Vayakheil - Adat/Da’at - Nesivos Shalom - learned and taught and then learned again with R Nossen Schaefer

“Moshe gathered - Vayakheil-  - Adat Benei Yisrael, these are the words Hashem commanded to do, six days you should work and…” The commentaries address the phrase used here, speak to Adat Bnei Yisrael, while in other places it says “speak to,” or “command Bnei Yisrael.”  Why this different language here? Later in this portion Moshe says to gather contributions to G-d and this same term, “Adat Bnei Yisrael,” is used.  And again at the end of the parsha it says “Adat Bnei Yisrael” went from Moshe. Needs explanation.  Also, why specifically in the command of “Kedoshim Tihiyu” is this phrase used.

The explanation may be that the essence of exile is losing da’at, awareness/connection - as Yishayahu says, “my exiled nation is without wisdom.”  The Medrash says that if you have da’at you lack nothing and if you lack da’at what do you have?  Further, the Gemoreh in Sotah says that “one only does an aveirah-transgression when foolishness enters them,” awareness/connection is the foundation for a Jew, awareness of and connection to G-d.  The source of exile is lack of da’at/wisdom/connection- and thus Moshe was the redeemer because it’s his essence, he brought it to us, and this redeemed us, as Hashem says via the Medrash,, “If you don’t redeem them, no-one else will do it,” because to have redemption we need da’at.  

They reached this high level of da’at when they received the Torah,and from this level were able to receive the Torah, as it says, Atah horeitah la’da’at…because everyone saw “ein od milvado” and then they reached the high level, which Hashem referred to saying, “I said that you were like noblemen/gods,” said regarding Kabalat HaTorah. And this all came from “Atah horeitah…” as they reached da’at on the highest level. And then they lost this level through the Cheit Ha’Eigel. As Dovid describes in Tehillim, they exchanged their honor for that of a cow that eats grass.  And that’s what it means when it says the eigel appeared, that it brought us to being like cows.  And thus Hashem says  they went down, meaning they were stripped of the splendor they had gotten at Chorev.

The fixing of our level comes from the fixing of DA’AT, the key to redemption- and thus Moshe on this post YK day of forgiveness, first asks Hashem to give the JP Shabbos, as it brings us to da’at/inner wisdom/connection.Shabbos is the Ot, the sign of connection (the reverse of the avdut of Mitzrayim).  Shabbos brings geulah, which depends on da’at, knowing/connecting w G-d, this is the foundation of geulah, filling the world with the knowledge of Hashem.  And this is indicated by his gathering Adat Bnei Yisrael, the same letters as da’at, he returned da’at to the Jewish People.  

Then he gave them the Mishkan, which also brought da’at to the JP and so it says adat there also. Thus adat is repeatedly used regarding the Mishkan, like regarding Betzalel, that it says he was given da’at… as that was the point of the Mishkan, so those who built it reached the zenith of da’at, thus by Betzalel and Eliyahav it says Hashem gave them da’at. And the Medrash notes the unusual word used ba’heimah, that it’s the letters of beheimah, meaning animals involved in making the Mishkan had da’at, how much more so the people, highest level.  The Mishkan needed so much da’at as it was returning what they lost via Cheit HaEigel. Thus it says at the end of the parsha that they left Moshe with daat, meaning they got the much needed da’at  from him.  

Thus, regarding Kedoshim tihiyu it uses the language of da’at - regarding making yourself holy with that which is permitted for you.  To make yourself holy regarding the things that don’t involve fear of punishment depends on da’at, because when one reaches this level one sees the zero-ness of physical pleasures of this world, and they become abhorrent in his eyes, thus it says adat pre the mitzvah of Kesoshim Tihiyu.  This is all because the first step is bringing da’at into yourself, and then you reach Kedoshim Tihiyu.

The Arizal notes that the first two letters of both Bilam and Balak are beis and then lamed, put together it spells bilbal. Their negative force brought confusion into us and our da’at.  The source of holiness is behirat hada’at - clarity of connection - and the source of tum’ah is mixed up da’at.  As the Rebbe of Kobrin explained in Yesod HaAvodah, all of the wealth of this world can not be compared to one moment of yishuv hada’at, settledness of thoughts, a peaceful mind.  And all the wealth in the world includes even all spiritual wealth! Even they don’t compare to Yishuv Hada’at.  

We get to this yishuv hada’at via Shabbos, “blessed by Hashem as holy.”  Reishit Chochmah explains this means that Shabbos is the source from which all holiness flows, allowing us to be holy. Shabbos is the source of da’at, the source of fulfilling Kedoshim Tihiyu.