From the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Zt”l
While the last few Torah portions contained detailed instructions on how to erect the Sanctuary, Vayakhel interrupts the sequence and introduces a whole new topic.
In the beginning of Vayakhel, Moses gathers the Jewish people together and conveys to them G-d's command to keep the Sabbath: "Six days shall work be done, and the seventh day shall be holy, a Sabbath of rest to G-d."
As the Talmud explains, from the juxtaposition of this commandment we learn which types of labor are forbidden on Shabbat. These are the 39 categories of work that were required to build the Sanctuary.
Nothing in the Torah is coincidental. Every verse, word, letter and diacritical mark is intentional and significant. It is therefore obvious that an inner and essential connection exists between the Sanctuary and the Sabbath.
Derived from the Tasks Needed for Building the Sanctuary
The 39 categories of labor prohibited on Shabbat are the "principles" - the root or source - of all the different types of work we perform in our daily lives. Everything that exists in the physical world is derived from its spiritual source. Every action and deed we perform throughout the week is therefore derived from the particular tasks that were involved in building the Sanctuary.
Yet in the same way that the Sanctuary is the source of all our physical labors, it is also their ultimate objective. The actions we perform on a daily basis may be simple and mundane, but their inner purpose is to bring sanctity into the material plane and establish a dwelling place for G-d in the physical world.
“Man is Born to Toil”
The Torah commands us, "Six days shall you work," which our Sages interpreted as a positive mitzva. In other words, working is not an option but an obligation, as it states, "Man is born to toil." It is for this reason that our prayers on weekdays are shorter than on Shabbat, i.e., so as not to interfere with our ability to work. G-d wants us to transform the world into a "Sanctuary" to Him through our exertion and effort.
How are we to do this? The Torah provides the answer: "In all your ways you shall know Him." Even our simplest and most mundane actions must be suffused with the knowledge of G-d. Everything we do - from eating and drinking to earning a livelihood - should be viewed as an integral part of our Divine service.
Although it was readily apparent that the Sanctuary was the place where the Divine Presence dwelt, the entire world has the same potential for transformation. Man's task is to bring this potential to fruition, by utilizing every minute for positive good deeds and actions.
Reprinted from the Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei 5761/2001 edition of L’Chaim Weekly. Adapted from Volume 1 of Likutei Sichot.
