*Vayehi* and Unity: Reaching the Shechinah Together
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 9:1
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי קָרָא מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
And it was on the eighth day that Moshe called to Aharon and to his sons and to the elders of Israel.
1“And it was on the eighth day that Moshe called to Aharon and to his sons …”1 This was the day the Mishkan was set up for good, after the seven days of the inauguration.
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי קָרָא מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וְגוֹ׳ (ט, א).
- Vayikra 9:1. ↩
In shortThe verse speaks of the eighth day, when the Mishkan was set up for good after the seven days of the inauguration.
2Chazal said that wherever the Torah says vayehi, “and it was,” it speaks of nothing but distress.2 The Gemara then asks: but it is written, “And it was on the eighth day,” and a Baraisa, a teaching from the time of the Mishnah, says that on that day there was joy before Him like the day heaven and earth were created. The Gemara answers that Aharon's sons Nadav and Avihu died on that day. Yet, in the words of the verse, “there are still words to say on God's behalf.”3
אָמְרוּ חז״ל (מגילה י, ב) כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וַיְהִי׳ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן צַעַר, וְהִקְשׁוּ וְהָכְתִיב ׳וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי׳ וְתַנְיָא אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הָיְתָה שִׂמְחָה לְפָנָיו כַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בּוֹ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, וְתֵירְצוּ שֶׁהֲרֵי מֵתוּ נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, וְעוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִילִּין.
In shortThe Gemara explains the eighth day's vayehi by the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, but there is more to say.
3A few verses later the Torah says: “Moshe said, ‘This is the thing that Hashem commanded you to do, and the glory of Hashem will appear to you.’”4 The Ohr HaChaim asks which command Moshe was speaking of.5 The verse never tells us what this “thing” is that Hashem commanded.
וּלְהַלָּן בַּכָּתוּב ״וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ תַּעֲשׂוּ וְיֵרָא אֲלֵיכֶם כְּבוֹד ה׳״ (ט, ו), וְהִקְשָׁה בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים עַל אֵיזֶה צִיוּוּי דִּיבֵּר בָּזֶה, הֲרֵי לֹא פֵּירֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב מַהוּ הַדָּבָר שֶׁעָלָיו צִוָּה ה׳.
In shortWhich command does “This is the thing that Hashem commanded” mean, when the verse never names it?
4In Toras Kohanim, Chazal's early Midrash on Vayikra, we read: “Moshe said to Israel: Remove that yetzer hara from your hearts, and let all of you be of one fear and one counsel in serving the Omnipresent.”6 What does this mean, and what does it have to do with the inauguration of the Mishkan?
וּבְתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (שמיני ו) אִיתָא, אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹתוֹ יֵצֶר הָרָע הֶעֱבִירוּ מִלְּבַבְכֶם וְתִהְיוּ כּוּלְּכֶם בְּיִרְאָה אַחַת וּבְעֵצָה אַחַת לְשָׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין הַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה, וּמָה הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת לַחֲנוּכַּת הַמִּשְׁכָּן.
- Toras Kohanim (Sifra), Shemini 6. ↩
In shortWhy does Toras Kohanim have Moshe call for one fear and one counsel at the Mishkan's inauguration?
5My holy father and teacher, zt"l, said in the name of the holy Rebbe of Kotzk, zt"l, that after the Mishkan was set up, Bnei Yisrael waited for Heaven to grant them lofty spiritual levels. So Moshe said to them, “This is the thing that Hashem commanded you to do”: act only because Hashem commanded, and not in order to receive levels, and then “the glory of Hashem will appear to you.” My holy father added that this is why Hashem held the mountain over Israel like an upturned barrel at the giving of the Torah.7 It was meant to teach that even when Bnei Yisrael are on a low level, they must still serve the Creator, with no sweetness at all in their service, even under compulsion. After that, the glory of Hashem will be revealed to them of itself.
וכ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה אָמַר בְּשֵׁם הרה״ק מקאצק זצללה״ה כִּי אַחַר הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן הִמְתִּינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִזְכּוֹת לְמַדְרִיגוֹת נַעֲלוֹת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ תַּעֲשׂוּ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ מִפְּנֵי צִיוּוּי ה׳ בִּלְבַד וְלֹא בִּכְדֵי לְקַבֵּל מַדְרִיגוֹת, וְאָז ׳וְיֵרָא אֲלֵיכֶם כְּבוֹד ה׳׳. וְהוֹסִיף לְבָאֵר, כִּי זֶהוּ הָעִנְיָן בִּכְפִיַּית הָהָר כְּגִיגִית בְּקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה (שבת פח, א), לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁגַּם כַּאֲשֶׁר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיוּ בְּדַרְגָּה נְמוּכָה, צְרִיכִים גַּם אָז לַעֲבוֹד אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא לְלֹא שׁוּם מְתִיקוּת בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא אֲפִילּוּ מִתּוֹךְ כְּפִיָּה, וְאַחֲרֵי זֶה מִמֵּילָא יִתְגַּלֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם כְּבוֹד ה׳.
