Continuing the Legacy of Rabbi Dovid Winiarz of blessed memory
“They shall take the gold and the [colored] yarns and the fine linen.” (Shmos 28:5)
Aharon and his sons, the Kohanim, were to have special garments made for their service in the Mishkan. Moshe was to direct the workmen, whose hearts inspired them, in their fabrication. Then, this posuk tells us, the workmen themselves were to receive the donations of the various wools and linen from the donors directly. Instead of Moshe or Betzalel collecting the donations and allocating them to the workmen, the craftsmen themselves would take the raw materials directly, and use them for their work. That is why when the people were bringing more than necessary, Moshe had to be told this. It was the workmen who knew what they had to make and what they had to work with who realized they had too much. They were the ones who alerted Moshe.
We must ask ourselves why this was the case. We know that in later times, when the Kohanim charged with maintaining the Bais HaMikdash did not follow through correctly, the money collected was taken and given straight to the workmen. But Moshe would certainly have been diligent and paid them. There must have been another reason that donations went straight to those who would use them.
There is a famous explanation attributed to R’ Chaim Volozhiner regarding Betzalel’s ability to understand a donor’s intent, thereby allocating it for a loftier or less sanctified use. Following this logic, we can infer a very good reason for the workmen to accept the donations directly.
The idea was for them to meet the people giving the donations so they could get a feeling for them. However, it wasn’t merely to identify whether their donations were altruistic or not. Rather, it was important for the craftsmen to connect with the donors on a personal level.
One who is working for a large organization may lose sight of the human element. He works for the company and does his job but he is not connected to the shareholders of the corporation. He doesn’t necessarily know the owner or head of the company personally. He doesn’t appreciate how his job directly affects others. If the workmen had received the materials from Moshe, they wouldn’t feel the presence of the donors.
But this was key. Everyone was inspired to contribute to the Mishkan in their own way. Some donated gold or silver, some donated other materials. Some people were inspired to weave, and some to smith metals. By bringing the donor and the craftsman together, their combined fervor and inspiration would contribute to the perfection of the finished item. That’s why the materials had to be handed directly from one to the other with no intermediary. The flow had to be constant.
We, in our lives, are also building a Mishkan, aiming to create a place for Hashem’s countenance to dwell within us. To best achieve this, we must make the connection with our fellow Jews; see what motivates and inspires them, and become inspired by them, just as the craftsmen in the Mishkan were.
The Ramban comments that the materials were not counted out and measured before they were given to the craftsmen. This is because they were trustworthy.
Though on the first day Moshe collected things and handed them over to the workmen, after that, they themselves accepted the donations and estimated what they needed.
We can learn two insights into human nature from this Ramban. First: when you have faith in the goodness and honorableness of people, they often live up to that trust.
Second, a good barometer of whether people are deserving of your trust is their motivation for doing things. If they are focused on themselves, and working for the money, they don’t really care about their tasks.
But people who feel they are working for a higher cause, for something meaningful or profound, will do what they need to, to reach that goal. There’s a great difference between being an aide and being a caregiver. And it lies in the mind and heart of the person doing it.
Amalek believed they were doing a great thing by destroying the Jews, which is why they exhibited self-sacrifice for it. We must realize that by living as Jews we are doing an even greater thing, and show we can be trusted to live up to our mission – thereby erasing their memory.
