Hashem Wants the Heart: The Gift of Good Will
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 25:2
דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כׇּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִי
Speak to Bnei Yisrael, and let them take for Me an offering; from every man whose heart moves him to give, you shall take My offering.
Rashi: Yidvenu libo, “whose heart moves him to give,” is a word of voluntary giving, and it means good will.
1“Speak to Bnei Yisrael, and let them take for Me an offering; from every man whose heart moves him to give, you shall take My offering.”1 Notice the wording. Chazal teach that the verse must urge people most of all where there is a loss of money.2 That is why, in Parshas Tzav, the verse opens with “Command”:3 the word tzav, “command,” is a word of urging, used where money is at stake. By that rule, the verse here should also have said, “Command Bnei Yisrael, and let them take for Me an offering,” since giving to the Mishkan costs money too. Why, then, does it say only “Speak”?
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי (כה, ב). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, שֶׁהֲרֵי מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (תורת כהנים פרשת צו א), כִּי בְּיוֹתֵר צָרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לְזָרֵז בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס, וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא ו, ב) ׳צַו׳ לְשׁוֹן זֵירוּז בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס, וְאִם כֵּן לְפִי זֶה הָיָה מִן הָרָאוּי לוֹמַר גַּם כָּאן ׳צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה׳, שֶׁכֵּן בְּמִצְוַות נִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן יֶשְׁנוֹ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס.
In shortChazal say “Command” urges people where money is at stake; why, then, does the Torah ask for the Mishkan's gifts with “Speak”?
2Let us first cite another passage, a Midrash on the verse “If you will walk in My statutes”:4 “This is what is written, ‘I considered my ways, and I turned my feet back to Your testimonies.’ Dovid said: Master of the world, every single day I would plan and say, ‘I am going to such-and-such a place, to such-and-such a house,’ and my feet would bring me to the synagogues and the study halls. That is what is written, ‘and I turned my feet back to Your testimonies.’” The holy sefarim raise a question about this Midrash.5 We find that Dovid HaMelech learned Torah every night from midnight until dawn.6 What business, then, did he have with houses and fields every day, that he planned to go to them before going to the beis midrash?
וְנַקְדִּים עוֹד מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא רבה לב, א), ״אִם בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ״ (ויקרא כו, ג) הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (תהלים קיט, נט) ״חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדוֹתֶיךָ״, אָמַר דָּוִד רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּכָל יוֹם וְיוֹם הָיִיתִי מְחַשֵּׁב וְאוֹמֵר לְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וּלְבֵית דִּירָה פְּלוֹנִית אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ, וְהָיוּ רַגְלַי מְבִיאוֹת אוֹתִי לְבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת, הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב ׳וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדוֹתֶיךָ׳. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (עיין תורת משה ושם משמואל בחוקתי), הֲרֵי מָצִינוּ שֶׁדָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כָּל יוֹם מֵחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה עַד עֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר (ברכות ג, ב), וְאִם כֵּן אֵלּוּ עֲסָקִים הָיוּ לוֹ עִם בָּתִּים וְשָׂדוֹת בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁחִישֵּׁב לָלֶכֶת אֲלֵיהֶם דַּוְוקָא קוֹדֶם הַהֲלִיכָה לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ.
- Vayikra Rabbah 32:1 (in standard editions 35:1); Vayikra 26:3; Tehillim 119:59. ↩
- See Toras Moshe and Shem MiShmuel, Bechukosai. ↩
- Berachos 3b. ↩
In shortDovid planned daily visits to houses, but his feet took him to the beis midrash; yet what worldly business had one who learned all night?
3aWe may answer this with a teaching of the Yismach Yisrael, a foundation the Alshich also explains here, on the verse “You shall surely give to him, and let your heart not be grieved when you give to him, for because of this thing Hashem your God will bless you in all your deeds and in all your undertakings.”7 What do the words “because of this thing” mean? The Yismach Yisrael explains that a person's money is not his own. It belongs to Hashem, blessed be He, as the verse says: “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says Hashem.”8 So when a person gives tzedakah to a poor man, he does not deserve a reward for it, since the money he hands over is not his own but Hashem's. But for giving it with good will and a willing heart, he does deserve a reward. This is the meaning of “and let your heart not be grieved when you give to him.” Give in this way, generously and gladly, and you will be worthy of Hashem's blessing: “and because of this thing Hashem your God will bless you in all your deeds.” Those are the holy words of the Yismach Yisrael.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (ישמח ישראל שמיני, ויסוד זה מבואר באלשיך כאן) עַל הַכָּתוּב (דברים טו, י) ״נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ, כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ״, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ׳כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה׳. וּבֵיאֲרוּ, דְּהִנֵּה מָמוֹן הָאָדָם אֵינֶנּוּ שֶׁלּוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁל השי״ת, כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (חגי ב, ח) ״לִי הַכֶּסֶף וְלִי הַזָּהָב נְאוּם ה׳״, וְאִם כֵּן נִמְצָא, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר נוֹתֵן אָדָם צְדָקָה לֶעָנִי, אֵין מַגִּיעַ לוֹ שָׂכָר עֲבוּר זֶה, כִּי הֲרֵי אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן מָמוֹן מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, אֶלָּא נוֹתֵן מָמוֹן הַשַּׁיָּיךְ לַה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. אָכֵן עַל מַה שֶׁנּוֹתֵן הַצְּדָקָה בְּרָצוֹן טוֹב וּבְנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵיצָה, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה רָאוּי הוּא לְשָׂכָר. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ׳, וּבְאוֹפֶן זֶה שֶׁתִּתֵּן בְּעַיִן יָפָה וְטוֹבָה תְּהֵא רָאוּי לְבִרְכַּת ה׳, ׳וּבִגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ׳, עכד״ק.
