In Parshat Mishpatim, Hashem tells Moshe:

“Ascend the mountain and be there (ve’yehi sham), and I will give you the tablets, the Torah, and the mitzvot that I have written to teach them.” (Shemot 24:12)

At first glance, this phrase seems redundant. If Moshe is going up the mountain, of course, he is there! Why does Hashem have to specify ve’yehi sham—“and be there”?

The Importance of Being Fully Present

Rashi explains that Hashem was not simply telling Moshe to go up the mountain physically. Hashem was instructing him to be fully present. To not just arrive at Har Sinai, but to truly immerse himself in the experience, undistracted, undivided.

This is a critical lesson, perhaps more relevant today than ever before.

Our Struggle with Presence

They say the average person today has the attention span of a goldfish—just a few seconds before their mind drifts or they reach for their phone.

Expert video creators understand this, which is why they recommend changing scenes every 1-3 seconds to keep viewers engaged. If nothing changes, people swipe away.

We have become so uncomfortable just being—being in the moment, being with our thoughts, being with the people around us—that the second nothing is happening, we reflexively grab our phones. We constantly look for something to fill our minds, to distract us.

The Moshe Rabbeinu Lesson: True Leadership Requires Presence

Moshe Rabbeinu, as the leader of Bnei Yisrael, always had their concerns in mind. Yet Hashem was teaching him a foundational principle:

When you are involved in something—whether it’s Torah, tefillah, family, or any meaningful endeavor—give it your full attention. Be fully there.

A striking contrast can be seen in a modern example. In The Social Network movie, Mark Zuckerberg is in the middle of a legal deposition. At one point, the lawyer asks him:

“Mr. Zuckerberg, do I have your full attention?”

Zuckerberg coldly responds:

“You have the absolute minimum amount of my attention.”

Unfortunately, this has become the default mode for so many of us. We are there—but not really. We are in conversations, at meetings, in shul, even with family—but our minds are elsewhere, half-listening, half-distracted.

Applying “Ve’Yehi Sham” to Our Lives

Hashem’s message to Moshe is the message for us: When you are doing something meaningful, be fully there.

• When davening, don’t just say the words—be present.

• When learning Torah, don’t just read—immerse yourself.

• When spending time with family, don’t just be physically there—be mentally and emotionally there too.

Our avodat Hashem is not just about showing up—it’s about being fully in the moment.

This Shabbat, let’s take this lesson of ve’yehi sham to heart. Whether we’re at the Shabbat table, in shul, or learning Torah, let’s work on being fully there. Because in a world of distractions, true presence is a rare and powerful thing.