Terumah 5785: The Requirement for the Divine Presence

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Shiurimim given in 5780 & 5771

• Part 1: The Requirement for the Divine Presence
• Part 2: Shabbos: The Tefillos of Shabbos

Parshas Terumah: The Requirement for the Divine Presence (5780)

The Way To Build The Mishkan

In this week’s Parsha, we encounter the mitzva of building of the Mishkan. The Torah tells us (Shemos 25:2) that when you collect money for building the Mishkan, it should be done with נדיבות הלב.^[i] The person should participate in this great venture with a tremendous “willingness of his heart.” Hashem said: “I want it to be as if you’re choosing to do this. I want it to be your choice. I don’t want you to do this as a חיוב. I want it to be done with a נדיבות הלב.”

Now, you don’t find such a condition by other mitzvos. So, the question is vos stait dah? What is unique about giving something with נדיבות הלב? Now, giving something with נדיבות הלב seems to be a different type of מתנה, a different type of giving. And that type of giving was only demanded and only expected by the building of the Mishkan. Why was it like that?

So, the Dubno Maggid expresses a tremendous thought. He says that many people – he calls them טיפשים – are under the imagination that Hashem needs our money, our silver, and our gold. But the truth is that the whole world is Hashem’s.

Giving What You Love Most Builds A Connection

Hashem runs the world. לה’ הארץ, כי לי כל הארץ. It’s all Hashem’s. The passuk says: לי הכסף לי הזהב, “the silver and gold are mine” (Haggai 2:8). It’s all Hashem’s. It’s all Mine. He gives us by His will; He takes it from us by His will. So, what does He need our ‘tovos’ for? So, the Dubno Maggid says a tremendous insight. He says the reason that Hashem requested of us to bring כסף and זהב to the building project of the Mishkan did not come because of Hashem’s love for these things. That’s not where it’s coming from. It’s coming from the opposite. Hashem knows that כסף and זהב is something that people value tremendously. People live and die for כסף and זהב. And when a person donates the most beloved thing of his to Hashem, that’s an expression of a person giving what is important to him. That’s called he’s giving his love to Hashem. When a person takes something that’s very valuable to him and gives it to Hashem, it’s a reflection of love. If someone gives something because he’s forced, that doesn’t express his love. He’s a very bitter giver.

There are some people that are very bitter when they have to give money. But when a person gives something to somebody, and it’s something he wants to do, and he gives away something that’s precious to himself, then it’s an expression of his love. Hashem says: “I want you to build the Mishkan from your money. I want you to give your money because your money is precious to you, but I want you to give it in such a way that it expresses and reflects the love in the giving.”

Hashem says, “What I want from you, is for you to give your money. I want to see your heart interested in building a Mishkan so that I can come and live with you. I want you to be spiritually aroused at the time of the giving of the gift.”

Built With Everlasting Love

In the pasuk in Shir Hashirim (3:9), when it describes the Beis Hamikdash, it says: אַפִּרְיוֹן עָשָׂה לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, “King Shlomo made Him a palanquin (a canopy).” Shlomo Hamelech made a Beis Hamikdash for Hakadosh Baruch Hu מֵעֲצֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן, from the Lebanon wood. עַמּוּדָיו עָשָׂה כֶסֶף, he made its pillars of silver, with gold, and expensive wool. And then it says, תּוֹכוֹ רָצוּף אַהֲבָה מִבְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם. The whole inside was paved, it was tiled, with love by the maidens of Yerushalayim (v. 10).

What were the tiles made of? It was tiled with אהבה – and  לעתיד לבוא, all the גוים, the אומות העולם, are going to come forth and try to be מבטל, nullify the love that exists between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Klal Yisroel. They are going to try to belittle that love, and they are not going to be able to. Chazal say how are they going to do it? Chazal explains that the nations of the world will come forth, and they will say to Hashem, “Why are You so endeared and in love with Klal Yisroel? Because of the Beis Hamikdash that they built for You?! They built you a Mishkan in Shiloh, made of what? Some wood, some pillars of silver. They covered it for You with some animal skin and fabric, which looked like a tent. You know what we’ll do for you, Hashem? We’ll build for You a house of אבנים טובות, of precious stones and pearls that the eye has never seen.” Hakodosh Boruch Hu says: No thanks, no thanks. So, the question is taka why not? Wherein lies the difference?

Klal Yisroel was not just parting with their valuables to build the Beis Hamikdash. They were giving; it was an expression of their love. The value was not measured by Hashem. אִם יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת כׇּל הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה – “if a person will give all the value of his house for love,” בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ, “he would be laughed to scorn” (Shir HaShirim 8:7). It would be meaningless. Hashem wants to know the quality of the giving, the level of אהבה, and that, no goy could do. The אומות העולם will never be able to match the אהבה of Klal Yisroel.

