vayakhel

In this week’s Parsha we learn about the building of the Mishkan which coincides with one of the first sacrifices the Jewish people brought as a nation, which was the Korban Pesach.

The Midrash in Mechilta asks the following question, “For what reason, was the sheep for the Korban Pesach designated four days before being slaughtered? One opinion answers, that before the Torah was given the Jews had no Mitzvot, and this was meant to create an opportunity for them to listen to HKB’H in order to accumulate merits to be saved from Egypt. The second opinion objects by saying, Jews had fulfilled four Mitzvot by this time, they were not involved in adultery and gossip, and didn’t change their names and language. If so, how could one claim they had no merits? Rather, the reason for designating the sheep four days in advance was, because the Jews of that generation were involved in idol worship just like the Egyptians (sheep were worshiped as idols by the Egyptians), and idol worship is a sin equal to all the mitzvot in the Torah. HKB”H commanded them to separate themselves from idol worship in order to connect themselves to Mitzvot.” 

The Sefer Shem Mishmuel is bewildered by the second opinion, the Rambam in Hilchot Teshuva (7:7) states, “A wicked person performing sins, they (in heaven) take away his Mitzvot”. Jews were guilty of worshiping idols which is equal to all the Mitzvot in the Torah, If so, how could it be they were saved for having the merit of not changing their names, etc? Their sin of idol worship makes them unfit to enjoy the benefits of their Mitzvot!

Shem Mishmuel gives the following answer, granted a wicked person loses the merit of his Mitzvot, but if he repents from his sins, he/she will get the Mitzvot back. That’s why the Rambam says, “when he sins they take away his Mitzvot”, which means it’s not as if no Mitzvot were done, rather his Mitzvot are acknowledged but are taken away as a result of his sins. So the Jews by doing Teshuva on the sin of idol worship four days before bringing the Korban Pesach were able to get back the merit for the four Mitzvot they had performed in Egypt. And this is what the Midrash means to say, “HKB”H commanded them to separate themselves from idol worship in order to connect themselves to Mitzvot”, not to do Mitzvot but rather Connect to Mitzvot. That’s because they had already done the Mitzvot but as a result of their sins they were disconnected from them, and now through the power of Teshuva, they were able to connect and access their Mitsvot. 

This is a lesson for every human not to stop doing good deeds even if his/her spiritual level is very low. Eventually, he/she will be able to do Teshuva and connect to all the Mitzvot he/she has performed. We may be zoche to do teshuva and connect to all Mitzvot we have performed throughout the ages.