Beautiful Blessing
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
After several parshiot detailing the instructions for constructing the Mishkan, its vessels, and the special vestments of the kohanim, everything is now complete, and all was done exactly as Hashem had commanded. Now, at the completion of this massive national project, Moshe blesses Bnei Yisroel and their handiwork. While the Torah records that Moshe blessed Bnei Yisroel, the actual words of the blessing he bestows are found in Tehillim 90:17, the Psalm Moshe himself composed: "May the pleasantness of my Lord, our God, be upon us — our handiwork, establish for us; our handiwork establish it."
Rabbi Dunner in Mikdash Halevi asks a very simple yet profound question. Hashem commanded Bnei Yisroel to build the Mishkan for His presence. Would not Hashem's shechinah coming down into the Tabernacle be a great blessing in itself? Why was Moshe moved to offer an additional blessing, and what is unique about this blessing?
On the simplest level, Be'er Hatorah quotes the Zohar, that counting things tends to negate their blessings. For example, instead of counting the number of people present for a minyan, we recite a ten word verse, assigning one word for each man present. Here, at the conclusion of the construction, every "dollar" donated was being counted and accounted for. Perhaps, feared Moshe, this counting would negate the blessing and Hashem's presence would not descend into the Mishkan.
However, notes Rabbi Miller in Shabbat Shiurim, one can count egocentrically or altruistically. Egocentric counting is selfish. It counts what I have and can therefore be arrogant, or count what others have and be jealous of them. In this case, the eye that is seeing and counting has a negative perspective. In contrast, the positive, "good" eye sees everything as coming from its Source and is meant to be used for positive purposes. The Moavite Prophet Bilaam is the quintessential model of counting with an evil eye, whether his money or in viewing the tents of Bnei Yisroel. Moshe Rabbenu, on the other hand, was counting all the donations for the Mishkan as both coming from Hakodosh Boruch Hu and as being used in His service. When connected to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, the negativity of curses does not apply.
Rabbi Weinberg notes that the blessing could not be that the Divine Presence should descend to dwell in the Mishkan; after all, that was Hashem's specific command. What Moshe was saying was that the building of the Mishkan should impact all the other work of your hands, that everything you do should be done in the spirit of holiness and purity. As Mikdash Halevi says, Moshe's focus was not on the Mishkan, but on the work of our hands in a mundane world. Moshe's blessing was that we bring that same passion and generosity of spirit to everything we do, and elevate all that is mundane in our world to sanctity so that Hashem's spirit can reside in our homes.
Our purpose in life should always be to serve Hashem. When that remains our constant focus, everything we do leads us along that road, our activities, even our mitzvah observance, should always be toward that destination, never haphazard, writes Rabbi Kluger in My Sole Desire. Even mundane tasks such as laundry or housecleaning can be elevated by focusing on the goal of creating a space clean and worthy of Hashem's presence. And although each person's path may have different curves in the road, and every person uses a different vehicle in his travels, the destination of service to Hashem should be the same for each of us. In this way, the sanctity of the Mishkan remains with us in our daily lives.
This is also the meaning of our Yom Tov prayer, "Vahasieiny.../Bestow upon us the blessings/Let the blessings of Your festivals carry us for life..." Rabbi Biederman explains that we should carry the sanctity of the holiday forward into our everyday lives. It is this idea that is the basis for the custom of some people to recite this Psalm each week after Havdalah, to verbalize carrying the blessings of Shabbat into the workweek, adds the Sifsei Chaim.
Rabbi Dushinsky brings a different perspective to our discussion. In Torat Maharim, Rabbi Dushinsky suggests that Moshe was afraid that Bnei Yisroel would develop a sense of arrogance when they would see the success of their work. Hashem does not reside among the arrogant, and Moshe was afraid that perhaps Hashem's presence might not descend into the Mishkan. With this blessing, Moshe was emphatically reminding Bnei Yisroel that the success of this project was all due to Hashem enabling them to be successful. Their main contribution was their desire and passion to serve Hashem. This same desire to serve Hashem should infuse all that we do. When we then follow up and begin acting on that desire, even if we doubt, we have the skills to finish the project, Hashem will bless our endeavors.
Taking that first step is always challenging, but that challenge is Hashem's test of our commitment, writes Letitcha Elyon. When Hashem sees our effort in spite of the difficulties, Hashem is moved to help us succeed.
The Mishkan itself was erected with this pattern. The Torah tells us that the Mishkan was erected. How? First Moshe erected the Mishkan, took the initiative, and then Hashem finished the process, writes Rabbi Roberts. Every person must understand that success begins with your desire followed by your effort. Then Hashem will do the rest. If the project is not then completed, if Hashem chose not to rest His presence on the undertaking, Hashem has His reasons, but you are not at fault for the lack of success. The only control you have is over your commitment, writes Rabbi Kofman, over your desire. Moshe was telling Bnei Yisroel that Hashem's Presence coming down and remaining in the Mishkan was dependent on their desire, not on the completion of the structure.
The deepest motivation for anything is the depth of desire within oneself. Desire is like a muscle that must be exercised. As Rabbi Wolbe writes, to strengthen your desire to be closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, you must look for opportunities to bring Him closer. With eyes open, you will find many opportunities, small or large, to show Hashem you want to do those things that will bring Him pleasure, even if it's a just a simple smile at someone who looks like he needs a boost. If your ratzon/desire muscle is strong enough, Hashem will make your work successful.
Our job, says Rabbi Brazile citing the Sefas Emes, is to begin the process, to awaken ourselves, from below through our desire. Then Hashem will "awaken" from above, give us more opportunities to connect with Him and bless us; Our ratzon becomes a tzinor/pipeline/conduit.
Rabbi Kofman in Mishchat Hashemen points out something unusual in the simple reading of our text. The Torah first writes that Moshe erected the Mishkan, implying that the enclosing curtains were put up. Only then does the Torah state that the sockets and foundation beams and the hooks for the frame were put into place. This is the reverse of the logical process and would seem impossible through the natural laws of physics and construction. The point here, writes Rabbi Kofman, is to demonstrate your heartfelt desire through starting a physical act that invites the Divine Presence. Hashem will do the rest, for the rest are merely technicalities.
When the Mishkan was completed, Moshe beheld it, "Vehinei/and behold! They had done it as Hashem had commanded." Vehinei/Behold is usually an expression of joy. When Moshe saw the passion and joy Bnei Yisroel exhibited in constructing the Mishkan, writes Rabbi Moshe Bick, he blessed Bnei Yisroel that all the mitzvoth their hands perform should be completed with this same sense of joy, whenever and wherever you do them. As the verse in Shir Hashirim 3:11 states, "... On the day of his marriage, on the day of simchat libo/his profound joy." The marriage refers to accepting the Torah at Sinai, and profound joy refers to the house, the Beit Hamikdosh, and its precursor, the Mishkan..
Moshe blessed Bnei Yisroel that the pleasantness of Hashem should always be upon us, in the work of our hands forever. How? that every mitzvah should be observed not only because we were so commanded, but with the joy of knowing the mitzvah is a special gift from He Who loves us and brings us closer to Him.