One of the major themes of Rav Soloveitchik zt”l's classic work, “Halachic Man,” is that one's commitment to the halachah must be all encompassing. A person has to keep to halachah in all areas of life at all times. The Rav writes:

It {halacha} does not differentiate between the man who stands in his house of worship engaged in ritual activities and the mortal who must wage the arduous battle of life. The halachah declares that man stands before G-d, not only in the synagogue, but also in the public domain- in his house, while on a journey, while lying down and rising up.

The halachah is not enclosed within the confines of cult sanctuaries, but penetrates into every nook and cranny of life- the marketplace, the street, the factory, the house, the meeting place, the banquet hall- all constitute the backdrop for religious life.[i]

Rav Hirsch zt”l, in his writings about the Mishkan, says something similar. Rav Hirsch discusses that the fundamental purpose of the Mishkan and the Beis HaMikdash is to be a source of inspiration to serve Hashem well in every area of life.

The Temple should rather serve as the inspiration for the multi-fold activities of the nation to consecrate every aspect of Israel's life as a sanctuary of G-d.[ii]

Rav Hirsch writes that this idea that the primary goal is serving Hashem well in all aspects of life, not just when he is in shul, is reflected in another halachah as well. Batei Midrash are considered more kadosh than Batei K'nessiyos. Rav Hirsch explains:

Now, it is just because our Houses of G-d and the Divine services within them are not the essence of our worship of G-d, but are rather places and occasions for preparing ourselves for the worship of G-d in practical life. They take but second place in holiness compared to the Batei Midrash, houses of learning, which are devoted to the studying and teaching of the Torah. i.e., the inquiries into the prescriptions of the Divine Will as to how a G-dly life should be led by man.[iii]

Rav Hirsch writes that this is one explanation of the posuk, “shisulim b’veis Hashem b’chatzros Elokeinu yafrichu.”

They wish to be planted in the House of G-d, their roots to be there but the flower and fruit which sprung from them to be brought to the courts of our G-d, i.e. to be displayed in the actual life which was lived around the House of G-d.[iv]

Both the Rav and Rav Hirsch contrast this to the general approach in the non-Jewish world. In the non-Jewish religions, you do not find the emphasis on the day to day life. The emphasis, rather, is on what goes on inside the church, inside the house of worship.

This is a major yesod in avodas Hashem that we have to be thinking about our avodas Hashem in all aspects of our daily life.

Every player in life has a stage, what is the stage of an actor? A stage (that was a trick question). What is the stage of a doctor? His office. A surgeon? The operating room. What is the stage of an accountant? His desk. What is the stage of a Jew? Everywhere!

Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l[v] has a very deep p’shat in a Rashi, which expresses the same yesod as Rav Hirsch and the Rav. The last two p’sukim of Behar read as follows, “you shall not make idols for yourselves and you shall not erect for yourselves a statue or a pillar etc. My Sabbaths shall you observe and My sanctuary shall you revere, I am Hashem.” Rashi explains that these p’sukim are referring to “hanimkor l’nochri,” one who was sold as a slave to a non-Jew. Such a person has to be careful to not copy the ways of his master. If his master does avodah zara, he is more likely do avodah zara. If his master is mechalel shabbos, he is more likely to be mechalel shabbos. No! The posuk is warning us not to do that.

Rav Moshe wonders, according to this approach, what exactly is the connection of “u’mikdashi tira’u” at the end of the parsha. How is that relevant to what Rashi says? Rav Moshe explains that he thinks that this parsha in the Torah is teaching us as follows.

This slave should not learn from his master to serve Hashem the same way that they, the goyim, serve their gods. For them, all of their avodah is within their batei tiflah, while in their own homes they can do all the averios they want. Therefore[vi], they fear the house of worship itself and the pictures within it.

However, by the Jews, l’havdil, it is different. Rav Moshe continues

Although we have an obligation to have fear and awe for the Beis HaMikdash, we are commanded to not fear the Beis HaMikdash itself, but rather to fear He, Hashem, who commanded us to build and have the Beis HaMikdash. The essence of our avodah is the fear of Hashem Himself. And that is why by the Jewish people our focus is not what goes on in shul, our focus is our avodas Hashem in our daily life.

 Rav Moshe continues,

For us, the ikar of our avodah is in the house and in the marketplace, when we are eating and when we are doing all of our needs, in our business and in our work.

Rashi is saying, according to Rav Moshe, the Torah is hinting to us to not only not learn from our masters to do actual avodah zara- that is for sure. We also have to avoid copying their general approach to their service of their gods. Their focus is on service in the house of worship itself. Our focus is the day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute service in our ordinary daily lives. So, according to Rav Moshe, the pesukim at the end of Behar, together with perush Rashi, is expressing the exact same notion which the Rav and Rav Hirsch developed in their writings[vii].

Clearly, our shuls play a very important practical, technical role in our lives. That is the place where we daven with a minyan, that is the place where we daven with more kavanah, that is the place where many of us go to shiurim, a place to learn with seforim, a place where we are inspired. This is all true on a technical level, but inherently and fundamentally a Jew’s avodas Hashem is focused on every moment of his day and not focused around the Beis K’nesses. As opposed to, l’havdil, by the goyim where the focus is what goes on in the house of worship itself.

Where does a Jew serve Hashem? Everywhere. When does a Jew serve Hashem? All the time.This is major yesod which these three Gedolim develop in their writings.

[i] pp. 93-94

[ii] Collected Writings Vol.III p.169

[iii] Collected Writings Vol. I p.192

[iv] Ibid., p.193.

[v] Dorosh Moshe, end of Behar

[vii] See the Dorosh Moshe inside. Rav Moshe there also explains how ’My Sabbaths you shall observe’ fits according to this approach.