Pikudei: The Significance of Completing the Mishkan

by Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaLevy Kilav, Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The Medrash Tanchuma to this week's Torah portion of Pekudei (the end of Sh'mot) likens the Tabernacle (Mishkan) to the seven days of creation. It cites verses showing that the various elements of the Mishkan correspond to that which was created on each day. For instance, man was created on the sixth day, parallel to the High Priest anointed to serve in the Mishkan before G-d.

The deeper understanding of this comparison can be formulated as follows.

The world was created in a gradual manner, day by day, until it finally reached the creation of man – the ultimate purpose of creation – and the creation of the Sabbath, which signaled the completion of the material works. And the Tabernacle is the next step: the continuation of the creation of this world. Not only does the Mishkan sustain the world and give it the power of its existence; it itself is also another stage in the purpose of creation, embodied in the High Priest offering sacrifices in the Tabernacle to the Creator.

Permanent Mikdash and Temporary Mishkan

And for this King David says in Psalms (26,8) the words that form the basis of this Medrash: "O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the dwelling place [Mishkan, in Hebrew] of Your glory." This verse has two parts, in which the first refers to the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem – a fully-built structure – and the second refers to the Mishkan, which is more temporary, roofed with animal skins, yeriot. The Mishkan started off in the desert, serving the nation for its 40-year journey, and was then relocated to Shilo. This is why the verse states "dwelling place" regarding it, because the place of the Mishkan is sacred only when it actually houses it – as opposed to Jerusalem, which is holy even when the Temple is not there.

However, it is precisely the yeriot that stand for the heavens [in the comparison cited in the above Medrash], and they are very connected with the creation of heaven and earth. How so? Because the Tabernacle was the spiritual completion of creation, in being the place where the Divine Presence dwelled within the camp of Israel. Thus, via the Tabernacle, the world became not only a physical place, but a place for the service of G-d.

…

Sabbath Overrides Mishkan Construction

We mentioned that the Sabbath signals the completion of physical creation, and this is linked to the Mishkan and Mikdash as well. For we know that when Moshe Rabbeinu descended from Mt. Sinai after receiving the Torah, he gathered all of Israel together (Sh'mot 35,1) to hear the Divine command to build the Mishkan – which he preceded with the mitzvah of keeping the Sabbath! The lesson was that building the Mishkan does not override the Sabbath – and in fact, every activity that was done in the process of building the Mishkan is precisely the work that is forbidden on the Sabbath. 

In any event, we see that there is a deep connection between the Sabbath and the dwelling of the Divine Presence in Israel via the Mishkan. As David writes in Psalm 92: "A song for the Sabbath day, it is good to thank G-d and to sing praise to Your name, O exalted One… For You have gladdened me with Your deeds; at Your handiwork I sing with joy." The Medrash Tanchuma at the end of Parashat Pekudei explains that these "deeds" and "handiwork" refer, respectively, to the Mishkan and to the Holy Temple. The Medrash also relates other verses there to the Mishkan, as explained below. 

The Patriarch Yitzchak and our Teacher Moshe 

The Medrash also teaches that the date chosen to commemorate the construction of the Mishkan was Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the date on which Yitzchak Avinu was born. In addition, no one was able to actually erect the Mishkan; it kept falling down – because G-d wanted to credit Moshe with the actual construction, as is written: "Moshe put up the Mishkan" (Sh'mot 40,18).

The Sages explain that actually, even Moshe was unable to put up the Mishkan – and G-d finally told him to act as if he was building it, but that He Himself would actually cause it to be built by itself. For as we have explained, the Mishkan is a continuation of Creation, connecting the world to its Creator, and serving as the source of life. And just like Creation is only of G-d, so too is the construction of the Mishkan. The more "physical" parts of the Mishkan – its various utensils – were dealt with by the Israelites and not Moshe; but the exalted Mishkan itself, which is "closer" to G-d, was the domain of Moshe, for it enabled the Divine to dwell within Israel. Only Moshe, whom the Torah terms "the man of G-d," and who received the Torah on high and brought it down to earth, can actually be involved in the Mishkan and its final construction.

Why was the Mishkan built specifically on the birthdate of Yitzchak? Because he was to G-d an "unblemished sacrifice" – the term used by the Medrash to explain why G-d told him to never leave the Land of Israel. His birthday, therefore, is the most appropriate for the establishment of G-d's presence in the world. Yitzchak was the first to offer himself up to G-d, at the famous Binding of Yitzchak, and therefore he is the source for Israel's ability to totally cleave to G-d – the very strength of the Mikdash.

The Wicked Ones Don't Get It

Psalm 92 continues with the idea that "a fool cannot understand [that] when the wicked blossom… it is to destroy them for eternity." The Medrash explains that when the Israelites failed at first in building the Mishkan, the wicked of the generation mocked and scorned Moshe - but they did not understand G-d's ways; they did not know that when wickedness abounds, there can be no perfect dwelling of the Divine Presence on earth. Only when "Your enemies shall perish" and "a righteous man flourishes like a palm tree… planted in the House of G-d, flourishing in the courtyards of our G-d…"

And just like the Mishkan in the desert, so too with the Beit HaMikdash in the future. Just as the Mishkan had to wait until Yitzchak's birthdate, and for G-d to build it Himself, so too in the future when evil is broken, the House of G-d will be established by G-d Himself – and will then last forever, never to be destroyed. Its sanctity will be unique, and will itself guarantee the permanence of the final Beit Mikdash.

