Netvort Parshas Ki Sisa 5771: Be
Prepared
By Rabbi Joshua (scoutingly known as The Hoffer) Hoffman
After informing Moshe of the construction of the mishkan to be supervised
by Betzalel, God then tells Moshe to tell the people that it is obligatory to
rest on Shabbos. Rashi says that the juxtaposition of Shabbos with the work of
the mishkan teaches us that, as important as the building of the mishkan is, is
does not push aside the prohibition of work on Shabbos, which is still
forbidden even in face of the mishkan's construction. The rabbis, in fact,
tell us that the 39 categories of labor forbidden on Shabbos are the same
categories of labor that were done in the mishkan. On one level, this can be
explained on the basis of the Tikunei Zohar (introduction pg. 13), which says
that the work of the mishkan corresponded to the creation of the universe by
God. Thus, God tells us to rest on Shabbos as he, as it were, rested on
Shabbos after creating the universe. Just as God rested from performing the 39
categories of labor used in creating the universe, so must we rest from
performing the categories of labor necessary in building the mishkan, which
correspond to the categories of labor used in creating the world.
The Ramban disagrees with Rashi's explanation of the connection between Shabbos
and the mishkan here, even though he does accept the halacha that Rashi
mentions. The problem, says the Ramban, is that the term 'ach'- however- used
in the verse in which God tells Moshe to tell the people to observe the
Shabbos - "However, you must observe my Shabbasos' - ( Shemos, 31:24) is a
limiting. According to Rashi, however, it limits the work done for the
mishkan. The Ramban therefore explains the limitation of the prohibitions of
Shabbos implied on our verse refers to a case of pikuach nefsh or a life -
threatening situation. In such a case the restrictions of Shabbos are
suspended in order to save a life. What then is the meaning behind the
juxtaposition of Shabbos to the building of the mishkan, according to the
Ramban? I would like to suggest an explanation based on something the Ramban
says earlier in the parsha.
When God told Moshe that he was placing Betzalel in charge of the construction
of the mishkan, He said, "See, I have called by name Betzalel, son of Uri,
son of Chur.... I have filled him with a Godly spirit, with wisdom, insights,
and knowledge, and with every craft, and with jewel designs, to work with gold,
silver, and copper; and with jewel work, for completeness- and wood-carving, to
perform every craft" (Shemos, 31: 2-3). The Ramban, commenting on the use
of the word 'see' here, says that it was a surprise to find someone among
the Jewish people, which had recently emerged from centuries of slavery,
anyone who was proficient in all the crafts mentioned. After all, slaves do
not usually engage in such work, and certainly do not receive any training in
them. Rather, it was through a spirit from God, filling him with the requisite
wisdom and skills, that Betzalel was able to supervise all of these
labors. As a proof text, the Ramban cites a verse in parshas Beshalach
regarding the first Shabbos that the people experienced in the wilderness
after the initiation of the giving of the manna. When the people went out to
look for manna on Shabbos, against Moshe's instructions to leave over from
the double- portion of manna that fell the day before, in order to use for
Shabbos, God appeared to Moshe and criticized him, along with the people. He
then told Moshe, "See that the Lord has given you the Shabbos; that is why
he gives you on the sixth day a double portion of bread. Let each man remain
in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day" (Shemos,
16:28-29). The Ramban says that the word 'see' used in reference to Shabbos
points to the special nature of the day, because of which a double portion of
manna fell on the sixth day so that the people would not have to go out to
gather manna on Shabbos itself, which would have compromised its sanctity.
How were the people expected to respond to the special nature of both the
mishkan and of Shabbos? Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, zt'l, used to say
that there is no sanctity without preparation. Thus, the people needed to
prepare both for the mishkan and for Shabbos before engaging their efforts in
them. The Ramban writes that the reason for the multiple repetition of the details
of the mishkan over the course of the Torah readings dealing with it to impress
the people of the need for having the proper intentions in mind when they build
it or contribute to it. Certainly being aware of how special the mishkan was
to God, to the extent that, as the Ramban says, he created Betzalel
specifically for the purpose of supervising its construction, would motivate
the people to have nothing but the purest thoughts in mind while engaging in
its construction. In regard to Shabbos, as well, we find in the Talmud that
several famous rabbinic sages spent time before Shabbos making preparations for
the day. According to Rav Avraham Korman, in his HaParshas Lodoroseiha, the
term' to make the Shabbos, used in the section on Shabbos in our parsha
(Shemos, 31:16), refers to the preparations that one should make before the
onset of Shabbos, in order to observe it properly, and benefit from the
heightened spirituality of the day. Thus, both in regard to the mishkan and in
regard to the Shabbos, the special nature of the spiritual opportunities that
they afford requires preparation in order to engage in them in an optimum way. Perhaps
this is why, according to the Ramban, these two sections are juxtaposed to each
other in our parsha.
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