Must wake up in the moment of truth
Parasha in the everyday life - Parashat Truma - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald- 5780
What is the relation between the establishment of the Mishkan, and the coming up elections?
"וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃"
"And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Shmot 25:8) The establishment of the Mishkan and the “Shechinah" (The Divine Presence) are the basis to understanding the complexity that exists in the realization of ideas and ideals within the limited reality in which we live.
"שְׁלֹשָה דְּבָרִים שָׁמַע מֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה וְנִבְהַל וְנִרְתַּע לַאֲחוֹרָיו. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם, אָמַר: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הִנֵּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּךָ (מלכים א ח, כז). אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה: לֹא כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה סָבוּר, אֶלָּא עֶשְׂרִים קֶרֶשׁ בַּצָּפוֹן, וְעֶשְׂרִים בַּדָּרוֹם, וּשְׁמוֹנָה בַּמַּעֲרָב, וּשְׁמוֹנָה בַּמִּזְרָח, וַאֲצַמְצֵם שְׁכִינָה שֶׁלִּי וְאֶשְׁכֹּן בֵּינֵיהֶם"
"Moshe heard three things from the lips of the Mighty One that confused and startled him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Shmot. 25:8), he replied: Master of the Universe, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain Thee. He responded: Moshe, it is not as you think. Erect twenty boards on the northern side and twenty boards on the southern side and eight on the eastern side and eight on the western side, and I will compress My Shechinah and dwell within them…" (Midrash Tanchuma Ki Tisa 10)
The dwelling of the Divine Presence within a limited material house raised in Moshe astonishment and recoiling; how is it possible. Hashem's answer is profound; His desire to "dwell among them" - in the limited world, as part of it. To do this, He will "reduce" His Divine Presence and not express his absolute infinity:
מַנִּיחַ אֲנִי אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְאֵרֵד וְאֶשְׁכֹּן בֵּינֵיכֶם... נִתְאַוָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ דִּירָה לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁיְּהֵא לוֹ כָּךְ דִּירָה לְמַטָּה
“Then I will set My dwelling place in your midst.” If you fulfill My commandments, I will leave the heavenly beings and come down to dwell among you… The Holy One, blessed be He, desired that, just as He has an abode above, so He would have an abode below…" (Midrash Tanchuma Bechukotai 3)
This is the solution of the paradox; the visibility of His infinite Presence is a limited structure of "twenty boards on the northern side and twenty boards on the southern side…" etc.
There is a general principle in the Midrash: the limited physical reality full of shortcomings and flaws constitutes an 'apartment' for the Divine Infinity that is all perfection and purity!
Similarly, the realization of holiness, values and ideals in the everyday life. They come from the world of purity, perfection, and truth, but as they descend and diminish in the human and practical world, they are cast in limited articles and with many drawbacks.
Anyone who expects to see them entirely realized and will not settle for less can be disappointed.
That is why idealistic people are revolting against the inevitable situation that the ideal does not completely materialize.
And they are the first to criticize those who seek to actualize the ideal they believe in, since there is no chance the execution will be perfect.
They will be seeking to act against them. However, if they do 'succeed' in doing so, they will avoid reaching the ideal they believe in. Because in our world if there is a choice between 'all or nothing!' Probably it would be 'nothing'!
This is probably also the meaning of the controversy between opinions about the establishment of the Mishkan; whether it was immediately after the Torah was given, to connect the Shechinah to the physical world: "And since Israel received the yoke with joy and said:
כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
“All that Hashem has spoken we will faithfully do". Immediately the Almighty told Moshe to tell Israel to make Him a dwelling" (Eliyahu Rabba 17).
And between the opinion that it was only after the golden calf- crisis and the breaking of the tablets given from Sinai:
אֵימָתַי נֶאֶמְרָה לְמֹשֶׁה הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים עַצְמוֹ... וְאַתָּה מוֹצֵא, שֶׁבְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים נִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם, וּבוֹ בַּיּוֹם אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם
"On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement… Thus, you find that it must have been on the Day of Atonement that he told Moses about the Temple, for it was on that day that they were forgiven. And on that day the Holy One, blessed be He, told them: Make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell therein" (Midrash Tanchuma Terumah 8).
As a 'correction' or a 'lesson learned' from the crisis; that only by accepting the reduction of the Shechinah to 'twenty boards on the northern side and twenty boards on the southern side' will allow its inspiration to come out and prevent the breaking of the tablets in the future.
The national religious ideal is a top and fundamental ideal in Judaism. It combines sacred and profane, Torah and the daily life of the individual and the nation.
Over a century ago, this ideal became a conceptual movement that has unique educational and Torah institutions, leading youth movements, a volunteering movement, a grand settlement enterprise and peripheral nuclei.
In recent years, it has gotten different shades. The movement's sons integrate and make a unique contribution across all state institutions, leading to state defense, economics and science. The State of Israel needs a party to represent and fulfill this ideal and the vigilantes that make sure these institutions receive the resources that will enable them to continue their work for the state.
The argument that this is a 'sectoral' approach is vain. Because the consumers of the fruits of these 'institutions' are all citizens of the state. Although a party is a limited human political tool. And it also makes mistakes. Whoever gives his support only to a perfect party will remain with nothing. Abstaining from voting (giving power to political opponents) or voting for a party that does not embrace this ideal on its flag will impair the ability to realize the national religious ideal in state life.
We are approaching the moment of truth. I call on my dear brothers, the sons and daughters of the national religious movement. In the moment of truth, we must wake up.
Vote for 'Tet' -'Bet'!