Dvar Torah Pekudei

This week’s parashah comes at the end of a series of several parshiot in a row that collectively describe the construction of the Mishkan, God’s earthly dwelling place and THE location for connecting with God through ritual and sacrifice. This week’s parashah delivers a final accounting and audit of the various raw materials that were required for designing and building the משכן (the mobile sanctuary), the כלים (vessels), and the many בגדי כהונה (the garments worn by the Cohanim). If what we have here is a ledger sheet and product line description, we are left wondering: How can this calculus inspire?

Among the calculations noted in this week’s parashah, we hear the totals for the gold, silver, and copper donated for the Mishkan. Where did the silver come from? Rewind the Torah just a couple of weeks, and we come to the standardized donation of a silver half-shekel. The half-shekel collection served multiple purposes. Firstly, the half shekel served as a method of determining the total population of the fighting force – “all males twenty years of age and up, all those of military age…” Take the total weight of the silver and multiply it by two – now you know the exact number of soldiers at the ready. This was certainly a logistically important data point. But as important is the second reason for the half-shekel collection – reassuring Bnai Yisrael on a personal and societal level that we can protect ourselves; we are strong. 

There was a third reason for collecting the half-shekel, as Rashi explains in his commentary on Shemot 25:2. All of the silver collected from the census was melted down in order to fashion the adanim (foundation bases) of the Mishkan. Structurally, the adanim served as a foundation into which the wood planks that surrounded the Mishkan fit and stood upon. This silver was collected from the population on an equitable basis, one half-shekel per person, unlike other donations that were variable and discretionary. In a beautifully poetic turn of events, the contribution of the many became quite literally the foundation of the building in which the people would connect with God.

What does this ancient accounting and thoughtful design tell us about our lives today? On one level, we can learn from this section of Torah that every contribution, no matter how large or small, when taken in concert, can yield great results, not only financially/numerically but also psychologically: To whom did the Mishkan belong? Who was holding it up? The people, equitably (yes, male; yes, over twenty – this was the ancient world after all). The lesson for us in the 21st century: When we have fundraisers for a new building or initiative, adjusting the bar of giving to explicitly include everyone can be a powerful tool for community building. 

At The Leffell School, we teach young students how to engage with words of Torah and how to live a life of mitzvot, Ahavat Yisrael, and contribute to their community. When a student gives from the heart, shares an insight, and contributes their figurative half-shekel to the whole, we help craft a place for connection. When we use those small donations as the foundation for learning, we value the enterprise and set students up for success. How does this happen at Leffell? We start with the students’ questions and beliefs. What do we know about the topic? What do we want to know about it? These questions help provide a sense of belonging – We want to know. These questions help drive the learning process and give students a real sense of contribution and ownership. When students propose a new way of reading or understanding a pasuk or phrase or even just a word of Torah, that too is a contribution and can help lift us all and set us on solid ground. Together, we can build and set strong foundations. יחד ננצח (Together we will win).

Shabbat Shalom.