613.org
( Thanking Hashem
for his kindness) announces:
Class 28 of 5769 Lecture
Series
Conduit
of Holiness - Vayakhel- Pekudei
March
15, 2009/Adar 19, 5769
Class by Shira Smiles
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Short
Summary
Summarized
by Channie Koplowitz Stein
These are the last two of four parshiot
devoted to the construction of the Mishkan, the
Tabernacle in the desert which would act as the precursor of the Holy Temple to
be built generations later in Eretz Yisroel.
There seems to be a reversal in the order of construction between
what Moshe instructed Bezalel, the major contractor,
and how Bezalel actually did the work. Moshe put the
construction of the implements to be used in the Mishkan
first, while Bezalel understood that the structure in
which these implements would be used should be built first and ready to receive
the implements.
These two approaches to the construction of the Mishkan
represent the two intertwined functions the Mishkan
was to serve. Spirituality flows in two directions. It flows from its Source in
heaven down to earth. But it also flows upward from earth toward heaven, if
humankind acts appropriately. While Hashem always
had, has, and will continue to have an abode in heaven, His purpose in creating
the world was to have an abode among men on earth. Prior to the sin of Adam and
Chava, Hashem’s presence
filled the whole world. His Presence was palpable. After the sin, Hashem removed this palpable Spirit from earth to heaven.
Man could no longer access his relationship with his Creator as readily. With
our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai, we recreated the pristine world of
creation. We sensed Hashem’s presence not just in the
manna but also in every atom of our being and the world. However, this ideal situation
did not last long. We sinned with the golden calf, and this connection that was
meant to be intrinsic and omnipresent throughout the world was severed.
This is where the importance of the Mishkan
became so primary. Since the entire world could no longer be a vehicle to
openly contain His Presence, Hashem, in His lovingkindness, created a place where we could come,
rejuvenate, and again become the spiritual beings we were meant to be. We
needed a place that would exude God’s Presence, where we could feel His lovingkindness warming us from above and rededicate our
lives to reaching up from below to spiritual heights. This would be our “window
of opportunity,” along with Shabbos and Yom Tov, to forge our relationship with Hakadosh
Boruch Hu. The other places
on earth and the other days of the year offered us just small cracks in the
walls of separation for us to try to recreate that bond.
We are physical beings living in a physical world. Therefore, we
must concretize our abstract feelings and our spirituality with action. When
our beings were consciously and subconsciously filled with knowledge of God’s
Presence, our service to Him could take place anywhere; all we needed were the
tools. When we lost this sense, we needed to first energize ourselves through
the proper environment so that we could serve Hashem
with proper intent. This was Bezalel’s argument to
Moshe. Moshe, on the spiritual plane of his existence, didn’t need a specific
place to stir his spirit; he was indeed ready at any time at any place to do Hashem’s bidding. The rest of us are not on that level.
Moshe acknowledged this characteristic of humanity and of our nation, and
agreed that the Mishkan itself should be built before
the implements for the service within.
We also need to acknowledge our humanness. We need to prepare
ourselves properly to serve Hashem. Let us not “fall
into” davening or saying our blessings by rote, but
rather let us focus, or meditate, on the service we are about to do so that we
can strengthen our relationship with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Let us create our
inner Mishkan to the service of Hashem,
for Hashem wishes to dwell in Mankind. God created a
world of curves and circles. God gave man the ability to create lines and
angles. A body in motion will stay in the same path unless a force is exerted
to change its path. (My apologies to
Class History –
This class was broadcast live powered
by TCN on Adar 19,
5769 ( 30 second delay ) to
Estimated 100 to 200 people watched it live.
This class was given in