Vayakhel: Unity Brings the Shechinah to Rest
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 35:1
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהֹוָה לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם
Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael and said to them, “These are the things that Hashem commanded, to do them.”
1“Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael …”1 The commentators, the Ohr HaChaim among them, ask why the assembling of the congregation, and the giving of the command before an assembly, are mentioned for the mitzvah of Shabbos in particular.2 After all, the whole Torah was taught in public.3 Notice, too, the words “the congregation of Bnei Yisrael.” The word adas, “congregation,” seems unnecessary; the verse could have said “Moshe assembled all Bnei Yisrael,” as we find throughout the Torah.
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳ (לה, א). הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (עיין באור החיים) הִקְשׁוּ, מַדּוּעַ דַּוְוקָא לְעִנְיַן מִצְוַת שַׁבָּת נִזְכַּר עִנְיַן הַקְהָלַת הָעֵדָה וַאֲמִירָתָהּ בְּהַקְהֵל, הֲלֹא הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ נֶאֶמְרָה בָּרַבִּים (עירובין נד, ב). עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה תֵּיבַת ׳עֲדַת׳ הִיא לְמוֹתָר, וְהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה.
- Shemos 35:1. ↩
- See Ohr HaChaim there. ↩
- Eruvin 54b. The Gemara there describes how Moshe taught each passage first to Aharon, then to his sons, then to the elders, and then to all the people. ↩
In shortWhy does the Torah stress a public assembly for Shabbos alone, when all the Torah was taught publicly, and why add “congregation”?
2The verse goes on: “These are the things that Hashem commanded, to do them.”4 Here too the commentators, the Ohr HaChaim among them, raise a question. The mitzvah of Shabbos is simply to rest from work, so the verse should have said “not to do them.”5
וּבְהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַכָּתוּב ״אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם״ וְגוֹ׳ (שם ב). וְהִקְשׁוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (עיין באור החיים), הֲלֹא מִצְוַת שַׁבָּת אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא שְׁבִיתָה מֵעֲשִׂיַּית מְלָאכָה, וְאִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם׳.
- Shemos 35:1 (the sefer has 35:2). The quoted words end verse 1 and introduce the command of Shabbos in verse 2. ↩
- See Ohr HaChaim there. ↩
In shortThe mitzvah of Shabbos is to refrain from work, so why does the verse call it something “to do”?
3aLet us begin with the words of my holy great-grandfather, zy"a, in his sefer Divrei Binah.6 Chazal tell us that Shlomo HaMelech was called Koheles because he said all his words at an assembly, a hakhel.7 [That is, he would assemble Israel and speak before them.] What was so special about saying all his words at an assembly? My great-grandfather cites a saying that his father, zt"l, often repeated in the name of the holy Rebbe R' Dovid of Lelov, zt"l: when two Jews join together, it is like the joining of two letters yud (י), which stand for Hashem's Name. That is how the siddurim write the Name of Hashem, יי, two yuds in place of the four-letter Name. So when two Jews are united, they form, as it were, the Name of Hashem.