3bThis shows how very precious to the Holy One, blessed be He, is the good will with which we do the mitzvos. Chazal say something similar: if a person intended to do a mitzvah but was prevented by circumstances beyond his control, the Torah counts it for him as though he had done it.9 For what Hashem wants most in the keeping of His mitzvos is that Israel reveal its good will and its good intention to do His will.
נִמְצֵינוּ לְמֵדִים מִזֶּה, עַד כַּמָּה חָשׁוּב מְאֹד אֵצֶל הקב״ה הָרָצוֹן הַטּוֹב בַּעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוֹות. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (קידושין מ, א), שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ חָשַׁב אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה וְנֶאֱנַס וְלֹא עֲשָׂאָהּ, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁעִיקַּר רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּקִיּוּם מִצְוֹתָיו הוּא, שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְגַלּוּ אֶת הָרָצוֹן הַטּוֹב וְהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁלָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
- Kiddushin 40a. ↩
In shortOur money is Hashem's; the reward for tzedakah is for the good will in giving, and good will is what He wants in every mitzvah.
4The same holds for building the Mishkan, when Hashem commanded that the offering be taken from every man of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, certainly had no need of Bnei Yisrael's money, for “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says Hashem.”10 When He wished to make His dwelling in the lower world, He could have put up the Mishkan without their donations. What He wanted most from the donations was that Bnei Yisrael's good will, their wish to bring a gift for building the Mishkan, be revealed. This is what Rashi wrote: “Yidvenu libo, ‘whose heart moves him to give,’ is a word of voluntary giving, and it means good will.” But why did Rashi add that it means good will? He was making the very point we have just made: all that Hashem wanted from the donation was that the people's good will be revealed, not their money. The rest of the verse says the same: “from every man whose heart moves him to give, you shall take My offering.” The gift of the heart, which is good will, is what you shall take from Bnei Yisrael.
וְזֶה הַדָּבָר נֶאֱמַר גַּם כֵּן לְעִנְיַן הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁצִּיוָּה ה׳ לִיקַּח הַתְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַהֲרֵי בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁאֵין הקב״ה צָרִיךְ לְמָמוֹנָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהֲרֵי ״לִי הַכֶּסֶף וְלִי הַזָּהָב נְאוּם ה׳״, וּכְשֶׁרָצָה לְהַשְׁרוֹת דִּירָתוֹ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהָקִים הַמִּשְׁכָּן גַּם בִּלְעֲדֵי נִדְבָתָם. אָכֵן עִיקַּר מַה שֶׁחָפֵץ ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה רְצוֹנָם הַטּוֹב שֶׁל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָבִיא נְדָבָה לַהֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתַב רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, ׳יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ לְשׁוֹן נְדָבָה, וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן רָצוֹן טוֹב׳, וְלִכְאוֹרָה צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לָמָּה הוֹסִיף רש״י לְבָאֵר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן רָצוֹן טוֹב. אֶלָּא דְּבָא לְבָאֵר הָעִנְיָן הַנִּזְכָּר, דְּכָל עִנְיַן הַנְּדָבָה שֶׁחָפֵץ בָּהּ ה׳, הוּא רַק גִּילּוּי הָרָצוֹן הַטּוֹב שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא בְּמָמוֹן. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַכָּתוּב ״מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאֶת נִדְבַת הַלֵּב שֶׁהוּא הָרָצוֹן הַטּוֹב, זֹאת תִּקְחוּ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Chaggai 2:8. ↩
In shortHashem needed no money for the Mishkan; He wanted Israel's good will revealed, which is why Rashi reads “whose heart moves him” as good will.
5This answers our first question: why the verse here does not say, “Command Bnei Yisrael.” That wording would imply that Israel gave only because it was commanded. In fact it was not so. Israel gave out of its own good will, wanting to bring a gift for the honor of Hashem's Name and to have a share in building a House for His Name.