- Shabbos 88a. The Gemara says that He held Mount Sinai over their heads like an upside-down barrel and told them that if they did not accept the Torah, that would be their burial place. ↩
In shortServe only because Hashem commanded, not to gain levels, even without sweetness and under compulsion, and Hashem's glory will then appear of itself.
6To explain all this, we may first cite what my holy great-grandfather of Biala, zt"l, wrote in his holy sefer Divrei Binah.8 He explains Chazal's teaching that wherever it says vayehi it is an expression of distress, and these are his words: “One may say, by way of hint, that ‘wherever it says vayehi,’ ‘it was,’ speaks of a person looking back on what was, on what he has done so far in serving Hashem. Then he is always in a state of vai, ‘woe,’ an expression of distress. He should know and always keep in mind that he has not yet done anything at all, and he should reflect on his deeds with bitterness and teshuvah. And wherever it says vehayah, ‘and it will be,’ meaning what a person wants to do from now on in serving Hashem, he must do it with joy.” That is the gist of his words.
וּלְבָאֵר כָּל זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, בְּהֶקְדֵּם מַה שֶׁכָּתַב זְקֵנִי מביאלא זצללה״ה בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה (י״ח ע״א ד״ה ויהי) בְּבֵיאוּר מַאֲמַר חז״ל (מגילה י, ב) דְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וַיְהִי׳ הוּא לְשׁוֹן צַעַר, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ, וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל פִּי רֶמֶז, כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וַיְהִי׳ דְּהַיְינוּ בְּעֵת שֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְבּוֹנֵן מַה שֶׁהָיָה, הַיְינוּ מַה שֶׁעָשָׂה כְּבָר בְּעַבְדוּת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֲזַי הוּא תָּמִיד בִּבְחִינַת וַי לְשׁוֹן צַעַר, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיָּדַע וְיִתְבּוֹנֵן תָּמִיד שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה עֲדַיִין כְּלוּם, וִיהַרְהֵר עַל מַעֲשָׂיו בִּמְרִירוּת וּתְשׁוּבָה. וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וְהָיָה׳ הַיְינוּ מַה שֶׁהָאָדָם רוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת מִכָּאן וּלְהַבָּא בְּעַבְדוּת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בְּשִׂמְחָה, עכ״ד.
- Divrei Binah 18a, s.v. Vayehi; Megillah 10b. The first Biala Rebbe, author of Divrei Binah, was the Rebbe's great-grandfather. ↩
In shortLooking back at what we have done should bring the distress of vayehi; looking ahead, vehayah, calls for serving with joy.
7In light of his words we can explain why the Torah says vayehi, the word of distress, here on the eighth day of the inauguration. The seven days of the inauguration had passed, yet Bnei Yisrael saw that the Shechinah had still not come to rest among them. So each one made a cheshbon hanefesh, a searching account of his conduct and his deeds, and it left them distressed. There was great joy before Hashem, like the day heaven and earth were created, but Bnei Yisrael themselves were in distress. They found a remedy, though, by binding themselves to one another. Each one thought to himself: “True, I am very far from avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, but my fellow has surely done good and fulfilled His will.” Through their unity they were privileged to have the Shechinah rest among them. That is what Moshe Rabbeinu meant when he told them, “And let all of you be of one fear and one counsel in serving the Omnipresent.” By the power of unity their service would surely be accepted with favor before the Omnipresent, and indeed, through that unity the glory of Hashem came to rest among them.