The Sabbath and the Holy Temple

Both the Sabbath and the holy Temple service have elements of the World to Come, each one on its own level. This is why Moshe spoke of the Sabbath even before the Mishkan, in order to say that the actions of one should not nullify the sanctity of the other. And the Sages added that the "partner" of the Sabbath is Torah study. They cited the verse, "For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and G-d's word from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2,3); the deepest expression of Jerusalem and the Temple is G-d's word, the Torah that comes forth from Jerusalem. These three – Shabbat, Mikdash, and Torah – are the "triple strand" that will never unravel.

Pikudei: How to Manage Public Funds

by Rav Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtat, founder and head of the Yoru Program for the Training of Rabbis and Community Leaders, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion is Pekudei, beginning in Sh'mot 38,21 and ending with the last verse in Sh'mot, in Chapter 40. Its first verse states: 

"These are the accounts of … the Tabernacle of Testimony, as they were accounted [by] Moshe, for the service of the Levites, at the hand of Itamar son of Aharon."

The Medrash explains that the words in Proverbs (28,20) "man of faiths, many blessings" refer to Moshe – "for he was the treasurer of the Mishkan, and everything there was blessed via him."

The Mishna (Sh'kalim 5,2) teaches: "No fewer than two people are placed in charge of public monetary affairs." How then was Moshe allowed to be a lone treasurer? The Sages say: "Even though Moshe was a righteous man, about whom G-d said, 'throughout My house he is trusted' – he still called others to do the calculations with him, as is written, 'at the hand of Itamar son of Aharon.'"

Our Sages also taught that one who donates to the Temple must not enter the public coffers in a way that could arouse suspicion. For if he suddenly becomes rich, he will be suspected of having enriched himself at the Temple's expense. "And why are we so careful? Because one must fulfill his obligations vis-à-vis the public just as he fulfills the obligations placed on him by G-d, as is written: "Be clean regarding G-d and regarding Israel" (Bamidbar 32), and also, "Find favor and good grace in the eyes of G-d and man" (Proverbs 3).

We know that funds for the Tabernacle were raised from the public. At one point, enough money had been collected, and Moshe ordered that all donations be stopped. The Medrash teaches that Moshe asked G-d: "What should we do with the extra funds that were collected?" G-d answered: "Make another Tabernacle, just for the Tablets of Testimony." 

Moshe did so, and then brought the calculations to the public, saying, "This is what we spent on the Mishkan, and this is what we spent on the Mishkan of Testimony."

However, despite all the above, there are sources that teach us that in some cases, one is trusted and permitted to be a sole trustee in charge of public monies – and the Mishna provides some examples of people who were very widely trusted and were therefore named sole trustees.

But certainly Moshe Rabbeinu was no less honest and widely-trusted than those mentioned in the Mishna as being reliable on their own! Not only that, but he was appointed to his position as Treasurer of the Tabernacle by G-d Himself, because of his great trustworthiness. Why, then, did Moshe make sure to manage all the financial affairs only together with others? And furthermore, why did he have to be so meticulous about explaining how much was spent on each of the Tabernacles?

The answer is: He didn't have to. But he chose to do so, because he well understood human nature. He realized that people are wont to reproach and spread suspicions about even the most trusted of men. A person should therefore do everything he can to prevent this; he should behave with complete transparency, so as to prevent any possibility of false suspicions. Moshe wished to teach Israel, for all future generations, how to behave properly when dealing with public needs, and with public funds.

The Talmud (B'rachot 18b) tells a story of Avuha D'Shmuel, the father of the Amoraitic Sage Shmuel. The father was a very honest and trusted man, who was even entrusted with the money of orphans until they were old enough to receive it. Avuha D'Shmuel did not get to tell Shmuel where he had placed a certain orphan's money, and when he died, Shmuel did not know where to find it. He therefore could not give it back to the orphan, and people began to denigrate him: "Son of he who ate orphans' money," people called him. 

Shmuel decided he had to solve this mystery, and so he went to look for his father in the cemetery. The Medrash recounts that he found there those who had died, sitting outside their graves. Shmuel said, "I am looking for my father, named Abba." 

"There are lots of people here with that name," they told him.

Shmuel said: "I am looking for my father Abba bar Abba."

They again answered, "there are many with that name."

Finally, Shmuel said: "I am looking for Abba bar Abba, Avuha D'Shmuel [father of Shmuel]."

They told him: "He has already ascended to the Heavenly Yeshiva…" 

… Time passed, and Shmuel's father came out, crying and laughing. Shmuel asked, "Why are you crying?" 

His father answered, "Because in a short time, you will join us here." 

Shmuel asked: "And why are you laughing?" 

Shmuel's father answered: "Because I see that you are a very important person here in the Upper World…"

Shmuel asked his father: "Where did you put the orphan's money?"

"I put them beneath the millstone grinder seat. You'll find there some monies: The bottom and top ones are ours, and the rest belongs to the orphans." 

Shmuel said, "Why did you do it that way?"

His father answered:  "Because if robbers come to steal the money, they'll first take my money on top, and the orphans' money will be safe. And if the ground in which the money is buried will ruin the money, only the money on the bottom – ours – will be lost, and the orphans' money will be saved."

This story tells us clearly that even so trusted and dedicated a man as Avuha D'Shmuel, who was trusted by all, and took extra efforts to safeguard the money of others even at the expense of his own – still, when one single question arose, people immediately began blaming him and calling him names. And this is precisely what Moshe Rabbeinu tried to avoid. He knew that even if he was within his rights to administer the money himself, it simply wasn't a good idea. In order to prevent false suspicions, it is best that not only one person be in charge of public funds. Rather, a committee, even if with only two members, working with full transparency in preparing full financial reports is simply the best route to go.

May it be G-d's will that we all merit to walk in the path of Moshe Rabbeinu, "man of faiths, many blessings."