English translation — ויקהל א

A.

At the beginning of the section¹

It says "And Moses assembled the entire assembly of the children of Israel and said to them etc. 'Six days shall work be done etc.'"

Rashi stands on the words "Six days" and explains: He preceded for them the warning of Shabbat to the command of the work of the Mishkan, to say that it does not override Shabbat.

As one learns simply, Rashi's intention is,

that what the Torah precedes²

"the warning of Shabbat to the command of the work of the Mishkan" is a proof that the warning of Shabbat is stricter³

than the command regarding the work of the Mishkan,

and therefore the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbat.

is difficult

(as commentators ask⁴)

: we find several times where there are two commandments adjacent to each other and Rashi explains that the “<b>later</b>” pushes aside the “<b>earlier</b>” — beginning from the same subject we discuss in

(Shabbat and the work of the Mishkan)

: in Parshat Tisa,

on the verse⁵

“And you speak etc. but My Sabbaths you shall keep

etc.”,

where the Torah⁶

<b>precedes</b> the commandment of the work of the Mishkan before the warning of Shabbat,

Rashi explains: Although you will be rushed etc. in the alacrity of the work

(of the Mishkan),

Shabbat should not be pushed aside because of it.

And so on further in Parshat Kedoshim&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;

it says "A man, his mother and his father you shall fear

(and afterwards)

and My Sabbaths you shall keep" — says &lt;b&gt;Rashi&lt;/b&gt; in his commentary: He juxtaposed the observance of Shabbat to the fear of a father to say, even though I have warned you about fear of a father, if he tells you to desecrate the Shabbat, do not listen to him.

— and &lt;b&gt;here&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;

Rashi emphasizes,

that the "juxtaposition" is a proof that Shabbat overrides the work of the Mishkan&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;?

2.

Commentators answer¹⁰

In Parshat Tisa, Rashi explains that one learns this from the word "אך" — "all

"אך" and "רק" are restrictive, to exclude Shabbat from the work of the Mishkan&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

; and likewise in Parshat Kedoshim Rashi continues

(in the following discourse)

"I am the Lord your God — you and your father are obligated in My honor, therefore do not listen to him to nullify My words."

D.

H.

That in both cases one must come to the words "אך" and "אני ה' אלקיכם" to ensure that Shabbat is not overridden by the work of the Mishkan and fear of father.

Then from this itself it is understood,

that,

on the contrary: generally the "earlier" overrides the "later",

and therefore,

were it not for the verses "אך" regarding the work of the Mishkan in Parshat Tisa; and "אני ה' אלקיכם" regarding "fear of father" — one would indeed say,

that because the commandments regarding the work of the Mishkan and fear of father come before the warning of Shabbat, they override Shabbat.

But — in the simple sense, the explanation is not sufficient,

because the very same thing can be asked¹²

: why does the Torah precede the command of the work of the Mishkan

(and likewise "fear of father")

before the warning of Shabbat and because of this one must add the limitation "akh"

(and the addition "I am the Lord your God"¹³)

— it has

from the outset could have stood the warning of Shabbat <b>before </b>the work of the Mishkan

(and fear of father)

and one would already

(from the precedence)

have known that Shabbat overrides the work of the Mishkan

(and fear of father)¹⁴?

It is implied from this that from "kedimah" alone one cannot learn that the first commandment overrides the second,

rather one needs a limitation

(and a teaching)

explicit,

and here Rashi says "&lt;b&gt;He preceded &lt;/b&gt;Shabbat etc. &lt;b&gt;to say &lt;/b&gt;that it does not override Shabbat"?

One finds a lengthiness in the commentators of Rashi&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;

who answer the aforementioned question with various answers and distinctions,

when and in what manner one can learn from "kedimah" that the first commandment overrides the second.

But

(as discussed several times),

Rashi wrote his commentary on the Torah in a style that even a "ben chamesh lamikra" should be able to understand Rashi's intent from his

(few)

words,

not needing any additional explanation on this;

And especially since in this matter there is a great dispute among the commentators of Rashi with <b>various</b> kinds of answers — it is seemingly not plausible to say that Rashi means

(<b>in its plain sense</b> of Rashi at least¹⁶)

<b>all the various</b> explanations,

and he is silent and does not say which of the many explanations he adopts¹⁷.

