the perception [of Hashem's hashpa'ah]. Hashem does not alter His deeds for they are all executed with wisdom. An [important] facet of avodas Hashem is ensuring that the recipient reacts in accordance with his location."

Hashem's glory fills the entire world, yet we know that there are ten different levels of holiness in the land of Israel. Additionally, the levels of holiness in the rest of the world cannot compare to the holiness of Eretz Yisroel, for as we know, prophecy could not be received outside of Eretz Yisroel. The Ibn Ezra enlightens us that the difference in holiness is not a difference in Hashem's presence; rather, the difference is in how much His presence is felt. In some locations on Earth His presence is more manifest while in others it is more hidden. Just as certain types of earth are more conducive to planting specific vegetation than others, so too, certain places on Earth are more conducive to feeling Hashem's presence than others.

This idea is essential for those who have moved from chutz la'aretz to Eretz Yisroel. One must recognize that the spiritual climate is not the same in both places and therefore one must adjust his lifestyle accordingly. However, even those who have not made such a move must bear this idea in mind. One who lives in Eretz Yisroel and wishes to daven at the Kosel must prepare himself so that he can gain from the occasion.

When a person goes to hear a shiur or enters a shul or yeshiva, he should be cognizant that he has entered a place that contains a high level of spirituality which is conducive to feeling Hashem's presence. However, if he does not prepare himself accordingly, he will have difficulty gaining from the experience. If he wishes to stay connected to his i-phone while entering a mikdash me'at, he might find himself leaving with no more kedusha than when he entered! A small amount of preparation will allow us to make the most of every spiritual opportunity.

262 - Terumah

The Aron in the Mishkan was made out of wood, but it was covered on the inside and the outside with gold. Chazal (Yoma 72b) tell us that a true talmid chochom must resemble the Aron; his inside must exactly mirror his outside. From the writings of the Rambam we can glean how he explained this Gemara. He writes (Hil. Da'os 2, 6) "It is forbidden for one to smooth talk and cajole. He shall not say one thing with his mouth while intending something else in his heart; rather, his inside should be like his outside." A talmid chochom must say what he means and mean what he says.

Rav Wolbe writes (Alei Shur vol. II pg. 36) that it is interesting to note the importance that Chazal placed on this attribute. The Gemara (Brachos 28.) relates that Rabban Gamliel placed a guard at the door of the Beis Medrash and instructed him not to let in anybody whose outer conduct did not mirror their inner feelings. Even Rebbi Elazar ben Azaria, who subsequently removed the guard, did not disagree with Rabban Gamliel's restrictions; rather, he felt that everyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty. However, had he known for certain that a specific person did not meet this criteria he too would not have allowed such a student to enter the Beis Medrash.

We can deduce from here that the first step in becoming a talmid chochom is being meticulous with regard to one's speech. As the Rambam continues, "And even a single word of wheedling or deceit is forbidden - only true speech, an accurate spirit, and a pure heart devoid of any treachery and deception."

The two things that set humans apart from all other living creatures are intelligence and the ability to talk. This being the case, one must be sure to use this powerful tool of speech in the proper manner thereby manifesting that superiority. Moreover, the proper use of speech is a prerequisite to becoming a talmid chochom.

261 - Mishpatim

"If you take your friend's garment as a security you shall return it to him before sunset. For it alone is his clothing - it is his garment for his skin, and in what should he lie down? - If he will cry out to Me I will listen for I am compassionate" (Shemos 22, 25-26). The Ramban explains, that Hashem is cautioning those who think that they have the ability to take a garment of an unrighteous person as a security because even if the borrower cries out, Hashem will not heed his prayers. Therefore, the pasuk stresses that He will listen for He is compassionate. Since Hashem is compassionate, He accepts the prayers of even those who are not righteous and deserving.

Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) states that according to this explanation of the Ramban, there is a pasuk in the Torah explicitly informing us that acceptance of a tefilla is not dependent entirely on one's level of righteousness. One cannot be sure that the tefilla of a tzaddik will be accepted while that of a rasha will remain unanswered. However, as written in Tehillim, there is one prerequisite to tefilla. "Hashem is close to all those who call upon Him - to all who call upon him truthfully." In other words, one must not fool himself while davening. When praying to Hashem, a rasha must acknowledge the fact that he is wicked, but nevertheless plead to Hashem to help him in his time of distress. He knows where he stands spiritually, but still recognizes that the Hashem is the only One Who can truly help him.

Additionally, "true prayer" implies that there must be a possibility that the prayer can be fulfilled. If one prays that he should know the entire Shas by the next morning, there is a lack of truth in his prayer because such a feat is impossible.

Despite our shortcomings, Hashem takes an interest in our prayers, and He accepts them. One must never think, "Why should I daven; after all who am I that Hashem should listen to my prayers?" The Torah tells us that Hashem is "Chanun" - compassionate. The Ramban writes, "chanun" stems from the root word "chinom" - gratis. Hashem listens to our prayers for free - even though we have nothing to offer in the way of righteousness.

A biography of the Mashgiach Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe z"l

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260 - Yisro

Before Matan Torah, Hashem asks Moshe to determine whether Bnei Yisroel are interested in accepting the Torah. Their immediate response is recorded in the Torah: "And the entire nation answered as one and they said, 'All that Hashem has spoken we shall do'" (Shemos 19, 8). The Mechilta explains the seemingly superfluous wording of the pasuk "as one" as follows: These words were added lest one think that all of Bnei Yisroel answered in a similar fashion due to chanufa i.e. because they felt pressure to conform. The Torah informs us that the agreement to accept the Torah was an individual decision made by each and every one in Klal Yisroel.

Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) elaborates, that often when a poll is taken in a public forum, there is a majority that feels one way while a dissenting opinion is held by a minority of the people present. Nevertheless, in many instances, the minority is too embarrassed to voice their opinion and therefore, they agree with the majority. The Mechilta refers to such consent as an act of chanufa. They don't want to concur, but they also can't bring themselves to say no to those with whom they disagree.

A congregation, or for that matter any group of people that are acting together, is a powerful force. A group of people learning Torah or fulfilling mitzvos together creates an atmosphere that can aid in strengthening one's Torah observance since it's easier to apply oneself when there are numerous people striving toward a similar goal. However, there is also a down side to being part of a group because it hinders a person from developing his own individuality. He is concerned with what everybody else thinks in general, and how they regard him in particular. This causes him to act or conform in ways that might not be appropriate for him.

There are definitely instances that require one to conform to the opinion of the majority. However, in all other situations, one must be careful not to merely copy the opinions of others. Rather, he should take the time to determine the best course of action for his individual achievement and act accordingly. He should ask himself, "What is the course of action that will best promote my growth as a Torah Jew?" Like everything else in life, a tzibbur must also be used in the proper manner if one wishes to achieve the optimum results.