Weekly Thought: A Holy Dwelling

Why is the word Mishkan repeated twice in the same Passuk? Whats the difference between “Mishkan” and “Miskan Ha’eidus”? How do we apply this concept to our lives? Rabbi Avrohom Brashevitzky, Shliach to Doral, FL, shares his thoughts on this week’s Parsha – Vayakhel-Pikudei.

The second half of this week’s Torah reading is Pikusei which opens with the words “These are the numbers of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony, which were counted at Moses’ command”. The Torah emphasizes the greatness of The Mishkan by repeating the word. It also seems to be saying that there are two things to be considered. A) the fact that it’s “counted” as a dwelling place of holiness – Hashem, and B) it serves forever as a testimonial for the presence of Kedusha.

I once heard a story which was told by Rabbi MM Gluckowsky from Eretz Yisroel, which can perhaps help illustrate this idea.

Rabbi Moshe Kattan serves as Shliach for French speaking Jews in Yerushalayim. On a daily basis he goes from office to office offering people the opportunity to put on Tefillin. Every so often he opens up “new territory by looking for new offices to go to. On one such occasion he once spotted a dental office. Expecting an opportunity to meet a Yid who may not yet be a Shomer Mitzvos, he knocked on the door. To his surprise, the person who opened the door was visibly Frum with a long beard, Pei’os and all. He excused himself and explained that he was looking for Yidden to put on Tefillin with… obviously there was no need to bother him.

The man introduced himself as the Doctor – Dentist. He asked the young Rabbi if he was a Chabad Chossid and invited him in. The Doctor inquired if he was a Bal-Teshuvah. The Shliach confirmed that he was indeed and that it was the Shluchim of The Rebbe who brought him closer to his roots. “Well, I was brought back to Yiddishkiet by The Rebbe himself!” And he began to relay his story.

I grew up in a very assimilated Jewish family in France. We never went to Shul, even on Yom Kippur. Half of our relatives were intermarried (R”L). When I was 25 I met a young non-Jewish woman and we decided to get married. We set a date for the wedding and decided to move in together until we set up our lives permanently. We searched for an apartment and found a nice place. The number on the building was 9 and it was apartment 5 on the second floor which we rented.  On the day our lease began we entered the building, went up the stairs, opened the door and put down our belongings in the foyer. The moment I closed the door behind me I began to feel severe unexplained anxiety. I began pacing the apartment wildly and felt increased discomfort and turbulence in mind. Suddenly I felt like I couldn’t take it any longer. I ran to the door, down the steps and out into the street. I found myself running aimlessly through the streets of Paris without knowing why and for what. Suddenly I stopped near a door, it was the entrance to a Shul.

Without knowing why, I opened the door and walked in. There was a group of people praying (Mincha). The Rabbi came over to me and inquired what I wanted. I told him I wanted to pray and he handed me a Frence Siddur. After I completed the prayer, I found myself running back in the direction of the apartment. As I opened the door I told my fiancee to immediately leave. She asked me in a very puzzled tone “what happened?” I couldn’t explain but I insisted that she leave. I just took her suitcase, opened the door and placed it in the hallway and pushed her out!

The moment she left I felt a little bit better but not totally calm. After a month of sleepless nights and mental turmoil, I went to the landlord, told him that I can’t live in the place and paid up the half year rental. That week I left to Israel. Over time I ended up in Tzfat and became a Breslov Chosid, got married and had a family. All the time I had a problem, when asked by friends how I became Frum I’d be very embarrassed. I was hesitant to tell them the truth, namely that on one day I just lost it, went crazy and ended up in Israel. I would just tell everyone that it was a secret which I couldn’t share.

One evening as I’m walking the streets of the Old City of Tzfat I noticed a poster with French writing on the floor. Out of curiosity I picked it up. It was an invite by Chabad for French speaking people. The topic of the evening was going to be about The Rebbe’s life in France. It listed three addresses for where The Rebbe lived while in Paris. One address caught my attention. It was the apartment where I went crazy! Suddenly it dawned on me: The Rebbe pushed out the Goyah from the apartment – and my life! The Rebbe brought me back to my roots!

I needed confirmation for this. However, I wasn’t about to go to a Chabad Chosid to ask what they thought about this. “Certainly they’ll explain that The Rebbe is the Soul of Am Yisroel and what have you…” I decided to go to someone entirely neutral. I went to Rabbi David Abuchatzera. This is what he said: “Know that a Rebbe is Rsh B’nei Yisroel”, the head worries for the whole body. I want you to know something even more than that. You must be thinking that The Rebbe when looking for a place to live, searched for a residence that would suit his needs at the time and that you happened to come back to Yiddishkiet as a result of His energy that was there… No! The truth is that The Rebbe saw many years ahead, He saw you and chose that apartment. He thought about your well-being even before considering his own needs! THAT’S WHAT A REBBE IS!”

The Rebbe’s place of residence wasn’t merely a Mishkan for himself and the rebbetzin; it was and is a “Mishkan of Testimony” for all times. It was a “testimony” from the very moment The Rebbe chose the place! We who have a connection to The Rebbe must utilize the “Rebbe that’s in us” to bring spiritual presence into our dwelling places – which  should have an everlasting effect on those who come there!