It is told about the Skverer Rebbe that when he built his institutions in the United States, he needed much money, and he worked hard chasing after donors to accumulate the funds. This was the time of ‘Shabbos Shekalim’, and many of his chassidim came to spend this Shabbos with him. His family told him to see that he motivate them with great wealth on this Shabbos so that afterwards they would give him sizeable donations to assist him and rescue him from his difficult situation. Furthermore, there was something to rely on since this Shabbos is referred to as ‘Shabbos Shekalim’, and it is fit and right to motivate them with many shekalim.
When the Rebbe heard these words, he called out and said, “I should motivate them with shekalim on this Shabbos? 'אור פני אדון רם ונישא' – ‘the light of the L-rd’s face is high and lofty’, that is what I want to motivate them with on this Shabbos!” This is how the Rebbe ended the discussion despite the great debts and the need for much money.
When he finished preparing and setting up the Mishkan and its utensils, it is written (39:43) 'וירא משה את כל המלאכה והנה עשו אותה כאשר ציוה ד'. ויברך אותם משה'. – ‘Moshe saw all the work and behold! They had done it as Hashem had commanded... and Moshe blessed them.’ But do we not know with what bracha he blessed them? But Rashi explains, ‘He said to them, “May the Shechinah rest in the work of your hands. May the pleasantness of my L-rd, our G-d, be upon us.”’ This is the bracha that Moshe Rabeinu saw fit to bless them at this great time!
True, the Tzaddikim know that the main bracha that a person can receive is that the Shechinah rest on the work of his hands, and this is the basis for success in every matter, ‘the resting of the Shechina’, as Moreinu HaRav shlita tells of two men who had a hard time making a living and they went to a Tzaddik to be blessed. The first entered and asked that he find work and the second entered and asked for a livelihood. The Rebbe blessed them as they asked, and from then on, the first one truly had a lot of work, but he did not have a livelihood. The second had an abundance of livelihood and he practically did not have to work, for even when we ask, we must ask for the right thing.
This is how we bless a chosson and kallah when they marry, and this is also how we wish people well when they enter a new house: The Shechinah should rest on this house, and for this it is always appropriate to pray, that the Shechinah rest on the work of our hands, for this is the best bracha.
-Tiv HaTorah - Pekudei