And therefore it is logical to say,

that when learning the words of Rashi themselves, everything is understood and explained,

so that the aforementioned questions fall away automatically.

3.

The explanation of this can be said simply:

With the words "He preceded for them the warning of Shabbos etc. to say that it does not override the Shabbos" Rashi does not intend to say,

that from that which the Torah here precedes the warning of Shabbos before the command of the work of the Mishkan one learns the law

(that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbos)

— because the law itself was already stated earlier,

in Parshas Tisa,

where it says

(in the command of Hashem to Moshe)

"But My Shabbosim you shall guard etc.",

and as Rashi explains there

(as above sec. 2)

"to exclude Shabbos from the work of the Mishkan"; and it is understood by itself,

that when the Torah relates afterwards

(in our parshah)

how Moshe transmitted to the Jews the commands regarding Shabbos and the work of the Mishkan,

this was exactly as stated above

(in Parshas Tisa),

that

(he said to the Jews,

that)

the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbos —

But the precision here is¹⁸

"He preceded <b>to them </b>the warning of Shabbat etc." — here it speaks

(not about the precedence in the Torah as a command of G-d,

but)

about the precedence in the words of <b>Moshe </b>"to them":

By Rashi it is difficult,

since that in the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moshe the command of the work of the Mishkan was said before the warning of Shabbat,

why did Moshe Rabbeinu <b>change </b>and in the transmission of the commands to the Jews¹⁹

— "He <b>preceded to them </b>the warning of Shabbat etc."?

To this Rashi answers — "to say that it does not override the Shabbat": because

Moshe had to convey to them²⁰

(as he was commanded in Parshat Tisa),

he therefore preceded [with] "the warning of Shabbat".

That is: in addition to that which Moshe Rabbeinu told the Jews

(explicitly)

that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbat

that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbos,

is <b>in addition</b> to this,

in order to <b>strengthen</b> among the Jews the severity of the warning of Shabbos,

he

(also)

<b>preceded</b>²¹

the command of the Shabbos to the command of the work of the Mishkan.

Based on this, the aforementioned discussion in Rashi's commentary falls away automatically — how does <b>the</b> commentary of Rashi fit with Rashi in Parshas Tisa and Parshas Kedoshim — because in our parshah Rashi does not speak at all about the teaching from where do we know that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbos

(and it can be said that indeed so,

that from "precedence" and "postponement" <b>in the verse</b> one cannot learn²²

(according to the simple meaning)

that the "earlier" is decisive and overrides the "later").

4.

It remains, however, not understood:

Since when announcing the commandments to Moses,

the Almighty <b>did not</b> preface the warning of Shabbat to the commandment of the work of the Mishkan

(since there is regarding this the exclusionary term "<b>But</b> My Sabbaths you shall keep")

— why did Moses our teacher need to add an extra emphasis

By preceding the warning of Shabbos,

and thereby &lt;b&gt;changing &lt;/b&gt;the order of the commandments as they were said by the Holy One, blessed be He?

One will understand this by first introducing the explanation in Rashi on the verse

(above)

in Parshas Tisa: "And you, speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'But My Sabbaths you shall keep, etc.'": Rashi places himself

(in the first discourse beginning)

on the words "And you, speak to the children of Israel" and explains: "And you — even though I have commanded you to charge them about the work of the Mishkan, let it not be light in your eyes to push off the Shabbos because of that work."

Further, Rashi explains: "But My Sabbaths you shall keep — even though you will be eager and zealous with the zeal of the work,

Shabbos, do not push it off because of it,

all 'but's, etc."

From the plain language of Rashi it is proven that these are two separate warnings that the work of the Mishkan should not override Shabbos

— one from

(the extra

word "ואתה",

and the second from the limitation "אך".

It is not understood:

a)

as the commentators ask²⁵

— why both to me?

b)

as one learns from the word “<b>And you </b>

(speak to Bnei Yisrael)

” that “it should not be light in your eyes to push off the Shabbat because of that work”.

Also one must understand the &lt;b&gt;lengthiness&lt;/b&gt;

language of Rashi&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;

in the two explanations,

and the &lt;b&gt;differences &lt;/b&gt;between them:

א)

The precision of the language "אע"פ &lt;b&gt;שהפקדתיך &lt;/b&gt;לצוותם על מלאכת המשכן" — as if for this there was a special appointment?

