Our parasha, Pekude describes the execution of the instructions given in previous Parashot – the preparation of priestly clothes and the construction of the tabernacle.  But after the planks and sheets were prepared for the tabernacle, who built the tabernacle itself?

This is what Moses himself commanded.

“And the God spoke to Moses saying: On the first day of the month, on the first of the month, you will set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting”.

Indeed, this is what Moses did, as described below:

“And it happened in the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the tabernacle was built; And Moses built the tabernacle… when God commanded Moses.”

If we look carefully at the language of the Torah, we will notice that the building of establishment is described twice: once passively “the Tabernacle was erected” and it is not specified who the builder is; And once again Moses is mentioned as the one who works actively – “And Moses erected the tabernacle”.

The sages of the midrash noticed this duplicity and went deeper to observe it.  They say that Bezalel and Ahliav and the other sages of the heart who created the tabernacle tried to build it themselves but did not succeed. And there was a reason for this: Moses regretted that he had not physically participated in the construction of the Mishkan, so God reserved for him the right to build the Mishkan himself:

And Moses was in trouble about this, until the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses: “Since you were in trouble, you had no work and no part in the work of the tabernacle, therefore the wise men could not erect it”… Moses said: “Lord of the worlds, I do not know how to erect it!”.  G-d said to Moses: “You start to lift it with your hands, and the tabernacle will stand up by itself.”

If so, Moses did not build the tabernacle either, but only pretended to build it.  The one who built the tabernacle was God Himself.  But according to this it is not understood: why is it said “and Moses erected the tabernacle”?  And what did Moses gain by acting as if he was building the tabernacle when he really could not build it himself?

There is a message here for the generations that deserves to be observed.  Many times we encounter an act that deserves to be done, but we know that we are unable to complete the act.  Is this a reason to avoid the act completely?  It can be thought that if I am not able to complete the act, leave the work to other people.  This is perhaps what Moses thought when he told God that he was unable to build the Mishkan by himself.

But God’s answer to Moses’ words presented a different approach: you will do what you can, and do not worry about completing the deed.  God helps those who do their best and grants them success even if human ability is limited.

We cannot, for example, decide for our children their choices, but we are certainly able to invest in education, pass on values ​​to them and hope that we will have a “Siyata Deshamiya” (*Aramaic word) – divine assistance that will bring success.  This is true in education, it is true in relationships, it is true in observing mitzvot and in all areas of life.  Man is not required to do what is beyond his abilities, but he is also not exempt from doing what is possible for him – and we will leave the rest to the Creator of the world to do.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen