This Shabbat we study the Parsha Pekudei, meaning “Amounts of” (Exodus: 38:21). An accounting is made of the gold, silver and copper donated by the people for the making of the Mishkan, Betzlel and Aholiav. Their assistants make the eight priestly garments—the apron, breastplate, cloak, crown, hat, tunic, sash and breeches—according to the specifications communicated to Moses in the Parshah of Tetzaveh. The Mishkan is completed and all its components are brought to Moses, who erects it and anoints it with the holy anointing oil, and initiates Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood. A cloud appears over the Mishkan, signifying the Divine Presence that has come to dwell within it.

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Chabad.org

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Next Thursday, March 21 (11 Adar II) the dawn-to-nightfall fast of Esther begins, commemorating Esther’s fasting and praying to G-d that He save His people. It is customary for the fast to occur on the day before Purim, but this year it occurs on a Thursday because Purim is on a Sunday. Consult your local Orthodox synagogue to learn the time.

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Writes Rabbi Menachem Posner: “There are many lessons to be learned from Esther, who displayed humility, bravery, faith and devotion. One deeply telling facet of her brilliance is how she prepared to meet the king and beg for the life of her people. She knew that she was entirely at his mercy, yet instead of preening or otherwise working to amplify her charm, she fasted and prayed. Esther knew that as important as it is for us to act, G-d’s help is what really matters. With Gd on her side, even an unadorned and weak woman could sway the mind of an all-powerful monarch.”

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The letters of a Torah scroll only have meaning and sanctity as parts of the whole. And yet, if a single letter is missing, or even if a single letter is not entirely surrounded by its own empty space, the sanctity of the entire Torah is compromised. So too, it’s your differences that make you essential. Because the same essential core that bonds your community as one is the same essential core that declares that you must be who Gd made you to be and no one else.

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Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

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The sanctuary was built in the desert, and it traveled with the Jewish people in all their journeys through the wilderness. This teaches and emphasizes the important principle that it is possible to establish a place of holiness even in a desert. Just as there is a physical desert, so too there is a spiritual desert which is governed by the most harmful ideas, by desolation and emptiness in matters of Torah and mitzvot. The latter may exist even in a land that is, physically speaking, a blooming garden. The Torah thus teaches us that when we find ourselves in such a spiritual wasteland, we can-and must-establish a sanctuary. Moreover, we can-and must-carry it forward, following in the “footsteps” of the Divine Presence, as it were, until we reach the Divinely blessed Holy Land, i.e., the true and complete redemption by Moshiach!

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From an article by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet

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The long and involved process of building the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was finished. The artisans and tradesmen had worked for months, each at their specialized craft. Thousands of volunteers had devoted themselves to building a palace for Gd.

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Moses, the lead contractor, was understandably relieved to have finished the job, up to spec, on budget and on time. He could have been forgiven had he taken some time off for R&R but he had one last responsibility to complete before inaugurating the structure: he published a detailed accounting of every single last cent that had been solicited and spent on the project. He was so faithful to his mission that the Torah is able to specify in mortifying detail how the minutest amounts of gold and silver were spent. Even the tiny silver hooks holding up the curtains were individually spread-sheeted and accounted for. R’ Meir Shapiro, illustrious dean of my grandfather’s yeshiva in Poland, had a slightly acerbic take on the scrutiny that fundraisers are subjected to (perhaps due to the difficulties he encountered when establishing the famed Chachmei Lublin seminary).

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He pointed out that when they sinned by making and worshipping the golden calf, the people bought all their gold and just one little idol was produced. And guess what, everyone was happy. No demand for accountability, just an acceptance that you have to pay for pleasure. Yet when it came to contributing to the mishkan, different standards applied. Some people gave only a single half-shekel coin and yet they demanded and received a precise reckoning.

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No one is denying the responsibility on charitable organizing for open books and financial accountability. People who give of their hard-earned have a right to be assured that it’s all going to a good cause. Yet, it is sad that these same people would have no compunction at blowing a wad of gelt on a night out on the town, or a fancy electronic gadget. Our challenge as consumers is to give to charity with largesse and carefully budget the money we lavish on luxuries.

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From an article by Rabbi Elisha Greenbaum

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