In Parshas Vayakhel the Torah reiterates all the various materials that the Bnei Yisroel donated for the building of the Mishkan and all its components and all the various vessels and holy objects required to do the daily service to Hashem. In the middle of the parsha the Torah relates that the people who were in charge of collecting the materials came to Moshe Rabbeinu and said, “The people exceeded in bringing, more than the labor of the work that Hashem has commanded to perform”. And Moshe then commanded the people to stop bringing any more materials. The Torah adds that the people had brought material that was sufficient to do all the work required, and a surplus. If it was sufficient, how could there be a surplus. We’ll soon see.
The Sfas Emes Ztzl on the Torah in 5641 says that the chachomim, wise men, in charge of the work came to Moshe and said that they see that the people have an extra surge of hisnadvus, free-willed urge to donate. They were worried that this extra hisnadvus would cause them to lose track of what they were doing. The Mishkan had to be constructed with material that was given with a pure desire for service to Hashem and with a sense of Kedusha, holiness. The chachomim recognized that this Kedusha and free-willed urge to give might be lost after the initial zeal, that the extra surge wouldn’t be with the purity and holiness required.
Sfas Emes says further that in everything that a person does in Avodas Hashem there should be a concept of Retzo V’Shov, running to do it and returning. What does this mean? He quotes the Baal Shem Tov that every aspect and deed of Avodas Hashem should bring to a person a sense of Yiraas Shomayim and Busho, humility. While performing a service to Hashem a person should realize and understand the Greatness of Hashem and in doing so come to Yiraas Shomayim and humility. And the Sfas Emes explains the concept of Retzo V’Shov with this idea of yiroh and busho. Generally when a person does an avoda such as davening or learning or a mitzvo and it really works out well, that person might have a smug feeling of accomplishment. Look how good I davened, look at how many blatt gemorah I learned. It can bring Pride, Gavoh. Then the Yetzer Hora can change this feeling into one of thinking, look how much better am I than my friend. Or look how I'm fooling others into thinking that I'm great. And then from this come to an opposite feeling; that hey I know myself, who am I fooling and actually stop doing the mitzvos and davening properly.
Another thing that can go wrong is that the initial feeling of free-will charity may become tainted. The person originally wanted to give $100 but then heard others giving more so he changes his donation to $200. The extra $100 isn't as pure as the original. It comes from that extra urge but not the pure free-will urge that he originally had.
But if the person as he runs along doing his Avodas Hashem stops for a moment and starts to think, what am I doing, to Whom am I doing this, why am I doing all this. Stop and go back and look at what you’re doing. Then his davening and learning and mitzvos will bring Yiraas Shomayim and humility as he realizes to Whom he is davening, what he is doing, and what he is learning. The idea of going forward and stopping and looking back will cause all his work to stay on track, to bring yiroh and anivus.
Moshe Rabbeinu and the chachomim saw that the Bnei Yisroel were bringing their donations to the Mishkon with an extra hisnadvus and hislahavus. They were afraid that this would cause them to not only lose track but lose the purity that was required. So they were told to stop. Retzo V’Shov, back away and think about what you’re doing. And that will bring an added zeal and Kedusha to your actions.
The Orech Chaim Hakodosh explains the concept of the material donations and work being sufficient and yet a surplus like this. The chachomim saw that the tremendous hisnadvus and hislahavus to bring material for the Mishkon resulted in the fact that the surplus also had the attributes necessary to be considered as part of the Mishkon, the holiness and purity, even though it wasn’t a part of the actual Mishkan. The surplus too had the necessary Kedusha and purity of thought that the Mishkon required. Hashem then rewarded them for their zeal and Kedusha by actually making the surplus miraculously become part of the Mishkon.
Often when we go too fast in trying to grow in Avodas Hashem we can trip up and lose track of what we’re doing and actually fall behind and lose our way altogether. This is what the Yetzer Hora tries to accomplish; trip us up, cool us off. However if during our particular service we stop along the way, we don’t rush headlong thinking look how great I am doing all this, but rather think about Who we are serving and how, then that extra zeal will remain holy and actually become part of what we’re trying to accomplish. If you started out with the idea of learning one chapter of Chumash or one blatt gemorah and you actually learned two, step back and think of how lucky you are that Hashem gave you the resources to accomplish this. The extra zeal will then become part of what you did and will become a permanent part of your inner self, allowing you to grow that extra amount that you worked for.
