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Legworks
Hashem declared that He filled Betzalel, [-Mishkan Builder,] with Chochma, Binah and Da’as to plan gold, silver and copper working, gemstone engraving and woodworking and all expertise.
What are Chochma, Binah and Daas? Chochma is learned knowledge, Binah is understanding (understanding something new based on the chochma one hears), and Da’as is mystical intuition; ruach haKodesh.
If Hashem taught Betzalel stoneworking, gem polishing, carpentry, goldsmithing, weaving, sewing, engineering and architecture, why would he need understanding, figuring out more on his own?
The answer is that Hashem never gave Betzalel knowledge! He granted him a thinking mind to absorb knowledge, expanding it through understanding and intuition. It was up to Betzalel to use that mind to learn stone cutting and gem polishing.
Why didn’t Hashem put that knowledge straight into Betzalel’s mind, as He taught Yosef seventy languages? Why did Betzalel need to learn it all himself?
(Actually, Hashem likes us to teach ourselves. Only animals have instinctive building skills, not humans. We are to use our brains!)
Building Hashem a home, the Mishkan, is our gift of love. Its our gift, we must do it ourselves. We need to do the legwork.
When working for Yeshivos, Kollelin or Kiruv organizations, Hashem will grant you tools to get the job done. But you need to do the legwork.
That’s because this is your gift to Him. You volunteer yourself; its your mission and privilege. Never think it a drag!
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Leaving And Succeeding
Moshe moved his tent out of the camp; Jews trekked out to hear Torah. Baal Haturim explains this is as precedent to Torah-learning: to succeed in Torah, exile yourself from home and go to away to learn. Even if you can study close to home, you grow more studying in exile.
Why? In study-exile a person lives there only for learning. Single-minded purposeness devotes all energies to study, propelling success.
Another advantage is that at home we are inundated with interruptions. Myriad worthy causes vie for our attention, guaranteeing that nothing of significance is accomplished. Moving out, going into golus (/Beis Medrash/ coffee shop) is often the only way to get stuff done.
There’s a tip for you!
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Shabbos
‘For [Shabbos] is a sign between me and you, showing that I, Hashem, make you Holy’
Haman desired the highest privilege; wearing the king’s clothes and riding on his horse. It is the highest tribute that Hashem grants use of His day of rest, Shabbos, as the Jewish rest-day. (Rashi)
This analogy seems incomplete; the king’s horse is reserved for royal use, that’s why it’s so significant. But Shabbos – is it reserved only for Hashem?
Shabbos and its rest-inducing properties draws from the day’s holiness, not from its time aspect. Not the Shabbos day produces rest, but the spirituality within. Hashem relates to this spirituality but not human beings. We realy cannot interface it. Shabbos is reserved to Hashem, for only He can access it.
Hashem’s gifted His People to relate to something out of this world, belonging in His exclusive domain; Shabbos’ spirituality.
P.s. Does this Sign physically manifest? Yes. On Erev Shabbos one can tangibly feel Shabbos arriving. That is the Sign! [Zichru Toras Moshe]
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Shabbos II, or: Hidden Blessing
Jews gave a half-shekel to be counted. Direct counting could bring blight upon them.
Why? In fact, counting the Jews will not harm them directly. However things hidden are inclined to blessing. Counting makes them known and revealed, withholding blessing from them. [Rishonim]
Shabbos was given in secret, (‘all other mitzvos were given publicly; Shabbos was given in secret’ -Gemarah) because Shabbos is Blessing. Secrecy (not paranoia!!!) brings blessing.
(For the kinderlach: When is secrecy appropriate, and when is it not?)
Shabbos was given secretly. It is an intimate present, a private communion between Hashem and His People. As someone daring to eavesdrop on his king is worthy of death, so is Shabbos a mystery between Hashem and His people; outsiders may not attend.
P.s. Rashi explains that Moshe was instructed not to take anyone with him when receiving the second pair of Luchos. None were even allowed near. Luchos were given in silence and secrecy. Why?
The reason the first Luchos failed was their fame and pomp. Hashem said that the second ones should be given in privacy. Nothing is more beautiful than tznius! [Midrash]
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Our Four-Fathers
Moshe said to Hashem (post-Egel) ‘And what will show that I and Your People are favored by You, if not Your walking with us, distinguishing us from all other peoples?’
Later Hashem favored Moshe by talking to him face-to-face, and showing Moshe His Glory, something no one had ever or since seen. Further along Hashem said to Moshe ‘Before your nation (note: Moshe’s nation, not His!) I will do miracles never seen before or done to any other nation, and the nation you (-Moshe) are in will witness the wonders I do with you’
It seems to me that originally Moshe was merely an intermediary between the Jewish people and Hashem. Here he suddenly becomes a separate entity – ‘I and your People’ – and special experiences are granted him. The Jewish people are even considered HIS nation.
The Gemarah tells us that the Jewish people, of three legs – the three Avos, – were in danger of being destroyed here. Hashem suggested Moshe to take over the destiny of the Jewish people, and a new nation be built from him. That was not done, of course.
However, I speculate that it partially was: Moshe was invested as a fourth ‘Av’, giving them four feet, solid grounding. (Now we can say ‘our four-fathers’!)
He is called Moshe Rabbenu (-possessive) by us, as the Avos are called “Avinu”. (Aharon is not called ‘Kohanenu’ nor Ezra ‘Soferenu’) We are his. In his merit we transmigrated into a new nation, the one Hashem suggested building of Moshe himself.
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The Luchos were written through and through, readable on both sides. The Gemarah in Shabbos explains that the writing on the back read backwards, as it was carved through. It didn’t read coherently. The pasuk says that it was written from both sides. Does this indicate that mirror writing (Da Vinci wiriting) is considered ‘ksav’ in halacha?
Perhaps not. The Torah has two ways of being read – correctly and incorrectly. Reading from the back is reading a valid text, but reading it from the wrong end.
The moral is that Torah is true, but it needs to be read correctly. One can read it backwards as well, unfortunately!