וְנַקְדִּים אִמְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ זְקֵינִי זי״ע בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה (דף פ״ב ע״א), דְּמָצִינוּ (קהלת רבה א, י) כִּי שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה נִקְרָא ׳קֹהֶלֶת׳, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁאָמַר כָּל דְּבָרָיו בְּהַקְהֵל [הַיְינוּ שֶׁהִקְהִיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לִפְנֵיהֶם], וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מָה הַמַּעֲלָה בְּכָךְ שֶׁאָמַר כָּל דְּבָרָיו בְּהַקְהֵל. וְהֵבִיא שֶׁהָיָה מַרְגְּלָא בְּפִי אָבִיו זצללה״ה בְּשֵׁם הרה״ק רַבִּי דָּוִד מלעלוב זצללה״ה, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר מִתְחַבְּרִים שְׁנֵי יְהוּדִים יַחַד הוּא דּוּגְמַת חִיבּוּר שְׁתֵּי אוֹתִיּוֹת י׳ הַמּוֹרִים עַל שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁכֵּן כָּךְ כּוֹתְבִים בַּסִּידּוּרִים יְיָ בִּמְקוֹם שֵׁם הוי״ה, דִּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ אַחְדוּת בֵּין שְׁתֵּי יְהוּדִים יַחַד, זֶהוּ בְּחִינַת שֵׁם הַשֵּׁם. וּלְפִי זֶה בֵּיאֵר שָׁם אֶת מַעֲלַת שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ,
3bWith this my great-grandfather explained what was special about Shlomo HaMelech. The new Torah insights that each tzaddik says come to him through the power of the combinations of the Torah's letters, from which such insights are formed. In the days of Shlomo HaMelech, the combination of the Names rising up from the Jewish people was complete, because there was great love and brotherhood among them. The verse says so explicitly: “Every man of Yisrael and Yehudah dwelt under his vine and under his fig tree.”8 And Shlomo HaMelech knew how to combine all the powers of the Jewish people. This is what Chazal meant when they said that his greatness lay in saying all his words at an assembly. That is the gist of his words. In other words, Shlomo said his words at an assembly because he wanted to bring Hashem's Shechinah to dwell among Bnei Yisrael as he spoke his words of Torah and wisdom. That is possible only when Jews gather together with unity and love among them, for it is through unity that the Shechinah rests upon Israel.
דְּהִנֵּה הַחִדּוּשִׁי תּוֹרָה שֶׁאוֹמֵר כָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק, בָּאִים לוֹ מִכֹּחַ צֵירוּפֵי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁמֵּהֶם נַעֲשִׂים חִידּוּשֵׁי תּוֹרָה, וְהִנֵּה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה הָיָה הַצֵּירוּף שֶׁל הַשֵּׁמוֹת הָעוֹלִים מֵעִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁלֵימוּת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה בָּהֶם אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה יְתֵירָה, וּכְמִקְרָא מָלֵא שֶׁדִּיבֵּר הַכָּתוּב (מלכים א ה, ה) ״וַיֵּשֶׁב אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ״, וּשְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה יָדַע לְצָרֵף כָּל הַכּוֹחוֹת שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָזֶה כִּיוְּונוּ חז״ל בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁמַּעֲלָתוֹ הָיְתָה שֶׁכָּל דְּבָרָיו הָיוּ בְּהַקְהֵל, עכ״ד. וְהַיְינוּ, דְּלָכֵן אָמַר דְּבָרָיו בִּקְהִלַּת, לְפִי שֶׁרָצָה לְהַשְׁכִּין שְׁכִינָתוֹ יִתְ׳ בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵת שֶׁיֹּאמַר דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ, וְזֶה אֶפְשָׁר רַק בְּעֵת שֶׁיְּהוּדִים מִתְאַסְּפִים בְּיַחַד וְיֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם אַחְדוּת וְאַהֲבָה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה שׁוֹרָה הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Melachim I 5:5. The verse itself reads: “Yehudah and Yisrael dwelt in safety, every man under his vine and under his fig tree … all the days of Shlomo.” ↩
In shortTwo united Jews are like the two yuds of Hashem's Name, so Shlomo taught at an assembly, where unity lets the Shechinah rest.
