Parshas Pekudai: Reflections on Accounting

This week's parsha, Parshas Pekudei, is the last parsha of Sefer Shemos and is mostly - well, almost entirely - focused on the completion of the pieces of the Mishkan and its assembling. Like all parshios, Parshas Pekudei is named for the first significant word in the parsha, and, as so often happens, there is important subtext to the use of this word.

“Eleh pekudei haMishkan…This is an accounting of the Mishkan…” (Shemos 38:21).

The word “pekudei” is strong and informative. The parsha opens with pasukim that specify exactly how Bnei Yisrael's donations were used in producing the pieces in the Mishkan. The Midrash, however, explains why the accounting happened at all. There were, it seems, actually people who suspected Moshe Rabbeinu of pocketing some of the gold and silver. Here was a man who had walked away from royalty, who had dedicated himself to the people, and who had spoken to Gd to beg for the lives of the entire nation! How could anyone possibly suggest that Moshe had misappropriated funds?

In the book “Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Chumash,” it is noted that Rav Chaim pointed out that the avnei zikaron, the remembrance stones” are written in Parshas Tetzaveh without a vav in the word zikaron (rememberance) but with a vav in this week’s parsha. When written without the vav, Rav Chaim states, “zikaron always indicates a positive remembrance: remembering a merit or a promised reward” (p. 439). The added vav, however, indicates that the remembrance has grown wider. “While the stones could still serve as a remembrance of their [Bnei Yisrael] merits, they could now also remind Hashem of their sins, if they proved unworthy” (ibid.).

The difference of Tetzaveh and Pekudei? The chait haegel (sin of the golden calf). We all understand, on some level, how terrible the chait haegel was. The chait was transformative - and not in a good way. Beyond losing the ultimate connection with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, we, the Jewish people, lost faith in ourselves. 

In a way, the chait haegel had an impact on Bnei Yisrael that is similar to the effect on all of humanity that came from Chava eating from the eitz hadas (the tree of knowledge of good and bad). This one act shifted the perception of everyone ever after. Prior to the eating of the fruit, humanity was able to perceive the world with innocence, without an inner yetzer harah. After they ate, however, Adam and Chava saw the world so differently that they could no longer look at each other without seeing nakedness. 

At Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael reached an incredible level of kedusha. They were raised onto a spiritual level that should have made them see the world in a way that, well, to be honest, we today just cannot fathom. I imagine that they would have had a unique perception of Hashem’s din and rachamim. And when they set out to have Aaron make the egel, it is understood by our sages that they did so out of a desire to have a means of getting closer to Hashem because there were subtle insinuations of doubt of Moshe’s return. The whispers that Moshe had been gone too long were as insidious as the serpent making Chava doubt herself by showing her that the tree was safe to touch. 

The sin happened. The sinners were rebuked and also forgiven. Their understanding of the world - their place in the world - however, had shifted once again. Before the chait, Bnei Yisrael was focused on Hashem and connecting to Him, so Hashem could plan that the avnei zikaron were reflections of their merit. After the chait, however, Bnei Yisrael must live with the knowledge that they are capable of such sin and that their friends and neighbors are capable fo such sin. The only way that anyone could have accused Moshe of misusing the funds for the Mishkan was if they had had such thoughts themselves, and such thoughts could only have power if one doubts oneself and thus everyone else. 

When Bnei Yisrael committed the chait haegel, they broke more than Hashem’s trust; they broke their trust in themselves. The avnei zikaron would now be remembrances of both good and bad because Bnei Yisrael had removed themselves from the spiritual level of Sinai and returned to a more common level, a level on which they perceive both good and bad in themselves and in others. 

Taking it a step further (and out on one of my limbs), this is the level that allowed them to complain over and over in the wilderness. Bnei Yisrael no longer perceived Hashem’s din and rachamim as the Divine forces of the world but were now low enough to question even Hashem. This is how we today are capable of being angry at Hashem, even though true bitachon requires the recognition that everything that happens is, ultimately, for our own good. It’s still emuna. We still know that Hashem is the active force of the world, but we are not able to see it for what it is.

The accounting of Pekudei occurred because the people were now capable of doubt, of assuming ill of Moshe. That does not, however, make the accounting a bad thing. Am Yisrael resides in a world in which the other nations are constantly judging our nation, and we must learn from Moshe that even when there is no need to show our honesty, an honest accounting is always beneficial. 

Wishing you all a good Shabbas

Parshas Vayakhel – Teacher Talk

“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” If ever there was a degrading statement that deserved to be disproved, it is this. Those who teach because they “can’t” make terrible teachers; and those who teach because they are inspired and wish to inspire others...well, you can judge.

As odd an opening as this might seem for a Dvar Torah, it is actually highly apropos for this week’s parsha, Parahas Vayakhel, which contains a fascinating verse on this subject: “And also the gift of teaching has He put in his (Betzalel’s) heart, both he and Ohalieb, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan” (Shemos 35:34). Moshe had just finished explaining that Hashem had filled Betzalel with all sorts of engineering and artistic knowledge so that he would be able to take charge of the building of the Mishkan, and yet it was noteworthy to mention that equal to all these gifts was the fact that Hashem had filled him with the ability to teach.

