Can the heart compel a generosity of spirit?
Table for Five: Vayakhel
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
“Every man and woman among the Israelites whose heart compelled them to bring something for all the work that God had commanded to be done through Moses brought a donation for God.” – Exodus 35:29
Rabbi Michael Barclay
Spiritual Leader of Temple Ner Simcha (www.NerSimcha.org)
This verse is such a beautiful illustration about the actual Jewish understanding of giving charity. It teaches us the importance of having true kavannah, true intention in our heart when we give to God… not only through charity, but by extension, through every mitzvah we observe. It is also in direct opposition to the financial practices of 90% of synagogues in the nation; and the reason why our synagogue has no membership dues, no cost for High Holiday tickets or Bnei Mitzvahs, nor any mandatory fees.
The words are clear: charity is to come about as a result of a compulsion in our heart. Not because we are mandated to “pay to pray”. Many years ago I learned this important truth from Rabbi Shlomo “Schwartzie” Schwartz (without whose inspiration we would not have our synagogue and whose work has been continued through his son, Rabbi Mendel at the Chai Center). This verse makes it clear that we are to give because of our heart’s desire, not out of guilt and certainly not because of external pressure.
I know that pointing this out will anger many synagogue Board of Directors, who are often more concerned with finances than theology; but the Torah says what it says. We are to give from our hearts. (Plus, up until the mid-late 20th century, synagogues didn’t charge for dues or tickets.) Just think how many Jews might return to synagogue life if we all observed this verse’s instruction? We need to really hear these words of Torah, and replace “giving until it hurts”, with “giving from our hearts”. It’s the right thing to do and will ultimately strengthen American Judaism.
Rabbi Avraham Greenstein
AJRCA Professor of Hebrew
The English translation of this verse makes it sound as if the verse were saying something somewhat redundant and self-evident. It does not sound immediately interesting or significant that those who felt compelled to donate did in fact donate. However, it need be noted that the English translation is not entirely faithful to the Hebrew, and this results from the fact that it is trying to syncretize two disparate phrases in the Hebrew. The verse in Hebrew seems to have two separate subjects, i.e. the men and women who were moved to generosity and the Children of Israel who gave. In effect, there seem to be two groups of people in the verse: those who were moved to give and those who ended up giving.
According to Alsheikh Hakadosh, this quirk of the verse suggests that even those who did not have what to give, but whose heart desired to give, were considered by the verse as if they had given. Moreover, even those who had something to give, and who intended to give, but did not end up giving were also counted among those who donated.
This is a rather shocking statement on the part of Alsheikh. It means that from the perspective of the Torah, a moment of sincere generous intention can have almost the same effect as action. Let us learn from this how much power the sincere desires of our heart can have, and let us direct our desires towards holiness, compassion, good deeds, and appreciation.
Rabbi Barry J Chesler
Rav Beit Sefer, SSLI
The Talmud teaches that the greater reward is given the one who is commanded and does, and not the one who does voluntarily. Our verse teaches that: “Every man and woman among the Israelites whose heart compelled them to bring something for all the work that God had commanded to be done through Moses brought a donation for God.” Near the end of the process, building the Tabernacle seems to be an act of compulsion. But at the beginning the free-will offering is emphasized. What begins as free will, ends with compulsion, the voluntary has become command. The overflowing generosity of the heart is channeled into sacred endeavor, claiming God as its outhor.
Can the heart compel a generosity of spirit? In our religious lives we seek to balance obligation with a flowing, even overflowing heart; there is discipline, and there is love; there is what we must do, and what we want to do. What we must do comes from God, the bestower of rewards; what we want to do moves out from our heart, the reward less certain. Either-or becomes both-and.
As an institution, the Tabernacle is a place which embraces the tension between God and human, commitment and blessing, between that which is required and that which is given freely. The Tabernacle is constructed with and by love, a love which continues to attract the Israelite ever after, in building and destruction, in bounded space and unbounded memory.
Rabbi Jonathan Leener
Rabbi of the Prospect Heights Shul
With most mitzvot, we are taught that we should observe them because Hashem commanded us to do so, not because we see some intrinsic good or personal preference in fulfilling them. The sages taught, “A person should not say, ‘I have no desire to eat pork,’ but rather, ‘I desire it, but what can I do? My Father in Heaven has commanded me not to.’” In other words, our motivation should be driven by a sense of obligation.
The great Hasidic master Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein, known for his work Maor VaShemesh, notes that when it comes to money and giving — such as the contributions to the Mishkan — there is an even higher level beyond simply being commanded. He understands our verse as teaching that the Jewish people experienced their contributions to the Mishkan with joy because they recognized that Hashem had given them the opportunity to give, the act of giving itself was a gift from Hashem.
It is easy to see someone in need as a burden or an imposition, but our tradition teaches us to see these moments as a blessing — a gift from Hashem that allows us to help another person. This helps explain why, under Jewish law, even the poor are obligated to give charity, so that they too can experience the joy of giving and, perhaps even more importantly, the dignity of knowing they are needed and seen by Hashem.
Yehudit Garmaise
Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
Self-sacrifice is crucial for real change.
For instance, before Har Sinai, we barely prepared ourselves. We bathed, wore clean clothing, separated from our spouses, and “showed up” on Sivan 6: after oversleeping. After the sin of the Golden Calf, Hashem elevated our relationship by requiring significantly more of us. When fundraising for the Mishkan’s construction, Hashem asked us not only to contribute our belongings, but our efforts, energy, and enthusiasm. By asking for donations, Hashem gave us moments to pause, to reach into ourselves, and to consider what and how we wanted to give.
Consider the pride and fulfillment the women must have felt when they saw their compact mirrors beautifully crafted together to form the kiyor. The donations helped Jews forge meaningful individual connections to the Yiddishkeit they would practice in the desert. When Hashem told Moshe to say, “Let every generous-hearted person bring a contribution for God,” He was asking our most internal and highest selves to buy-in with considered willingness.
When we work hard and sacrifice meaningfully to create anything, we feel a sort of joyous pride. We breathe deeply. We smile. We feel a strange sense of security. We learn to trust ourselves and love ourselves a little more. By contributing to the Mishkan, b’nai Yisroel accessed the powerful and joyous energy of our volition, which in turn, became embroidered into the Mishkan itself. Once our personal contributions changed the nature of the Mishkan, only then could the service of Hashem truly change and refine us.
With thanks to Rabbi Michael Barclay, Rabbi Avraham Greenstein, Yehudit Garmaise, Rabbi Jonathan Leener and Rabbi Barry J Chesler.
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