Rabbi Benjamin YudinNot All That Glitters Is Gold

As we take leave of the completed Mishkan built by the Jewish people in the desert, "all the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed" (Shemos 39:32), I'd like to look at a significant aspect of the Mishkan not necessarily visible at first glance. Among the obvious questions regarding His home is: why is it composed of earthly materials, gold, silver, and copper, when He could have made it from Divine materials? After all, the first set of luchos, those broken by Moshe, were "heavenly made", "stone tablets inscribed by the finger of G-d" (Shemos 31:18). The manna which nourished the Jewish nation for 40 years, was literally food from Heaven - "I shall rain down for you food from Heaven"(Shemos 16:4.) Why then, asks the Dubner Maggid (Ohel Yaakov, opening essay on Terumah), did Hashem not construct a more fitting holy abode for the Divine Presence in this world?

The Maggid answers that Hashem wants to build His Sanctuary with the love of the Jewish people. King Shlomo describes the special House of G-d as, "tocho ratzuf ahava - its foundation is paved in with love" (Shir HaShirim 3:10.) Because love is too abstract a commodity with which to build, Hashem chose precious metals that are dear to man and that man has an emotional attachment to, and by giving these metals one is really donating the emotional attachment contained therein. It is for this reason that the Torah that a constant refrain throughout the parshiyos dealing with the Mishkan is nedivas halev - "every man whose heart motivates him" (Shemos 25:2.) In actuality, the Sanctuary was built upon the nedivas halev that was contained within the gold, silver, and copper.

King David explains (Chronicles I 28:3) that because he has been a warrior, albeit to destroy the enemies of the Jewish people, and has shed much blood, he cannot build the Beis Hamikdosh. In (29:2) he declares, "with all my might I have prepared for the Temple of my G-d, gold for golden things, silver for silver things, and copper for copper things". The Maggid teaches that the apparent repetition is not to state the obvious, i.e. that gold was used for golden objects, but rather to communicate that ha'zahav, the gold, the golden emotion of love, or the love in the gold, was utilized in the construction.

In many areas of Jewish law one can use an object of equal value as payment (shaveh kesef k'kesef). For example, one has to redeem their firstborn son with 5 silver coins, but if one does not have coins a Kohen can accept a silver wine cup in their place. We read last week about machatzis hashekel, the annual monetary contribution to the Beis Hamikdosh to fund communal offerings. If one did not have a half shekel he could give an object of equal worth which the Temple treasurer would exchange for money. When it came to donations for building the mishkan, however, Seforno explains that the word "this" in the passuk, "This is the portion that you shall take from them, gold, silver, copper" (Shemos 25:3) excludes the possibility of donating any other materials, including money, to exchange for these precious metals. Offering a substitute would be miss the key component, the nedivas halev. Once again the Torah is highlighting that it's not the gold per se that Hashem wanted as a contribution as much as that which is represented by the gold, i.e. man's love of it and his attachment to it. In essence, we are being taught that the Mishkan was built with the emotions and spiritual energy invested into the physical components.

There is another understanding of "tocho ratzuf ahava", namely, its foundation is that of continuous love. The establishment of the Beis Hamikdosh, this special meeting place for G-d and man, reflects the mutual outpouring of love between them. In reality, all that we do can either reflect our nedivas halev - our excitement, enthusiasm, and love for Hashem and His Mitzvos - or a laissez-faire, lackadaisical attitude towards mitzvos. One can daven with nedivas halev or by rote; one can give tzedakah with nedivas halev or be guilted into giving or give to have their name in lights. Even one's chessed can be performed with nedivas halev, exercising great sensitivity to safeguard the dignity of the recipient, or for personal self-aggrandizement; the manner in which we speak to our spouse and children can be either with nedivas halev, respect and admiration, or unfortunately demeaning.

As we take leave of the physical building of the Mishkan - "all the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed" (Shemos 39:32) - we must take the Mishkan with us. "B'l'vavi mishkan evneh" in our hearts - or more importantly, with our hearts - we too can build a Mishkan. "They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them" (Shemos 25:8). The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 232) devotes an entire chapter to expounding the passuk, "B'chol derachecha da'ei'hu - in all your activities know Him" (Proverbs 3:6.) One's many hours engaged in earning a livelihood can be infused with nedivas halev by working to send one's children to yeshiva, to be able to give charity, to manifest in his business a kiddush Hashem, and to be able to create a home that is truly shehasimcha b'mono - that He has another place to live and love.