Adapted from a shiur given by the Tolner Rebbe shlita, Pekudei 5770
לע"נ האשה החשובה מרת חוה חיה שרה ע"ה בת הרב נטע אריה ז"ל ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.
וַתֵּכֶל כָּל עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁכַן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵּד וַיַעֲשׂוּ בְׁנֵּי יִשְׁׂרָּאֵּל כְׁכֹל אֲשֶר צִוָּּה יְׁהוָֹּה אֶת משֶה כֵּן עָּשׂוּ – All the work of the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, was completed, and the Children of Israel did like all that Hashem had commanded Mosheh, so did they do.
Rashi comments: The Children of Israel did -- The work, like all that Hashem had commanded. The problem is that Rashi seems to merely be repeating what had already been stated in the possuk. What is he teaching us?
Actually, there is a slight change. The Hebrew word used in the possuk for the work of the Mishkan is avodas, while the word used by Rashi for that work is melachah. Is that significant?
The Unique Combination, The Mishkan, The Tent of Meeting
Our Possuk says, The Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting. Of the five parshiyos discussing the Mishkan, Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Sisa, Vayakhel, and Pekudei, this combination appears only in our Parshah (Pekudei), where it appears four different times. The first in this possuk; the second: On the day of the first month, on the first of the month, you shall erect the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting; the third: You shall put the Mizbe’ach of the olah-offering in front of the entrance of the Mishkan of the Tent of meeting; and finally: He placed the Mizbe’ach of the olah-offering at the entrance of the Mishkan of the Tent of meeting...
In other words, this combination is used twice regarding the erection of the Mishkan – understandably, in referring to its completion – and twice more regarding the Mizbe’ach of the olah-offering. But of all the components of the Mishkan, why is this combination used specifically regarding this Mizbe’ach – and twice at that!?
Mizbe’ach and Bamah
Before answering, we must differentiate between two words that loosely translate as “altar”: Mizbe’ach and Bamah. Loosely stated, the former refers to a specific altar that stood in a specific place in the Mishkan of the midbar, and the latter refers to more general altars. The category of bamah is subdivided to the bamah of an individual – an altar that could be set up anywhere (in specific times in the past) – and the bamah of the congregation which served as a type of replacement for the mizbe’ach (in specific times in the past).
Moshe’s Role in the Mishkan
Before applying this to our questions, we turn to Moshe’s role in the Mishkan. According to one view in the Gemara, he served as a Kohen Gadol for all forty years. Elsewhere, however, the Gemara says that Moshe served for the seven days of erecting the Mishkan in plain white vestments. Tosfos there asks how a Kohen Gadol can serve without wearing the seven vestments of a Kohen Gadol? The answer given is that during that seven day period it had the status of a bamah, and thus did not require vestments.
Three conclusions can be reached from careful study of that Tosfot. 1) Other than those seven days, Mosheh wore the vestments of the Kohen Gadol, 2) during the seven days of erecting the Mishkan, it had the status of an individual’s Bamah, and 3) on the eighth day, after the Mishkan was completed, it was considered a congregational Bamah.
No Individual Can Fulfill All 613 Mitzvos
In the commentary of the Ohr Hachaim on our possuk, he says that the Torah was given to be fulfilled by the totality of Israel; each one does what he can, and they give merit to each other. This is because it is impossible for any individual to fulfill all the mitzvos. The Jewish people include Kohanim, Leviim, and Yisraelim, as well as women; and certain mitzvos apply to one or more of these groups, but not to others. Thus, The Children of Israel did like all that Hashem had commanded Mosheh – some donated material, others did the work, and together they did all that Hashem had commanded. And so, he continues, this is written in proximity to making the clothing, to teach you that all are considered to have taken part in every detail.
From Individual to Congregational
Combining this coment of the Or Hachaim with the above-cited answer in Tosfos, we can say that on the eighth day, when everything was completed, all the different things done by all the different people combined to raise the Mishkan from the level of individual to the level of congregational. So, the work of Betzalel and his crew, the work of Mosheh, and the work of each individual Jew combined into one body. Much as one cannot say that the right hand did this and the left hand did that, so too, when bnei Yisrael are truly united with love for each other each gives merit to the other for the work he completed, and even a mitzvah fulfilled by a Kohen is considered to have been fulfilled by all of Yisrael. Thus, on the eighth day, all the work was considered to have been performed by all the people, men and women, and wise of heart as well as the common person.
