Pekudei
Ex. 38:21 – 40:38
Rabbi Baht Weiss
This week’s Torah portion, P’kedui means “records.” P’kedui gives us the blueprint for each material used in the construction of the miskan, the Tabernacle. Here we learn that each detail is important. There is a thoughtful and meticulous way that is essential to get things done properly. Rabbi Ruth Adar notes that this Torah portion is “as about as exciting as a corporation’s annual report. Our eyelids droop, and we space out.” There are just so many details. She recognizes how much more exciting it is to read about the heroic stories of the Torah. But as she points out, “we can intend to feed the hungry, but for it to happen, someone must gather the funds, buy the ingredients, cook the food, distribute the meals, and provide an accounting to the donors where their contributions went. Similarly, we can have the best intensions to comfort mourners, but unless someone disseminates the information concerning when and where shivah will take place, the mourners will feel abandoned. Torah calls us to honor life’s details.”
As someone who is engaged in the daily dealings of synagogue life, I am well aware of how much planning and detail goes into each of our events, programs, life-cycle events and services. It can be hard to be patient with planning all these details, but they are vital to the successful implementation of our activities. You need a strategic vision and step by step plan.
A midrash (Pirke de Rav Eliezer) teaches that at the beginning of creation, God was unable to create the world. No matter how many times and how many different ways God tried to arrange them, the parts wouldn’t fit together. The universe kept collapsing because God had no diagram nor design. God said, “I need an overall plan for My world. I want to it to be One, as I am One.” “I know what I will do,” thought God, “I will use Torah as a blueprint for creation and that way the parts of the world will fit together, and my Torah will be everything inside.”
In addition to careful planning, pekudi, record keeping is essential to any organization. When Moses puts out the call for donations to the mishkan, the Israelites respond in droves. They bring all their gold, silver, precious jewels, and fine linens to help. In fact, there are so many donations, that Moses had to ask people to stop bringing gifts. Can you imagine such generosity?
According to the midrash Tachuma (Pekudei 7) some of the people begin to wonder whether they can really trust Moses with their valuables. After all, it would be easy for him to pocket a few diamonds or assume that no one would miss a bar of gold. Moses hears this talk in the camp and calls for a public accounting of the materials. The midrash suggests that the first words of the Torah portion, “Pikeudi- Records-introduce a public accounting. According to the midrash, Moses lists every single gemstone, piece of gold and scrap of cloth and shows that each has its place in the mishkan.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs suggests that this is why this accountability comes at the end of the book of Exodus. The midrash does not criticize or punish people who question Moses’ honestly. Quite, the contract, it is welcomed.
Transparency and accountability are necessary components of any healthy organization and any religious or political leader. In last week’s Torah portion, we learned about the first building fund, and in this week’s Torah portion we learn about the first annual report. God was a wise CEO. God created a world careful and methodically and then entrusted us to be forthcoming and accountable for our deeds. We too should be such careful and thoughtful planners and remain accountable for our actions.