The Power of The Neshamah – Bein Adam L’Makom

I want to stop and think about this for a moment to understand why this is. What is unique about when a Jew expresses אהבה to Hashem?  How is that different from when a goy would try to do that? There are many organizations among the nations of the world that deal with chessed and all kinds of good, social causes. So, where lies the difference?

Many people don’t know what the difference is. First, you have to know, even in quantity, there is no nation in the world that does as much kindness and cares for its own people in all corners of the world like Am Yisroel. That’s even in quantity. But I’m talking qualitative kindness; for the sake of kindness. Where lies the difference?

We mentioned it in the past, and I want to mention it again today to make it clear: a Yid and everybody else in this world is built with a גוף. That physical גוף is the way he deals with the world, and a good character that a person has is a result of their גוף. A person trains their גוף to be well-behaved to conduct himself in a socially acceptable manner. And all the nations of the world aspire and hope and recognize that value. I don’t think there is one nation in the world that doesn’t recognize good behavior.

In Klal Yisroel, every Yid is made up of a Jewish soul. That Jewish soul is defined by the following: every Yid has a חלק אלוק ממעל. Every Yid has within himself a חלק of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. And that’s unique to Am Yisroel. Only Am Yisroel, the Torah tells us, was created with a חלק אלוק ממעל. It is an integral part of ourselves, we are made up of a נפש ישראל, which is a shtik נפש of Hashem.

The umos ha’olam were also created by Hashem. They also have a tzelem Elokim. They were created in the image of Hashem. But to have a חלק אלוק ממעל within them – that they don’t have. One of the biggest challenges of the Jew is whether his גוף is going to be a reflection of that חלק אלוק ממעל or whether his גוף will have no reflection of his חלק אלוק ממעל.

Overcoming Shiflus Hanefesh

We mentioned the words of the Chazon Ish in his beautiful prose, and he says that there is a concept called שפלות הנפש, which means “degrading” one’s soul. What is the action of degrading one’s נפש? So he says the נפש is a source of light, and that light is reflected through the גוף. The light of the נפש reflects itself through the גוף. When a person darkens that light, he says that’s called degrading the נפש, and that’s called שפלות הנפש.

שפלות הנפש, the Chazon Ish says, is like a door that closes, and it does not allow light to come in. It doesn’t allow one to develop and bring out any greatness within his soul. He says, שפלות הנפש is not an action; it doesn’t translate itself to better or good actions. שפלות הנפש is something which takes place in the innermost recesses of a human being. The poor and bad actions are a result of שפלות הנפש.

When a person doesn’t have contact and is not involved with his נפש, it’s reflected by his גוף’s poor actions. שפלות, he says, for example, caused those people to be incapable of learning מוסר. They’re not capable of learning all the ספרי מוסר. They talk about disciplining oneself and training oneself, but they have no שייכות, because everything we find in the ספרי מוסר is based on the soul-like quality that every Jew has. That’s where the koach to bring out his greatness exists. And you’re never going to find by those people any changes made by learning מוסר. The Chazon Ish says, שפלות הנפש is not a tangible thing; it means a lack of connection. It’s blocking of the light that’s within ourselves.

A Person Reflects His Inner Light

Where you see it most manifest is if you take a look at a גוף. You look at a person like Rav Chaim Kanievsky, and you think: Here’s a person who is steeped in learning. His day revolves around nothing but תורה, and he has so many obligations to fulfill every day. The amount of things that he learns, the amount that he covers on a daily basis, his priorities, is mind-boggling. (This shmuess was given when Rav Chaim, zt”l, was still alive.)

Some fellow put out a ספר called Chovos, regarding R’ Chaim’s daily obligations. It describes what happens when a Rosh Chodesh falls on this day, or when יום טוב comes out on that day? It’s unbelievable. It’s mind-boggling to see. Yet this man sits there and completes his learning schedules, and he sometimes meets hundreds of people a day. Let me tell you, most people ask the same silly questions, and each guy comes to him thinking he’s being מחדש a question that Rav Chaim never heard of, and they pester him, and they bother him. How do you become like that and be able to treat every person with savlanus? There’s nothing in it for himself. He gets no כבוד from this. All he gets is worn out, worn down, and he gives everybody the same smile, as if they’re the only person coming to him.

Yes, his grandson tries to have rachmanus on him. But Rav Chaim pashut doesn’t have the koach to say the full words of “Bracha v’hatzlaha”! You know how tired you have to be to not be able to say that, to come up with בו”ה? He pushes you to do your obligation. That’s called gadlus hanefesh. That’s called the embodiment of someone with a chelek Eloka mima’al. No one looks at him and thinks that he’s a physical being. Nobody! Anybody who sees him, takes one look at him, and says, “Here I see a nefesh Yisrael manifesting its light onto his גוף and reflecting its light through his גוף in the most amazing way.” That’s the opposite of שפלות הנפש.

