THE ART OF FAITH IN THE LONG HAUL
click terumah 2025 for download
THE ART OF FAITH IN THE LONG HAUL
“Yaakov Avinu foresaw that his descendants would one day build a Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert. Therefore, he brought cedar trees to Egypt, planted them there, and instructed his children to take them along when they left Egypt.” (Rashi from Midrash Tanchuma)
From the time Yaakov brought the acacia trees to Egypt until his descendants used them for the construction of the Mishkan, more than 200 years had passed. Enormous changes had taken place during these years. Yaakov Avinu passed away, followed by the passing of all his children, the Twelve Tribes. The Jews endured harsh slavery, spiritually declining to the point that they were described as being deeply immersed in idol worship—“These worship idols, and those worship idols.” They were entrenched in the 49 levels of impurity. Who, at that time, would have thought about Yaakov’s acacia trees?
Hashem sends Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen to redeem the Jews from Egypt. The nation witnessed the great miracles of the Ten Plagues that Hashem brought upon the Egyptians. During the Plague of Darkness, four-fifths of the Israelite population perished, and the nation was struck with fear—what if, G-d forbid, they would not be redeemed? In such a time, their minds were not focused on acacia wood! Then came the Splitting of the Sea, the spoils from the sea, and later, the sin of the Golden Calf. Was anyone thinking about acacia trees?
Yet suddenly, when the time came to build the Mishkan, the Jews had exactly what they needed, right there with them, in middle of the desert—acacia wood! More than 200 years had passed since Yaakov planted those trees. The world had undergone upheavals and transformations, yet the spiritual preparation that Yaakov made for the construction of the Mishkan remained intact. In what merit?
The holiest part of the Mishkan, of the Temple, was the Holy Ark. The Holy Ark was made with three layers, two of gold, and one of the wood, of Yaakov Avinu. The two layers of gold of the Ark, was just a coating of the layer of wood that Yaakov planted! Why was Yaakov’s wood so important to G-d?
Each day, we mention, that when King David won all the wars against the surrounding enemies, the Jews were ready to finally build the Temple. David collected the funds from the people, he built the foundations, and he blessed G-d in front of the entire nation. וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ דָּוִיד֙ אֶת־יְקוָ֔ק לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־הַקָּהָ֑ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗יד בָּר֨וּךְ אַתָּ֤ה יְקוק אֱלֹקי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֔ינוּ מֵעוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ He said, blessed are you G-d, the G-d of Yisrael (Yaakov) our Forefather, from This World, until the Next World…
Why, out of all the forefathers, does David mention Yaakov? Because Yaakov swore at the mountain of Har Hamoriah, that if G-d will protect him, he will build a House of G-d on this mountain! וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹקים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃ If G-d will give me food to eat and clothing to wear…וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹקים and this stone that I placed will be a House of G-d. Yaakov never got around to building the House of G-d on Mt. Moriah.
739 years later, though, King David will fulfil his grandfather’s pledge! Blessed are You, G-d, that You helped Yaakov’s descendants, after all that we have been through, we are able to fulfil Yaakov’s pledge! All that we have been through, was all that needed to go through, so that we can get to this time and place!
You might think that what you are going through, you are going through it all alone. You might think that it is all hopeless and helpless. But if you can’t achieve or fill your dreams, at least plant the seeds. At least make your tambourine!
After the splitting of the Sea, Miriam and the women took out the tambourines they made in Egypt, and sang to G-d. וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כׇֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ How did the women have tambourines? Why would they create tambourines in Egypt? Because they believed that miracles would come. מובטחות היו צדקניות שבדור שהקדוש ברוך הוא עושה להם נסים והוציאו תופים ממצרים (Rashi) In the merit of the women’s faith in G-d we were saved from Egypt, and in the merit of their faith, we will be redeemed in the times of Mashiach. What was special of the faith in Egypt? That they did not just believe. They acted upon the belief. They made the tambourines. בזכות נשים צדקניות שהיו באותו הדור נגאלו ישראל ממצרים,… ובזכותן עתידין להגאל (Yalkut Shimoni) The women of the time, would be willing to bring children to the world, in middle of the 86 year Holocaust. Why? Because the believed in world that could be better. G-d is kind to us, in accordance to the level of belief we have in Him. יְהִי־חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְקוק עָלֵ֑ינוּ – כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר יִחַ֥לְנוּ לָֽךְ
We might not always see the fruits of our labor, immediately, but if we keep believing, keep planting the seeds, and keep acting on our faith, we are setting the stage for something great in the future. This faith, is so dear to G-d, He desires the expressions of it, at the peak moments of Shirah. He allows this faith to survive through the worst, to be in the holiest place, in between the layers of gold, of His Holy Ark.
