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 Pekudei - Doing It Exactly Right

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.

Parshas Vaykhel-Pekudei: Gathering a Mishkan Today

 This week we marked the strange anniversary of one year since the World Health Organization declared Covid 19 a pandemic. Many of us are restless to break free of the restrictions, and many of us are wary of not keeping those same restrictions. It has been noted by some how easily we all became so compliant that even the image of crowds gathered make some anxious. It is not, I think, far-fetched to say that for the Jewish community this forced separation has been particularly difficult. We are, after all, a nation that gathers.

This week's parsha begins with gathering: "And Moshe gathered all of the community of Bnei Yisrael and he said to them, 'These are the things that God commanded you to do them'" (Shemos 35:1). He then reiterates the laws of Shabbat, perhaps in what one might call a condensed mode : “Six days shall you do creative labor and on the seventh there will be for you to sanctify Shabbat to Hashem, all who do creative labor shall die. Don't kindle fire in your dwellings on Shabbat” (ibid. 36:2-3).

THESE are the things? It's two verses, two commandments, and then Moshe is telling them other words of God. It seemed a bit odd that the Torah includes such a long introductory phrase, almost a waste of words (chas v’shalom). “These are the things that God commanded you to do them.” Why wouldn’t the Torah just tell us that Moshe gathered all of Israel and said the Lord commanded you to work six days and… Instead we begin with "These are the things."

In the context of parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, the two lines of the mitzvot of Shabbat are a preface to the far more encompassing process of building the Mishkan. It seems, perhaps, repetitive of Parshas Teruma and Tetzaveh, but what we see is each section begins with Moshe purposefully stating that these were the instructions from Hashem. We can infer that each of these pieces is a continuation of "These are the things."

We do not have a Mishkan today. We can't even really imagine what it was like to partake in the building of such a wonderful thing. If Hashem knew the building of the Mishkan was a one time event, why was it necessary to record the instructions and the carrying out of the instructions in such detail? If the Torah is not just a history book, but an eternal guide, then there must be things that we can learn and ideas that we can apply to our lives today in this description.

For instance, if one looks at the full details of the preparations of the Mishkan, one sees not just the enthusiasm of Bnei Yisrael - from which we can certainly learn about the right attitude toward avodas Hashem - but also an incredible representation of community working together. One might aregue with this statement that an inordinate amount of the work was done by Betzalel and Ohilab. While this is true, it is nevertheless a demonstration of community. Betzalel may have done the work, but his name is not highlighted throughout the description of what he did. In fact, his name is mentioned only 3 times in Vayakhel (and one time in Pekudei). The first time is in Shemos 35:5, Moshe announces that "The Lord has called by name Betzalel ben Uri ben Hur." He is then called by name in 36:1-2: “Betzalel and Ohilab and every wise hearted man whom God has imbued with wisdom and insight to know how to do, shall do all the work of the service of the Holy, according to all that the Lord has commanded. And Moshe called Betzalel and Ohilab and every wise hearted man… to approach the work to do it." Note how even in the 2nd and 3rd use of his name, Betzalel (and Ohilab) are mentioned but included as one of many. He is a man of extraordinary (literally stated God-given) talents, but he does not revel in fame and glory. He puts his skills to used for Hashem as part of the whole.

This year, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei is read on the cusp of Rosh Chodesh. We are heading into the month that celebrates freedom, and yet, this year, we are burdened with so many restrictions to our freedoms. Let us remember, however, that what we celebrate at Pesach is far more than the removal of our ancestors from the physical labor of slavery. As many a commentary or Dvar Torah has pointed out, Bnei Yisrael's journey was not actually to freedom as one would think of it today, but really to being ovdei Hashem, servants of the Divine will. As we mark this one year pandemicaversary, as we prepare for Pesach, we must continue to do the underlying work of "These are the things that God commanded you."

Six days shall you work and the seventh is for sanctifying Hashem. The work is the work of building the MIshkan; the work is the work of doing for the spiritual (and physical) well-being of the community. It might be interesting to think that if the work of the mMishkan is a communal creation of a space for the Divine that requires a unified effort, that we could learn here that Hashem desires that 6/7th of our efforts, of our strengths, are to be directed thus, and 1/7th to our personal avodas Hashem encompassed in the observance of Shabbat. When we build together the figurative community full of unity, that is the modern work of the Mishkan and then Hashem can dwell among us.

Just as we long to have all of our beloveds together for the holiday to be free of this pandemic, so should we work for that true communal spirit that is necessary for complete avodas Hashem. Nisan is upon us. Let us gather our spiritual strength and talent and put them forth for the benefit of our klal - whether physically together or distanced - and know that our truest freedom is just over the horizon.

Commandments in the Singular (Pekudei)

In Exodus 40, Hashem instructs Moshe when and how the Tabernacle will be set up. It is quite obvious from all that has been written that creating the Mishkan was a big job. There were large pieces and small pieces and notches to fit together and strings to be tied. When beginning the perek, it is easy to assume that Hashem was giving Moshe the instructions that he should pass on to the Children of Israel. But pasuk 16 make it clear: “This Moshe did, just as the Lord had commanded him so he did. Moshe set up the Tabernacle, placing its sockets, setting up its planks, inserting its bars, and erecting its posts” (40:16-17). The entirety of the description of the setting up of the Mishkan is written in third person singular. Moshe truly did “just as the Lord commanded,” for Hashem told Moshe “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting,” using the word ‘takim,’ which is second person singular.

What is the take-away is from the fact that Moshe was singularly commanded in the set-up of the Mishkan and that he did it himself in one day – in fact, the Midrash tells us that he set it up and took it apart every day for 7 days. As a mom to a busy family, I honestly think...well, I guess I may be able to accomplish more than I am giving myself room to do.

Looking deeper, perhaps Hashem was providing a very subtle lesson about leadership. The people donated the material for the mishkan and put their hard work and creativity into the pieces of the Mishkan, but Moshe, as the leader, was ultimately responsible for showing them how to put it together, to show them how to make it work. More than that, putting the Mishkan together was a big job and by Moshe doing it first, himself, he was showing all those who would ultimately be involved, exactly how important and doable the job was and would be. The physical toil of putting together the Mishkan was just as important as the karbanot. Perhaps that can be translated into an idea that physically or materially supporting the Torah community is as fundamental to our spiritual survival as the avodas of learning.