Parshas Vayakhel
If He Could Do It…
By Rabbi Label Lam
And Moshe called Betzalel and Oheliav and every wise-hearted man within
whom HASHEM has endowed wisdom, everyone whose heart inspired him, to
approach the work, to do it. (Shemos 36:2)
To whom is Moshe appealing to do the holy work of the Tabernacle? Is his
want ad a call only to the already talented and experienced?
The Chofetz Chaim writes in the 7th Chapter of Toras HaBais, the following
footnote: “We find this by the building of the Tabernacle, that anyone who
put his heart and desire to make the Tabernacle, HASHEM gave him knowledge
and wisdom to know how to do it, as it says in Vayakhel, “And Moshe called
Betzalel and Oheliav and every wise-hearted man within whom HASHEM has
endowed wisdom, everyone whose heart inspired him, to approach the work,
to do it.” It does not say “and everyone” (signaling a separate thought)
but rather “everyone” indicating that it is a single matter. Meaning that
anyone who agrees and decides in his mind to draw close to the task to
contemplate how to do this, HASHEM will give him the knowledge to do it.
This relates to any good thing, whether it is an action concerning a holy
matter that he needs to apply his heart to contemplate how to do it, or
whether it is a matter of learning Torah. If one decides in his mind to
try to become an expert in some part of the Talmud or similar such thing,
and he sees to it to review it many times, or he wants to clarify and
master some Hallacha-Law and he strives in pursuit of it, HASHEM will
grant to him knowledge in his heart and will help him to make his thoughts
a reality.”
The Talmud (Baba Metzia 84A) records a famous incident that occurred
between the sage Rabbi Yochanan and a bandit and gang-leader known as
Reish Lakish: “One day Rabbi Yochanan was bathing in the Jordon. He saw
Reish Lakish jumping into the river after him. Rabbi Yochanan said to
him, “Your strength should be used for Torah!” Reish Lakish answered
back, “Your beauty is meant for women.” Rabbi Yochanan replied, “If you
abandon your ways, I will give you my sister, who is even more beautiful
than I am, for marriage.” Reish Lakish accepted this upon himself. He then
wanted to return to collect his clothing but he could not muster the
strength. (Since he apportioned his strength to spiritual pursuits some of
his physical prowess abated.-Rashi) Rabbi Yochanan taught him Chumash and
Mishnah, and Reish Lakish became a great man.” (Reish Lakish became the
brother in-law and all-time study partner of Rabbi Yochanan. It’s hard to
travel a few pages in the Talmud without finding both of their names
prominently included in the scholarly discourse)
Amazingly Rabbi Yochanan did not yell “thief” when he saw this mugger
bounding toward him. Rather he saw his great spiritual potential. When
Reish Lakish heard Rabbi Yochanan’s suggestion that he too could become a
scholar he rejected it immediately as absurd. Perhaps that’s the meaning
of his answer to Rabbi Yochanan that his beauty is meant for women. “Just
as one cannot change their gender, so I cannot become anything other than
a thief.” He felt it to be an-impossibility that he could leave his life
of crime and become a Talmud scholar. Rabbi Yochanan tested his thesis,
albeit with an ulterior motive. Reish Lakish took the pugnacious challenge
and realized he could become much more than he had been. Rabbi Yochanan
was right and we too must believe if he could do it…
DvarTorah, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.
