Like everything that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did the Children of Israel perform all the labor. Moshe saw the entire work, and behold!—they had done it as Hashem had commanded, so had they done! And Moshe blessed them. -- Shemot 39:42-43
He (Moshe) said, “May it be Gd’s will that the Shechinah rest upon Your handiwork.” -- Rashi

Each item of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) had to be precisely as Hashem instructed, as He commanded. Then each item had to be placed within the Mishkan in exactly the place He ordained. These items were vessels for tremendous spiritual rituals that would have significance throughout all the realms. Therefore, everything about them had to be exactly as He said.

Like the building of the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash, Hashem orders our lives. Just as there was a heavenly decree that make their existence possible in the world, their is a decree in heaven for each of our lives. We can see our lives as a Mishkan in the world, and each of us is the priest of that particular Mishkan. The events and situations in our lives are the vessels through which Hashem flows to us and to the world. Seeing them as such, we can walk into more awareness of the holy purpose of our lives in the world. How do I offer this situation up in holiness to Gd? How do I receive blessing through it that can then conduct His light out into the world?

The priests’ job was one of offering worship, praise, and thanksgiving. Sometimes the things in our lives are very difficult. If we live in a place of faith, we can come to thankfulness for all that comes into our lives. “I don’t see how this is for the good, but even so, in faith I pray: 'gam zeh l’tovah (this, too is for good)’.” This is the place of realizing that we can’t see the whole picture, but Hashem can. Therefore, we believe that in His love for us, He is bringing us good, even through the painful things. In that way, the situations of our lives become vessels through which He can flow, first to us, and then to others. They’re vessels through which we learn and grow. They’re vessels through which we come to a purification and rectification.

In order to be able to do this, to enter that place of faith-filled thanksgiving, we must be surrendered to His will in our lives. This surrender brings us to the refining place of tshuvah (repentence), as we see where we’ve erred. Sin causes us to be separated from Hashem. Tshuvah literally means “return”. Through this process we are returned to closeness to Hashem. This was the purpose of the rituals of the Mishkan – to bring the people back to, or closer to, Hashem.

In the place of total surrender to His will, of total faith in His love for us, we can walk in a thanksgiving in a whole new way – thanking Him for the bad times as well as the good. Life can be very painful and disappointing. If we decide that we will stand on the Lrd’s side, as the Levites did, we will come to thanking Him for all things. When the pain pricks our memory, we answer with: “Thank You, Hashem, for this situation. I believe that You love me and are bringing good to me through this thing.” The pain thus brings a sacrifice of thanksgiving, taking us to a place of praise—sincere praise from a joyful heart.

Fear is a prime weapon of the enemy of our soul. It causes us to falter in our faith and to doubt Hashem’s love and care. We can fall into self-protective mechanisms that are very destructive, simply due to fear. Each chapter of the Torah ends with the instruction: “Chazak! Chazak! Venischazeik! (Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!)” This isn’t simply a nice admonition; it’s a command. The times that the whole nation of Israel fell resulted directly from fear. The strength that we are commanded to walk in is not a human strength, but rather an ever growing faith in Hashem. “Maybe I see these very frightening things around me, but even so... my life is in Hashem’s hands.” With active faith, those very frightening things can be made vessels were which He WILL strengthen us. There are times when our faith and strength isn’t up there; there are times when our human nature just can’t cope; He knows that, and it’s okay. We can pray that where our faith isn’t sufficient, He will boost it, that where we are not strong, He will strengthen us. Just praying that IS faith, and He will meet us there, just as He met us in the Mishkan. He will flow to us through the situations of our lives just as He flowed through the vessels of the Mishkan.

Shabbat shalom,
Miriam