For most people, the darkening of their light is also manifest. You don’t see them reflecting an inner sense of connection to Hashem, even if they’re well-behaved. And then you have people who go through things in life, go through suffering, go through difficulties, and they’re able to be happy and positive in life. How do they do that? It’s a reflection of the connection with Hashem. You have to know that until a person gets connected with his inner self, he can’t begin to bring out that light. He can’t begin to even work on himself. The conduct of a man depends on knowing and being aware of his inner greatness. Every human being has greatness. Even a goy has greatness. Nations also have greatness. חביב אדם שנברא בצלם – any אדם! But Klal Yisrael? That’s special!

I Shall Dwell Within You

When we built the Beis Hamikdash, Hakodosh Boruch Hu wanted us to reflect our connection to Him. He wants us to have a deep connection to Him. Hashem wanted us to build the Beis Hamikdash in such a fashion that we’d be connected to Him through the building. Hashem wants us to say:  “Hashem, I want to live with You. I want to connect with You.”

I was once talking to a group of people, and I said to them,”How many of you love Hashem?” They all raised their hands. I said, “Let me ask you a question. Do you think you would welcome Hashem to move into your home?” Now, let’s consider for a minute every single thing that you have in your life. Everything is from Hashem and nothing but Hashem, right? There’s nothing that’s not from Hashem. If Hashem said, ‘I’d like to have a room in your house,’ maybe you would say, ‘How much are you going to hang around?’ And Hashem says, ‘I’m going to live here.’ I think most people would say, ‘That would be too much for me. I don’t think I can handle it. Maybe come for a day, maybe for two days. I’ll put up with it, but to have you live together with me?’ That means to say we relate to our גוף and our bodily needs, physical needs, material needs. That’s where our life is, and Hashem is in a position of: ‘So, I can be a tzaddik for a little bit and set my needs aside for a while.’ But למעשה, I can deal with Hashem just like a guy could go visit Rav Chaim Kanievsky. He’d come in there, he’d put on his frumest appearance. (Have you ever seen those pictures they put in the Yated? Every guy who goes in there is wearing a hat. You could see the hat was placed in front of the guy’s head. Maybe he’s not the kind of guy who wears a hat all the time, and he goes there, and tries to look like the biggest tzaddik in the world, and he can’t wait to get out of there and take his hat off. ‘Let me take this jacket off.’ He’s not comfortable with it.” 

Hashem says, “I want you to build for me a Beis Hamikdash, a בית that can express your innermost love, that you want Me to live with you, because I’m going to come to live with you, Klal Yisrael.” ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם, “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” (Shemos 25:8).

An Edifice of Hearts…And Its Effect

You know what ושכנתי בתוכם means? ושכנתי בלבם של כל ישראל, “I will dwell in the hearts of Klal Yisroel.” Hakadosh Baruch Hu told Moshe: “I want you to bring the donation בנדבת הלב, and through that you will be connected.” My Rebbi (Rav Meir Soloveichik) used to say over a Vilna Gaon in Shir Hashirim. The Vilna Gaon writes that through נדבת הלב of כל ישראל to donate to the Mishkan, you know what happened? The Mishkan became a building, an edifice that was made up of the נדבת לבם של כל ישראל.

That’s what the Mishkan is. You look at the Mishkan, and you watch this building, and you say, “What am I seeing? I’m seeing the נדבת הלב of כל ישראל.” That חיבור, that connection, is what created and enabled the building of the Mishkan.  And that’s how Hashem was able to be ושכנתי בתוכם.

The Vilna Gaon writes ושכנתי בתוכם means, that if the Yidden could all get together and donate their hearts to building a Mishkan for Hashem, then Hashem could come and reside in their hearts! The lashon of the Gaon is שריית השכינה. The resting of the השכינה was בתוך לב ישראל. However, they needed a specific place to get together, and therefore Hashem chose a specific place for מקום השראת השכינה.

And when everybody donates to this, when everybody puts their hearts into this building, then Hashem comes, and He resides in it, and in them! It’s an amazing new insight that the תרומה, the donation to the building of the Mishkan, had to be done with the אהבה of the heart. השראת השכינה has to do with one’s inner self.

A goy could be a very kind person, but it’s all the equivalent of a body’s learned, behavioral modification. A person has to know the difference between that and the manifestation of the nefesh Yisroel from the inner essence of a person and their behavior. In the Mishkan we were gathering all the hearts of Klal Yisroel. That was the purity required for this building. You have to know, when Yidden do things together from their inner self, they’re bringing themselves together with Hashem, and they’re enabling Hashem to rest His Shechinah among the Yidden.

