Unity of Klal Yisroel - Vayakhel - Shkolim
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This year, the parshios of Vayakel and Pikudei are read separately. Vayakel and Pikudei were read separately 27 years ago in 5752-1992, also a leap year, the last Shabbos that we merited to hear Sichos from the Rebbe.
The Rebbe explained that the Torah portions of Vayakel and Pikudei represent two different types of service of Hashem. Parshas Vayakel symbolizes the general, all encompassing aspect of Yiddishkeit, the Mishkon in general, while Pikudei enumerates each item individually. In Vayakel, Moshe Rabbenu sums up the total of all the contributions to the building of the Mishkon as a whole while in Pikudei they are broken down into separate units and counted individually.
Reading Vayakel alone, without Pikudei places greater emphasis on the importance of unity in general, and the unity of Hashem and of Israel, that we can and must bring to our lives and into the world. It is only when we gather together in unity that we are then able to build a Mishkon for Hashem. This is also parshas shkolim every Jew gave a half of a shekel to make him whole he needs another yid.
This is true in our private lives and our life in the home as well. We need to make a Mishkon out of our life by using our mind and heart, our thought speech and action, our hands and feet, all together as one in the service of Hashem. We also need to gather our families together. On Yud Shevat 5734-1974, the Rebbe spoke about how in today’s families each person has a different school and a different shul, and how important it is that on Shabbos we should gather around the Shabbos table. By gathering together, Vayakel, as one unit, as one family, each person gets the strength to complete his or her purpose in the days ahead.
This is also true in our yeshivos and community. Sure there are many different levels, like the different parts of the Mashkon in parshas Pikudei, but we are all part of a greater unit that encompasses all of us, so that together we are one Mishkon for Hashem, as explained in parshas Vayakel.
When we are all together, this helps us as individuals to do our part in an even greater measure. Every Jew is a Ben and a Bas Melech, this is reflected in the way that we eat and sleep and dress. In Chabad we are also like the Marines, with a unique mission and responsibility to the world at large. So too within our community, there are many different types of people; there are shluchim, mechanchim, those in charge of mosdos, businessmen and baalei batim. Not everyone is a shliach, a teacher, or is running a mosad. A bachur needs to feel that yeshiva gives him the strength to be a good chassidishe yid and baal habayis if that is what he will be. If he is educated to understand that he plays a crucial role in completing the entire Mishkon, then, when he becomes a baal habayis he will follow through. He will see the tremendous value and importance he has in making this world into a dwelling place for Hashem when he has a full beard, learns chassidus, goes on mivtzoyim and is mikarev his acquaintances. Although he is not officially listed in Merkos, the Rebbe has made all of us shluchim, and when each of us takes the concept of shlichus on our own into our lives we complete the Mishkan, and then there is; V’shachanti b’socham.
This week we watched an incredible outpouring of love: 60 hours, $1.8 million, 20,000 people – all for one Jew they didn't even know.. A campaign this size is usually only undertaken by organizations with massive databases, like schools, yeshivas, and larger non-profits. But in this case, the fundraiser was for a single person. A simple Jew nobody had ever heard of. No organization, no email lists, no social media followers and no infrastructure. But when the campaign started, Am Yisrael responded. Boy, did they respond!
We have seen that getting into shlichus has become more difficult, some wait for years to find a proper shlichus. It is vital that we stress this in our homes and in our yeshivos that everyone is a shliach, that there are many ways to complete the shlichus, and they are all valid and necessary to complete the Mishkon. Yes, some are going away on shlichus both near and far; but others are building good, strong chassidishe homes that support shluchim. Shluchim get inspired by what Baali Batim are able to accomplish in inyanei shlichus as well. This is because of the connections and situations Baalei Batim get into because of their parnassa enable them to reach people that a shliach cannot get to. We see that the Rebbe even took childen and made them into Tzivos Hashem and demanded from them to inspire other children, all because they have unique part, that cannot get done without them.
Once we are all one, then we inspire each other. The talmid is inspired by the mashpiah, and the mashpiah is inspired by the talmid, as it says; “U’talmidai yoser m’kulam-I gained the most from my students”. Parents inspire their children, and parents get inspiration from their children, as it says; “Yafe koach haben mikoach a’av- the power of the child can be more beautiful than the father.
When my group of bachurim went on shlichus to Australia in 5731-1971 the Rebbe spoke about our departure on Shabbos parshas Achrei-Kedoshim. The Rebbe said that bachurim are making a halicha b’ain aroch, a journey of incomparable distance. He then spoke about how a Jew is a mahalech, how he never stands still, he is constantly on the move. The Rebbe then said that seeing this great journey brings the parents nachas from their children. Also, the mashpiim get nachas seeing the bachurim they were michanech come to this stage. It even inspires the mishaleiach, (the Rebbe) the one who sends them. The inspiration comes from seeing this incomparable leap and brings them to do so as well in their own service of Hashem. As a Rav, there are times that I have to speak with families on a personal basis. When they talk, things come out about their lives that express such an emunah peshuta, such a pure faith that I become very moved and inspired.
As Moshe Rabbenu said; “Shesh meos raglei ha’am asher anochi b’kirbo, that the 600,000 of us, the ‘raglei ha’am’ are the feet of Moshe Rabbenu. And just as the feet are able to take the head to places the head cannot go, so too should we merit to bring Moshe Rabbbenu, the first and final redeemer down here into this world, Now!