4This lets us explain the words in the prayer of the holy R' Elimelech of Lizhensk, zy"a: “that each of us should see the virtue of his fellow and not his failings.”9 My holy great-grandfather of Biala asked in his sefer Yesharei Lev: how can a person see his fellow's virtue when he sees him committing a sin, Heaven forbid? Following what we saw about unity and the Shechinah, we can answer that the prayer refers to the times when we are praying and learning Torah, when we should be united with our fellows. Since we must bring the Shechinah to rest upon Israel while we are busy with Torah and mitzvos, those are the times above all when we must reach the power of unity in Israel.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר מַה דְּאִיתָא בִּתְפִלַּת הרה״ק רַבִּי אֱלִימֶלֶךְ זיע״א ׳שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כָּל אֶחָד מַעֲלַת חֲבֵירוֹ וְלֹא חֶסְרוֹנָן׳, וְהִקְשָׁה זְקֵינִי זי״ע מביאלא בְּסֵפֶר יִשְׁרֵי לֵב, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לִרְאוֹת בְּמַעֲלַת חֲבֵירוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר רוֹאִים אֵצֶל אֶחָד שֶׁעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה ח״ו. אַךְ לְפִי הָאָמוּר לְעֵיל אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר, דְּהַכַּוָּונָה הִיא עַל הָעֵת שֶׁעוֹסְקִים בִּתְפִלָּה וְלִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁאָז נִהְיֶה בְּאַחְדוּת עִם חֲבֵרֵינוּ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבְּעֵת עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת צָרִיךְ לְהַשְׁרוֹת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, צָרִיךְ אָז בְּיוֹתֵר לָבוֹא לְכֹחַ הָאַחְדוּת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
- From R' Elimelech's prayer said before praying. ↩
In shortR' Elimelech's prayer to see only our fellows' virtues refers to prayer and Torah study, when unity must bring the Shechinah to rest.
5We must be in the spirit of Vayakhel, “he assembled,” whenever we keep any mitzvah, but this is especially true of holy Shabbos, a special day on which we must be united. For on Shabbos the Holy One, blessed be He, brings His Shechinah to rest upon the Jewish people. As the Midrash says on the verse “Between Me and Bnei Yisrael it is a sign forever”: “This is like a king sitting with the queen sitting opposite him. Whoever passes between them is liable to death.”10 On Shabbos, that is, the Shechinah is united with the King alone, and the King lets none of the ministers come in; only Knesses Yisrael, who is, as it were, Hashem's mate, is with Him. That is why, with the mitzvah of Shabbos, the time when the Shechinah rests among Israel, the Torah makes a point of mentioning that it was said at an assembly. And that is why it says here “the entire congregation.” The holy sefarim say that adas (עדת), “congregation,” has the same letters as da'as (דעת), “awareness.”11 It takes da'as to grasp that the Shechinah rests upon Israel through unity and love, when the entire congregation of Israel is together.
וְהִנֵּה אַף שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת בִּבְחִינַת ׳וַיַּקְהֵל׳ בְּעֵת קִיּוּם כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, אָמְנָם בִּפְרָט צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת כֵּן בְּעִנְיַן שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר זֶהוּ יוֹם מְיוּחָד אֲשֶׁר צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בּוֹ בְּאַחְדוּת, הֱיוֹת וּבְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ הקב״ה מַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה כה, טו) עַל הַכָּתוּב ״בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִיא לְעוֹלָם״, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב וּמַטְרוֹנָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, הָעוֹבֵר בֵּינֵיהֶן חַיָּיב מִיתָה, ע״כ. וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת הַשְּׁכִינָה מִתְיַחֶדֶת רַק עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא נוֹתֵן הַמֶּלֶךְ לִיכָּנֵס לְאַף אֶחָד מִן הַשָּׂרִים, אֶלָּא רַק כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא בֶּן זוּגוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה כִּבְיָכוֹל הִיא נִמְצֵאת עִמּוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן בְּמִצְוַת שַׁבָּת שֶׁהִיא זְמַן הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל, נִזְכַּר בְּיִחוּד עִנְיַן אֲמִירָתָהּ בְּהַקְהֵל. וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ׳אֶת כָּל עֲדַת׳, דְּאִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (אורח לחיים, אור לשמים) שֶׁ׳עֲדַת׳ הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת דַּעַת, שֶׁצְּרִיכִים דַּעַת לְהָבִין, שֶׁיְּסוֹד הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא עַל יְדֵי אַחְדוּת וְאַהֲבָה, כְּשֶׁכָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם יַחְדָּיו.
