“And Moshe brought together the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and said to them: ‘These are the things that Hashem commanded, to do them.’” (Shmos 35:1) In other places in the Torah, the Jewish nation is referred to as “Bnei Yisroel – the Children of Israel.” Here, however, the word “adas -- assembly” is added – not just once, but three times, In the first posuk, Moshe gathers “the “assembly;” in 35:4, Moshe speaks “to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel;” and in 35:20, at the end of the meeting, “the entire assembly of the Children of Israel left Moshe’s presence.” What is the Torah’s message? Further, why does Moshe teach the laws of Shabbos at this point in time?

Answers the Slonimer Rav zt”l, these seemingly extra words actually point to a powerful message. The letters of the word “adas” can be rearranged to spell “da’as – intellect.” When Moshe Rabbeinu descended from Har Sinai after Yom Kippur, he found below a contrite, broken nation. Even though Hashem had forgiven them for the cheit ha’eigel, they had fallen tremendously from their exalted stature at Matan Torah. Moshe used da’as Hashem, the intellectual approach to acquiring knowledge of Hashem, to help them regain their spiritual elevation.

What does the mind have to do with spirituality? As far as the Torah is concerned, everything and everything. Unlike the nations, who place their spirituality in everything anti-intellectual -- from passion to voodoo -- and thus have to jump a mind-numbing “leap of faith,” the Torah says the opposite: not only do mind and spirit go hand-in-hand, but in fact, spirit depends upon mind. As the Gemara (Nedarim 41a) and the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 1:6) say, “If you have acquired knowledge, what are you missing? If you are missing knowledge, what have you acquired?”

This concept also explains the common denominator among three groups of people – cheireish, shoteh, vi’koton -- who are exempt from all mitzvos. Strapping, hale, and hearty they may be, but because halachically they have no da’as, their carrying out of mitzvos is not considered direct obedience to Hashem. (They are, however, making a kiyum, a fulfillment of His Will.) On the other hand, a quadriplegic r”l with a sound mind is still obligated in the mitzvos of Hashem.

In other words, not only is intellect tolerated, it is encouraged; not only is it encouraged, it is demanded; not only is it demanded, it forms the essence of our spiritual lives, and its loss poisons like a venom. The Arizal notes a hidden message in Parshas Balak. The first two letters of Balak and Bilaam’s names spell out “bilbul,” confusion. When these two enemies of our people failed to directly harm us with curses, they instead tried a more insidious attack – they sent women, young and old, working together to arouse our lusts and thereby cause us to become too confused to use our da’as. When we would sin, Hashem’s wrath would then pour upon us, They succeeded; half of shevet Shimon fell into the trap and was lost.

So much of our spirituality depends upon our intellect, that our minds can point our neshamos in any direction. For example, kavanah in prayer means more than merely paying attention to the words. HaRav Moshe Mordechai Shulsinger shlit’a once informed his Rav, HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky zt”l that a certain adam gadol had fallen so ill that he had been sent to the hospital and was receiving blood transfusions. Rav Abramsky commented, “Every time that I recite Bircas HaMazon, when I say ‘Vi’noh al tatzricheinu Hashem Elokeinu lo lidei matnas basar vi’dom,’ I pray that I never need a blood transfusion.” Asked Rav Shulsinger: “Is that the meaning of those words? I thought that it meant, ‘And please, Hashem Elokeinu, make us not needful of the gifts of human hands?’” Sagely answered Rav Abramsky: “Know, that whatever intentions that our intellects put into our tefillos, is how they come out to Hashem!”

Now, Moshe’s teaching the malachos of Shabbos is understandable. Through the cheit ha’eigel, the nation had distanced itself from Hashem. Shabbos, however, is a time when a Jew possesses the menuchas ha’nefesh to acquire da’as. (That neshamah yiseira which we acquire every Shabbos does more for us than give a bigger appetite; we can sense that it actually brings us a greater clarity of mind.) Therefore, Moshe’s teaching the nation the laws of Shabbos was like a doctor prescribing a healing regimen to his ailing patient.