Parshat Vayakhel/Shabbos Shekalim
February 28th-March 1st, 2003
27 Adar I, 5763

I think you’ll agree that no one is likely to achieve great success at any project or endeavor without enthusiasm for it. When there is enthusiasm, there is a sense of excitement and pleasure in the execution of a task, or the pursuit of a desired goal--an eager willingness to invest the whole of one’s strength in the process. If we lack that quality of enthusiasm, sure, we might be able to slog through and "meet the requirements," or even do a "respectable" job. But true excellence we will not attain. Read interviews with the greatest achievers in any field (music, sports, business, etc.), and you’ll certainly find that they share in common an enthusiasm--an abiding passion, in fact--for the work they do.

Should this not be true for religious pursuits as well? Can a person ever really hope to actualize his or her (vast) spiritual potential without enthusiastically striving to do so? Why should we Jews be enthusiastic and ambitious about our professional and social lives…and not be equally so about our Jewish life?

Sadly, many Jewish people seem content to settle for far, far less than this in their religious development and Torah observance. Every once in a while, they may convince themselves to perform some Jewish "ritual." (Ugh, how I hate that word--we have "mitzvos," divine instructions for a vibrant life, commandments and ordinances that connect our minds and souls to the living Source of our being, and of the Torah, G-d Himself…not limp and lifeless "rituals!") Although such performance is often merely perfunctory (e.g., the reading of the Haggadah at many a Passover seder), the power of the mitzvah can at times stir something deep inside of them with its depth and beauty. (That something, by the way, is called our "neshama," or Divine soul!). They may even feel genuine excitement in connecting to their Jewish identity. But still, the inspiration wears off--as inspiration inevitably does--and few take the next step to make an ongoing commitment to explore their Judaism.

Their enthusiasm peters out, and it’s back to the daily grind.

This week’s Torah portion is all about the power and importance of enthusiasm. It recounts the Jewish people’s enthusiastic dedication of their time, talents and material resources to construct the Tabernacle (mishkan)--the miniature "Holy Temple" that accompanied them during their travels in the desert, and which served as the focus of their communal service unto G-d. "Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of Hashem for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its labor and all its sacred vestments." (35, 21) "Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work that Hashem had commanded to make, through Moses—the Children of Israel brought a free-willed offering to Hashem." (35, 29)

So much material did the Jewish people bring forth, in fact, that Moses had to send out an urgent proclamation throughout the camp to restrain them from dedicating any more. (36, 4-7) This was no perfunctory performance of a "ritual," no grudging act of obeisance. Rather, it was a passionate expression of their genuine inner love of G-d, and of their enthusiastic acceptance of His charge unto them to be a "holy people." They realized that although life brings with it many responsibilities, and offers us many beautiful (and permitted) pleasures, there is nothing in life so important in the ultimate sense--or so worthy of our deepest enthusiasm--than striving to get close to G-d and to elevate ourselves ethically and spiritually.

That closeness to G-d in everyday life, not just in occasional performances of (ugh) religious "ritual," was the goal of the Tabernacle. As G-d said when He commanded the Jewish people regarding its construction: "They shall make a Sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them…" (25, 8; my emphasis) Not come for a vacation, not drop by every now and then, not show up once a year for the High Holidays…but "dwell among them," on an ongoing basis. The inspiration afforded by the Tabernacle and its service was meant to inspire the Jewish people to lead lives of holiness all the time, 24-7, to bring godliness and sanctity into their own private tents and routines.

Think of the Tabernacle as the communal well of religious enthusiasm.

Many of our great Jewish thinkers throughout the ages have stressed the importance of living (and serving G-d) with enthusiasm (or z’rizus, in Hebrew). Some have even suggested that the passion and enthusiasm with which we do a mitzvah is, in a sense, its most important aspect. For it shows that one desires not merely to "fulfill a religious obligation," or mechanically carry out a "ritual" (ugh), but to grow spiritually from the experience…to connect to the living G-d by means of the observance. And every single mitzvah, every single Jewish observance, is a precious opportunity to forge (or strengthen) that connection. To carry out G-d’s Will with an enthusiasm and inspiration that will make a lasting impression on one’s soul.

Perhaps we will never reach the peak of King David’s fiery enthusiasm to cling to the Divine, as reflected in Psalm # 63 (and in many others): "My soul thirsts for You; my flesh pines for You." But we can at least infuse our observance with a little more energy, a little more passion, a little more of our complete selves.

Well, you’ll ask, without the Tabernacle (or the Temple), how can I ignite that spark of enthusiasm?

Here are a few ideas.

A synagogue, or a house of study, is meant to be a "mikdash m’at," a miniature Tabernacle or Temple. We can try to focus more on the sanctity of these places, and make use of them for genuine prayer and introspection. If we begin to act as if they are places of holiness, we will surely begin to feel more and more that they truly are.

We mentioned King David before. The Book of Psalms is perhaps the greatest treasure house of religious inspiration accessible to us. We can read it, recite it, meditate on it…and not just in synagogue (where selections from it comprise much of the formal prayer service), but at home, work, Starbuck’s (note: caffeine, in moderation, also helps with inspiration) and wherever.

The great thinker, Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto, in his classic work of ethical self-improvement, Mesilas Yesharim (Path of the Just, Chapter 8), gives us a priceless piece of advice on awakening our z’rizus, or enthusiasm, to grow spiritually. I’m going to quote it in full:
"What may…strengthen this awakening [of the desire to serve G-d] is
[by] looking into all of the good things that the Holy One, Blessed be He,
does with a person at all periods and times, and into the great wonders that He does with him from the time of his birth until his last day. The more one looks into and considers these things, the more will he recognize his great debt to G-d, who bestows good upon him, and he will be impelled not to grow lax or to weaken in His service. For since he cannot repay the Blessed one, he will feel that the least he can do is to exalt His name and fulfill His mitzvos.

There is no person in any circumstances, poor or rich, healthy or ill, who cannot see wonders and many benefits in his condition. The rich and and the healthy are indebted to the Blessed One for their riches and health respectively. The poor man is indebted to Him; for even in his poverty, G-d miraculously and wondrously sustains him and does not permit him to die of hunger. The sick man is indebted to G-d because He strengthens Him under the very weight of his illness and his wounds, and does not permit him to descend in to the pit. And so with all other conditions. There is no person, then, who will not find himself indebted to his Creator. And when one regards the good things that he receives from G-d, he will surely be awakened in his z’rizus (enthusiasm). [my emphasis]

Here’s my challenge. The next time you kindle Shabbos candles, or give some tzedakah (charity), or utter a blessing, or read the Torah portion (for Torah study is the single most important one of our Jewish observances!), try to do it with z’rizus--with enthusiasm and joy. If we first take a moment to truly reflect on all the good things we enjoy as blessings from G-d--every last one of us--then we should have no problem whatsoever summoning up that spirit of enthusiasm.

And with such z’rizus beginning to spread its illuminating influence throughout our lives, we can truly begin to live up to our noble mission of being "a light unto the nations.

GOOD SHABBOS

My e-mail address is yosefe@comcast.net

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Rabbi Yosef Edelstein, Savannah Kollel. Phone: 912-351-0469; fax: 354-9923