B"H

Thursday, Adar2- 4, 5784 / March 14, 2024

This week’s Parsha Pekudei is the last Parsha in the Book of Numbers (S’hmot).

In the Parsha Moshe gives an accounting of all the donations which were contributed toward the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the gold, silver and copper.

Our sages learn from this that when it comes to public funds and charitable donations, one has to give an exact accounting to the people. There was no one more honest and trustworthy than Moshe, as G-d testifies in the Torah, “In all My House he is very trusted.” Yet, Moshe gave an exact accounting to the people of how much was collected and how they were used.  Surely, every person who handles public or charitable funds must give an accounting.

The Torah tells us that when the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was finished it was brought to Moshe. When Moshe saw that the work was done exactly as G-d commanded him to do, he blessed them, “May G-d’s presence rest upon the work of your hands.”

Then G-d commanded Moshe to erect the Mishkan all by himself. The enormous weight of the Mishkan was beyond the ability of any one person to put it up, but G-d wanted Moshe to do it by himself. Moshe said to G-d, “How can one person put it all up?” G-d answered, “You do what you can and I will do the rest.”

On Rosh Chodesh Nissan, almost one year after the Exodus, Moshe put up the Mishkan.

Q. Why did G-d want Moshe to erect the Mishkan by himself?

A. Moshe was not involved in the actual work to build the Mishkan and its contents. The Mishkan was a sign that G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Moshe was on Mount Sinai when the Golden Calf was made and had no connection whatsoever with the making of the Golden Calf. Thus, he wasn’t involved in the actual building of the Mishkan.

However, G-d wanted him to be the one to put up the Mishkan. As leader of the Jewish people and being the one who stood up for them after this grave sin, G-d wanted him to have a special share in the Mishkan. It was G-d’s dwelling place in this world, where His glory and presence will rest. Thus, he was given the special honor of putting it all together to complete the Mishkan.

Our sages teach us the following very important lesson from this. In whatever we do we need G-d’s help. On our own we cannot accomplish anything. It is only with G-d’s help that we can be successful. At the same time, we cannot leave it all up to G-d.  G-d wants us to do as much as we physically can, then He does the rest. It’s a partnership between G-d and us.  

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL, HAPPY DAY & HAPPY CHODESH/MONTH

UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.