Parsha:

Vayakhel 

Description

Sfas Emes 5637 on Parshas Vayakhel. When Moshe Rabbeinu was looking at the Mishkan (Tabernacle), he was looking at the entire Creation. The purpose of the Mishkan is to bring Creation to completion. We complete and perfect the world through Torah. Just like the Creation had to be stopped, so too, the flow of gifts from the Jewish people to build the Mishkan had to be stopped. If we are living like neshamos (souls) without bringing anything down to the guf (body) level, we are like sheidim (demons), disembodied souls. We are often held back from completing because Hashem will bring the final completion of the world. The machatzis hashekel (half-shekel donation) teaches us that no matter how rich or poor we are, we can only be complete with Hashem.