Parasha VaYakhel/Pekudei - Fulfilling mitzvos which don't apply to us.

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Refua Shelema: Rachamim ben Adina

May you have a quick - full recovery soon!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)

__________________________________________

This Shabbos we will be reading Parasha VaYakhel and Parasha Pekudei. The parasha starts off with Moshe gathering the Jews to teach them the laws of Shabbos. After that, we begin speaking about the Mishkan (again). The way it's built, the items contributed, instructions and dimensions, etc...

I found myself reading this parasha thinking, "Again? We just learned this in Parashas Teruma (two weeks ago), Ki Sisa (last week) etc... Why is it being repeated many times?"

The reason why the Torah repeats these detailed instructions numerous times is to stress the importance of the Mishkan. A lot of people are locked into the mindset of: "It's not like these laws apply to us anyways". However, Chazal say: We are promised great reward for learning the topics which deal with the Mishkan. Additionally, when one learns the sections relevant to the Mishkan, it's as if one actually helped build it. Similarly, one who learns the laws pertaining to sacrifices to Hashem, it is as if he actually offers sacrifices to Him.

I was speaking to a friend yesterday, and he told me the following story: "I was sitting on the bus, and there was an elderly man standing. I offered the man the seat, but he refused. I told him, 'You are making me lose out on a mitzvah', then the man automatically sat." I told my friend, "Even if the man remained standing, you still got the mitzvah of offering him your seat because you were sincere." There's a similar Gemara that says: One who wants to do a mitzvah but but is unable to (against his will), it's counted as if he did it. [1]

There's a question asked: How are we commanded to keep all 613 mitzvos if a lot of them don't apply to us (ie: Kohanim (Priests) blessing the Jews or bringing sacrifices, etc...)? One answer is: You don't need to be a Kohen to get the mitzvah of avodas hamikdash (working in the Beis HaMikdash). You can still get reward for those mitzvos which don't apply to us. Wanting a Cohen to duchan (bless) and concentrating on his bracha is considered as if you performed the mitzvah of duchaning. [2]

An eye-opening lesson I got from this week's Parashas: The importance of the Mishkan and it's vessels. The Mishkan was a direct connection between Hashem and us. Since we don't have it with us now, we aren't able to offer sacrifices to Hashem, yet the possibilities of fulfilling the mitzvos (of sacrifices) are not impossible. It can still be done.

B'ezras Hashem, we should all have the realization that just because we aren't able to perform all 613 mitzvahs doesn't mean they can not be fulfilled. We should hope to fulfill the mitzvos in the optimal way, with the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.

Thanks for reading,

Nisso

[1] Kiddushin 40a

[2] Midrash Plia