The call went out to gather materials with which to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the people brought enthusiastically. The verse mentions two different attitudes with which people gave: "And every person whose heart lifted him, and everyone whose spirit volunteered him, they brought a gift of Hashem for the work of the tent of meeting" (Shemoth/Exodus 35:21).
The Malbim points out the difference between the two. There are some people, he says, who feel an urge deep down to give, but as the urge comes more to the surface, the urge meets limitations. A person might really want to give, but not money, or time, or personal resources, or anything else. This person is called one whose 'spirit volunteers' but whose heart is limiting. Another kind of person is one who does not feel a deep urge to give, but he doesn't consider his time or money so important, so he is willing to give of them freely. He is called one whose spirit does not move him deeply to give, but his heart is open. Furthermore, there are some people, says the Malbim, that have nothing to give, but if they could, they would give everything they had. Hashem, who knows the thoughts of man, considers this person to have built the entire Mishkan.
For some, the Malbim points out, it is easy to give but it is hard to want to give. To the naked eye, a gift is a gift, but behind the scenes the smallest gift can be catapulted by the taut bowstring of strong desire, and that gift can have the deepest impact. Similarly, giving a smaller amount of charity with a kind word in a way is on a higher level than to give more in an insulting way.
Yonatan ben Uziel, when he translated the Torah into Aramaic, translated the Hebrew phrase behind "all whose spirit volunteered them" as "one whose spirit was perfected to the level of prophecy". He explains that a person can reach such a level of refinement that s/he becomes a Mishkan, and his/her heart becomes an altar upon which to bring his blood and his life-force to Hashem, and his/her clothing become the priestly garments.
It is essential to connect with the spirit of giving inside of us. The spirit (ruach), in the Malbim's understanding, is the locus of personal change in the world. The neshama is inherently G-dly, the nefesh is inherently animal, and the ruach is in between. Consequently, the ruach can be pulled to either side. That being the case, we can actually strive toward and attain a level of true longing of the spirit. We can work toward our ideal of giving in complete enthusiasm. A huge step in this process, though, is being completely unattached to the form giving will take. There are some who want so deeply to give gold, but all they have is silver. They see gold as the only thing worth giving. Know who you are! See what you have to give, and give it! At some point we cease living the false life (thanks, Rebbitzen Eve) and we accept what we were given to give in the world. We see our gifts as gifts -- given to us to be given again.
Rav Gavriel Goldfeder
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Rav Gavriel Goldfeder is one of the first semicha recipients of the yeshiva. A graduate of Drew University in Religious Studies, he came to Bat Ayin after stints in other yeshivot and found a spiritual and intellectual home. Here he met his wife, Ketriellah, who was a student in our short-lived Women's Yeshiva. Upon graduation, Gavriel took the position of rabbi of the Aish Kodesh Congregation in Boulder, Colorado and together with Ketriellah and their growing family, they are busy creating (in Gavriel's words), "a community infused with Torah values, passion for learning and prayer, consideration of one another, and action, as well as deep celebration of the joys of life." |