Moshe's Humility in Every Hand That Built
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 39:42-43
כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כׇּל־הָעֲבֹדָה. וַיַּרְא מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָה וְהִנֵּה עָשׂוּ אֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה כֵּן עָשׂוּ וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה
According to all that Hashem had commanded Moshe, so did Bnei Yisrael do all the work. Moshe saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as Hashem had commanded, so had they done. And Moshe blessed them.
1“According to all that Hashem had commanded Moshe, so did Bnei Yisrael do all the work.”1 At first glance this whole verse is unnecessary, since right afterward the Torah says, “Moshe saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as Hashem had commanded, so had they done.”2
כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל הָעֲבוֹדָה (לט, מב). לִכְאוֹרָה כָּל כָּתוּב זֶה מְיוּתָּר, שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר אַחֲרֵי כֵן ״וַיַּרְא מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה וְהִנֵּה עָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ כֵּן עָשׂוּ״.
In shortThis verse seems unnecessary, for the very next verse says that they had done everything as Hashem commanded.
2aWe can explain this by first citing the holy sefer Noam Megadim.3 It explains the saying of Chazal “Moshe instituted for Israel that they should ask and expound on the subject of the day …”4 The Noam Megadim noticed the words “on the subject of the day.” The Gemara could have said only “the laws of Pesach on Pesach and the laws of Atzeres on Atzeres,” Atzeres being Shavuos. Why did it first add the words “on the subject of the day”? He explained as follows:
וִיבוֹאָר בְּהֶקְדֵּם מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ נוֹעַם מְגָדִים (פרשת אמור ד״ה והנה משמיה), בְּבֵיאוּר מַאֲמַר חז״ל (מגילה לב, א) מֹשֶׁה תִּיקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם וְכוּ׳. וְדִקְדֵּק לָשׁוֹן ׳בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם׳, דְּהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר רַק ׳הִלְכוֹת פֶּסַח בְּפֶסַח וְהִלְכוֹת עֲצֶרֶת בַּעֲצֶרֶת׳, וְלָמָּה הִקְדִּימוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם׳. וּבֵיאֵר וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ,
2b“It seems that when one expounds words of Torah in public, ‘proclaiming righteousness in a great congregation,’5 one needs great zeal, strength and resolve to guard against pride, Heaven forbid. Even after all that strengthening and urging, left to ourselves we could not manage to speak words of Torah purely, without the slightest trace of pride, had Moshe Rabbeinu, the father of all the prophets and the teacher of all Israel, not gone before us. ‘Moshe expounded’6 and taught Torah to all Israel with great holiness and deep humility, and that is what has stood us in good stead: when we too strengthen ourselves to speak with holiness and humility, we will succeed. So it is with expounding in humility. Once Moshe Rabbeinu, with his immense power, had brought the light of humility down into this world and made it possible to expound with humility, we too can take hold of this path.
וְהַנִּרְאֶה, דְּהִנֵּה בְּעִנְיַין דְּרִישׁוֹת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים לְבַשֵּׂר צֶדֶק בְּקָהָל רָב, צָרִיךְ זְרִיזוּת וְחִיזּוּק וְאִימּוּץ גָּדוֹל לְהִשָּׁמֵר שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹא לִידֵי גַּדְלוּת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְאַחַר כָּל הַחִיזּוּק וְזֵירוּז, כְּשֶׁאָנוּ לְעַצְמֵינוּ לֹא הָיָה עוֹלֶה הַדָּבָר בְּיָדֵינוּ לוֹמַר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בִּבְרִירוּת בְּלִי סִיג גַּדְלוּת לָא מִינַּהּ וְלָא מִקְצָתַהּ, לוּלֵא שֶׁקִּדְּמָנוּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ אֲבִי כָּל חוֹזֶה וְרַבָּן שֶׁל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְדָרוֹשׁ דָּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה וְלִימֵּד תּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדוּשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה וַעֲנָוָה רַבָּה, הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָנוּ אֲשֶׁר גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ בְּהִתְחַזְּקֵנוּ לוֹמַר בִּקְדוּשָּׁה וַעֲנָוָה יַעֲלֶה בְּיָדֵינוּ. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן הוּא בְּעִנְיַן הַדְּרִישָׁה בַּעֲנָוָה, שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הוֹרִיד אוֹר הָעֲנָוָה בְּכֹחוֹ הֶעָצוּם לְמַטָּה וּפָעַל הַדָּבָר לִדְרוֹשׁ בַּעֲנָוָה, אֲזַי גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ נוּכַל לֶאֱחוֹז בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה.
