Rav Wolfson: Vayekhel/Pekudei

Note: HaRav Isser Wolfson shlita is a noted talmid chacham, dayan and posek. The shiurim were transcribed by me and reviewed by Rav Wolfson. What you are reading is just an excerpt and not the whole shiur. I have also taken the liberty of making some slight editorial changes to the original version in order to make it read better. This week's excerpt is from Pekudei 5763.

The Taz in Darkei Dovid asks the following question on Rashi. The Torah tells us in Pekudei (39:43) and in Shimini (9:23) that Moshe gave the Bnei Yisrael a beracha after putting up the mishkan. Rashi in Parshas Pekudei explains that this beracha refers to the beracha of “vayehi noam” and it is part of the 11 mizmorim of tehillim (90-101) that Moshe said. However, in Parshas Shimini, although Rashi explains that this beracha refers to the beracha of “vayehi noam” he leaves out the fact that it is part of the 11 mizmorim of tehillim. Why does Rashi do this?

We find that the possuk of "vayehi noam" is said in two different formats. We say it in Pisukei D’Zimrah of Shabbos where it comes at the end of “tefillah l’Moshe” and before “yosheiv b’seiser”. We also say it on Motzei Shabbos and in Krias Shema Al HaMita, where we say just the possuk of “vayehi noam” and then the perek of “yosheiv b’seiser”. The similarity between Motzei Shabbos and Krias Shema Al HaMita is that in both cases we are going from a higher state of kedushah to a lower state of kedushah. On Motzei Shabbos we are leaving the kedushah of Shabbos and entering days of chol. Similarly, at night we are going from a higher state of being awake to a lower one of being asleep. "Vayehi noam" represents the higher state of kedushah while "yosheiv b’seiser", which talks about all the tzorus, represents the lower state of kedushah. When we say "yosheiv b’seiser" after "vayehi noam" we are connecting the two levels and we are asking Hahsem that we should be zocheh to have the higher madreigah that we had on Shabbos during the week as well.

Rashi in the beginning of Pekudei explains that the mishkan was called “mishkan” because it acts as a mashkon/collateral for Klal Yisrael. Rather than Hashem taking out his anger on Klal Yisrael, HKBH will destroy the mishkan instead. When Moshe originally gave B'nei Yisrael the beracha of "vayehi noam" he was saying that the Mishkan should save the B'nei Yisrael from any punishment. Moshe was requesting that Hashem take out his anger on the Mishkan and not on the B’nei Yisrael. This is why Rashi mentions the beracha of "vayehi noam" in connection with the other 11 mizmorim. One of these mizmorim is the mizmor "yosheiv b’seiser" which we explained above refers to a lower state of kedushah. Rashi is making the connecting between the higher madreigah of "vayehi noam" to the lower madreigah of "yosehiv b'seiser". Taken together thses two mizmorim tell us that that even in times of tzorus the Mishkanwill protect us. However, In Parshas Shimini the beracha Moshe is giving refers to the fact that B'nei Yisroel should be zocheh to see the koved of Hashem. It is not referring at all to times of tzorus. Therefore, it is not necessary to connect the "vayehi noam" to "yosheiv b’Seiser".