The majority of this week’s Parsha contains in it a description
of the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Parsha opens by discussing the types of
work which are forbidden on the Sabbath.
The sages argue from the connection of these to seemingly disparate topics,
that the work forbidden on the Sabbath is the exact same work that was needed
to build the Mishkan. Furthermore, the
word for work here, in the context of building the Mishkan, is the same word
used in Genesis when it says that God completed the work on the seventh
day.
Jewish mysticism learns from these connections that the
physical labors which we abstain from on Shabbat have their spiritual mirror
image in the heavens. Everything we do
has an impact on this world that goes far beyond our abilities to perceive that
impact. This is why these specific
actions are forbidden on Shabbat. So
that we are not doing the very acts that God did to create the world on the day
that we are supposed to be resting from creative activity in order to commemorate
God’s creation of the world.
One lesson to derive from this mystical approach is the
significance of our actions. Everything
we do has significance and an impact on this world beyond our ability to notice
it. Therefore, it behooves us to act in
this world with mindfulness, to consider the possible ramifications of everything
we do, both good and bad. We should all be
motivated by mindfulness to perform more good and refrain from doing bad.
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