Parshat Vayakhel
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Moshe Rabbeinu gathered the Jewish People to announce plans for constructing the Mishkan. The Torah describes the response to Moshe's appeal for donations: "And each person whose heart raised him up, and whose spirit caused him to donate, brought God's gift for the work..." (Shmos 35:21).

The commentators elaborate upon the double expression "whose heart raised him up, and whose spirit caused him to donate". Why does the Torah refer to donors in this fashion? If there were two categories of donors, what was the difference between them?

It may be suggested that the text refers to two distinct motivations or venues in approaching God and serving Him. There are those who are driven to Hashem by an outward, open love for Him; this is clearly the most lofty manner of approaching Him. Others serve God out of intuition or intellectual understanding, knowing that Hashem controls all and that His Word is true, and they are thus compelled to perform His will and gravitate to Him. This is a lower level of avodas Hashem (Divine service). Both groups are represented in the Mishkan campaign, and the two phrases, denoting different types of donors, thus fit accordingly.

This idea may be the basis for the Mishkan's role as a tikkun (rectification) for the Chet Ha-Egel. (See Rashi on 35:1.) Just as the Jewish People stood at Har Sinai "as one person, with one heart", unified in God's service, the Mishkan brought together those who worshiped Hashem with two differing motifs and united them as one unified whole at His command. As such, the Jews were able to regain their pre-Egel stature as God's elevated people.

May we, too, unite in avodas Hashem.

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