The Power of The Neshamah – Bein Adam L’Chaveiro

This is a tremendous undertaking. When it says that there is a mitzvah of v’ahavta l’rei’achah kamocha, it’s not just to act nicely to somebody else, the אהבה we’re talking about is an expression of one’s inner spark of Hashem. Ahavah that you can see on the outside between people means: “I love a person with my neshamah.”

Hashem wants us to love each other with ‘soul love.’ It should be a reflection of the chelek Eloka mimaal. The reason why I have to love someone כמוך is because just like I have a chelek Eloka mimaal, the other person also has a chelek Eloka mimaal. Yes, physically speaking, our noses are different, our eyes are different. There’s no כמוך in physical attributes of people, but on the chelek Eloka mimaal level, in the inner recesses of our souls, over there, we’re all a piece of Hashem. That’s where we’re able to unite. For me to be able to love somebody, I have to open up the doors of my soul. I have to get past my גוף and be able to enter the recess of my chelek Eloka mimaal to feel comfortable there, and then and only then, can I look at you and say, “You’re my twin. We’re twins; we’re one and the same.” But if a person is preoccupied with his own material גוף, like most people are – my shirt, my pants, my watch, my needs – everybody just stays in the גוף level, then there’s no חיבור, there’s no connection, between us. It’s impossible then to attach yourself to another Yehudi.

Our Responsibility To Increase Light

Hakadosh Baruch Hu should help us understand that the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash meant that Jews became distant from one another; that was the effect of having no place for Hashraas haShechinah. The light of a Yid’s נפש became diminished, became largely extinguished. And we struggle today with trying to bring this light out, and connecting to that light and feeling that uniqueness of being a Jew and the greatness of being a Jew.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to bring out that light in ourselves and other people as we enter the month of Adar and the upcoming month of Nissan. The way you do it, the Gr”a says, is by learning Torah. The Chazon Ish says it is by doing mitzvos and removing the שפלות from ourselves, the lowliness, the degradation, and to rise to a level of connection to Hashem.

The Tefillos of Shabbos (5771)

Klal Yisrael’s Shirah Has A Unique Role

The Ohr Zarua (Chelek 2, 42:4) quotes a Medrash that describes how every day the malachim are meshorer to Hashem with their wings – כנפיהם שירות ותשבחות. They have six wings,  שש כנפיים להם. And every day they are meshorer with one of their wings. On the yom haShabbos, they say to Hakodosh Boruch Hu: רבונו של עולם תן לנו כנף שביעי – give us a seventh wing, ונשורר לפניך – so that we can sing before You. א”ל הקב”ה – Hakodosh Boruch Hu says to them: יש לי כנף אחד בארץ – I have one wing that comes from the earth, שמשורר לפני היום – that sings before Me, shirah,on this day. The Ohr Zarua quotes a passuk that denotes this – מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו צבי לצדיק.^[ii]

We see that on Yom haShabbos, Hakodosh Boruch Hu chooses the shevachim of Klal Yisrael above those of the malachei hashareis. These are very deep ideas. In Kedushah we say – נקדש את שמך בעולם כשם שמקדישים אותך in the Shomayim. That means today, Shabbos, is our turn. The introduction to the Kedushah that we say on Shabbos is different from the weekday Kedushah. We say a longer introduction, because the kedushah of Shabbos is very different. A person has to know that the role of a Yid in the tefillos and the shiros v’tishbachos of Shabbos is very unique. That’s why the section for pessukei d’zimrah brought down in the Rishonim was lengthened for Shabbos. We add mizmorim because of this Chazal, because it’s the day that Klal Yisrael sing shirah to Hakodosh Baruch Hu.

Underlying Themes in Shabbos Tefillos

Now, let us give some understanding of the Shabbos tefillos. We mentioned many times the Gemara (Shabbos 119a) that says that the Chachamim used to go out on erev Shabbos and they would say, בואי כלה בואי כלה. That is one theme. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 262:3) brings down that a person is supposed to be שמח – to rejoice, בביאת השבת כיוצא לקראת המלך וכיוצא לקראת חתן וכלה, at the onset of Shabbos like one rejoices when he goes out to great a king or bride and groom.^[iii] That is another theme. The ideal simchah of Shabbos and azah madreigah, is to feel mamash k’eilu you are greeting a chassan and kallah. And the tefillos reflect both aspects – you have Shabbos Malkesah, and you have the chassan v’kallah on Shabbos. And great is the schar of the person who is mekabel the Shabbos k’ra’ui.

