In this week’s Parsha, the Jews were instructed to build a Mishkan. The pasuk says that Hashem said, “V’Asu Li Mikdash v’Shachanti b’Socham” – “And they shall make me a Mishkan and I shall dwell in them.” There is an obvious question here. The wording in this pasuk seems incorrect. Seemingly, Hashem should have said that the Jews should make him a Mishkan, and he shall dwell in it. Why does the pasuk say that Hashem said that the Yidden should make for him a Mishkan and He should dwell in them? Why them? Grammatically this seems incorrect. What’s the Torah coming to teach us?
I would like to share with you a beautiful answer that I heard from my father Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlita: The Kotzker Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk zt”l answers that the Shechina is not limited to a physical space where the Mishkan is. Rather every Jew can be a living and breathing, walking and talking Mishkan, in which the Shechina can reside! Every Yid can have the Mishkan in them! That’s why the pasuk says, “I will dwell in them” – meaning that we all have the ability to allow the Shechina into our very own lives! We have such an incredible opportunity!
One afternoon, the great tzaddik, Rav Issar Zalman Meltzer zt”l was walking back home from Yeshiva. He was about to enter his home, but he suddenly turned around and walked down the stairs. He began walking back and forth on his block.
A few minutes later, Rav Issar Zalman went back up the stairs but again turned back. Only a half hour later did Rav Issar Zalman enter the house. Rav Issar Zalman’s nephew, Rav Dovid Finkel, who was with him at the time was very confused and he asked Rav Issar Zalman what had happened.
Rav Issar Zalman’s reply was so beautiful. He said that when he walked up the steps to his house, he realized that the woman who cleaned the house was singing to herself as she worked. Rav Isser Zalman realized that if he walked into the house in the middle of her singing, she would be embarrassed and stop singing. Rav Issar Zalman didn’t want to deny the woman the pleasure she had of singing while she worked, so he decided to wait outside until she finished working so she could sing while working.
That’s what it means to think about others. When we care about others we are allowing the Shechina into our lives. Let’s do this. Let’s be there for others. Let’s find ways to help each other. Let’s allow the Shechina to dwell within us. Let’s all strive to be a Mishkan, in which the Shechina can reside! Join our email list by emailing [email protected]
