Pekudei – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת אשר פקד על פי משה

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

Was there no one other than Moshe Rabbeinu, Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, capable of doing an accounting of the Mishkan? An accounting is a vital function in any endeavor, especially one as spiritually significant as building the Mishkan. Surely, there were others, possibly more proficient in mathematics, who could have performed this service. Horav Moshe Bick, zl, derives an important principle from here. When one builds a makom kadosh, holy edifice, when he undertakes a holy endeavor, one would think that all halachic questions and issues should be decided by the talmid chacham, Torah scholar. The monetary and financial issues…

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אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Pekudei

These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony. (38:21)

Rashi explains the redundancy of the word Mishkan as alluding to the Bais HaMikdash, which was taken as collateral in its two destructions for the sins of Yisrael. Mishkan HaEidus, the Mishkan of the Testimony, attests to the fact that Hashem forgave Klal Yisrael for sinning with the Golden Calf. Despite the people’s incursion, the Divine Presence still rests among Klal Yisrael. Two explanations for the Mishkan: it serves as collateral; it is a symbol of forgiveness. Obviously, this requires a bit more elucidation. Horav Yaakov Kaminetsky, zl, offers an analogy which sheds light on the Mishkan’s dual function. A…

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אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

Rashi notes the double use of the word, Mishkan. Why the redundancy? He explains that Hashem took the Mishkan away from the midst of the Jews twice as a result of their deficient behavior. Had He not taken the Mishkan, it would have been incumbent upon Him to execute a more definitive punishment. Rashi adds that the words Mishkan HaEidus, Mishkan of the Testimony, alludes to the Mishkan serving as a testimony that Hashem tolerated the sin of the Golden Calf and allowed the Jewish People to live. Rashi’s sequence — first saying that the word, Mishkan, means collateral, alluding…

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אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות אשר פקד על פי משה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

A person’s perspective, his viewpoint on circumstances, his outlook concerning people and situations, is most often molded by his interests, his endeavors, the areas of life in which he is personally involved. In other words, a person’s outlook is controlled by where his “head” happens to be. Let us see how this preface fits into explaining a statement which Chazal made concerning Moshe Rabbeinu’s decision to give a full accounting of every ounce of gold, silver and copper that the people contributed towards the construction of the Mishkan. The Yalkut Shimoni, as cited by Horav Shlomo Levinstein, Shlita, relates that,…

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ויביאו את המשכן אל משה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Pekudei

They brought the Mishkan to Moshe. (39:33)

The Midrash offers a perspective on the concept of reward in Olam Hazeh, this world. Klal Yisrael was asked to donate towards the Mishkan. Everyone came forward with his free-willed offering. The Midrash relates that a student of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai left his yeshivah and moved to chutz la’aretz, the diaspora. He returned a while later a wealthy man, having successfully navigated the world of commerce, earning a pretty penny. Apparently, Rabbi Shimon’s remaining students manifested envy concerning this student. They, too, indicated a desire to leave the yeshivah and attempt to be successful making it in the world…

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ומשחת אתם כאשר משחת את אביהם וכהנו לי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Pekudei

You shall anoint them, as you had anointed their father, and they shall minister to Me. (40:15)

“As you anointed their father”: Why did Hashem stipulate that Moshe Rabbeinu’s anointing the sons of Aharon HaKohen was to be carried out in the same manner that Moshe had anointed his brother, Aharon? The Meshach Chochmah offers a powerful and quite practical insight – one that has a profound ring of truth to it. When Moshe anointed his brother, he did not experience even a twinge of jealousy. After all, Moshe was a Navi, Prophet; he had even held the position of Kohen Gadol prior to Aharon. Whatever the role that Moshe was transferring to Aharon was a position…

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כי ענן ד' על המשכן יומם, ואש תהיה לילה בו לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Pekudei

For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and the fire would be on it by night, before the eyes of all of Bnei Yisrael throughout their journeys. (40:38)

Clearly, this pasuk has ramifications concerning the future of our people as our tenure in galus, exile, continues. The Jew should not think that the darkness which encompasses us in galus is so pervasive that we are unable to penetrate it; or that it completely envelops and stifles us. No! V’eish tiheyeh laylah, “And fire would be on at night.” The light of Torah will illuminate the darkness of exile. The daled amos shel halachah, four cubits of Jewish law, will light for us the path of darkness, as we will be able to make our way, as others have…

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בחדש הראשון בשנה השנית באחד לחדש הוקם המשכן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Pekudei

In the first month of the second year on the first of the month that the Mishkan was erected. (40:17)

In an earlier commentary (ibid 39:33), Rashi explains how the Mishkan was erected. Apparently, the people presented the finished components to Moshe Rabbeinu, who had not previously been involved with the actual construction of the Mishkan. Hashem had left the placement of the Mishkan, its erection, up to Moshe. The reason for this was quite simple: It was too heavy. No one was able to erect the Mishkan due to the weight of the Kerashim, beams. Moshe was able to stand them upright – by himself. How did he do it? True, he was strong, but not that strong. Moshe…

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ויעש משה ככל אשר צוה ד' אותו כן עשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Pekudei

Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him, so he did. (40:16)

The construction of the Mishkan was meticulously executed with perfect order as instructed by Hashem. There was no concept of approximate size. Everything was clearly delineated to Moshe Rabbeinu, and everything was followed precisely as ordered. The Alter, zl, m’Kelm, Horav Simchah Zissel Broide, quotes the Talmud Chullin 18a in which Chazal state, “If there would be a blemish/imperfection in the Mizbayach (even) like (that of) a hair breadth, it would abrogate the kedushah, sanctity, of the Mikdash.” As a result, none of the wondrous miracles that were manifest on a regular basis in the Bais Hamikdash would have occurred. …

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ויהי בחודש הראשון בשנה השנית באחד לחודש הוקם המשכן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Pekudei

And it was, in the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Mishkan was erected. (40:17)

Sefer Shemos is described by the Ramban as Sefer HaGeulah, the Book of Redemption. All that is contained therein is geulah-related. From the very beginning, when the Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians; to their liberation; followed by the splitting of the Red Sea; and the receiving of the Torah: all led up to the construction of the Mishkan for the purpose of Hashroas HaShechinah, establishing a resting place for the Divine Presence. Sefer Vayikra is where the avodah, ritual service, performed in the Mishkan is mentioned. Therein the various Korbanos, sacrificial offerings, are detailed. It is, therefore, surprising that…

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אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת אשר פקד על פי משה

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות

These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony. (38:21)

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות אשר פקד על פי משה

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

ויביאו את המשכן אל משה

They brought the Mishkan to Moshe. (39:33)

ומשחת אתם כאשר משחת את אביהם וכהנו לי

You shall anoint them, as you had anointed their father, and they shall minister to Me. (40:15)

כי ענן ד' על המשכן יומם, ואש תהיה לילה בו לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם

For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and the fire would be on it by night, before the eyes of all of Bnei Yisrael throughout their journeys. (40:38)

בחדש הראשון בשנה השנית באחד לחדש הוקם המשכן

In the first month of the second year on the first of the month that the Mishkan was erected. (40:17)

ויעש משה ככל אשר צוה ד' אותו כן עשה

Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him, so he did. (40:16)

ויהי בחודש הראשון בשנה השנית באחד לחודש הוקם המשכן

And it was, in the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Mishkan was erected. (40:17)

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