- Tehillim 40:10. ↩
- Vayikra 10:16. In the verse, darosh darash Moshe means that Moshe inquired insistently; here the words are read as “Moshe expounded.” ↩
In shortWe could never teach Torah in public free of pride, the Noam Megadim says, had Moshe not first taught with humility and drawn its light down for us.
3“The Rif comments in Ein Yaakov7 on the teaching ‘Those who are insulted but do not insult back …: of them the verse says, “Those who love Him shall be like the sun going forth in its might.”’8 He explains why the verse compares them to the sun. The sun, too, was privileged to keep its great light through its humility, for it remained silent when the moon complained that two kings cannot use one crown.9 The sun is called ‘day’ in the verse ‘God called the light “day,”’10 and this is the meaning of ‘Moshe instituted for Israel’: Moshe Rabbeinu prepared Bnei Yisrael and made them fit to ‘ask and expound’ within the bounds of humility. That is ‘on the subject of the day’: within the bounds of humility, the middah, or character trait, that is like the sun, the light of the day. By bringing the light of humility down into this world, Moshe made it possible for Israel, too, to expound ‘on the subject of the day,’ within the bounds of humility, ‘the laws of Pesach on Pesach,’ and the like.” Those are his holy words.
וְהִנֵּה הרי״ף ז״ל בְּעֵין יַעֲקֹב כָּתַב, (שבת פח, ב) בְּהַהִיא דְּהַנֶּעֱלָבִין וְאֵינָן עוֹלְבִין כו׳ עֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (שופטים ה, לא) ״וְאוֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ״, מַה שֶׁדִּימָּה אוֹתָם לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הוּא גַּם הוּא זָכָה לַעֲמוֹד בְּאוֹרוֹ הַגָּדוֹל עַל יְדֵי עֲנָוָה שֶׁהָיְתָה בּוֹ שֶׁשָּׁתַק לְקִטְרוּג הַלְּבָנָה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁתֵּי מְלָכִים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּכֶתֶר אֶחָד, עַיֵּין שָׁם. וְהִנֵּה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נִקְרָא ׳יוֹם׳, כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית א, ה) ״וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם״. וְזֶהוּ ׳מֹשֶׁה תִּיקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׳, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הִתְקִין וְהִכְשִׁיר אֶת עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּיכוֹלְתָּן לִהְיוֹת ׳שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין׳ בְּגֶדֶר עֲנָוָה, וְזֶהוּ ׳בְּעִנְיָינוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם׳, בְּמִדַּת וְגֶדֶר עֲנָוָה כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא אוֹר הַיּוֹם, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהוֹרִיד אוֹר הָעֲנָוָה לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֲזַי תִּיקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁגַּם הֵם יִהְיוּ יְכוֹלִין לִדְרוֹשׁ כֵּן בְּעִנְיָינוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם בְּגֶדֶר הָעֲנָוָה הִלְכוֹת פֶּסַח בְּפֶסַח וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, ע״כ מִדִּבְרֵי קָדְשׁוֹ.
- Here the Rif is R' Yoshiyahu Pinto, whose commentary is printed in Ein Yaakov, the collection of the Gemara's aggadic passages; not R' Yitzchak Alfasi. ↩
- Shabbos 88b; Shoftim 5:31; see the Rif there. ↩
- Chullin 60b. The sun and moon were first created equal in size; after the moon's complaint, it was made smaller. ↩
- Bereishis 1:5. ↩
In shortThe sun, called “day,” kept its light through humility, so “on the subject of the day” means expounding with the humility Moshe drew down.
