Serve HaShem with Gladness

Shemot {36:2} Moshe called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every chacham Lev (wise-hearted man), in whose heart HaShem had put chokma (wisdom), even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it:

Of course this call from Moshe was for the purpose of assembling the people to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle)

There is something very interesting that struck me when reading the passage of Scripture I quoted. The bnei Yisrael were just emerging from hundreds of years of slavery. Slavery meant they had to work for their masters whether they liked it or not. It meant they did not have any sick days and they certainly could not simply choose not to go (into) to work just because they did not feel like working that day, as some of us do today. They had to work whether they liked it or not, there was no other option for them. So coming out of a condition such as this, you would think that working for Moshe to build the Mishkan, especially seeing that it was without pay, would be the last thing on earth they would want to do. Yet was that the case?

The Scripture above tells us that their hearts were stirred up to come and do the work. That means that not only did they want to do the work willingly, but they also came enthusiastically. Even though they were not getting wages for their work, and even though the memory of slavery was still fresh in their minds, they were eager to bless HaShem with their efforts and their talents.

I would like us to notice that the theme of "wise-hearted men" is repeated numerous times in Parsha Vayakhel. So you have to ask yourself what is a wise-hearted man and what does HaShem mean when He says that He put wisdom in these men’s hearts? If they were already wise-hearted, do they not already have wisdom?

As a congregational leader I have experienced a lot from our congregants, both positive and negative. One of the negative things I have encountered are people who take up causes within the congregation and then, either do not follow them through or they do them half- heartedly, giving the ministry their leftovers. Certainly the Scripture above should speak to and convict these people.

G-d does not want nor can He use anyone who works grudgingly or half- heartedly for Him. The people that were working to build the Mishkan had to want to do what they were doing; they had to enjoy the work because it was painstaking and very demanding. So how were these people wise-hearted? They were wise-hearted in that they were eager to work for the L-rd; their hearts were stirred up to work for the L-rd. It means they were not clock watchers; they were not nine to fivers. They were not building the Mishkan because they felt they had a duty or an obligation to Moshe to build it. They were building the Mishkan because their hearts were into building it; they wanted to work for G-d, they were excited to work for G-d! That is the way we should all work for Him, whether we are being paid or not.

In all my years as a believer in Mashiach (Messiah) Yeshua it has always been my pleasure, my blessing, to work in the congregation I was both raised up in and sent out from in the United States (Temple Aron HaKodesh). So you can imagine how shocked and surprised I was when as a rabbi, I came to find out that some lay people who had day jobs, actually wanted to be paid for their ministry time when working for the L-rd! Do you think HaShem would call them wise- hearted? I doubt it! If HaShem is providing for you in other areas of employment, giving back to Him in whatever area of ministry you can, should be your pleasure! Not only that, but the work you do for the L-rd should not be from the leftovers of your efforts after a long day at the office, it should always be from your best. If you can not give HaShem your best, if you can not do the best for Him, then it is better if you do not do anything at all.

By the way, as a believer your full-time job is working for the L-rd, the job that supports you financially is exactly that, the job that supports you financially! We should all take our example from rabbi Shaul (Paul). His full-time job was preaching the Besorah HaTova (Good News of Mashiach) but the job that supported him financially was tent making, and he had no qualms in making that very clear in his writings.

This brings me to the answer of our second question. When you demonstrate wisdom by having a heart that is willing, eager and anxious to work for the L-rd, a heart that wants to do the best for Him, HaShem adds to the wisdom you already have. Simply said, He increases your wisdom! Wisdom fosters more wisdom when your wisdom is G-d centered! If you unselfishly, ungrudgingly give your time to the L-rd, He will increase your joy and organize your time in such a way that you will accomplish more in less time. Do not ask me how He does it, but He does, I can attest to it! In addition, if you donate your talent to the L-rd, unselfishly and ungrudgingly, He will increase your talent. As with Bezalel and Oholiab, if you are wise-hearted in your willingness to drop everything to serve the L-rd, then as with Bezalel and Oholiab, HaShem will fill you with the gifts of the Ruach (Spirit); with chokma (wisdom), da'at (knowledge), bina (understanding) and special abilities.

And as Tehilim (Psalm) 100 says: "Ivdu et HaShem beSimcha",... (Serve HaShem with Gladness)

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2005