Pekudei – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

“Betzalel… made/did all that Hashem commanded Moshe.” (38:22)

Rashi cites an interesting dialogue that took place between Moshe Rabbeinu and Betzalel. Moshe had instructed Betzalel to fashion the Aron Ha’kodesh and then make the Mishkan. Betzalel questioned the sequence, “Should one first make the furniture and then construct the edifice which will contain them?” Moshe responded, “Your name, Betzalel, means b’tzel Keil, in the shadow of G-d. Surely, you must have been standing in the shadow of G-d, for that is what Hashem commanded me.” The commentators perceive Moshe’s response to mean that Betzalel grasped Hashem’s command accurately. This would imply that Moshe Rabbeinu who was surely greater…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Pekudei

“Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him.” (40:16)

Throughout the parsha, we note how Moshe Rabbeinu acted in accordance with Hashem’s command – es Moshe; “to Moshe” (i.e., 39:1,5,7,21,26; 40:19,21,23,25,27). Should it not have said oso; “to him,” rather than “to Moshe” as the Torah expresses here? Are they not one and the same? Horav Elchanan Wasserman, z.l., was wont to say that Moshe did not attribute any significance to himself in regard to his position as Moshe, the quintessential leader of the Jewish People. There was Moshe – the man, and Moshe – the leader: two different people. It is as if Moshe, the man, was standing…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Pekudei

“For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and fire would be on it at night…throughout their journeys.” (40:38)

A Torah scholar whose life is Torah is a microcosm of the Mishkan. He is a living embodiment of the Mishkan, as Chazal say, “The Shechinah resides within each person who is worthy of being a repository for it.” Horav Yehudah Tzedaka comments that the Mishkan had two attributes: fire and cloud. Likewise, the Torah scholar should possess these two attributes. Cloud is an allusion to tznius, modesty. He should always be modest, unpretentious, “covered,” as if by a cloud. However, when the honor of Torah is at stake, he must act as a fire, with passion and zeal, not…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Pekudei

“These are the reckonings of the Mishkan.” (38:21)

The accounting of how the various donated materials were used for the Mishkan takes up a significant place in our parsha. Every detail, every amount, is reckoned and accounted for. Horav Moshe Feinstein, z.l., feels that the concept of a reckoning applies equally to every aspect of our lives at every moment of our existence. Just as the artisans were to account for their use of every ounce of material in their possession, so, too, must we be able to give an accounting for the wonderful “materials” and bounty that Hashem has given us. If we think about it, this…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Pekudei

“Betzalel… made/did all that Hashem commanded Moshe.” (38:22)

Rashi cites an interesting dialogue that took place between Moshe Rabbeinu and Betzalel. Moshe had instructed Betzalel to fashion the Aron Ha’kodesh and then make the Mishkan. Betzalel questioned the sequence, “Should one first make the furniture and then construct the edifice which will contain them?” Moshe responded, “Your name, Betzalel, means b’tzel Keil, in the shadow of G-d. Surely, you must have been standing in the shadow of G-d, for that is what Hashem commanded me.” The commentators perceive Moshe’s response to mean that Betzalel grasped Hashem’s command accurately. This would imply that Moshe Rabbeinu who was surely greater…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5760

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Pekudei

“Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him.” (40:16)

Throughout the parsha, we note how Moshe Rabbeinu acted in accordance with Hashem’s command – es Moshe; “to Moshe” (i.e., 39:1,5,7,21,26; 40:19,21,23,25,27). Should it not have said oso; “to him,” rather than “to Moshe” as the Torah expresses here? Are they not one and the same? Horav Elchanan Wasserman, z.l., was wont to say that Moshe did not attribute any significance to himself in regard to his position as Moshe, the quintessential leader of the Jewish People. There was Moshe – the man, and Moshe – the leader: two different people. It is as if Moshe, the man, was standing…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Pekudei

“For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and fire would be on it at night…throughout their journeys.” (40:38)

A Torah scholar whose life is Torah is a microcosm of the Mishkan. He is a living embodiment of the Mishkan, as Chazal say, “The Shechinah resides within each person who is worthy of being a repository for it.” Horav Yehudah Tzedaka comments that the Mishkan had two attributes: fire and cloud. Likewise, the Torah scholar should possess these two attributes. Cloud is an allusion to tznius, modesty. He should always be modest, unpretentious, “covered,” as if by a cloud. However, when the honor of Torah is at stake, he must act as a fire, with passion and zeal, not…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Pekudei

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

The Midrash relates that Hashem told Klal Yisrael, “When you made the eigel ha’zahav, Golden Calf, you angered Me by saying, ‘Eilah elohecha Yisrael,’ ‘This is your god, Yisrael.’ Now that you made the Mishkan using the words, ‘Eilah pikudei HaMishkan,’ ‘These are the reckonings of the Mishkan,’ I have reconciled with you.” We must endeavor to understand the significance of the word, “eilah,” particularly its role in the sin of the Golden Calf and its role in the reconciliation vis a vis the Mishkan. It seems that the primary sin of the eigal was the proclamation of, “This is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Pekudei

And they made the holy vestments for Aharon, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (39:1)

Aharon HaKohen demonstrates the paradigm of love for a fellow Jew. He was the “oheiv shalom,v’rodeif shalom;” loved peace and pursued peace. He sought to maintain relationships between Jews and between husband and wife. He set the standard for all of us to emulate. In our quest to follow in Aharon Hakohen’s noble example, we might over-zealously tend to ignore some basic precepts of the Torah. We might bend the rules in order to promote harmony among our fellow men. We might resort to employing unconventional methods for creating a more positive relationship between husband and wife – methods that…

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Pekudei

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

Sforno cites various differences that distinguished the Mishkan from its two successors, the Batei Mikdash. He posits that these differences ensured the Mishkan’s eternal viability, providing that it would never fall into the hands of enemies and be destroyed. First, the Mishkan contained the two Luchos: Second, it was initiated through Moshe Rabbeinu; Third, the avodah, service, was carried out through Isamar Hakohen and the Leviim. Fourth, the fact that Betzalel was the architect and builder of the Mishkan helped to guarantee its everlasting nature. Indeed, all those who occupied themselves with the building of the Mishkan were men of…

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“Betzalel… made/did all that Hashem commanded Moshe.” (38:22)

“Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him.” (40:16)

“For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and fire would be on it at night…throughout their journeys.” (40:38)

“These are the reckonings of the Mishkan.” (38:21)

“Betzalel… made/did all that Hashem commanded Moshe.” (38:22)

“Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him.” (40:16)

“For the cloud of Hashem would be on the Mishkan by day, and fire would be on it at night…throughout their journeys.” (40:38)

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

And they made the holy vestments for Aharon, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (39:1)

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

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