Because of this, there is a minhag in klal Yisrael that we say Lechu Neranenah. לכו means, ‘Let us go’, לכו נרננה לה’ נריעה לצור ישענו, “Come, let us sing joyously to Hashem, raise a shout to the Rock of our salvation” (Tehillim 95:1).This is what we say in kabbalas Shabbos. And we say six different mizmorim corresponding to the six days of the week. And then we say מזמור שיר ליום השבת, which corresponds to Shabbos. And some people also say אנא בכח (before לכה דודי), which also corresponds to Shabbos. All those mizmorim talk about how Hakodosh Baruch Hu’s kavod should be revealed upon the earth. And מזמור שיר ליום השבת talks about the יום שכולו שבת. And that’s why we say these mizmorim at the onset of Shabbos since they refer to the aspects of Shabbos Malkesah and the chassan v’kallah.

Less Din, More Shalom

On leil Shabbos, Malchus Shomayim, the world, undergoes a metamorphosis. There is a change in the universe, in all the olamos. And all the klipos, it says, all the negative forces in the world become overwhelmed and they go into hiding because of that force. By us saying these mizmorim, we assist the tzad hakedushah to bring the Shechinah’s presence down to this world. On the one hand,we see that this is expressed in the nature of Shabbos, that Shabbos is a time when there is less din in the world. For example, that is manifest in the fact we don’t say והוא רחום at the onset of Shabbos; we don’t say שומר עמו ישראל לעד in the chasimah of the birchas Krias Shema. Why not? Because it’s a time where the klipos and the dinim are diminished. Instead, פורש סוכת שלום עלינו, everything is b’shalom. On the other hand, we find the Chazal that says there are certain mazikim that are found davka on leilei Shabbos. Because of that, it’s brought down in the Rishonim, we say יושב בסתר עליון in the morning to purify the air from those mazikim who came about as a result of leil Shabbos.

There are many tirutzim to resolve the seeming conflict. The Yaavetz says that when Klal Yisrael are shomrim Shabbos k’hilchoso, then those klipos, forces of the ra, are mistater, they’re hidden, and they hide themselves. Mah she’ein kein, when we’re not shomrei Shabbos k’hilchoso, adarabah then they become much stronger and much more powerful on leil Shabbos, because that’s their zman of shlita (control) in the world. That’s why the Taz brings down in the Shulchan Aruch, that  in השכיבנו we still say ושמור צאתינו ובואנו. Why do we say that, he says? Because we know we are not be’chezkas shomrei Shabbos k’ra’ui.

Lecha Dodi: Welcoming Kedushah Into The World

After לכו נרננה, and after we say those mizmorim, we then say לכה דודי. What are we mevakesh in לכה דודי? In לכה דודי we are mevakesh nekimas Yisrael.  It’s a day we can request צור ישראל קומה בעזרת ישראל. And we ask for the geulah of Tzion.

The time of Shabbos is a time of hashpaas kedushah in the world. So this time is when we can evoke gaaguim, feelings of longing for the Beis Hamikdash which was the epitome of the presence of kedushah. The Beis Hamikdash provided an awareness of kedushah that we could actually feel in this world. This was the kedushah of Har Sinai and Matan Torah. And now, on Shabbos, we are me’orer this. We spoke about מקדש מלך, where we are mispallel that we want is התנערי מעפר קומי . We long for the Moshiach to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. כי בא אורך קומי אורי – light the way again, Hashem, and we should be zocheh to כבוד ה’ עלייך נגלה. And this is the ratzon of Hashem also. And the fact that we sing לכה דודי is also based on a Chazal. The Midrash Sechel Tov says that Klal Yisrael not only remembers the Shabbos במאכל במשתה, and clothing, ולא עוד אלא כשהוא נכנס אנו מקבלים אותו בשירה ובזמרה, but when it enters we accept it with a joyous song. So, when we sing לך דודי tonight, we should think, “This is my way of being mekabel the Shabbos.” And when you sing לך דודי  tonight, you should have in mind Hakadosh Boruch Hu and mention the Bais Hamikdash. That’s when we were one, that’s when we felt Your presence, Hashem, and we want the כבוד ה’ עלייך נגלה – bring Moshiach already, ימין ושמאל תפרוצי – rid the world of our enemies, לא תבושי ולא תכלמי, and we will not be ashamed or humiliated. And we welcome the Shabbos with that.

The Yetzer Hara Is Weaker On Shabbos

Now, the Ramchal in his sefer Otzros Ramchal writes that the yom haShabbos is the זמן מסוים when a person should be ’מודה לה, as it says: ’טוב להודות לה. And he explains why. He says about הודאה, that during the weekdays, the yetzer horah, the satan, is able to be pogeia in our tefillah, and he doesn’t let the tefillah rise up properly. And even though we say many shiros v’tishbachos, they are not able to have the desired effect. But on Shabbos when the yetzer horah, the satan, is weakened, and his koach is more shvach – for those who are shomrim Shabbos k’ra’ui – then you’ll say ’טוב להודות לה.

