Divrei Simcha on Parshas Trumah 5767

Two weeks ago, in Parshas Yisro, Hashem gave us a promise. In Shemos 19:6, we are told, “You will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The Jews are very holy people indeed. Three times a day we say in the third prayer of the Shemone Esray, that the Kadoshim praise Hashem every day. Who are these Kadoshim, which means Holy People? Some say that it refers to the angels who praise Hashem at all times. The Aburdraham says differently. He says that the Kadoshim that we mention are none other than the Jewish people. We are truly the greatest, holiest people on earth.

This Shabbos when you daven the Shemone Esray for Shacharis, look closely in the fourth bracha and you will see a listing of people that Hashem did not give our holy day of Shabbos to. He hasn’t given it to the other nations on earth nor the idol worshippers. He has chosen B’nei Yisroel to be His special nation. We should truly take pride in ourselves that we are Jews. We are the greatest people that have ever walked on earth! Hashem loves us more than anyone else!

Hashem gave us a very special trait also; a secret power that no other nation knows how to use. It is called our mouth. Bilaam came to curse the Jews with his mouth. Chazal tell us the reason for this is because Bilaam knew that our strongest power is our mouth. The Jewish people became a nation by the story of Pesach. The word Pesach can be split into two words Peh Sach, which means the mouth that speaks. Our nation was formed because of our mouth. Our Sages knew this also and wanted to remind us of this. In only a few weeks, we will sit down to our Pesach Seder and follow 15 steps. Twelve of the fifteen steps are directly related to our mouth (eating, singing, praising, telling, etc.). The other three are preparations so we can do the other steps that relate to our mouth (breaking the middle matza so we can eat the Afikomen and washing our hands twice so we can eat). Everything is related to our secret treasure: the mouth.

The beginning of this week’s parsha, Hashem tells us to build a Mikdash, a holy place for Him. This was the Beis HaMikdash, but today it is our shuls. So we are the holiest nation on earth and dwell in very holy places (our shuls). The question is how do we use our most valued treasure (our mouth) when we (the holy people) are in the holy places?

We are given a limited amount of words on this earth. Once we use all of the words that have been designated for us, we pass away. Why should we waste our precious words by speaking in shul during the repetition of Shemone Esray and during the reading of the Torah? We are great people and in very holy places. If we use our mouth properly, we can do unimaginable things. Wars would disappear. Violence would end. Thieves would not exist. All of our enemies would simply crumble. We are great people and that is why Hashem invites us into His holiest dwellings on earth. Let’s not waste this opportunity by doing something that upsets Him. Let’s show Him that we are truly Holy people and that we feel privileged to dwell in His holiest places! Because that is who we are and that is how we should feel.

Good Shabbos!
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Any questions or comments should be sent to [email protected]. Thank you!

By Rabbi Yaacov Seltzer
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(305) 652-0186