By Rabbi Yehoshua B. Gordon, Chabad.org
One of the central themes of the Torah portion of Pekudei revolves around the critical importance of blessings in our lives.
The parshah begins with a detailed accounting of the exact quantities of gold, silver, and copper donated by the people for the construction of the Tabernacle. As part of this accounting, the verse states, “100 silver talents were used to cast the bases for the Sanctuary... a total of 100 bases made out of the 100 talents, one talent for each base.”
Rabbi Jacob Ben Asher, the late 13th- and early 14th-century Biblical commentator known as the Ba’al Haturim, taught that the 100 bases in the foundation of the Tabernacle correspond to the 100 blessings that a Jew is mandated to say each day. Just as the bases formed the foundation of the Tabernacle, these blessings are foundational to our daily lives.
Upon completing the construction of the Tabernacle, the verse notes, “Moses saw the entire work, and lo! they had done it; as the L rd had commanded, so had they done. So Moses blessed them.”
Our Work, G d’s Blessings
Upon the completion of the Tabernacle’s construction, Moses blessed:
“May it be G d’s will that the Divine presence should dwell in the work of your hands. ‘And may the pleasantness of the L rd our G d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish for us, and the work of our hands establish it.’
The Tabernacle’s purpose was for G d to dwell within it, and the blessings express the hope for this to be realized.
The words “And may the pleasantness of the L rd ...” are from one of the psalms authored by Moses, and serve as the basis for the Havdalah prayer we recite each Saturday night. As we conclude Shabbat and commence our work week, we acknowledge that despite our efforts, our true success is dependent upon G d’s blessings. We can work day and night, we can exert tremendous effort, but if our work lacks G d’s blessing, we will not succeed.
And so, we pray, “G d, we’ve just left Shabbat. We’re ushering in a new week. Before we get to our first item of business, please, may the pleasantness and sweetness of Your blessings descend upon us. May the work of our hands be well established. We should succeed. It should click. We should be blessed.”
Blessings, blessings, blessings.
More Blessings
There are two components to a blessing, and more broadly, to life. The Torah says, “And the L rd, your G d, will bless you in all that you shall do.” What is the meaning of this verse? Is what you do the source of your living? Or is G d’s blessing the source of your living? If G d’s blessing is the source of your living, why do you need to go to work? If work is the source of your living, then why do you need G d’s blessing?
The answer lies in recognizing that we need both—blessings from G d channeled through the work we do.
Divine Dwelling, Manifested
When did Moses bestow this blessing upon the people? It was on the day the Tabernacle was first erected, as recorded in the Book of Leviticus.
There were seven days of consecration—from the 23rd of Adar until the 1st of Nisan—during which Moses erected and dismantled the Tabernacle, and performed the service (i.e., brought all the offerings) each day.
On the eighth day, the people erected the Tabernacle, and Aaron, the High Priest, offered all of the sacrifices. After concluding the service, Aaron blessed the people with the famous Priestly Blessings. Later, Moses and Aaron jointly approached the people and blessed them, saying, “May it be G d’s will that the Shechinah (the Divine presence) rest in the work of your hands.”
Why did they choose this particular blessing? Rashi explains: Throughout the days of consecration, when Moses erected the Tabernacle, performed the service in it, and then dismantled it daily, the Shechinah did not rest in it. The people felt humiliated and said to Moses, “All of our efforts were so that the Shechinah should dwell among us, so that we would know that we have been forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf!” Therefore, Moses answered them, “...Do [what the L rd has commanded], and the glory of the L rd will appear to you... Through [Aaron’s] offerings and his service the Shechinah will dwell among you.”
What was the litmus test for the Divine presence? If a G dly flame descended from heaven to consume the sacrifices. This did not happen during the first seven days, but on the eighth day, with the blessing of Moses and Aaron, it finally occurred. A flame descended onto the altar and consumed the offerings, and the people were elated! Mazal tov! They had achieved the very purpose of constructing the Tabernacle.
That is the power of blessings.
The Power to Bless
In our generation, we witnessed the power of blessings with the Rebbe. The Rebbe would stand, for hours on end, distributing dollar bills for charity, blessing each recipient with the words “blessing and success.”
We all work hard. We innovate, we plan, we have great ideas. Yet, we must always maintain focus—we must always be cognizant that the blessings come from G d.
May each and every one of us see tremendous blessings in every arena of our lives. May the Divine presence dwell in the work of our hands. May we merit to draw down the Divine presence, with the coming of our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days.