This is a norahdikker zach, because I always used to think that Shabbos was the worst time of the week for avodas Hashem. And a lot of times you will ask many yeshiva bachurim and they’ll tell you that the worst yetzer horah, the most powerful yetzer hara you have is during Shabbos. Why? Because during the week, you’re learning and busy, but Shabbos is a more relaxed day, so everything is chilled. And the emes is,that is false. For someone who is shomer Shabbos k’ra’ui, for him the yetzer horah is much shvach-er on Shabbos, it’s much easier to overcome your yetzer horah on Shabbos – just give it a test. I’ve tested it many times. If you commit yourself to sit and learn on Shabbos, it’s much easier on Shabbos than it is during the week. Much easier. Much less hisnagdus, opposition. But if you are not committed, and you sit down and you’re drey ahin and drey ahere, and all of a sudden you’re going to feel kochos of ra, mazikin being misgaber on you, and all of a sudden, you’re going to feel your Shabbos turned into who knows what.

Shabbos Brings Shefa

Now, in the tefillah of Shemoneh Esrei in Maariv, we don’t delineate and mention all of our needs like we do in yemos hachol, we say one brachah of kedushas hayom. And the Ramchal writes that this is because on the holy days, the chachamim weren’t matriach a person to say more than seven brachos because this day has such kedushah in it, the day itself contributes to the bringing down of the shefa. That means that during the week, you need to express yourself and you need to employ more tefillah to bring about the hashpaah of kedushah. But on Shabbos, there already is hashpaah of kedushah in the velt, therefore it’s enough to say one brachah on the kedushas hayom, and that should do the trick. It is much easier on Shabbos to be mechabed Shabbos and just focus, because the tefillah is not so long and you work a little bit.

Three Different Tefillos Represent Three Stages

Now, understandably, we said many times on Shabbos there are three different tefillos. On all other days, and yamim tovim also, the nusach hatefillah of Minchah, Shacharis and Maariv are all the same. On Shabbos each tefillah is different. And we explained from the Tur, in אות רצב where he says: Maariv is אתה קדשת כנגד בריאת העולם, that’s Shabbos Bereishis.^[iv] Shacharis in the morning corresponds to Shabbos of Matan Torah, that’s why we mention ישמח משה, because Moshe Rabbeinu was the moser HaTorah. And Minchah is כנגד שבת לעתיד לבא, and that’s why we say אתה אחד ושמך אחד, that’s when it is going to be ה’ אלוקינו, Hashem will be echad. Now, the she’eileh is why do we have three different tefillos on Shabbos? We know vos – what each tefillah represents – but why is it different? Does it have to be different? And the answer is stated by the Avudraham, one of the Rishonim.

Rabbeinu Avudraham says something very interesting.^[v] He says, Shabbos epitomizes the relationship between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Klal Yisrael. And the relationship between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Klal Yisrael is represented by the ahavah of an ish v’ishah. The whole of Shir Hashirim discusses this. It says all the shirim are kodesh, Shir Hashirim is kodesh kedashim, because the whole concept of the ahavah between an ish v’ishah is a mashal to the ahavah Hakodosh Baruch Hu has for Klal Yisrael. So therefore the relationship between a chassan v’kallah begins as follows: With Maariv on Shabbos they were mesakein אתה קדשת. Do you know why? That’s the kedushah that the chassan – i.e., Hakodosh Boruch Hu – gives the kallah. By leil Shabbos we are mekabel the Shabbos of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Our being mekabel the Shabbos of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, gives the koach to Shabbos. Shacharis on Shabbos morning has the lashon of ישמח משה, that represents the simchah of the chassan v’kallah. With Mussaf, they were mesakein an extra Mussaf – תקנת שבת, which corresponding to the tosfos, that the chassan is mosif to the kesubah of the kallah. And for Minchah of Shabbos they said, is אתה אחד because after the chuppah the chassan and kallah fulfill the mitzvah of yichud.

After the tefillah of Maariv on Friday night,we then go and say ויכולו.^[vi] The reason is because that’s an eidus of Hakodosh Boruch Hu on Maaseih Bereishis. And a person has to say this eidus. Now the minhag is brought down in the Rishonim, we say it three times: first time in the tefillah, then again after the tefillah, and then once more during kiddush. And that corresponds to obviously hechere inyanim. It’s brought down in Shulchan Aruch that a person should not speak during ויכולו and ברכת מעין שבע. Don’t think that if we’re waiting, that’s the time to talk – it’s clear in Shulchan Aruch in אות רס”ב that you can’t talk during this time.^[vii] The Tur brings down in the name of Sefer Hachassidim a maaseh with a chassid echad, whose friend came to him, another chassid, in his cholem, and his face looked discolored and he asked him why, and he said he used to speak during ויכולו when the tzibbur was saying eidus to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.^[viii] And it also applies by מגן אבות, that’s the ברכה מעין שבע, and by יתגדל; the Mishnah Berurah quotes this Tur in רס”ב.