Teaching is not easy, especially if the subject being taught is one which the person teaching knows by instinct. If one is born with a natural musical talent, it can be challenging to teach someone who is less inclined to hear the music.

There is, of course, greater significance to this verse. The people are making the Mishkan. All the people who wish to participate in the process, all the people who want to contribute their efforts in whichever way they can, are going to come forward. But by including this detail - that Betzalel and Ohalieb have been given a talent for teaching in addition to engineering and artistry – Moshe is making certain that even those who are uncertain of their skills and talents can come and join.

Additionally, there is an important message for Betzalel and Ohalieb: Just because you have a natural talent, just because you may be the most talented, does not mean that you should do it all alone. Natural talent is a gift, a privilege… and, as we all know, with great privilege comes great responsibility. You must do things with your talent, and you must share your talent with those who want to learn.

This may seem a short and simple Dvar Torah, but it has many applications to life. The Mishkan was built by Klal Yisrael working together. The only way this happens if there is coordination and delegation, and Hashem made a statement of His expectation of that behavior by highlighting that a talent for teaching was gifted to them. Transmitting knowledge, be that Torah or science or the arts, requires its own significant capability, and it should not be minimized. But, also, we each must share our individual knowledge and talents so that we as a nation, as a people, can fulfill our role in this world.

I wish you all much hatzlacha in finding your own special gifts and finding the people with whom to share it.

Shabbat Shalom

Parshas Ki Sisa: Putting the Finery Aside

If you were to be given a pop quiz on all the immediate consequences of the cheit haegel, the sin of the golden calf, you would probably say that people died and that Hashem distanced Himself from the nation. Both of these are correct. Most people who learn parsha will recall that the Leviim strapped on their swords and meted out punishment so that “three thousand men fell from among the people” (Shemos 32:28). Furthermore, the people were struck by a plague, although the Torah does not give a specific count of how many died because of it.

The other primary consequence that is generally discussed is Moshe begging Hashem not to destroy the nation. Hashem agrees, but He also tells Moshe that He will send His malachim to help them as they go, “But I will not go in your midst, since you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way” (33:4).

If the second question on this pop quiz was to ask how jewelry is connected to the cheit haegel, there would, again, be little hesitation in responding: the men eagerly gave the family jewelry to Aaron to create the golden calf. Jewelry, however, is also significant among the consequences of the sin. It is written:

“When the people heard this harsh word [that Hashem would not go in their midst], they went into mourning, and none put on finery. Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Say to the Israelite people, “You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now, then, leave off your finery, and I will consider what to do to you.”’ So the children of Israel divested themselves of their finery from Mount Horeb.” (33:4-6).

This small section of the Torah, so easily glossed over by the momentous actions occurring all around it, is rather intriguing. To break it down: Bnei Yisrael express their regret and despair by refraining from adorning themselves. Hashem responds by telling them to “leave off your finery.” They do so.

Just as a minor point, one might be asking what jewelry or finery was left. However, Aaron specifically asked for gold earrings, and there was plenty of other jewelry still left. There is, however, a question of the final verse specifying “their finery from Mount Horeb.” Some commentators explain this as jewelry they wore when they received the Torah while others believe that it refers to jewelry that represents receiving the Torah (for instance the idea that they each received a spiritual crown or set of crowns). It is significant that the Hebrew word used for this finery, as the Chabad website translates it, is “edyam,” the root of which appears to be ayin-daled, which also forms the word for “ed,” which means witness.

This section of verses is a fascinating example of the human propensity for self reflection. Hashem announces that He will not be travelling with the nation. The people assess themselves and recognize that they are not the same as they were at Horeb, they recognize their own spiritual failing and find a physical means of expressing this.

From that perspective, Hashem’s response is, need I say, endearing…like a parent who realizes the limit of his/her anger at the child and tells the child to go away so that he/she may figure out what to do. Pasuk hey (5) is Hashem’s reassessment of the nation based on their own self-assessment. The fact that they recognize their spiritual failing and accept the responsibility of it, and still want to fight for their relationship with Hashem – that is how Bnei Yisrael is stiff necked! That is why Hashem must “consider what to do to you.”

What did Bnei Yisrael leave behind? They left behind the divine glory that they were obviously not ready to own, that we are still, to this day, not ready to own. But that is significant.

Bnei Yisrael went from the 49th level of tumah to receiving the Torah and experiencing divinity in an extremely short period of time. They may have wanted to wear the finery of spiritual perfection, but now, after falling so far during the cheit haegel, they were able to realize – by themselves and approved by Hashem – that this was not where they were able to be. But the fact that they voluntarily removed this ideal from themselves demonstrated the very fact that they wanted the relationship.

Each of us is on a spiritual journey. Each of us wants to attain a real relationship with Hashem. But for those of us who sometimes wish to reach the level of relationship where we could just see an open miracle or two, or just know what Hashem has in store. or witness direct intervention, Shemos 33:4-6 reminds us that we accepted upon ourselves that this was too much, that this was a level on which we could not live. In doing so, that midbar generation removed perfectionism as a spiritual goal. Only Hashem is perfect. Humans cannot live on a perfect level. It is, rather, our stiff-necked journey of trying to get higher, to get closer, without giving up even when one falls, that is important.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom