Throughout our lives, we are consistently told that true happiness comes from the experiences that we have with the people surrounding us, and not from the so-called “physical pleasures.” However, in truth, many of us do find true happiness through the physical? Are we tricking ourselves into believing we are happy, or is there some truth to the joy we derive from the physical?
In Sefer Shemot, in the story about the dedication of the Mishkan, the pasuk describes:
"וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כָּל־אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ וְכֹ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ נָדְבָ֨ה רוּח֜וֹ אֹת֗וֹ הֵ֠בִיאוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֨ת יְהוָ֜ה לִמְלֶ֨אכֶת אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד וּלְכָל־עֲבֹ֣דָת֔וֹ וּלְבִגְדֵ֖י הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ"׃
Everyone in Bnei Yisrael who felt inspired to donate to the Beit Hamikdah did so in order to ensure that every material needed to allow for the building of the Beit Hamikdash was accounted for, (Shemot 35:21). Meaning, that the way they benefited from their physical belongings was through the way they chose to use them. This example, along with many others, conveys that the only way we can truly gain from our physical belongings is by using them for a greater cause. Therefore, it is crucial that we recognize the purpose in everything that we have, and we will be able to acquire true happiness by doing so.
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