Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Discusses Parshas Vayikra on JM in the AM (5786)

Good morning Shabas everybody. Tomorrow we have the privilege of beginning the third book of the Torah vayra and it is known as Torah's kanim for at least the first half of the cafer deals with the various corbonos and according to the in parasikra there are 11 positive commandments and five restrictions. S I'd like to put things in the right perspective and that is as follows. Last Shabus we all rose and recited together. Having completed one of the five books of the Torah, we attest to our eagerness to return and to become restrengthened by the Torah. We know that in the book of Schmos, which the Ramban calls the book of Gula, literally redemption. So one could have imagined that after we left Egypt and we received the Torah in parasro and if you want to include even Mishim fine that's where the book could have should have ended instead we have five parios Truma, tab, kisa, vayakl, pud which focus on all the particulars of the construction of make for me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them. And the Ramban says it's not until we had a sanctuary that God's presence was in our midst in ongoing fashion as opposed to where my tan Torah. Yes, we had an incredible experience and a high level of prophecy, but that was only a one-time occurrence in history. The Mishkan represented Hashem himself moving in to our community. So the idea that I'd like to share with you is one whereby if one looks in paras truma the Torah in chapter 25 puk 22 tells us that one of the primary reasons for the sanctuary is that I will meet with you there. Hence, as we know from the beginning of this week's para and love, when does Hashem speak to Moshe from Oel Moade, the tent of meeting, meaning that we had such an incredible encounter at Sinai and we wish we could have taken the mountain with us. So what Hashem did was that unable to physically move the mountain, Hashem created a place that would continue his revelation to Moshe and the Jewish people. Okay, having said that, we could have expected that after these five parios describing the meticulous construction of the Mishkan with the repeated refrain of kashivo hashem mohe, the book of schmos could would culminate with the fulfillment of this person purpose. One would imagine a moment that Moshe enters the Mishkan, the communication resumes, and the people rejoice at the realization of this sacred goal. Yet the Torah concludes sephmos with a striking and somewhat surprising scene. The Torah teaches us in chapter 40 at the end of Pic in verse 34 and verse 35. The Torah tells us that the cloud representing the of Hashem covered the tent of meeting and the glory of Hashem filled the tabernacle. And then in Puk 35, however, the Torah says Moshe could not enter the tent of meeting for the cloud rested upon it and the glory of Hashem filled this tabernacle. Moshe couldn't go in. There was no room for him. It was all spirituality. Like that Yiddish expression, the kala is such the bride was too beautiful. Unbelievable. The whole purpose is for Moshe to come in. And now the book ends in a rather anticlimactic fashion that Moshe can't go in. So what's going on here? And it's only in this week's para at the beginning of SAR that the Torah describes El Moshe. Hashem invites calls to Moshe in a language of of affection inviting him into that encounter. So the question is obvious. Why does the Torah in Schmos with Moshe standing outside not able to enter? Rav Victor Nebul Schlita in his sikos to seafer schmoose I believe it's lameid gimmel explains that this is not incidental but rather deeply instructive. Interestingly, an exact parallel appears in the inauguration of the first BA mikdosh as told to us in Mulim Alf chapter 8 which has Schlommo's long address describing the unbelievable reality of pinning the shina down to one place in chapter 8 verse 11. Schlommo Hamel describes how the kohanim were unable to stand and perform the avoda for the exact same reason because the presence of the shrina filled the mikdash. It was so to speak too overwhelming, too intense, leaving no room even for Moshe who was meant to serve within. It explains Nevansol. This teaches a fundamental principle. Although the Mishkan is rooted in aava as we find in Shir Shirim Toho where the relationship between Hashem and Ben Israel is portrayed with deep love and closeness. That is not the starting point. Before a there must be there must be a sense of awe, reverence and recognition of the overwhelming presence. So even Moshe who experienced communication with Hashem at the highest level of ponim ponyim literally face to face was initially held back. The Torah is teaching that entry into a relationship with Hashem, even at its most intimate, must begin with Hashem. Gracious Hashem and the Puk of MTOI that you are to have a sense of reverence for the sanctuary encapsulates this idea. The approach to the mikdosh is not casual automatic. It requires a posture of humility, restraint and reverence. Only after that foundation is established can the relationship move towards ahava closeness and communication. This idea has direct and practical application for us. There must be a synthesis between Ahava and Yura in how we relate to our own but canote to our own synagogues as we find in orim 151. One may not engage in conversation during doning but theor expands this to go much further. Even when one is in sh not yet davening for example waiting for a bris to begin attending a sima it is not meant to become a setting for casual chatter even if the conversation is not lashon har one may not engage in pet in common chatter in a base hakesses. It would be inappropriate to arrange to meet in Shu before Min in order to discuss the details of a business transaction. Perhaps over time the line between the social hall and the ulam where the cifree Torah are and we pray has become blurred in many but because people gather for kdish a bris and of other which are all meaningful and important occasions there's a tendency to allow the atmosphere to become more relaxed throughout the building. The bases serves to unify the Jewish people and that is a beautiful function but it can sometimes lead to a diminishing of the sense of distinction and sanctity. The gammorra in the first peric of braos tells us that one should enter the baknesses through two doors. Now what does that mean? It means you shouldn't open the door from the street and you're right in the sh that you can open the door and say kadosh kadosh kadosh or the answering to a kadesh of yehme raba rather one is to pause and prepare oneself for entry ideally to wash their hands look at your hands your hands are a dirty yet you're going to wash them in preparation for prayer as the coain washed themselves before they performed their service in the bas mikdash. A simple thing like stopping and washing your hands is going to impress upon you. Oo, what I'm doing now is something special. It's establishing a relationship between myself and the Almighty. Historically, there was a perception that nonorthodox synagogues maintained a stronger sense of decor while smaller often struggled in this area. And one explanation offered was that those who felt less at home in Shu experienced a greater sense of awe. Whereas those who attended regularly, even three times a day, developed a sense of familiarity and closeness that sometimes translated into a more relaxed, even casual environment. What is needed is not a rejection of that closeness but a recalibration. The ulam the space where the cif to are housed and what feel takes place must once again be recognized for what it is. A mo kosh the sense of aba must be grounded in Europe. We must relearn to experience the bases with a sense of manora hookum haz. How awesome is this place and awareness of the sanctity of the place and to conduct ourselves accordingly. This perspective is further reinforced by the form the mikdash which I'll understand is referring to and midro these spaces carry a dimension of mikt and according to the sureim they therefore possess a status of moto mid oisa on a Torah level. That status demands that we not blur the distinction between areas designated for social gathering and the space designated for. If you want to call somebody, you have to first sit down in sh with say a learn and then call that person. You're not to make the synagogue a capandria as told in Brahos 54a. So ultimately the model is already embedded in the Torah itself elosha the language of affection and closeness comes only after y mohea after the experience of distance restraint and ya. Our ravoda is to hold both of these emotions together. A relationship with Hashem and a relationship with the space in which we encounter him must be built on a careful synthesis of a and a balance that allows for closeness without compromising reverence. This is in this truest sense a life of mixed emotion. Shalom to all.