The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
Parshas Vayakhel begins with a reference to Shabbos as the Torah states at Shemos 35:2 -שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֘ תֵּֽעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ . Rabbi Frand observed that the use of the word תֵּֽעָשֶׂ֣ה - literally translated as the work shall be done, is an interesting choice. Elsewhere the Torah uses language wherein the person is commanded to do the work. Why is it different here?
R' Frand answered by quoting the Sefer Aperion from R' Shlomo Gantztfried who explains that keeping Shabbos can be a nisayon. A person can feel that if he does not work on Shabbos, he wont be able to make a living. R' Frand noted that when the immigrants came to America in the early part of the 20th century there was a well worn rule "if you don't come in on Saturday, don't come in on Monday."
R' Frand explained that keeping Shabbos and not working is an element of Emuna. A person needs to know and believe that all of his resources were decreed on Rosh Hashana and that working extra will not change the amount of $$ he will receive. Thus whether or not he works on Shabbos, the same $$ will end up in his bank account.
R' Frand next quoted from Shemos 38:11 which states - וְלִפְאַ֤ת צָפוֹן֙ מֵאָ֣ה בָֽאַמָּ֔ה עַמּֽוּדֵיהֶ֣ם עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֥ם עֶשְׂרִ֖ים נְח֑שֶׁ. This was a commandment that the boards on the northern end of the Mishkan should be measured to be 100 amos in length. But if we are already told that at the southern end it should be 100 amos and they are supposed to be even, why is there a need to specifically measure?
R' Frand first quoted the Meshech Chacham which explains that this taught us about Moshe that even though it could be simply compared, Moshe made the effort to measure each wall.
R' Frand next quoted the Sefer Abir Ya'akov which explains that this is lesson in human nature. A person should not determine his worth by comparing himself to another person. He should measure what he is and what he needs by himself.
R' Frand said a third vort about the Mishhkan - specifically that although it was completed in Kislev, it was not set up for use until Rosh Chodesh Nissan. The Medrash explains that Hashem specifically wanted the Mishkan to be first used in this month because this was the month that Yitzchak was born in.
But what is the connection between Yitzchak and the Mishkan?
R' Frand first answered by quoting the Sefer Be'er Yosef which cites to the Ramban who explains that when a person offers a sacrifice, he needs to feel that he himself should have been offered on the altar, but Hashem in His mercy has allowed for the animal instead.
There was one person who actually took his place on the altar - Yitzchak. But Hashem in His mercy directed Avraham not to sacrifice Yitzchak. Thus the Mishkan was set up in Nissan to show that the person was to be a sacrifice - Yitzchak.
R' Frand gave a second answer based on the Sefer Shai L' Torah which notes that Sefer Shemos is the book of Geulah, yet a large portion is about the Mishkan. Shouldn't it have been in Sefer Vayikra which discusses the sacrifices?
He answered based on the Ramban who explains that the Geulah was not completed until the Jews were on the same level that the Avos had reached. This did not occur until the Jews came to Har Sinai, accepted the Torah and built the Mishkan. And considering that the 400 years began with the birth of Yitzchak, the completion of the 400 years would not be in the 400th year - when they left Egypt. Instead it was the end of the 400th year when the Mishkan was built.
R' Frand said a final vort on Shemos 38:24 which accounts for the gold - כָּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה. He quoted the Chida who writes in the name of the Vital HaTzarfaty that this was not merely an account of the amount of the gold. It was to teach that the only reason that gold was created was to beautify the Mishkan. No one actually needs gold and the world could have existed without it. But Hashem decided to create it so that it could be used in building the Mishkan.
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