Parshas Vayakhel March 1, 2019 A Taste of Stories for the Soul No Day of Rage by Chaim Yeshia Freeman That’s the Ticket This week’s parsha begins with the Shabbos. This is the deeper meaning Rabbi Uri Zohar is a noted concept of Shabbos, as the Torah of not kindling a fire on Shabbos. Israeli ba’al teshuva who had states that one should work for six However, we must wonder why the been a popular secular comedian days and rest on the seventh. However, Torah stressed anger management on before deciding to commit to the Torah does not provide the Shabbos over other negative traits. observance of Torah and mitzvos. parameters for how one is supposed Let us examine and understand When he left the entertainment to rest. Our Sages teach us that the the reason people become angry. world, his non-religious friends different types of labor performed in The sefarim (books of Jewish law or asked him if he could tell them the construction and creation of the thought) explain that the root of Mishkan (Tabernacle) are prohibited one last joke. He replied with the this character trait emanates from following story: on Shabbos. This is derived from the haughtiness. When someone is placement of the laws of Shabbos overly focused on his own self, he will One day a secular Israeli police alongside the discussion of the become angry if people don’t follow officer noticed a religious building of the Mishkan. Based on his requests or don’t live up to his student driving a moped. The this, the Mishna in Shabbos (7:2) lists expectations. officer, who had a bias against the thirty-nine forbidden melachos religious people, followed him, (acts of labor) of Shabbos, which were The verse states (Shemos 31:16), looking for a pretense to issue all performed in the creation of the “And the Children of Israel shall the driver a ticket. To his chagrin, keep the Shabbos, to make the Mishkan. the driver stopped at every stop Shabbos an eternal covenant for their Strangely enough, there is one melacha sign, adhered to the speed limit, generations.” The Zohar comments which is stated explicitly in the parsha and drove courteously. - the prohibition of lighting a fire on that the Hebrew word “dorosam,” Shabbos. Why is this prohibition “their generations,” can also be read After a half-hour, the cop gave singled out from all of the thirty- as “dirasam,” “their dwellings.” The up. He pulled the moped driver nine melachos? Rashi (35:3) cites two verse can thus be interpreted as saying and said to him, “I don’t get reasons. The first opinion is that that the Jewish People must make it. I couldn’t catch you doing the Torah specified lighting a fire to their dwellings a fitting place for the anything wrong!” The yeshiva downgrade the punishment for this sanctity of Shabbos to reside. This student replied curtly, “That’s act from the death penalty to a regular teaches that Shabbos is an auspicious because G-d is with me.” The negative commandment, subject only time when the presence of Hashem cop jumped up, “Aha! I’m going to lashes. A second opinion is that resides amongst us on a higher level. to give you a ticket. You have two the verse is teaching that one who The explanation of the riding on a motorcycle!” inadvertently performed multiple aforementioned passage in the Zohar The Mishkan (Tabernacle) was melachos on Shabbos thinking can now be understood. The meant to serve as a place where they were permitted is liable to a (Sotah 5a) states that Hashem says Hashem’s presence could reside separate sin-offering for each melacha that He cannot dwell together with among the Jewish People. Just as performed. (The means of deriving a haughty person. Since Hashem is important is for a Jew to make this are beyond the scope of this much more present in our lives on sure that there is a place in article.) Shabbos, we have to make sure we himse