Stories Of Greatness

The day of the Chanukas HaMishkan – the Inauguration of the Mishkan, the holy Sanctuary – was one of great joy and happiness. In fact, the Gemara teaches that the day of the Chanukas HaMishkan was as joyous for the Almighty as the day He created Heaven and Earth. It says: “Va’y’hi ba’yom ha’shmini–And it was on the eighth day,” and it says “Va’y’hi erev va’y’hi boker–And it was night, and it was day.”

The Mishkan is universally known as the “House of G-d.” It serves as a potent symbol of the unique relationship between Hashem and His Nation, am Yisrael. The Ramban in Parshas T’rumah comments on the juxtaposition of the command to build the Mishkan to Matan Torah, when klal Yisrael received the Torah on Har Sinai. He explains that the Mishkan perpetuated the experience at Har Sinai. It transformed this one-time event into a continuous and everlasting relationship, allowing every single Jew the opportunity to bask in the presence of the Sh’chinah. The Mishkan’s structure and rituals reflect not only the events that took place at Sinai, but also their purpose, which was to command B’nei Yisrael with the laws that they are to keep in the Holy Land of Israel, so they can properly represent Hashem as His special nation.

In the early 1990s, a group of real estate developers purchased land in the heart of Tel Aviv with the intention of constructing a massive development project, replete with office buildings, malls, and shops. It was to become known as the Azrieli Center. Many sharp-eyed investors recognized the opportunity and invested huge sums of money, some purchasing entire floors of the towers, plucking down large sums of money even before the building plans were drawn up.

What defines a leader? A person who will give everything he has – his own life, in fact – on behalf of his people. Moshe was willing to have his name erased from the holy Torah to save his people. What could be a greater self-sacrifice?

The Maharal writes that when Hashem places Jews in positions of power, from which they are able to save their people, this reveals His special love and protection for us. The Purim story, the incredible hashgachah, and the fact that Mordechai and Esther were appointed to positions of authority to bring about Haman’s downfall, teaches us the importance of emunas chachamim. We must always look for Hashem when He is not clearly present, but even more so must we trust the insight of our Torah leaders who are better able to strip away the physical mask that conceals spiritual reality and show us the truth. For klal Yisrael, these are the true keys to salvation and redemption.

The Gemara says that rich people are stingy. Rav Shimon Sofer zt”l explains that if a rich person was not stingy, his tz’dakah would be meaningless. Hashem makes him stingy by nature so that parting with his money will be a challenge, even though financially speaking it is not. This way, he, too, can earn the great mitzvah of tz’dakah with m’siras nefesh just like his less affluent brethren, who are parting with money that they can ill afford to part with.