The entire Torah and commandments were given over to Jews through Moses our teacher!

ב)

"&lt;b&gt;אל יקל בעיניך &lt;/b&gt;לדחות כו׳" — and Rashi does not say in brief "אל תדחה"

(וכיו"ב),

as the language of &lt;b&gt;Rashi &lt;/b&gt;himself immediately afterwards

(in the second discourse).

3)

In the second statement Rashi brings a <b>new</b> subject "אע"פ שתהיו <b>רדופין וזריזין</b>בזריזות המלאכה etc." — from where does Rashi take this?

And why does this subject specifically belong in the second statement?

5.

And one can say the explanation in this:

The difference between the two explanations of Rashi is: in the first discourse,

where Rashi focuses on the words “&lt;b&gt;And you &lt;/b&gt;speak to Bnei Yisrael”,

it speaks regarding &lt;b&gt;Moshe himself&lt;/b&gt;,

and as Rashi emphasizes in his language: “Although I have commanded &lt;b&gt;you &lt;/b&gt;to command them etc., let it not be light &lt;b&gt;in your eyes &lt;/b&gt;etc.”; in contrast, in the second discourse — “But My Sabbaths &lt;b&gt;you shall keep&lt;/b&gt;” — Rashi speaks in relation to Bnei Yisrael,

“Although &lt;b&gt;you will be&lt;/b&gt;

(plural)

pursued etc.”

And this itself is the reason why both teachings are necessary: it is not comparable to how Moshe Rabbeinu is warned that Shabbat is not pushed aside because of the work of the Mishkan,

and how this is warned regarding Jews

(as Rashi is it

emphasizes through the variations of language in the two statements).

The explanation in this: the command regarding the work of the Mishkan came — according to <b>Rashi</b>²⁷

— after the forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf.

Because the Mishkan is

(as <b>Rashi</b>²⁸

explains)

"a testimony to Israel that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave them for the deed of the Golden Calf, for He caused His Shechinah to dwell among them."

And this Rashi says

(in the second discourse)

"Even though you will be &lt;b&gt;pursued and diligent &lt;/b&gt;in the alacrity of the work,

Shabbat do not push aside for it": The concern that one must guard among the children of Israel is

they will certainly ask Moses how to conduct themselves on the day of Shabbat — rather]

Knowing that the indwelling of the Divine Presence in the Mishkan is the proof also of the atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf,

they will be

(and they <b>must</b> be)

"pursued,"

"<b>chase</b>" themselves with very great alacrity to finish²⁹

the work of the Mishkan so that the atonement should come as early as possible,

and therefore it is possible,

that the involvement in the manner of "pursuit" and

"alacrity" should cause that one should fail [and] do in the work of the Mishkan also on Shabbos³⁰.

Therefore one warns Jews: "Although <b>you will be</b> pursued and alacritous ..

Shabbos do not push aside because of it."

This is however only regarding Jews.

But Moses our teacher,

who from the outset had no connection to the sin of the calf,

and even after the sin of the calf when Jews were "excommunicated by the majority"³¹,

his tent of Moses was a "Tent of Meeting",

"place of <b>Shechinah</b>"³²

It is understood,

that regarding Moses himself there did not apply the concern of "pursuers and eager ones etc.",

and especially since

(as <b>Rashi</b>³³

explains)

— "Moses did <b>no work</b> in the Mishkan"³⁴,

that this is the intent of Rashi on the verse

(at the

command of the work of the Mishkan in our parshah&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;)

"And Moses said etc. 'This is the thing that the Lord commanded to say'" — "This is the thing that the Lord commanded <b>me</b> to say <b>to you</b>" — that <b>the</b> command to Moses

("This is the thing")

was only for

("<b>to say to you</b>")

to repeat to Jews,

but Moses himself was <b>not</b> commanded regarding this,

because he had a "place of the Shechinah" even without the Mishkan]

But what need is there to protect Moshe — "&lt;b&gt;And you &lt;/b&gt;— even though &lt;b&gt;I have appointed you &lt;/b&gt;to command them about the work of the Mishkan, do not &lt;b&gt;let it be light in your eyes &lt;/b&gt;to push off the Shabbos for the sake of that work",

as follows.

6.

