Thursday, March 12, 2015
Parshas Vayakhel - Pekudei: Preparation in the Performance of Mitzvos
11:29 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"The men came with the women; everyone whose heart motivated him brought bracelets, nose-rings, rings, body ornaments - all sorts of gold ornaments - every man who raised up an offering of gold to Hashem." (Exodus 35:22)
Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l in Derash Moshe asks what the purpose is of all the bracelets and jewelry that the women gave? The purpose of this is to teach us that G-d not only wants man to give things that are important in his eyes like gold, silver and the like but even if they are important in his eyes, they have to know that the mishkan is even more important and special.
Each mitzvah that we do is special! Even though we have to work to make a living, we have to realize that learning Torah doing the mitzvos is even more important. This is the lesson the Toah here wants to convey.
We are teaching the women that yes jewelry is important and serves a purpose but the ultimate purpose of what we are doing in this world is perfecting ourselves through learning Torah! We take each mitzvah as it comes and prepare ourselves at least a little bit before we do it.
That is why it is so important for example before we eat to concentrate a little bit (no kabbalistic intention here) on what we are doing before we make the blessing instead of just throwing the blessing out there and putting the food down our throats! Imagine if we really understood that when we eat something we are giving the opportunity for the blessing to come down for that species of food!
The problem is that we don't live like that or look at the world like that. We make the blessing quickly and eat; we pray fast and don't understand what we are saying. These are real issues that we must take seriously so we can bring the world to where it needs to be!
If a person has to work to support their family then it is there obligation when they are not working to learn as much Torah as they can. Yes they should help out at home and have other obligations but the reality is that working and earning a living exempts a person from learning Torah at that time. What about the time that the person is free?
Regardless if the wife has had a hard time, she should be sending her husband out to learn. They will have to make quality time together and he will have to make an effort to connect with his kids, but isn't that the correct Torah philosophy?
We can't give Torah lip service and make excuses why we don't live up to the Torah's ideals, we have to act, learn and prepare ourselves. Torah is an all inclusive lifestyle that teaches us how we should behave and act. It is our duty to do just that!
When we live by the Torah's ideals, others will see it and want to be a part of it. They will exclaim how great this person is and how fortunate they are that their father taught them Torah. A little bit of preparation will bring the world to its proper redemption, may it happen speedily in our days!
Shabbat Shalom
Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l in Derash Moshe asks what the purpose is of all the bracelets and jewelry that the women gave? The purpose of this is to teach us that G-d not only wants man to give things that are important in his eyes like gold, silver and the like but even if they are important in his eyes, they have to know that the mishkan is even more important and special.
Each mitzvah that we do is special! Even though we have to work to make a living, we have to realize that learning Torah doing the mitzvos is even more important. This is the lesson the Toah here wants to convey.
We are teaching the women that yes jewelry is important and serves a purpose but the ultimate purpose of what we are doing in this world is perfecting ourselves through learning Torah! We take each mitzvah as it comes and prepare ourselves at least a little bit before we do it.
That is why it is so important for example before we eat to concentrate a little bit (no kabbalistic intention here) on what we are doing before we make the blessing instead of just throwing the blessing out there and putting the food down our throats! Imagine if we really understood that when we eat something we are giving the opportunity for the blessing to come down for that species of food!
The problem is that we don't live like that or look at the world like that. We make the blessing quickly and eat; we pray fast and don't understand what we are saying. These are real issues that we must take seriously so we can bring the world to where it needs to be!
If a person has to work to support their family then it is there obligation when they are not working to learn as much Torah as they can. Yes they should help out at home and have other obligations but the reality is that working and earning a living exempts a person from learning Torah at that time. What about the time that the person is free?
Regardless if the wife has had a hard time, she should be sending her husband out to learn. They will have to make quality time together and he will have to make an effort to connect with his kids, but isn't that the correct Torah philosophy?
We can't give Torah lip service and make excuses why we don't live up to the Torah's ideals, we have to act, learn and prepare ourselves. Torah is an all inclusive lifestyle that teaches us how we should behave and act. It is our duty to do just that!
When we live by the Torah's ideals, others will see it and want to be a part of it. They will exclaim how great this person is and how fortunate they are that their father taught them Torah. A little bit of preparation will bring the world to its proper redemption, may it happen speedily in our days!
Shabbat Shalom
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