The Ohr Hachaim explains the first word of the possuk אֵלֶּה – these are. The Gemara writes that this word is used when the Torah wishes to tell you to ignore others. These, and only these, are the reckonings of the Mishkan. The Ohr Hachaim explains that people count many things; anything that is important to a person is counted. People count their money, their possessions, their achievements, and their successes.
This possuk tells us that none of those reckonings are worthy. He writes that even the word ממון is a combination of מה אתה מונה – what are you counting? Counting money is foolish, it has no real value. The only important reckoning a person can make is that which is used for a Mishkan for Hashem. The possessions a person uses to build a house for Hashem to dwell in this world have intrinsic value and should be counted and treasured.
The Ohr Hachaim adds that Chazal tell us that there is no blessing in something that is counted, weighed, or measured. However, this reckoning does not have that problem. The reckoning a person makes to bring himself more Zechusim is important and brings Beracha into his house.
Forgiveness for the Egel
The Ohr Hachaim then offers an entire new reading of this possuk.
The Gemara tells us ‘if you have done packages of Aveiros, you should correspondingly do packages of Mitzvos.’ Klal Yisroel sinned and made a Golden Calf. When they did so, they said אֵלֶּה אֱלוקיךָ יִשְׂ רָאֵל – these are your gods Yisroel. They used the word אֵלֶּה to sin. Now that they were at the stage of repairing the aveira they had done, they also used the word אֵלֶּה.
The Medrash, quoted by Rashi, indeed explains the words מִשְׂ כַּן הָעֵדֻת- the Mishkan of witness, that the Mishkan gave witness to the fact that Hashem forgave the aveira of the Egel.
The Ohr Hachaim then proceeds to explain how many of the Mitzvos of the Mishkan correspond to the aveiros they did with the Eigel.
Klal Yisroel demanded קוּם עֲשֵה לָנוּ אֱלוקים אֲשֶּר יֵלְׂכוּ לְׂפָנֵינוּ – arise and make us an idol that will go in front of us. The purpose of the idol was to travel in front of them and show them the way. Indeed, they built a Mishkan, where Hashem’s Shechina will rest and show them how to act and where to go. The Mishkan was the Heavenly, permitted and desired, version, of that which they demanded from Aharon Hacohen.
They built a Mizbeachוַּיִבֶּן מִזְׂבֵחַּ......וַּיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַּיַּגִשוּ שְׂ לָמִים – and he built a Mizbeach.....and they offered up burnt offerings and they brought peace offerings close. So too, in the Mishkan, their job was to bring Korbanos.
They gave their gold for the Eigel, they now gave their gold for the Mishkan. They removed their earrings for the Eigel, now they not only gave their earrings rather from all their jewelry, as we explained in last week’s Parsha. They appointed people to collect the money for the Eigel, here Bezalel and Ahaliav were appointed as the leaders of the Chachmei Lev – the wise at heart.
So too when they began the Eigel they said אֵלֶּה אֱלֹוקיךָ יִשְׂ רָאֵל – these are your gods Yisroel, now they said אֵלֶּה פְׂקוּדֵי הַּמִשְׂ כָן.
The Ohr Hachaim offers another explanation of this possuk based on the Mishkan being a Kappara for the Golden Calf.
The Gemara tells us that idol worship is equivalent to all other aveiros in the Torah. Obviously, when they needed a Kappara for this aveira, they needed something that was also equivalent to the entire Torah.
When the Torah writes the word פְׂקוּדֵי, the Targum describes it as referring to the Mitzvos. The Torah is saying, ‘This is the Mitzvos of the Torah that was commanded, etc.’. All of the Mitzvos of the Torah that Moshe was commanded are included in the Mishkan, and this is how the Mishkan could achieve a Kappara for Klal Yisroel’s aveira of the Egel.
This is called עֲבֹדַּת הַּלְׂוִיִם – the work of the Leviim. The Torah is preventing us from making a specific mistake. The service of Korbanos, prior to the Egel, was in the hands of the firstborn sons. When Klal Yisroel sinned with the Golden Calf, the service was removed from the hands of the firstborn sons and given over to the Leviim.
