אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות… (פקודי לח:כא)

The community leaders of Vilna (Vilnius, Lithuania) wanted to implement a practice of not allowing preachers to give sermons in the town’s main shul.  They felt that these sermons distracted the townspeople from their learning. 

When the Vilna Gaon zt”l heard about this, he summoned the heads of the community and admonished them by using the following Vort as an example:

“Why was the temporary structure that was built in the desert called “משכן”?  This was because Hashem rested His שכינה – holy presence – there.  As we know, this was the place that housed the Aron – holy ark – that contained the Luchos – Tablets.

The same is true – concluded the Gaon – with our Beis Medrash; the term “מדרש” is derived from the word דרשה – sermon.  The בית מדרש is where righteous Yidden deliver their words of Torah.  These speeches arouse the listeners to repent and become better Yidden.  If we don’t allow דרשות to be delivered, then we cannot call it a Beis “Medrash!”