4aOn this basis we may say that it was the same with the work of the Mishkan. Bnei Yisrael did that work, each person his own share of it: a craftsman's work, artistic work, work “to devise designs in gold, in silver and in copper,” and every kind of work.11 Had the work been mixed with pride, Heaven forbid, it could not have become part of the place where the Shechinah rests. For Chazal said of a proud person that the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “I and he cannot dwell together in the world.”12
וּלְפִי זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דִּכְמוֹ כֵּן בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֲשֶׁר נֶעֶשְׂתָה עַל יְדֵי עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל אֶחָד בְּחֶלְקוֹ בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ, מְלֶאכֶת אוּמָּן, מְלֶאכֶת מַחְשֶׁבֶת, לַחְשׁוֹב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בַּזָּהָב וּבַכֶּסֶף וּבַנְּחוֹשֶׁת וּבְכָל מְלָאכָה, אֲזַי בְּאִם הָיְתָה עֲשִׂיַּית הַמְּלָאכָה מְעוֹרֶבֶת בְּגֵיאוּת ח״ו, לֹא הָיְתָה יְכוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת חֵלֶק מִמְּקוֹם הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁכֵּן עַל בַּעַל גַּאֲוָה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (סוטה ה, א) שֶׁאוֹמֵר הקב״ה אֵין אֲנִי וְהוּא יְכוֹלִים לָדוּר בָּעוֹלָם.
4bHow, then, were Bnei Yisrael privileged to do such wondrous work without falling into pride? Only because Moshe Rabbeinu was also involved in the work of the Mishkan. He gave instructions about every single detail of it, and they did everything as his agents. The one who sent them was the pillar of humility, as the verse says, “And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man on the face of the earth.”13 Through his power humility flowed down onto everyone who worked on the Mishkan, so that no thought of pride or self-importance crept into the work. This is what the verse means by “According to all that Hashem had commanded Moshe, so did Bnei Yisrael do all the work.” Because they did all the work as Moshe Rabbeinu intended and as his agents, they did not stumble, Heaven forbid, into any thought of pride, and the work was fit to become a place where the Shechinah would rest.
וְהִנֵּה הַאֵיךְ זָכוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה נִפְלָאָה כָּזוֹ וְלֹא בָּאוּ לִידֵי גֵּיאוּת, אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁגַּם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה עָסַק בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְצִיוָּה עַל כָּל פְּרָט וּפְרָט מִדִּבְרֵי הַמְּלָאכָה, וְעָשׂוּ הַכֹּל בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, וּבְכֹחַ הַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עַמּוּד הָעֲנָוָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (במדבר יב, ג) ״וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָיו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה״, בְּכוֹחוֹ נִשְׁפְּעָה מִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה עַל כָּל הָעוֹסְקִים בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעָרְבָה בַּעֲשִׂיַּית הַמְּלָאכָה שׁוּם מַחְשָׁבָה שֶׁל גֵּיאוּת וְהִתְנַשְּׂאוּת. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל הָעֲבוֹדָה׳, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר וְעָשׂוּ כָּל הָעֲבוֹדָה עַל דַּעַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה וּבִשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, לֹא נִכְשְׁלוּ ח״ו בְּמַחֲשֶׁבֶת גֵּיאוּת, וְהָיְתָה הַמְּלָאכָה מוּכְשֶׁרֶת לִהְיוֹת עַל יָדָהּ מָקוֹם לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה.
- Bamidbar 12:3. ↩
In shortAs Moshe's agents, Bnei Yisrael received his great humility, which kept out the pride that would have barred the Shechinah from the Mishkan.
5May Hashem grant that we be privileged to serve Him with lowliness of spirit and to bring near the time of the redemption. Amen.
יִתֵּן ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְעָבְדוֹ מִתּוֹךְ שִׁפְלוּת רוּחַ, וְנִזְכֶּה לְקָרֵב קֵץ הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we serve Hashem with lowliness of spirit and so bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
Holy work, whether teaching Torah or building a Mishkan, can be spoiled by a thread of pride, and on our own we could not keep our service clean of it. But Moshe Rabbeinu drew down a light of humility for all Israel, and we share in it when we do our work as his agents, “as Hashem had commanded Moshe.” Then what we build can become a place where the Shechinah rests.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.