Parshas Pekudei, the last parsha in Sefer Shemos, concludes the inspired undertaking of the building of the Mishkan. The parshiot pertaining to the Mishkan are vastly detailed, listing what was to be made, how it was made, that it was made, and now, in this parsha, how it was all to be assembled.
At the end of perek 39, Bnei Yisrael brought all that they
had produced to Moshe, and it is written: “Like everything that Hashem
commanded Moshe, so did the Children of Israel perform all the labor. Moshe saw
the entire work, and behold! - they had
done it as Hashem had commanded, so had they done! And Moshe blessed them” (39:42-43).
It is an interesting order of statement. Why does the Torah mentioned that they
performed all of the labor and then describe what seems to be Moshe’s surprise
that they had done it as Hashem had commanded?
One possible key to understanding Moshe’s reaction is the
opening section of Parshas Pekudei. The parsha begins, “Eleh pekudei HaMishkan…
These are the reckonings of the Tabernacle” (38:21). Shortly thereafter the Torah
provides an exacting account of the gold and the silver that was collected from
the people and how it used in the Mishkan. Commentators highlight this section
as a demonstration of Moshe’s good character and as an example of honesty in
business and being particular in one’s accounting.
Although Moshe’s apparent astonishment and the details of
his accounting are not side by side, they are a fascinating comparison of
expectations. The bar for Moshe is detailed diligence. The bar for Bnei Yisrael
is that they actually fulfilled the commandments to the detail. This seems an
interesting reflection of the frequent hashgafic discussion of the different
definition of transgression for a Tzadik and a regular person. The small sin of
a great man sometimes seems to have a far deeper consequence than the great sin
of a common man. For instance, if almost any other member of Bnei Yisrael had
hit the rock as Moshe did (in parsha Chukas), would the punishment have been as
severe?
Pasuk 39:43 is praise for Bnei Yisrael. The word that translates
as “behold” is Hinei, which echos back to Avraham’s famous declaration of “Hinneni,
I am here,” at the outset of the Akeidah (and other places). In that instance,
Avraham declares Hinneni as a demonstration that he is ready and willing to do Hashem’s
will. Perhaps this is what Moshe understood when he saw that Bnei Yisrael had
truly completed the task to Hashem’s specifications. Bnei Yisrael was ready, at
that moment, to be fully compliant (as we say today).
This was significant because the process of creating the
Mishkan was done through a chastised people. The building of the Mishkan was a
direct result of the Chait Ha’egel, when the people had so quickly deviated
from Hashem’s commandments because they thought they knew better how to
calculate time. When Moshe sees that they have brought each thing “as Hashem
had commanded,” he sees that they have attained a level of hinneni, of being
willing to put aside their own will, their own creativity, in order to serve Hashem.
Jewish writing often discusses the yetzer harah and the yetzer
hatov, which are translated as the evil inclination and the inclination for
good. The word yetzer, however, comes from a verb that also means to create.
Each of us has a deep-seated need to create our own path in this world. Even as
most of us strive to do so on a good path, on the path dictated by the Torah,
we know that this is not always easy. To follow the dictates exactly as Hashem
has commanded is an incredible task that, as most Mussar sefarim will detail,
is easily derailed by mankind’s unique ability to rationalize our behavior so
that even when we believe we are doing right, our own subconscious will may
lead us to perform the mitzvos as we see best and not necessarily to the exact,
exact specifications of halacha.
Let us all learn from Moshe, from Bnei Yisrael, and from
Parsha Pekudei how blessed those moments of true fulfillment of Hashem’s will
can be.
Dedicated for continued besoros tovos/refuah shelaima for Rivka
bas Golda, and with prayers for peace and comfort to those in the war zone.
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