So therefore, Rabbosai, let us put our emphasis on our tefillos this Shabbos, to have a kesher, to feel mekusher with Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

Remember, the greatest kesher with Hakodosh Boruch Hu is still through Torah. R’ Yisrael Salanter used to be mechazek his talmidim during Elul and say that they shouldn’t spend any extra time on sifrei mussar during Elul; he said, only during aseres yemei teshuvah. But, he said, he made them all be mekabel to learn Torah for eighteen hours a day, very very shtarke kabbalos. The ikker hachanah, the main preparation,for Rosh Hashana, he said, is being mechazek yourself in Torah. [Ed. note: this shmuess was said prior to Rosh Hashanah]

Avoiding Dibburim Assurim

So, this last Shabbos of the year, let’s take advantage of all the special brachos of Shabbos. And remember, we told you many times that learning Torah on Shabbos is equivalent to who knows how many mitzvos. Some say 613 mitzvos, other sefarim says a thousand. And one word of Torah on Shabbos is worth more than we can understand. You can chap arein this Shabbos in asei tov and sur me’ra. Remember we told you all to be mekabel that you are going to be very very careful b’chatoei halashon – we’re not going to mention anybody’s name during this Shabbos, open up names of people on this Shabbos, it’s not nogeah. Minimize your talk, don’t talk devarim assurim. Devarim assurim means all devarim, sichas chulin that are not necessary, and have no purpose.

Of course you have to talk to your wife sichas chulin, that are l’tovas you and your wife, and that are mechazek your marriage. Of course, that’s what you do! As somebody pointed out, the Rambam says that Rav (Amora) never spoke a sichah b’teilah b’yamav. Yet, we see in the gemora, that when it came to telling the words of endearment to his wife, Rav was definitely able to do that.^[ix] So various gedolei olam – I heard this first from my Zeide, I know someone else who heard it directly from the Steipler, and I also know someone who heard it directly from R’ Moshe – that by Rav, it says he was never שח שיחה בטלה מימיו. Now, what would we have thought that that type of conversation was considered?! So the answer is – it’s not called שיחה בטלה! These gedolim said: You have to talk to your wife, be mechazek your wife, to know what to say. So when Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants you to talk to your wife, that’s when you have to talk! But, that’s where everybody puts the big silent sound. When they have to talk they become shaskanim. When they are not supposed to talk then they yente away with shtusim and havalim.

So let’s be mechazek ourselves Rabbosai, this Shabbos, and talk divrei Torah and divrei tefillah, and compliment your wife and be mechazek her on the Shabbos. Make sure there is shalom in your house, that there is no kaas in the house – not one iota of kaas in your house this Shabbos! Everything should be on a high madreigah. And make sure the mazikim are weakened. Don’t give a pesach to the mazikim to get you, because if you feel overly tired on Shabbos and overly overwhelmed on Shabbos, it means you are in the reshus of the mazikin. Please get yourself released from their domain and you’ll feel a lot freer and a lot lighter and a lot more geshmak.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

^[i] דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כׇּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי

^[ii] ותקנו רבותינו והוסיפו מזמורים לכבוד השבת כגון השמים מספרים כבוד אל כו’ לדוד בשנותו את טעמו כו’ נכון כסאך מאז כו’ ומכאן ואילך מסיים בשאר ימים ומדלג מזמור לתודה. ועוד תקנו נשמת כל חי. ובמקהלות. הכל יודוך. ודעתי נוטה בכל אילו אם לא הזכיר אינו חוזר אבל לאל אשר שבת פרשו רבותינו בצפרא בצלותא דיוצר מבעיא ליה לבר ישראל למדבר של שבת כגון לאל אשר שבת ואי אשתלי ולא אדכר מהדרינן ליה ומדכר. ונ”ב דה”ט שהוסיפו אילו שבתות בשבת דאשכחן שלא בחר הקב”ה ביום השבת בשבחות של מלאכי השרת כ”א בשבחות ישראל דאמ’ כמדרש שש כנפים שש כנפים לאחד מלאכי השרת משוררים כל ימות השבוע משורר בכנף את יומו דהיינו ששה כנפים לששה ימים ביום השבת אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקב”ה רבש”ע אין לנו כנף שנשורר לפניך תן לנו כנף שביעי ונשורר לפניך היום א”ל הקב”ה יש לי כנף אחד בארץ שמשורר לפני היום שנאמ’ מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו צבי לצדיק. ונ”ב דהיינו דכתיב את ה’ האמרת היום כלומר ביום המיוחד דהיינו שבת וה’ האמירך היום שחפץ בך יותר ממלאכי השרת.