Now that Klal Yisroel was forgiven for the Egel, someone may think that the world returns to its previous state, and the firstborn sons are the ones to perform the service in the Mishkan.
The Torah writes specifically that even after Klal Yisroel was forgiven, it was still the עֲבֹדַּת הַּלְׂוִיִם.
This was not only regarding the Mitzvos that concern the Cohanim, or the Leviim that perform the higher level of service of carrying the Aron. Even that which was בְׂיַּד אִיתָמָר בֶּן אַּהֲרֹן הַּכֹהֵן, which was the lower level of carrying the boards of wood and their sockets, was removed from the firstborn sons and transferred to the Tribe of Levi.
Proof to Moshe’s Honesty – Mishkan Ha’edus
The Ohr Hachaim has yet another explanation for this possuk. Moshe reckoned the precise amount of each precious material that was donated for the Mishkan and how it was used. How do we know that it was truly so? How do we know that Moshe wasn’t pilfering some of the precious materials on the side?
To this, the Torah answers מִשְׂ כַּן הָעֵדֻת- the Mishkan of witness. The Mishkan itself gave witness that nothing was stolen. How so?
When the time came to set up the Mishkan, everyone attempted to set it up, with no success. The Leviim, the Chachmei Lev, the elders of Klal Yisroel, none of them could erect the Mishkan. Yet, when Moshe Rabbeinu attempted, it went up at the first try. Moshe Rabbeinu had the Shechina’s assistance, Hashem’s Divine spirit rested on his actions. If there would have been the slightest hint of financial impropriety, if Moshe Rabbeinu would have kept anything for himself, he would not have this Divine assistance, and he would not have been able to set up the Mishkan.
The Mishkan served as a witness to Moshe Rabbeinu’s integrity. It served as a proof that the reckoning was accurate, down to the last penny.
A person may still suspect Moshe Rabbeinu, discounting the proof from Moshe’s success in erecting the Mishkan. Someone may claim that the Mishkan was extremely heavy, and Moshe had supernatural physical strength.
His success in lifting the boards of the Mishkan was not a sign of his Divine assistance, merely of his upper body strength. To this the possuk continues עֲבֹדַּת הַּלְׂוִיִם בְׂיַּד אִיתָמָר בֶּן אַּהֲרֹן הַּכֹהֵן - the work of the Levites, under the charge of Itamar the son of Aharon, the priest. The Leviim had a job to do with this Mishkan. Their job was to dismantle the Mishkan when the time came to leave their camp, carry the boards, carpets, vessels, and other equipment to their new camp, and erect the Mishkan there. They had no problems doing so, once the Mishkan had been set up by Moshe. It was obviously not too heavy for normal people to lift. Only when it had to be set up for the first time were there any problems, and only with Divine assistance could they do so. Moshe merited this Divine assistance, and would not have done so if he had pilfered any of the gold or silver.
This is why the possuk adds at the end that this was the work of the Leviim. Even though the Mishkam was the work of the Leviim, and it was possible for a human to lift it, it was still only Moshe who could do so at the beginning.
Someone else may think that it was not Moshe’s integrity that brought him Divine assistance. Rather, Moshe was an extremely wise man, and he had some trick up his sleeve that allowed him to lift something that others could not.
To this, the Torah continues וּבְׂצַּלְׂאֵל בֶּן אוּרִ י בֶּן חוּר לְׂמַּטֵה יְׂהוּדָה עָשָה אֵת כׇּל אֲשֶּר צִוָּה ה' אֶּת מֹשֶּה: וְׂאִתּוֹ אׇּהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְׂמַּטֵה דָן חָרָש וְׂחֹשֵב - And Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur from the tribe of Yehuda, made all that Hashem commanded Moshe: And with him was Oholiav the son of Achisamakh from the tribe of Dan, engraver, designer, and embroiderer.
Bezalel was a sagacious man, he even figured out that which Hashem commanded Moshe and Moshe did not tell him. Ahaliav was quite talented, as the Torah says. But they too could not erect the Mishkan on their own. Only Moshe could do so, and that was through Divine assistance only.