וְעַל פִּי דְּבָרָיו יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן בַּשְּׁמִינִי לַמִּילּוּאִים ׳וַיְהִי׳ לְשׁוֹן צַעַר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁעָבְרוּ שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּילּוּאִים וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם רָאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי עֲדַיִין אֵינָם זוֹכִים לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה, עָשָׂה כָּל אֶחָד חֶשְׁבּוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַנְהָגָתוֹ וּמַעֲשָׂיו, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ בָּאוּ לִידֵי צַעַר. וְלָכֵן הֲגַם כִּי לִפְנֵי ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ הָיְתָה שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כְּיוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בּוֹ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ בְּצַעַר. אֶלָּא שֶׁמָּצְאוּ תַּקָּנָה לָזֶה עַל יְדֵי הִתְקַשְּׁרוּת זֶה עִם זֶה יַחְדָּיו, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד הֶעֱלָה בְּדַעְתּוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ דְּהֵן אָמְנָם רָחוֹק הִנְנִי מֵעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ מְאֹד, אַךְ חֲבֵירִי בְּוַדַּאי עָשָׂה טוֹב וְקִיֵּים רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְעַל יְדֵי הָאַחְדוּת יַחַד זָכוּ לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה. וְעַל כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה ׳וְתִהְיוּ כֻּלְּכֶם בְּיִרְאָה אַחַת וּבְעֵצָה אַחַת לְשָׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם׳, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ הָאַחְדוּת בְּוַדַּאי תְּהֵא עֲבוֹדָתָם רְצוּיָה וּמְקוּבֶּלֶת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וְאָכֵן בָּזֶה זָכוּ לְהַשְׁרָאַת כְּבוֹד ה׳.
In shortSeeing their own lack, Bnei Yisrael grieved; but each trusted in his fellow's good deeds, and that unity brought the Shechinah.
8Now we can explain the verse about Moshe and Aharon, “And they came out and blessed the people.”9 Rashi explains that they said, “‘May the pleasantness of Hashem our God be upon us …’: may it be His will that the Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands.”10 These words hint that at first a person must long for “the pleasantness of Hashem” to be “upon us”: to be privileged to serve the Creator with pleasantness and sweetness. But most of the time this does not work out, and avodas Hashem is done only under compulsion. That is why they concluded, “May it be His will that the Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands.” In other words: even if at first your avodas Hashem is only the work of your hands, without pleasantness, in the end you will still be privileged to have the Shechinah rest upon you. For doing the mitzvos brings a person to this in the end. And the way to reach it, as we saw with Bnei Yisrael, is to be together with the many.
וּלְפִי זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֵּצְאוּ וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם״ (ט, כג), שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ רש״י, אִמְרוּ ׳וִיהִי נוֹעַם ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם׳, דְּנִרְמַז בָּזֶה שֶׁמִּתְּחִילָּה צְרִיכִים לְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק שֶׁ׳יְהִי נוֹעַם ה׳ עָלֵינוּ׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לַעֲבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא מִתּוֹךְ נְעִימוּת וּמְתִיקוּת, אַךְ בְּרוֹב פְּעָמִים אֵין הַדָּבָר עוֹלֶה וַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ נַעֲשֵׂית רַק בִּכְפִיָּה, וְעַל זֶה סִיֵּים ׳יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאַף שֶׁבַּתְּחִילָּה תִּהְיֶה עֲבוֹדַת ה׳ שֶׁלָּכֶם בִּבְחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂי יָדַיִם בִּלְבַד בְּלֹא נְעִימָה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לְבַסּוֹף יִזְכּוּ לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁכֵּן עַל יְדֵי שֶׁעוֹשִׂים מַעֲשֵׂי הַמִּצְוֹת לְבַסּוֹף זוֹכִים לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה. וְהָעֵצָה לָזֶה הוּא לִהְיוֹת עִם הָרַבִּים וְכַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
In shortEven service done only with our hands, without sweetness, brings the Shechinah in the end, especially when we join the many.
9On this point we truly need to make a cheshbon hanefesh, for we are always searching for faults in others, the very opposite of unity. May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us do the opposite and strive to see only our fellows' virtues. Then we will reach completeness in our service and so bring the redemption near, for, as Chazal said, Israel is redeemed through forming one band.11 Amen.
וְעַל עִנְיָן זֶה יֵשׁ בֶּאֱמֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ, כִּי אָנוּ תָּמִיד מְחַפְּשִׁים מוּמִים אֵצֶל אֲחֵרִים, הֵיפֶךְ עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת. הקב״ה יַעֲזוֹר לָנוּ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת לְהֵיפֶךְ, לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל רַק לִרְאוֹת מַעֲלַת חֲבֵרֵינוּ, וְאָז נַגִּיעַ לִשְׁלֵימוּת הָעֲבוֹדָה וּנְקָרֵב בָּזֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ חז״ל (תנחומא נצבים א) שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאָלִין מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהֵן בַּאֲגוּדָּה אַחַת, אָמֵן.
- Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1. ↩
In shortMay we stop searching out the faults of others and see only their virtues, and so bring the redemption through unity.
Takeaway
Looking back honestly at our service should leave us feeling that we have not yet done anything, and that brings real distress. The remedy is unity: each of us can say, “I may be lacking, but my fellow has surely done good,” and together our service is accepted. Even when we serve only with our hands, without sweetness, the Shechinah comes in the end, above all when we stop searching for the faults of others and look for their virtues.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.