וּלְפִי זֶה מְבוֹאָר לָמָּה לֹא הוּזְכַּר כָּאן הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, לְפִי שֶׁאָז הָיָה מַשְׁמַע שֶׁכָּל הַנְּתִינָה שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה רַק מֵחֲמַת הַצִּוּוּי, אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא כֵן הָיָה הַדָּבָר, אֶלָּא הַנְּתִינָה הָיְתָה מִצַּד הָרָצוֹן הַטּוֹב שֶׁהָיָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִיתֵּן נְדָבָה לִכְבוֹד שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְלִיטּוֹל חֵלֶק בְּבִנְיַן בַּיִת לִשְׁמוֹ.
In short“Command” would suggest Israel gave only under orders; the Torah says “Speak” because the gifts came from Israel's own good will.
6aThe same idea explains the Midrash. Every night Dovid HaMelech rose at midnight to occupy himself with Torah and avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. But the yoke of kingship rested on him. When morning came, the Sages of Israel would come to him and say, “Your people Israel need a livelihood.”11 So Dovid could not devote himself only to avodas Hashem. He had no choice but to deal with a great many material matters, and to go to such-and-such a house or field for the needs of the community and of individuals. Yet his will and his thoughts were set on serving his Maker more and more, so it was counted for him as though he spent the whole day in his Maker's service, in Torah and prayer. For the main thing is the will, as we saw with the mitzvah a person intended to do but could not. The Shelah writes in a similar vein.12
וּלְפִי זֶה מְבוֹאָרִים דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ, כִּי דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה הָיָה קָם בְּכָל לַיְלָה בַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה, וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אַךְ בִּהְיוֹת וְהָיָה מוּטָּל עָלָיו עוֹל הַמְּלוּכָה, וּבְהַגִּיעַ הַבּוֹקֶר הָיוּ נִכְנָסִים חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶצְלוֹ וְאוֹמְרִים לְפָנָיו עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים פַּרְנָסָה (ברכות ג, ב), לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְעַסֵּק רַק בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, אֶלָּא הָיָה עָלָיו בְּהֶכְרֵחַ לַעֲסוֹק בְּכַמָּה וְכַמָּה עִנְיָנִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, וְלֵילֵךְ לְבַיִת אוֹ שָׂדֶה פְּלוֹנִית, לְצָרְכֵי הַכְּלָל וְהַפְּרָט. אַךְ הֱיוֹת וּרְצוֹנוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הָיוּ לַעֲסוֹק עוֹד וְעוֹד בַּעֲבוֹדַת קוֹנוֹ, הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ כְּעוֹסֵק כָּל הַיּוֹם בַּעֲבוֹדַת קוֹנוֹ בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַתְּפִילָּה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָעִיקָּר הוּא הָרָצוֹן כַּנִּזְכָּר (וכעין זה כתב בשל״ה עשרה מאמרות מאמר ח).
6bThis is what Dovid meant by “I considered my ways, and I turned my feet back to Your testimonies.” Dovid HaMelech was always one of the “masters of reckoning,” those who keep taking account of their deeds. He reckoned his ways and saw that although he had to go to such-and-such a house, he could count even that errand as going to the beis midrash, since all he truly wanted was to go and serve Hashem in the synagogues and study halls. [So even when a person has to busy himself with material matters, he must still have good will for avodas Hashem and want nothing but to serve Him. Then it will be counted for him as though he were occupied with spiritual things, like one who “intended to do a mitzvah.”]
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד ״חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדוֹתֶיךָ״, שֶׁדָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה תָּמִיד בִּבְחִינַת מָארֵי דְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, חִישֵּׁב דְּרָכָיו וְרָאָה, שֶׁהֲגַם שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ לְבַיִת פְּלוֹנִי, מִכָּל מָקוֹם חִישֵּׁב גַּם זֹאת כַּהֲלִיכָה לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִיקַּר רְצוֹנוֹ הָיָה רַק לֵילֵךְ לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ לְבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. [נִמְצָא לְפִי זֶה, דַּאֲפִילּוּ אִם הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לְהִתְעַסֵּק עִם עִנְיְנֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ רָצוֹן טוֹב לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ, וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה רְצוֹנוֹ רַק לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְאָז יֵחָשֵׁב לוֹ הַדָּבָר כְּאִילּוּ הוּא עוֹסֵק בְּדִבְרֵי רוּחָנִיּוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת חִישֵּׁב לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה].
In shortDovid's heart was set on the beis midrash, so his errands counted as going there; whoever truly wills to serve Hashem is credited likewise.
7May Hashem grant that we too be privileged to be among those who do His will, and so bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה אַף אָנוּ לִהְיוֹת מֵעוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וּנְקָרֵב בָּזֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we be among those who do Hashem's will, and so bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
Everything we give already belongs to Hashem; what is truly ours to offer is the good will with which we give, and that is what He asked for when He said “Speak” and not “Command.” Even the hours we must spend on work and worldly needs can count as His service, as Dovid's errands counted as walks to the beis midrash, when our heart's real wish is to serve Him.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.