Trust: Parashat Vayaq’hel/Sheqalim

Posted on by

0

 arms

Torah Sparks
Exodus 35:1 – 38:20

This Torah portion takes us from the realm of planning to the realm of doing, from conceiving to executing. The plan and conception was all about creating a holy Tent of Meeting for God and Israel. The plans were elaborately laid out in preceding Torah texts. But now they are actually put into practice. The collection of materials, generously donated by good-hearted people, takes place. The organization of willing laborers, designers and artisans is achieved. The work commences and is brought to completion.

But the Torah does not simply repeat itself and the execution of the plan does not simply copy it. We read that the response of the Israelites went ‘way beyond what was needed to meet the goals set. Moses has to intervene and put a stop to the outpouring of gifts brought by the Israelites. The Israelites have outdone themselves; they have exceeded God’s own expectations! (This is a perennial source of rueful humor for every congregation that struggles to meet its budget and pay its bills.) The summing up of this amazing situation states: “The work (m’lakhah) was sufficient to do all the work (m’lakhah), and more.”

Commentators have noticed the repetition in the verse. The word “work” is included twice. We know what the “work” to be done was. It would have been simpler to say “the materials collected” were more than sufficient for the work to be done. What “work” was “sufficient and more than sufficient” for that other “work”?

Rashi explains that the “work involved in bringing” all the materials was more than enough. Notice that he does not refer to the work involved in collecting the materials. He is not thinking of the phone banks set up to solicit donations. We already know that the response has been overwhelming. The flow of donations had to be stopped!

Rather, he points to the very bringing of the donations. We may allow ourselves to imagine a hectic atmosphere in which each donor did not simply bring their gift and leave. In their enthusiasm, each wanted their gift to be immediately put to use. Perhaps they also had very specific ideas about where and how their donation should be used. But this was way beyond what was needed. The gifts of the donors required hearts of generosity. But the donors were also in need of faith in those who would execute the next step. Not every donor, as “generous-hearted” as she or he may have been, was also endowed with the “wisdom of the heart” needed to achieve the implementation of the goal they all held so dear.

In our own time we struggle with this tension, as well. Often amazingly generous donors also feel that they can direct the use of their gifts in very detailed ways. Sometimes trust in the “wisdom of heart” of the designers, artists and workers who labor to bring our dreams into reality is withheld. Sometimes donors have second-guessed the very commitment of these workers, artists and planners, questioning whether they are devoted to the same goal.

On the other hand, sometimes donors place too much trust in the charismatic figures who inspire them. They do not sufficiently investigate whether their gifts are really being put to proper use.

Moses was wise enough and effective enough to guide this sacred campaign and to halt any kind of excessive intervention. But that was at a time when we shared the same goals and had explicit Divine instructions for realizing them. Now we live with commitments to divergent goals and confusion regarding attaining them. Now we must find within our own hearts, not only generosity and trust, but also our own “inner Moses” to tell us whether the goal is worthy and when our efforts are not yet enough, enough, or too much.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi David Greenstein


Subscribe to Rabbi Greenstein’s weekly d’var Torah

 

collage of images: “MaAnna” © K. Kendall; “Arms Crossed” © Jaysin Trevino; “Arms Crossed Effected” © Zoë Biggs all used with permission via Creative Commons License

Latest posts by Rabbi David Greenstein (see all)

What do you think?