As I look at the calendar, I realize that Purim is quickly approaching. (Well, I'm not really looking at a calendar. I'm not sure why I even wrote that, but I'm too far in to get rid of it.) This means that I've begun looking at things on Purim, the Megila, and other fun stuff. I really love the Megila. There is so much in it. It's definitely worth your time. If you haven't done so recently, just go through the Megila. I'm sure you'll agree with me.
I have a very short though on this week's parasha, Parashat Vayakhel. You might have heard this, because it is one of the few Rashi's on this parasha. However, I will try to make it unique, so not to worry.
Parashat Vayakhel includes the construction of the Mishkan, or the portable temple that the Jews used in the desert. The man in charge of the construction of the Mishkan was Besalel, who was from the tribe of Yehuda. He had a helper, the number two in command, the "vice" constructor, who was named Aholiav, from the tribe of Dan.
The tribe of Yehuda was a pretty important tribe. The King of Israel comes from Yehuda. David Hamelech was from this tribe. Mashiach will eventually come from this tribe. The tribe of Dan, on the other hand, was not as great. Dan was one of the children of the maids, whereas Yehuda came from Leah. When comparing the two, Rashi explains that Yehuda is a lot more important than Dan.
To tell you the truth, it pains me to even write this. Who am I to say that Yehuda's shevet is better than Dan's shevet? Was it Dan's fault that his mother was a maid? Was it even her fault? And who's to say that even makes Yehuda better? Why are we comparing two people because of their mothers? And even if we want to compare them because of their positions, because Yehuda was the king, why would we do that? One person should not be compared to a second person! A person should be compared to his potential, what he can do. A person should be evaluated based on how he performs, not by his family. So, I would really never think to say this. In my opinion, I don't know if Yehuda's tribe is any better than Dan's tribe. I have no clue. I'll let Hashem be the Judge. As for me, both tribes are great. However, this is what Rashi says, and I am only quoting him.
However, that is not all that Rashi says. Rashi explains that in the construction of the mishkan, these two shevatim are placed together. They are equated. This is exactly the point; that no matter what you think or how others perceive people, they are all the same. Besalel and Aholiav worked on the mishkan together, despite their social statuses, simply because Hashem doesn't view people differently.
A lot of times, we will naturally give one person more respect than another. If this guy has money, I would like to shake his hand for a little longer than the guy who will probably ask me for some money. If this guy is socially popular, I would prefer to spend time speaking to him, as opposed to listening to some socially awkward, depressed guy about his problems. If this friend of mine knows people and has connections, it would probably be more beneficial to say hi to him rather than to say it to the guy who is always alone.
But that's not how we view it. We don't compare people. We don't give more attention to one person because he is from a better family. Or at least, we shouldn't.
So here's a challenge. Let's see if you're up for it. This week, at any point during the week, go speak to someone, even though you don't necessarily want to speak to him. See how it makes him feel. See how it makes you feel. See how it makes Hashem feel. (You can't really see how it makes Hashem feel, but I wanted to write the sentence three times, to make it more poignant.)
Shabbat Shalom!
Sincerely yours,
Avraham Adam Sabzevari
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