|
However, you
must observe my Shabbos.[2]
Rashi tells us that
this “however” serves to establish that the work of constructing the mishkan should not
proceed on Shabbos. Indeed, all such uses of “however”/ach are restrictions
and limitations on the extent of some halachah.
Seen from the
perspective of mishkan construction, it is indeed a restriction. The work
has to cease on Shabbos. But if you look at from the standpoint of Shabbos,
it is not a restriction at all! To the contrary, the derashah serves to
extend the prohibition of work/melachah
on Shabbos to the mishkan
project!
However (no pun
intended), the Zohar’s depiction of Shabbos is well known. Shabbos is
denotes completion. As Hashem is free of any deficiency whatsoever, “work”
is irrelevant to Him. One works in order to produce something that would
otherwise by lacking; there is no way that this can apply to Hashem.
On Shabbos, Hashem’s
Elokus is revealed and spreads out to all of the Bnei Yisrael. One who
insists on working on Shabbos shows that he is not really of the Jewish
nation, in whom this weekly revelation occurs. The authentic Jew will see
his business as complete, as Hashem’s perfection and completeness takes
residence within him, and completely refrain from the irrelevance of melachah.
This applies not only
to mundane matters, but even to toiling in holiness. Constructing the mishkan must cease on
Shabbos because the purpose of the mishkan
is to allow the indwelling of the Shechinah. But Shabbos itself assures
that Hashem dwells within us. No work is necessary to bring that about. The
completeness of G-d is so available and apparent on Shabbos, that the
notion of work is entirely inconsistent with its presence.
Surely, though, not
everyone merits to become a host to the Shechinah on Shabbos! Our aveiros
and imperfections decidedly block and prevent His revelation to us! Indeed,
this is so. One who is conscious of those shortcomings must put them out of
his mind on Shabbos, lest they sadden or depress him. He should zealously
heed the laws of Shabbos, finding joy in the fact that Shabbos is Hashem’s
day of joy, when nothing prevents Him (as it were) from attaching Himself
to Klal Yisrael
in His fullness.
This will only be
effective for a person who has stripped away feelings of importance from
himself. Hashem favors the person of lowly spirit – the one who understands
his nothingness. If he regards himself as nothing, he cannot be deficient.
A non-entity cannot be deficient!
If he succeeds in
comprehending his nothingness, he turns himself into a receptacle for
Hashem’s Shabbos-revelation. He spends his time with perfection. He has no
place for melachah
– not even the melachah
of the mishkan.
|
Comments
Post a Comment