Parshas Teruma

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, R' Baruch Noshe Aryeh ben R' Zev Yehuda, Zev Yehuda ben R' Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meer ben Harav Shmuel.

In Perek chaf heh posuk yud Hashem commands Moshe Rabbeinu "V'asu aron atzei shitim amasayim vacheitzi arko v'ama vacheitzi rachbo v'ama vacheitzi komoso."  "They shall make an Aron of shittim wood, two and a half amos its length, an ama and a half its width, and an ama and a half its height."

In the Medrash Raba it asks that why by all the keilim does it say v'asisa, and you should make, and by the Aron it says and they should make?  R Yehuda bar Shalom explains that Hashem said "All of Klal Yisroel should be "oseik" in the making of the Aron so that they should all be zoche to Torah."

The Ramban is miva'er the Kavana of the Medrash.  By Klal Yisroel being oseik in the making of the Aron they are showing that they are a part of this job because of how holy the Aron was, and so they should all be zoche in Torah.  The Ramban also explains that there were three ways to be "oseik" in the making of the Aron, either to donate some gold for the Aron, or to help Bitzalel a little bit, or to have Kavana that you're being mishtatef.

The Rosh Yeshiva ztl explains that we can gain tremendous insight into the hashpa'a of a being mikayem a mitzva from this Medrash.  The physical action of creating the Aron to hold the Torah would positively affect them in their growth in Torah learning.

The Rosh Yeshiva also explains that we see from the Ramban that even with the right thoughts, with the right kavana, one would be considered a part of the actuall physical builders of the Aron.  If someone didn't have anything to give or could not help build but just had the kavana that he wanted to be a part of it, it was as if he actually built it.  Even though his kavana is not to build it, because he knew he wasn't going to actually build it, or actually donate, yet he has the kavana that he wants to be a part of it, and just like that its k'ilu he created it.

We see the tremendous koach of a "machshava tova".  Having the correct thoughts and desires when you don't even do the actual action can make it as if you Mamash did whatever mitzva it is that you desired... Good Shabbos