Pekudei: Spiritual Compartmentalization
Compartmentalizing our emotions is an important psychological tool. It allows us to set aside emotional distress so that we can conduct our lives and deal with our feelings and emotions when the time is right for us. Spiritual compartmentalization is a different sort of tool. It is nuanced but critical to our spiritual wellbeing.
To this point, we find that in the final Parsha in Sefer Shemos, the Jewish people complete the construction and dedication of the Mishkan. Man had reached an apex which would allow the divine presence of G-d, the Shechina, to reside in the world. Significantly, this resting of the Shechina was to be done in a tabernacle constructed by man.
The Medrash teaches that the Jewish people began constructing the Mishkan the day after Yom Kippur. The Medrash continues and explains that the process of building the Mishkan took three months which would put the time of completion around the time of Chanukah. According to the Medrash, they waited until Nissan, close to another three months, to erect and consecrate the Mishkan. The Medrash explains that Hashem pushed off the consecration to Nissan because it is the birth month of our forefather Yitzchak.
Although the Jewish people had rushed to build the Mishkan as soon as they were able, in hindsight, their zerizus, their haste, seems to have been unnecessary. They would have to wait until Nissan regardless. R’ Moshe Sternbuch points out in his sefer Ta’am Veda’as that there is a lesson to be gleaned from this process. We often blur mitzvos with their result. Many mitzvos have a clear goal in mind, but that goal doesn’t necessarily define the totality of the mitzva. For example, one generally performs the mitzvah of giving charity with a clear goal in mind, to help a poor person. In truth, the act of giving is distinct from its benefit to the poor. It is important for each individual to view the act of giving the charity as a mitzvah in its own right. We are expected to do the mitzvah of giving with eagerness, ardor and simcha regardless of whether our intentions actually make a difference in helping the poor man. It was important for the Jewish people to recognize that their work to build the Mishkan was a mitzvah from Hashem in its own right and therefore demanded alacrity. Although their eagerness to do the mitzvah did not actually enable the project to be completed any earlier, in reality, their eagerness and determination was still warranted simply because they had a mitzvah to do.
The Chovos Halevavos touches on the importance of this sort of compartmentalization. He writes that when it comes to our responsibilities to our families and our friends, it is spiritually healthiest to focus less on the personal benefits or the outcomes we expect from successfully providing for them. Instead, we should focus on how providing for our families affects our spiritual mission. Hashem obligates us to care for our families; it is a mitzvah that we must do our best to fulfill. The Chovos Halevavos explains that when people concentrate on the spiritual aspects of providing for their families they will benefit. When we focus on the spiritual component the usual frustration in our familial duties won’t matter as much. Often it is painful when the hard work we put in to help and support our loved ones is underappreciated. However, if we can compartmentalize our duties and adjust our perspective, we can take comfort knowing that most importantly we have fulfilled a mitzvah of Hashem.
SHORT VORT, Rabbi Moshe Kormornick. Published by Adir Press. $9.99 in stores worldwide and online here
Whether you are looking for something meaningful on the Parsha, an uplifting thought for Yom Tov, or have been asked to speak at a Simcha – “Short Vort” is the book for you! With over 140 incredible short vorts packed with stories and valuable life messages, you will never be lost for something inspiring to say.
Rabbi Moshe Kormornick is a popular writer whose words are enjoyed by thousands of readers every week.
