would be manifest, we have to build our world into a dwelling place for Hashem. We do this not only through our Mitzvos, but by engaging in our mundane activities with holy intentions - by bringing G-dly purpose and awareness into our work and our other physical engagements.
This activity takes place primarily during the six days of the week when we interact with the world through our work. Chassidus explains that just as resting of the Seventh Day is a commandment, working during the six days is also an injunction, a commandment to work within the world to make it a dwelling place for Hashem.
In relation to our work of making our world a Mishkan for Hashem, Shabbos can be viewed in two ways. On one level, Shabbos is the culmination that comes after the “Mishkan”. After we work throughout the six days in refining and elevating the material world, we come to Shabbos to enjoy a spiritual reward. This is reflected in the words of our sages that “one who toils on Erev Shabbos, will be able to eat on Shabbos”, which is true not only in relation to the physical preparation and enjoyment of Shabbos, but also in a spiritual sense.
But on another level, Shabbos is the empowerment for our work within the world and the key to success. Our involvements in physicality is fraught with spiritual challenges. Immersed in a world of money and materialism, it is easy to be ensnared and lose sight of our true purpose. Instead of elevating the material world, the material world can erode us spiritually. At the very least, we will struggle with temptation and the tension as we are torn between the world of the body and the world of the spirit.
On Shabbos we are granted a Neshama Yeseira, an additional soul. On Shabbos we are granted access to deeper levels of our soul where our connection to Hashem is more strongly experienced. On Shabbos, as we experience this sublime connection, mundane matters do not concern us. We have to harness this deep connection, internalise it and bring it with us as we embark on our work of building Hashem’s home.
When describing our work within the six days, the Torah employs the passive term. Rather than “six days you shall do work”, it says “six days work shall be done”. “Doing” work implies something difficult and challenging.
When we retain our Shabbos elevation, even as we enter the mundane to engage with it, we remain above it and the challenges falls away. Instead of “doing work”, our work is “done”, without the spiritual struggle.
The Torah is generally very sparing in its words. Even when recording fundamental Mitzvos, the Torah provides very little detail about what the Mitzvah is and how it is to be observed.
An example of this is the Mitzvah of Shabbos, which our sages teach is equal to all of the Mitzvos of the Torah. Whilst the Torah tells us that we may not do any Melacha (constructive work) on Shabbos, it does not define what this work refers to. These details are found in the Oral Law.
In the Oral Law, passed down through the generations and finally recorded in the Mishna and Talmud, we learn that there are 39 categories of Melacha, which are the 39 primary work activities that were done in the construction of the Mishkan.
Yet, when it comes to the Mitzvah of building the Mishkan, the Torah goes into great detail about every aspect; the materials, the measurements and how everything is to be made. And this is not just recorded once, but twice, spanning 5 Parshios.
The Parshios of Terumah and Tetzaveh records Hashem’s command to Moshe to make the Mishkan and its vessels. The final vessel - the Kiyor wash-fountain is mentioned in Parshas Ki Sisa. Parshios Vayakhel and Pekudei describe how the Mishkan was actually made.
As mentioned above, the building of the Mishkan is intimately related to the Mitzvah of Shabbos. The Mitzvah of Shabbos is also repeated twice in these 5 Parshios. In Parshas Ki Sisa, after the description of the Kiyor and the directive to appoint Betzalel as the chief-builder of the Mishkan, the Torah warns אך את שבתותי תשמורו, “however, you shall keep by Shabbasos” which is a sign between us and Hashem.
Before describing the building of the Mishkan in Parshas Vayakhel, Moshe gathers the people and instructs them again about the Mitzvah of resting on Shabbos. In both places, Rashi explains that the juxtaposition comes as a warning. Even though the building of the Mishkan is important, it does not override the Mitzvah of Shabbos.
Chassidus makes an interesting observation. In the Parshios of Terumah, Tetzaveh and Ki Sisa, the Mitzvah of Shabbos comes after the details of the Mishkan and its Keilim. In Vayakhel and Pekudei, the commandment to keep Shabbos comes before the details of the Mishkan’s construction.
The building of the Mishkan is the metaphor for our service of Hashem. Just as the Jewish people took their mundane, worldly materials and transformed them into a “home” for Hashem, where His presence
