Pekudei: Inspired Intentions

INSPIRED INTENTIONS: PARSHIYOT VAYAKHEL/PEKUDEI

Shira Smiles shiur 2015/5775

Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein

            Parshat Pekudei includes a review of many of the components of the Mishkan as they were being completed. When all is ready, the people try to erect the Mishkan but are unsuccessful. Then the Torah states: “They brought the Tabernacle to Moshe, the tent and all its utensils: its hooks, its planks … the cover … the partition curtain … the Ark of Testimony …”The question our Commentators asks is that it appears from the list that Bnei Yisroel brought all the components of the Mishkan to Moshe, yet the verse seems to begin by saying that they brought the completed Tabernacle (Mishkan) to Moshe. If they brought all the separate parts to Moshe, as Ramban understands it, why does the Torah say they brought the Tabernacle, seemingly already built, especially since the Torah later states that the Mishkan was erected, in the passive voice, having miraculously built itself, as Rashi understands it?

Midrash Tanchuma begins to shed some light on this subject, but raises additional questions in the process. Moshe was saddened because, although he delivered all the instructions for the Mishkan as per Hashem’s instructions, he had no personal involvement in the construction itself. Hashem understood that Moshe wanted to be part of this great mitzvah. When the workmen couldn’t erect the Tabernacle on their own they brought it to Moshe. Even though Moshe was not physically strong enough to erect it himself, Hashem told Moshe to start the process and Hashem would then “lend His hand” and complete the process. Moshe would nevertheless be credited for building the Mishkan based on his deep desire to serve Hashem in this capacity.

Our first question concerns Moshe. When Moshe saw that the workmen couldn’t erect theMishkan, why did he wait for the materials to be brought to him rather than go to the different artisans himself to collect the components? Citing Tanchuma and then the Maharil Diskin, Rabbi Frand writes that Moshe was trying to preserve the peace and prevent strife. If Moshe had gone from one person to another, perhaps someone who was approached later in the process would feel insulted that he was not approached earlier. By waiting for the workmen to come to him, no one would feel demeaned and insulted.

One can still ask why it was necessary for Moshe to erect the Mishkan when he too needed Hashem’s help to do so. Hashem could have helped the workmen just as easily. Rabbi Zev Leff, citing the Meshech Chochma, notes that no object or time has intrinsic holiness except that which is conferred upon it by Hashem through the Torah and its teachers. Moshe represented the Torah, and only he could invest the Mishkan with the holiness it needed to serve as a dwelling place for Hakadosh Boruch Hu. In doing so, Hashem taught us that Torah directives are given to us through the sages and rabbis of each generation, and that we cannot sacrifice Torah law to achieve something sacred, whether it’s building the Beit Hamikdash or preserving the sanctity of Shabbos. Further, sometimes it is necessary to deconstruct in order to reconstruct, according to God’s command as taught to us by our sages and as demonstrated by Moshe’s building and dismantling the Mishkan each day for seven consecutive days as the Mishkan was being consecrated.

Along these lines, Rabbi Meislish notes in Sichot Ba’avodat Hashem that the intention at the beginning of any activity or timeframe will imbue the entire time with that essence. For this reason, we recite  Kiddush on Friday night, at the onset of Shabbat, rather than during the day so that the entire Shabbat will be invested with sanctity, and the New Year will begin as a holy day devoted to Hashem’s service. The early Christians, lehavdil, understood this concept and therefore decided to make the first day of the week their “holy day” devoted to their god and undermine our concept of holiness for the week. What they neglected to remember, however, was that we begin our day at night, and we do not end Shabbat at the exact moment it should conclude, but add at least a few minutes to Shabbat to extend its sanctity to the next day, thereby investing the beginning of the following week with sanctity.

            Here Rabbi Meislish offers a unique interpretation to the adage, “Kol hatchalot kashot”. Instead of translating it as “all beginnings are difficult (hard),” Rabbi Meislish teaches that“everything must begin with hard and strong resolve,” meaning that before performing any mitzvah, from simply reciting a blessing to observing the most difficult mitzvah, one must first focus and resolve to do the mitzvah properly for the sake of Heaven, so that even if one falters, that initial resolve and intention remains in place.

With these two concepts in mind, one can understand why it was necessary that Moshe be the one to erect the Mishkan. As Rabbi Moshe Goldstein explains in Shaarei Chaim, Moshe possessed the spiritual strength in additional to physical strength that Hashem gave him for the task of erecting the Mishkan. In addition, he was also the humblest of all men so he could nullify his ego completely to erect the Mishkan totally for Heaven’s sake. Thus only Moshe could imbue the Mishkan with the proper sanctity from the moment of its inception. All this, in addition to the emotional pain Moshe felt at not having the opportunity to participate in the physical construction of the Mishkan, prompted Hashem to choose him as the perfect person to build the abode for His presence to rest on earth.

We can now ask an additional question. If Moshe’s passion to participate in the physical building of the Mishkan, was so strong that Hashem rewarded him by crediting him with building the Mishkan, why did Hashem then require Moshe to act on this desire? Rabbi Moshe Egbi in Chochmat Hamatzpun answers this question by referring to Bnei Yisroel’s preparations for the first Pascal sacrifice. Bnei Yisroel were commanded to draw the sheep to their homes in front of the Egyptians, tie it to the bedposts, and slaughter it. Wasn’t their belief in Hashem after so many plagues enough to prove their loyalty to Hakadosh Boruch Hu? Since intention is so important, why go through such a tedious, demeaning and perhaps dangerous process before slaughtering the sheep? But in Judaism, intention alone is not enough. Action is required to actualize thoughts, thereby giving them permanence. Just as Bnei Yisroel were required to act on their faith, so too was Moshe required to act on his passion before Hashem would help him complete the process.

Rabbi Wolbe in Aleh Shor concretizes this idea for our own lives. Hashem wants us each to build a sanctuary within ourselves as a place where He can dwell. It is not enough just to believe in God and pray that He be near to us; it is equally important that we act in ways that will create sanctity in our lives, to perform the mitzvoth that He commanded, and to do so with love, intent and focus. This may seem overwhelming to us, but, as Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz notes inTiv Hatorah, the task of erecting the Mishkan was certainly daunting for Moshe. But Hashem demanded that Moshe begin the task, and only afterward did Hashem help him complete the job. Similarly, we must begin our daily battles with the yetzer horo, even if we feel weak, and count on Hashem to help us. This is true of any task set before us. Hashem requires us to begin, to act to the best of our ability, writes Rabbi Wachtfogel, while we nevertheless understand that success is in the hands of Hashem. For that reason, continues Rabbi Rabinowitz, if we have indeed put in our best effort, we should not berate ourselves and despair  if we don t succeed, for Hashem alone determines whether the project will be successful or not.

It seems appropriate now to return to our original verse that implies that Bnei Yisroel brought a completed Tabernacle to Moshe. In light of what we have just discussed, Bnei Yisroel had fully intended to erect the Mishkan. They put in their best effort, but Hashem prevented them from succeeding. But the effort was not wasted for, as Rabbi Frand points out, Hashem rewards our effort in learning or in doing good deeds even if circumstances and ability prevent us from completing the task.

An often successful tactic of the yetzer horo is to make us perceive ourselves as unworthy of success, or as failures for being unable to complete a task successfully. But knowing the tactics of our enemy, writes Rabbi Egbi, will help us defeat him. When we internalize the idea that Hashem determines the success or failure of our efforts but rewards us for our effort in either case, we can defeat the yetzer horo. We know how much Hashem values our inspired intentions, whether in building the communal Mikdash or in building the personal Mikdash within our own souls.