Do you know the key to blessings? Do you know how to create an atmosphere in your life that is conducive for blessings?
The Mishna tells us that the only vessel that can properly contain blessings in this world is peace. That’s a pretty telling statement. The only vessel for blessings is peace.
This idea is reflected by something very interesting that we see in this week’s Torah portion. Moshe, the greatest leader of the Jewish people, constructed the Mishkan (the travelling tabernacle in the desert). For seven days consecutively he constructed the Mishkan, brought the sacrifices and then dismantled the Mishkan. Each day he did the service but Hashem’s presence did not dwell in the Mishkan.
Only on the eighth day, when his brother Aaron did the service as the Kohen Gadol (the High Priest) did Hashem’s presence dwell in the Mishkan. Why is it that Moshe couldn’t accomplish what Aaron could; to draw the Shechinah (Hashem’s presence) into the Mishkan?
The commentaries tell us that although Moshe embodied truth, that wasn’t enough to draw down the presence of Hashem to dwell in the Mishkan. It was only able to be accomplished by Aaron, who embodied peace. Aaron, our sages tell us, chased after peace – he would go out of his way to make peace, sometimes even bending the truth* in order to accomplish this worthy goal.
Being truthful is highly important but sometimes peace is even more important.
* Aaron would “chase after peace”. Our sages explain that when two people quarreled he would go to each of the aggrieved parties and tell them that the other fully regretted their actions, even when this was not necessarily the case. This would diffuse the argument and pave the way for the two to make amends.