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What does "Naaseh v'nishma" really mean? Rather than "we will do and then hear," it means the mitzvos will reveal themselves as our essence—like breathing. This understanding enabled the Mishkan, where Hashem (ה׳)'s presence merged with Israel. The half-measurements in the Aron and the "taking" language of terumah reflect the incompleteness required for true merger with Hashem.
Rabbi Zweig opens by noting that Chazal link Klal Yisrael's declaration of "Naaseh v'nishma" to Hashem (ה׳)'s command "V'yikchu li terumah"—the building of the Mishkan. He asks why the Mishkan should follow from that declaration, and explores several puzzling Midrashim: one comparing the Mishkan to a father-in-law requesting a room in his son-in-law's house, and another identifying "v'yikchu li terumah" with "Torah (תורה) tzivah lanu Moshe." Additionally, the Torah uses the language of "taking" (v'yikchu) three times rather than "giving," and the Aron's dimensions are all in halves (2.5, 1.5, 1.5 amos). The Baal HaTurim notes these halves signify that one must "break himself" for Torah, but what does that mean? The key insight begins with a Baal HaTurim in Parshas Tetzaveh noting that the word "v'nishma" appears three times in Tanach: "Naaseh v'nishma," "v'nishma kolo" (the Kohen Gadol's bells), and "v'nishma pisgam hamelech ki rabah hi" (Megillas Esther). The Baal HaTurim states that Megillas Esther is most important—we are mevatel Torah and avodah for it. Beyond that point, Rabbi Zweig challenges the conventional understanding: "Naaseh v'nishma" cannot mean "we will do and then we will hear (the explanation)," because Klal Yisrael had already said twice before "kol asher diber Hashem naaseh"—committing without needing explanations. If "v'nishma" means "we'll hear the reasons later," that would actually be a lower level of commitment, not higher.
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Parshas Terumah, Shemos 25:2
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