Follow ChabadInfo & Never Miss an Update!

Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our WhatsApp status and broadcast Follow us on Tiktok Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Google News Subscribe on YouTube

BEGIN WITH A GRIN

A famous folk saying goes: “When one door closes, another door opens.”

And I say that’s what happens when you buy a wardrobe from IKEA…

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

If we were to make a list of verses that (almost) every Jewish child knows, it’s likely that the verse at the beginning of this week’s parsha, Parashas Teruma, would be included as well. “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them” – every child who studied in cheder also knows how to quote the famous words of our Sages: “It does not say ‘within it’ but rather ‘among them,’ within each and every one of Israel.” The purpose of building the Mishkan, and later the First and Second Batei Mikdash, is well known. The Holy One, Blessed be He, dwells and resides within the Jewish people through the Mishkan and the Mikdash.

Later in the parsha we also read the mitzva to build the Aron: “And they shall make an Aron of acacia wood.” The Aron that was built by Betzalel, as we will read in the coming weeks, went through many adventures and upheavals over the years. It was captured by the Pelishtim but returned after seven months in captivity (sound familiar?!), it moved from place to place for years, until Dovid HaMelech decided the time had come to build the Mikdash, and even then the story didn’t end, because it was his son Shlomo who built the Mikdash, and even then Shlomo prepared a place to hide the Aron “in deep and winding hiding places” (Rambam, Beis HaBechira 4:1), and in the time of King Yoshiya, many years before the Churban, the Aron was hidden according to Yoshiya’s command, and it remains there till this day.

In light of the above, we find that the Aron actually exists forever, even today. It was not destroyed or burned, not exiled to Bavel and not sent to Rome. It is located in exactly the same place where it is meant to be, in that special place that Shlomo planned to hide it. The difference is only whether the Aron is revealed or concealed. During the time of the Mishkan, the Aron was revealed, whereas during the period of the First and Second Batei Mikdash, the Aron was concealed (in the First Bayis near its end, and throughout the entire existence of the Second Bayis), and we pray that speedily in our days the Aron will once again be revealed, through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

What is the spiritual significance of the revelation of the Aron and the hiding of the Aron? Why was the Aron revealed throughout the time of the Mishkan, whereas specifically during the period of the Mikdash (the First at its end, and the Second throughout its existence) was the Aron concealed? Wouldn’t the opposite have made more sense? And why specifically in the future to come, in the time of the Geula, will the Aron be revealed again?

We find a wonderful explanation, according to Chassidus, in the words of the Rebbe (Likutei Sichos vol.16 Pekudei 2). In the Mikdash, as well as in the Mishkan, there were three main sections. The Azara (or the Mishkan chatzar) where the outer altar stood, upon which sacrifices were offered, the Heichal (or “the Kodesh” in the Mishkan) where the golden altar stood, upon which incense was burned. And the “Holy of Holies” where the Aron was located, in which the Luchos HaBris were placed.

Also in the soul (or more precisely, in the heart) of every Jew there are three main sections. “The Azara” is a symbol of the external aspect of the heart, like the outer altar. The Kodesh is a symbol of the internal aspect of the heart, like the golden altar, whereas the Jewish “Holy of Holies” is the point of the yechida of the nefesh, sometimes called in Chassidic teaching “the pnimiyus d’pnimiyus of the heart.”

The external aspect of the heart is the service of G-d through the awakening of inner feelings of love and fear that originate in intellect. This is service based on reason and knowledge. A person contemplates the Divine, understands and internalizes G-d’s greatness and His love for the Jewish people, and as a result is awakened with positive feelings of love for G-d and fear of G-d. In contrast, the internal aspect of the heart is service that comes from above intellect, an emotional awakening that is beyond reason and knowledge.

This is an awakening that does not depend on contemplation, because it comes from the depth of the soul that is above intellect. Both the external aspect of the heart and the internal aspect of the heart are levels in the soul, however, the “Holy of Holies” of the soul is the essence of the soul. The essence causes a Jew to be a Jew in whatever state he is, above and beyond any type of service of G-d.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

The Jewish ‘Aron’ – the Jewish Holy of Holies – is an eternal fact that cannot be challenged. A Jew will remain a Jew forever and ever. Just as the Aron was not burned or destroyed, did not go into exile or defect, so too the Jew deep inside, will never abandon the rock from which he was carved, no gentile can change this, and no nation can take this from us! The Aron exists in completeness forever!

The Rebbe explains (based on the words of the Tanya, chapter 42) that every Jew has “Moshe Rabeinu” within him. The aspect of Moshe in each person is the above-mentioned level – the ‘yechida’ of the soul. This ‘yechida,’ this ‘Aron,’ always exists, but sometimes it is revealed and sometimes it is concealed. During the time of the Mishkan, the Aron was in its designated place and revealed, because then the Jewish people were at a supreme level, they were called the “generation of knowledge,” they were the generation of Moshe himself in all his glory, and therefore the aspect of “Moshe” in each and every one was revealed in them, and so the physical Aron was also in its place and revealed.

Also at the coming of Moshiach, the “innermost point of the heart” will be revealed in each and every one of us – the aspect of unity, the “Moshe” in each of us, and therefore then too the Aron will return and shine forth; it will once again be revealed in its proper place.

In contrast, during the time of the First Bayis and the Second Bayis, and also now at the end of the time of exile, “the innermost point of the heart” is concealed. It certainly exists and is eternal, but it is hidden and concealed, and therefore the physical Aron is also hidden from our eyes.

What must we do to bring about the revelation of the Aron? How can we bring our inner heart out of its concealment and hidden state?

There is a well-known Chassidic principle, “that which is most high descends to the most low,” meaning the revelation of the highest levels in the soul will find expression specifically through the lowest levels in the soul. The yechida of the soul, the essence of the Jew, comes to expression and revelation specifically through physical action. The Rebbe brings a sort of source for this from the text of the Shabbos tefillos. In the blessing of “Yotzer Ohr” on Shabbos we say: “There is none comparable to You in this world.” The Chassidic explanation of these words is: that the “incomparable” aspect of the soul, the infinity of the soul, which comes from the Creator, blessed be He, can be internalized, seen, and revealed specifically in this world, and specifically through physical action that is unique to this world.

Through persistent action in the service of Hashem, with inner devotion and self-sacrifice, we can bring the revelation of yechida, and through this also to the revelation of the Aron Ha’Bris, in the Third Mikdash, very soon!

TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY

And we will end with a story about how the unity in the soul finds expression in the performance of mitzvos in the life of a Chassid. Rabbi Hillel of Paritch was known as extremely meticulous in mitzvos. Reb Hillel had the custom to lift the Sefer Torah himself at Mincha on Shabbos – this was his custom all the years, and he never gave it up.

Toward the end of his life he developed a severe hernia, and once during Shabbos the hernia opened and he was in mortal danger. Immediately they laid him in bed, and he remained bedridden all Shabbos, until he would be able to receive medical treatment. The Shabbos tefillos were all davened in a special minyan they made for him in his room. The time of Mincha of Shabbos arrived, and he asked that they bring the bima close to him. The others didn’t understand the nature of the request; they thought Reb Hillel didn’t hear very well and he wanted to be close so as not to miss the reading.

At the end of the Torah reading of Mincha, he jumped from the bed, and as was his custom, lifted the Sefer Torah. The entire congregation stood in amazement. They were certain that Reb Hillel would fall or collapse together with the Torah (G-d forbid). And behold a miracle, nothing happened to Reb Hillel; he lifted the Torah and afterward returned to bed, as if nothing had happened. This is self-sacrifice for the performance of a mitzva.

Good Shabbos!

44