11 Mar MTC Highlights: Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei
Dvar Torah by Rav Yonaton Hirschhorn - Rav of MTC
PARSHAT VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI
In this week’s Parsha, Parshat VaYakhel-Pikudei, the word “lev”, the Hebrew word for heart, appears 13 times. Throughout the Parsha, the Torah goes into depth explaining every single particular aspect of building the Mishkan and the weaving of the clothes of the Cohanim, yet the main focus of the Parsha is the individual’s heart that can be found in the action. Yes, the Jewish people brought forth their precious possessions, their gold, silver and linen, but the focus of the pesukim is that each individual should desire to bring the donations, his heart should be in it.
There is a verse in Nevi’im that speaks about the times of Moshiach which states:
“וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם לֵב אֶחָד וְדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד לְיִרְאָה אוֹתִי כָּל הַיָּמִים לְטוֹב לָהֶם וְלִבְנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם”
“I will give them a single heart and a single nature to revere Me for all time, and it shall be well with them and their children after them”
The future days, the times of Moshiach, are days that are blessed with “one heart.” How are we supposed to understand this concept of “one heart”?
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach once said: “If I had two hearts I would use one to love and one to hate, but since I only have one heart I can only use it to love”
As we mentioned above, the word heart (lev) appears in this week’s Parsha 13 times. 13 is the numerical value of the word אחד. The fact that לב appears 13 times, is hinting to the verse above of having one heart – a heart full of love, a heart not divided between good and bad, a heart that is complete with the right desires, is considered “one heart.”
There is a famous statement in the Gemara that says: “רחמנא ליבא בעי” – HaShem desires your heart. Sometimes it feels like HaShem wants so much from us, more than we feel we can give. However, truthfully, HaShem wants one simple thing: your heart, that your desires should be directed towards Godliness and holiness.
One can find him or her self observing all the mitzvot, celebrating Shabbat and holidays, learning Torah, being “Jewish”, but sadly, there is no heart. Imagine if the Jewish people brought the gold and silver and linen for the Mishkan, but they didn’t bring it with their heart, brought with no desire, imagine what the Mishkan would have looked like! It might have been externally beautiful, but it would have been missing the חן, the inner beauty that permeates outwards.
When one incorporates his heart into his actions, the heart brings out the חן.
Hashem desires that your heart should be a part of your Judaism, should be the foundation stone of your Judaism. Your heart, your desire to connect to HaShem, should be present in your actions, speech and thought. This will bring out the חן within the Torah, and within your own self.
With this in mind, let us look at the first commandment regarding the building of the Mishkan: “ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם”
Chazal famously ask: The Mishkan is singular, why does HaShem say I dwell in “them”? It would make more sense for the pasuk to read “I will dwell in it.”
HaShem wants to be a physical part of each and everyone of us! How do we do this? By building a “mishkan” within us, by giving our heart to Hashem! Our heart should be one, complete with desire for closeness with our Creator!
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotsk taught: “HaShem is everywhere – where ever you let him in.” Let us let Him into our lives, into our hearts!
Our heart is the dwelling place for The One, for holiness, for Godliness!
May we all be zoche to piece together the different parts of our heart to make it one, lev echad, one heart for HaShem! We should all be blessed to find the lev, the heart, in our mitzvot, Judaism and relationship with our Father in Heaven!
Shabbat Shalom!
Student Reflection
HANNAH DOWELL - LONDON, UK - HASMONEAN HS, UK
My family call me the rebitzen. Ever since I was younger I always had a huge connection to Hashem and Judaism as a whole. I would dress up really frum with my hair covered and long maxi skirt just for funzies. Don’t ask me why. And I guess my whole life even up till last year, I was always so sure in what I thought about Judaism and faith, and that I was on the level I needed to be on. I didn’t think I needed to grow any more, because I felt such love for hashem & I didn’t want to come to sem at all, because again I thought I knew all I needed to know. I don’t know what it was but something switched in my mind telling me to go to sem, just try it out, what’s the harm. And I can’t even tell you how happy I am that I made the decision to come.
MTC, my fellow students, the teachers, have not only made me realise how much I can grow, and how much more there is to learn, but that being on a journey is what we strive for and just looking back on how far I have come from the beginning of the year is actually insane to me. I don’t know what I would do, where I would be, who I would be without MTC.
I knew MTC was the only place I would be able to grow, and a bit part of that growth was the kids. Since I was about 13 I would go and help my rebitzen take care of her kids, this grew into a weekly thing, then it changed to Shabbats, and for the past 5 years, I would wake up early on Shabbat, go and help the kids get ready to go to shul, then take them shul and be there mum for a couple hours. When corona came around and there was no sign of shul I was distraught, because I couldn’t see them. Eventually in the summer when things we’re calming down, Yonah and Huvi the kids, would be dropped round at mine, almost everyday. Some people would look at this as annoying, ugh I just want my own sunmer to hang our with friends, chill not be babysitting. But to me this was such a blessing because I feel so much more prepared for motherhood, because I haven’t been with the kids only when there in good moods, trust me. Not only that, I understand how hard it is to run a family, have a job, and do life especially with corona, so I’m not only helping my future self, but I’m helping my loved ones around me. I’m sure I have shown most you guys pictures of these kids, because I call Them mine. I don’t know what it is but when I look after kids and I form a relationship with them, my heart feels complete.
Most people don’t have this connection when looking after kids which is hard for me to wrap my head around.
When I stared with my kids it was hard at fist, because of the language barrier, I would literally speak to them through facial Expressions. Now I can talk to them a little bit, but sometimes I don’t understand I just have to nod and smile. When Im with my kids and they are smiling, laughing or just sitting on my lap, I feel so content, and I couldn’t be happier. So when pyom went to go and deliver the mishloach manot to their houses, it broke my heart to see their living conditions. This made me realise so much, not only how greatful I should be about where I live and where I came from, but how much love and attention I need to give to these kids because who knows what there getting at home. So I try and treat every day like the fist day I saw them, and bring excitement and happiness into their lives. And so should be the same for lessons and learning Torah, aim to treat everyday like the first day we came to sem, how eager we were to learn.
I can’t wait to continue this incredible journey both growing through our amazing classed and relationships with our kids.
