Weekly Dvar Torah: Make Me a Sanctuary and I Will Dwell in You
Nowadays, one of the first things that one is taught in Chassidus, is about building the individual sanctuary for Hashem.
Our sages teach on the Posuk: וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם = “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” It does not say that I may dwell in ‘it’ (the structure of the sanctuary), but it says that I may dwell among ‘them’ (the people of Israel). This means that every Jew should make a sanctuary for G-d, so that He will dwell in him.
Usually we relate to making a dwelling place for G-d, to our spiritual Avoda. The Divine service that connects us to Hashem, which involves meditation and contemplation of G-dliness, mostly during Davening, when we remove ourselves from worldly matters, and connect with G-d.
The Hayom Yom during the week of the Parsha of Teruma which speaks about building G-d’s sanctuary. Is full of lessons about connecting to G-d, by drawing G-dliness into the world, in a physical way.
In Hayom Yom of 6 Adar 1, we learn: עֶס אִיז אַ מַעֲלָה נִפְלָאָה, וואָס דעֶר אוֹיבּעֶרשׁטעֶר בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִיז מְזַכֶּה אוּן מעֶן קְרִיגְט אַ חוּשׁ מִיט אַ געֶשׁמאַק אַ אִידעֶן אַ טוֹבָה טאָן, = “It is a wonderful virtue, when G d gives you an opportunity to develop a sense and a pleasurable satisfaction in doing a fellow Jew a favor”.
The background and context, enrich the meaning of this quote. So here is the story behind this saying.
The Frierdiker Rebbe relates:
“In the winter of 1913, I visited my father the Rebbe Rashab in Menton, France (where he occasionally spent time for health reasons). We had several weeks of quality time together. As we were strolling the waterfront for hours every day, he would share with me the most amazing special traditions that were passed down only from Rebbe to Rebbe, with many stories, visions and explanation in Chassidus.
“One of the special topics was a discussion about the thinking and meditating on Chassidus before Davening while wrapped in Talis and Tefillin. This discussion went on for several days. My father explained eight levels of benefits that come as a result of such meditation.
1) It refines the body and makes one’s mind and heart a ready vessel for G-dly inspiration.
2) It banishes the animal soul (not to interfere with G-dliness).
3) It rinses the natural soul (away from materialism and readies it for G-dliness).
4) It subjugates the intellectual soul (to welcome and enjoy G-dly intellectualism).
5) It illuminates the world, as my father expressed it; “when a Jew thinks Chassidus in Talis and Tefillin before Davening, the world become filled with light”.
6) It draws down G-dly revelation of light in all the worlds, from the highest loftiest levels to the lowest of the lowest levels.
7) It illuminates all five levels of the soul, Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, Yechida.
8) It changes the essence of the person’s natural character traits (to become G-dly).
“My father concluded; this applies to every Chossid who delves into davening with the proper preparation (by meditating on Chassidus). Tzadikim, they reach much higher levels, to the point of delighting in the sweetness of G-dliness.
“I will never forget that moment watching my father’s holy face as he was experiencing cleaving to the sweetness of G-dliness.
“This scene, strolling on the waterfront in Menton, surrounded by the beauty of nature, being deep in thought of G-dly sweetness, personified to me the quality of a real person, a Rebbe who is a son of a Rebbe, a Mesiras Nefesh Jew, one who feels G-d in him and his soul is fully illuminated.
“For a while we strolled along the waterfront in utter silence, while passersby stopped to gaze at the beauty of my father’s holy radiating face.
“Suddenly my father spoke up, as if he just woke from a deep sleep, and he said:
“Yosef Yitzchock! Listen! All these great lofty elevated levels that we spoke about that happen when we meditate on Chassidus while wrapped in Talis and Tefillin before Davening, whether by ordinary Chassidim or by the great Tzadikim, are totally insignificant compared to the wonderful virtue, when G d gives you an opportunity to develop a sense and a pleasurable satisfaction in doing a favor for another Jew.
“It was worth tolling mentally and physically about G-dliness for five days, five hours a day, just to conclude that all I want is to do a favor for a fellow Jew, materially or spiritually.
“A Neshama comes down to this world and lives 70-80 years, just to do a favor for another Jew, materially and especially spiritually.”
It is not the ecstasy enjoying spiritual cleaving to Hashem that makes the dwelling place that G-d wants. To make the true dwelling place for G-d in this world, happens by simply doing a favor for another Jew.
Have a favor-full Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