Rashi brings down

(at the end of Parshas Tisa&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;)

the "order of the Mishnah" how Moshe taught Torah to the Jews: "Aharon entered, Moshe taught him his chapter ..

his sons entered, he taught them ..

the elders entered, he taught them ..

all the people entered, he taught them etc. Thus was found in the hand of all the people one, in the hand of the elders two, in the hand of Aharon's sons three, in the hand of Aharon four etc. as it is brought in Eruvin*&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;

The reason why Rashi adds "&lt;b&gt;etc. &lt;/b&gt;as it is in Eruvin" — it can be said&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;,

that he thereby hints to the continuation of the Gemara,

that after Moshe finished his four times of teaching, "He taught Aharon his chapter etc., he taught his sons their chapter etc., he taught the elders their chapter."

and for his sons three times is enough,

for the elders — two,

and for "all the people" only one time — it is indeed &lt;b&gt;the opposite &lt;/b&gt;of what is logical! According to the continuation of the Gemara, however, this is explained,

because

(as the Gemara elaborates there)

"it was found in the hand of all four"].

Based on this, it comes out,

that other commandments of the Torah Jews heard not only from Moses,

but also from Aaron and his sons and the elders.

But not so the command of the work of the Mishkan was in the manner of "I have charged you to command them concerning the work of the Mishkan",

that the transmission to Jews of the command of the work of the Mishkan was not according to the "order of the Mishnah",

but³⁹

as related at the beginning of our portion: "And Moses assembled the entire assembly of the children of Israel and said to them"*³⁹

— Moses spoke to all Jews equally,

without distinctions between Aaron, his sons, and the elders, and all the people.

And this Rashi says on "And you, speak to the children of Israel — And you, even though I have charged you to command them concerning the work of the Mishkan, let it not be light in your eyes etc.": seeing that the command concerning the work of the Mishkan is in a special manner of "I have charged you to command them concerning the work of the Mishkan",

different from other commandments of the Torah,

therefore by Moses could become a reasoning,

that regarding the work of the Mishkan it is a

"Leniency" regarding Shabbat⁴⁰,

and consequently: "&lt;b&gt;Let it be light in your eyes to push off &lt;/b&gt;Shabbat for that work" — it will be "easy" for him to push off Shabbat because of the work of the Mishkan⁴¹

; one warns him: "&lt;b&gt;Do not &lt;/b&gt;let it be light in your eyes etc.",

that there should not be a leniency regarding Shabbat.

Based on this, the above question is simply answered,

how can one learn from "&lt;b&gt;And you &lt;/b&gt;speak to Bnei Yisrael" the matter of "Do not let it be light in your eyes": by telling Moshe that also the command of Shabbat must be "&lt;b&gt;And you &lt;/b&gt;speak to Bnei Yisrael" — Moshe himself should say it⁴²

all Jews in assembly

(just as "I appointed you to command them about the work of the Mishkan")

— and as he did this in practice as recounted at the beginning of our parshah: "And Moshe assembled etc. and said to them etc. Six days etc." — it was emphasized to Moshe that Shabbat is not "light" in any manner whatsoever relative to the work of the Mishkan⁴³.

7.

According to all the above, the reason for the change in the order of the commands between Parshat Tisa and our Parsha is also understood:

In Parshat Tisa, where it speaks about the command of Hashem to Moshe,

the command regarding the work of the Mishkan comes first, and afterwards the warning of Shabbat.

Because the <b>main</b> thing here is the command regarding the work of the Mishkan,

and the warning of Shabbat comes here only as secondary,

therefore the work of the Mishkan stands first.

Not so in our parshah,

where it speaks about the command of Moshe to <b>Bnei Yisrael</b>,

the Omnipresent had already told him in Parshas Tisa that they need to be safeguarded

(not only the <b>law</b>,

that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbat⁴⁴,

that the work of the Mishkan does not override Shabbos,

but)

that "even though <b>you will be</b>

(you must be)

pursuing and diligent etc." they should guard themselves from becoming ensnared by the warning of Shabbos.

And in order to safeguard this,

one must precede the warning of Shabbos,

which the introduction does so that by them the prohibition of Shabbos always stands "before" the work of the Mishkan,

and consequently they will always remember and be careful,

also during the pursuit and diligence in the work of the Mishkan,

that this may not touch the "Shabbos Shabbason for Hashem"⁴⁵.

(From the talks of Shabbos Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei and Shabbos Parshas Vayikra 5728)