- Shemos Rabbah 25:15; in standard editions 25:11. The verse is Shemos 31:17. ↩
- Orach LeChaim; Ohr LaShamayim. ↩
In shortOn Shabbos the Shechinah rests on Israel alone, so assembly is stressed there; adas, spelling da'as, teaches that unity brings the Shechinah.
6In the same spirit, a teaching is quoted in the name of the Chiddushei HaRim, the first Rebbe of Ger, whose yahrzeit falls today: when Bnei Yisrael gather and join together, their coarseness and physicality fall away. About this the verse says, “These are the things that Hashem commanded, to do them.” What we must always “do” is Vayakhel, “he assembled”: we must gather together in unity of heart on holy Shabbos, so as to remove physicality from ourselves. With this the Chiddushei HaRim explained the words “the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael.” Adas has the letters of da'as: as long as a person is alone, he lacks da'as, but when people gather together, they are privileged to attain da'as.
וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה אִיתָא בְּשֵׁם הַחִידּוּשֵׁי הרי״ם (שהיום הוא יומא דהילולא דיליה), כִּי הַכְּנֵסִיָּה וְהַהִתְחַבְּרוּת שֶׁל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְסִירָה אֶת הַחוֹמְרִיּוּת וְהַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר ׳אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת׳, שֶׁתָּמִיד צְרִיכִים לַעֲשׂוֹת ׳וַיַּקְהֵל׳, לְהִתְאַסֵּף יַחַד בְּאַחְדוּת הַלְּבָבוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, בִּכְדֵי לְהָסִיר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת. וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, ׳עֲדַת׳ הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת דַּעַת, דְּכָל זְמַן שֶׁאָדָם נִמְצָא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא נֶחְסַר מִבְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת, אַךְ כְּשֶׁמִּתְאַסְּפִים יַחַד זוֹכִים לִבְחִינַת הַדַּעַת.
In shortGathering strips away physicality, the Chiddushei HaRim taught, so the “doing” of Shabbos is assembling, and together Jews gain da'as.
7That is why Chassidim have long been accustomed to sit together as a group on Shabbos, and so to increase the resting of the Shechinah among Israel and the honor of Heaven. But in recent times the close bond between friends and the gatherings of companions have greatly weakened, so we must make a point of strengthening such fellowship and setting it right.
וְלָכֵן הָיָה מֵאָז וּמִקֶּדֶם נָהוּג אֵצֶל הַחֲסִידִים לָשֶׁבֶת בַּחֲבוּרָה בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ בְּצַוְותָּא חֲדָא, לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּכָךְ הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וּכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. וְהִנֵּה בַּזְּמַן הָאַחֲרוֹן נֶחֱלַשׁ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד הָעִנְיָן שֶׁל דִּיבּוּק חֲבֵרִים וּמִסִּיבַּת רֵעִים, לָכֵן צְרִיכִים לִרְאוֹת לְהַרְבּוֹת בָּזֶה, וּלְתַקֵּן אֶת עִנְיָן זֶה.
In shortChassidim always sat together on Shabbos; now that such fellowship has weakened, we must work to strengthen it again.
8In this merit may we be privileged to see Chazal's words fulfilled: “The son of Dovid comes only when Israel is one united band.”12 Amen, may it be His will.
וּבִזְכוּת זֶה נִזְכֶּה שֶׁיְּקוּיַּים מַה דְּאִיתָא בחז״ל (תנחומא נצבים א׳) אֵין בֶּן דָּוִד בָּא אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּאֲגוּדָּה אַחַת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
- Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1. ↩
In shortMay we be privileged to see Moshiach, who comes only when Israel is one united band.
Takeaway
The Shechinah rests on Jews who are bound together in love, like the two yuds that form Hashem's Name, and that is why Shabbos, the day of Hashem's closest bond with Israel, was commanded at an assembly. When we pray and learn, and above all on Shabbos, we should look for our fellows' virtues and gather together in unity of heart. Then physicality falls away, we attain da'as, and we bring closer the coming of Moshiach.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.