The Work of Betzalel and Oholiav – Performed by All of Israel
We can now explain Rashi in a new way. Rashi wrote, “The Children of Israel did -- The work”. We asked what Rashi added to the possuk, and asked why Rashi changed from the word for work, Avodah, to the word Melachah, which also means work. There is, however, a difference between the two words. The Malbim says that any work performed for a specific purpose is called melachah, while work that involves a lot of toil and bother is called avodah. So Avodah in the context of erecting the Mishkan refers to the toil and bother of Bnei Yisrael, and Rashi changed to melachah, referring to the fine, goal-oriented work of Betzalel, Oholiav, and the other wise of heart, because they didn’t physically toil in erecting the Mishkan, but were involved in the plans, for others to implement and actually toil. Rashi purposely changed from avodah to melachah, to hint to the idea developed here, that on the day of the completion of the mishkan, bnei Yisrael ascended from the level of individuals to the level of a congregation, sharing the merit of each one’s individual actions with everyone else. Thus the melachah of Betzalel and his crew was ascribed to all of Israel, and the avodah of the people was ascribed to Betzalel and his crew. All this transpired on the day the Mishkan was completed, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, when the Mishkan changed from the status of an individual bamah to that of a congregational bamah.
This explains the unique name, The Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting. “Mishkan” refers to the special place where the Shechinah rests, and “Tent of Meeting” refers to the elevated nature of the place, the meeting-place between Hashem and Mosheh, and bnei Yisrael. The name, The Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, refers to a wholeness of all matters, not just the place where the Shechinah rests, which can apply to an individual, and not just a place of meeting, which can be at Mount Sinai and the like, but a place containing the entirety of the Jewish people, with the entirety of sanctity. This first occurred now, and is thus worthy of this title.
Similarly, the title, The Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, is appropriate for the Mizbe’ach of the olah-offering. The big change on the eighth day from an individual bamah to that of a congregation, is most evident in the service of the Mizbe’ach, on which is offered all the sacrifices that cannot be offered on an individual bamah. Thus, the Mizbe’ach of the olah-offering is uniquely suited to being called by the inclusive title, The Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting.
Parshas Hachodesh Represents the First Time That Bnei Yisrael Are Considered a Congregation
This idea of individuals becoming a congregation, applies to Parshas Hachodesh which is read this Shabbos, as well. The third possuk of Parshas Hachodesh states: Speak to the entire assembly of Israel, and a few pesukim later it says: ...the entire congregation of the assembly of Israel shall slaughter it. This is the first time in Jewish history that they are called entire assembly and entire congregation, for at this time they were elevated to the level of a single unit. In fact, the Pesach offering is an offering of an individual that is brought as a group offering, and has the laws of a group offering regarding Shabbos and Tumah.
Times When the Group is Considered Like Individuals
We thus find that this Shabbos, in which we will read Pekudei, concerning the day when the Mishkan combined the people into a single congregational unit, as well as Parshas Hachodesh, in which the Jewish people are called the entire congregation of the assembly of Israel, and the subject is the Pesach offering which comes as a group offering, is a time uniquely suited to awakening ourselves to unity of the hearts, which, unfortunately, is so lacking in this bitter exile, when we are dispersed among the nations and have divided ourselves into further sub-groups. Even within these sub-groups, the yetzer hara further divides us into families and sub-sub-groups. It is the duty of each of us to try with all our might – at least in these blessed days of Nissan – to achieve unity at least within families and friends. After all, ascending from the level of individuals to the level of a congregation is not self-understood. It requires work from the bottom of our hearts. The Shem Mishmuel cites his father, the Avnei Nezer as explaining the Gemara that says that the possuk: Those who go down to the sea in ships refers to individuals. He explains that regardless of how many people are in the ship, they are called individuals, because in a “group,” each member feels the pain of others as his own. In a ship, however, each person is involved in his own personal issues, and doesn’t really care about the other. Accordingly, they are considered individuals.
These Days Increase the Love and Unity in the Hearts of Israel
So the power of the group does not come on its own, but requires each individual to work at it, to feel the pain of others and the joy of his simchos. In this way, through love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship, we can merit ascending to the level of a congregation. In these days, when we read these two parshiyos, there is a greater ability to arouse love in the hearts, and to strengthen the power of unity. In this manner, we will merit the complete redemption speedily in our days, and be able to sacrifice the Pesach offering in its time. Amen, KY”R