The Sfas Emes Ztzl on the Torah in 5641 says that the chachomim, wise men, in charge of the work came to Moshe and said that they see that the people have an extra surge of hisnadvus, free-willed urge to donate. They were worried that this extra hisnadvus would cause them to lose track of what they were doing. The Mishkan had to be constructed with material that was given with a pure desire for service to Hashem and with a sense of Kedusha, holiness. The chachomim recognized that this Kedusha and free-willed urge to give might be lost after the initial zeal, that the extra surge wouldn’t be with the purity and holiness required.
Sfas Emes says further that in everything that a person does in Avodas Hashem there should be a concept of Retzo V’Shov, running to do it and returning. What does this mean? He quotes the Baal Shem Tov that every aspect and deed of Avodas Hashem should bring to a person a sense of Yiraas Shomayim and Busho, humility. While performing a service to Hashem a person should realize and understand the Greatness of Hashem and in doing so come to Yiraas Shomayim and humility. And the Sfas Emes explains the concept of Retzo V’Shov with this idea of yiroh and busho. Generally when a person does an avoda such as davening or learning or a mitzvo and it really works out well, that person might have a smug feeling of accomplishment. Look how good I davened, look at how many blatt gemorah I learned. It can bring Pride, Gavoh. Then the Yetzer Hora can change this feeling into one of thinking, look how much better am I than my friend. Or look how I'm fooling others into thinking that I'm great. And then from this come to an opposite feeling; that hey I know myself, who am I fooling and actually stop doing the mitzvos and davening properly.
Another thing that can go wrong is that the initial feeling of free-will charity may become tainted. The person originally wanted to give $100 but then heard others giving more so he changes his donation to $200. The extra $100 isn't as pure as the original. It comes from that extra urge but not the pure free-will urge that he originally had.
But if the person as he runs along doing his Avodas Hashem stops for a moment and starts to think, what am I doing, to Whom am I doing this, why am I doing all this. Stop and go back and look at what you’re doing. Then his davening and learning and mitzvos will bring Yiraas Shomayim and humility as he realizes to Whom he is davening, what he is doing, and what he is learning. The idea of going forward and stopping and looking back will cause all his work to stay on track, to bring yiroh and anivus.
Moshe Rabbeinu and the chachomim saw that the Bnei Yisroel were bringing their donations to the Mishkon with an extra hisnadvus and hislahavus. They were afraid that this would cause them to not only lose track but lose the purity that was required. So they were told to stop. Retzo V’Shov, back away and think about what you’re doing. And that will bring an added zeal and Kedusha to your actions.
The Orech Chaim Hakodosh explains the concept of the material donations and work being sufficient and yet a surplus like this. The chachomim saw that the tremendous hisnadvus and hislahavus to bring material for the Mishkon resulted in the fact that the surplus also had the attributes necessary to be considered as part of the Mishkon, the holiness and purity, even though it wasn’t a part of the actual Mishkan. The surplus too had the necessary Kedusha and purity of thought that the Mishkon required. Hashem then rewarded them for their zeal and Kedusha by actually making the surplus miraculously become part of the Mishkon.
Often when we go too fast in trying to grow in Avodas Hashem we can trip up and lose track of what we’re doing and actually fall behind and lose our way altogether. This is what the Yetzer Hora tries to accomplish; trip us up, cool us off. However if during our particular service we stop along the way, we don’t rush headlong thinking look how great I am doing all this, but rather think about Who we are serving and how, then that extra zeal will remain holy and actually become part of what we’re trying to accomplish. If you started out with the idea of learning one chapter of Chumash or one blatt gemorah and you actually learned two, step back and think of how lucky you are that Hashem gave you the resources to accomplish this. The extra zeal will then become part of what you did and will become a permanent part of your inner self, allowing you to grow that extra amount that you worked for.