^[iii] ילבש בגדיו הנאים וישמח בביאת שבת כיוצא לקראת המלך וכיוצא לקראת חתן וכלה דרבי חנינא מעטף וקאי בפניא דמעלי שבתא ואמר בואו ונצא לקראת שבת מלכתא רבי ינאי אמר בואי כלה בואי כלה: הגה וילביש עצמו בבגדי שבת מיד אחר שרחץ עצמו וזהו כבוד השבת ועל כן לא ירחץ לשבת אלא סמוך לערב שילביש עצמו מיד (הגהות מרדכי החדשים)

^[iv] ומה שתקנו בשבת ג’ ענייני תפלות אתה קדשת ישמח משה אתה אחד ובי”ט לא תקנו אלא אחת אתה בחרתנו מפני שאלו ג’ תפלות תקנום כנגד ג’ שבתות אתה קדשת כנגד שבת בראשית כמו שמוכיח מתוכו ישמח משה כנגד שבת של מתן תורה דלכולי עלמא בשבת ניתנה תורה ואתה אחד כנגד שבת של עתיד.

^[v] יש שואלין מה ראו חכמים לתקן בשבת שלש תפלות משונות זו מזו אתה קדשת וישמח משה ואתה אחד, וביום טוב לא תקנו אלא אחת אתה בחרתנו לערבית ולשחרית ולמנחה. ויש לומר מפני ששבת נקראת כלה והב”ה נקרא חתן תקנו אתה קדשת על שם הקדושין שנותן החתן לכלה. ואחר כך ישמח משה על שם שמחת החתן בכלה. ואחר כך מוסף על שם התוספות שמוסיף החתן על כתובת הכלה או אי נמי על שם שמקריבין קרבנות כעין סעודת מצוה. ואחר כך אתה אחד על שם שמתיחד החתן עם הכלה (אבודרהם, סדר תפילות השבת, ערבית)

^[vi] ואחר כך אומר שליח צבור ויכולו ואע”פ שאמרו אותו בתפלה תקנו לאמרו פעם אחרת בקול רם ומעומד לפי שהוא עדות להב”ה שברא שמים וארץ בששה ימים וביום השביעי שבת ממלאכתו. ועדות מעומד שנאמר ועמדו שני האנשים ודרשינן אלו העדים שצריך שיעידו ביחד ומעומד ולכך צריך שיאמרו אותו ביחד ומעומד. וכתב אבן הירחי שמעתי כי הר”מ במז”ל הצריך לאמרו מעומד כשאדם מקדש בביתו מטעם זה שאמרנו עד כאן. ולפי דעתי כי אין צורך כי על פי שנים עדים יקום דבר. ואמרינן בפרק כל כתבי אמר רב חסדא אמר מר עקבא כל המתפלל בערב שבת ואומר ויכלו שני מלאכים המלוין לו לאדם מניחין ידיהם על ראשו ואומרין לו וסר עונך וחטאתך תכופר. והטעם שאומ’ פסוק זה מפני שכתוב בענין עדות אם לא יגיר ונשא עונו וזה שאמ’ ויכלו לא עכב העדות כמו שאמרנו לפיכך יוסר אותו עון מעליו. ובמדרש אמר טעם אחר בגזרה שוה שבויכולו כתיב שלשה פעמים אשר ובפסוק ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה כתו’ שלשה פעמים אשר כשם שפרה מכפרת כך האומר ויכלו שלשה פעמים מתכפר. ועוד טעם אחר לויכלו שאומר אחר התפלה לפי שכשחל יום טוב בשבת אין אומ’ ויכלו בתפלה מפני שמתפללין אתה בחרתנו ולכן צריך לאמרו אחר שהתפלל ועל אותה שבת שצריך לאמרו אחר תפלה תקנוהו כמו כן בכל השבתות. ועוד טעם אחר כמו שאמרנו למעלה כל האומר ויכלו בערב שבת כאלו נעשה שותף להב”ה במעשה בראשית וגם כן אנו צריכין לשתף כל ישראל גדולים וקטנים טף ונשים ולכך אומרו בתפלה ואומרו אחר התפלה כמו ברכה מעין ז’ בשביל עם שבשדות ואומרו בביתו בשביל בני ביתו כדאמרינן נמי בפרק ערבי פסחים למה ליה לקדושי בביתא לאפוקי בניו ובני ביתו דלא אתו לבי כנשתא נמצא שכל ישראל שמעו ויכלו (אבודרהם שם)

^[vii] אין לדבר בשעה שאומרים ויכלו ולא בשעה שאומר ש”ץ ברכה מעין שבע

^[viii] בספר חסידים מעשה בחסיד אחד שראה לחסיד אחר במותו ופניו מוריקות א”ל למה פניך מוריקות אמר לו מפני שהייתי מדבר בויכולו בשעה שהציבור היו אומרים אותו ובברכת מגן אבות בדברו וביתגדל (טור, אורח חיים רס״ח)

^[ix] ברכות ס”ב א