Community Magazine February 2021

12 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Words of Rabbi Eli J. Mansour לעילוי נשמתם של משה בן עליזה, יצחק הלל בן עליזה, והנרייט לאה בת עליזה, דוד בן גילה, רבקה בת גילה, יהושע בן גילה, משה בן גילה, שרה בת גילה, יעקב בן גילה, ואליאנה בת גילה. ולרפואה שלמה ליוסף בן אהובה מסעודה, שילת אהובה בת עליזה, ודניאל בן עליזה. Rewriting Our Story This period of the year is a time when many people struggle to keep their interest in the weekly Torah reading, which speaks a great deal, and in great detail, about the Mishkan , the portable Bet Hamikdash , which our ancestors constructed at Sinai. They carried the Mishkan with them throughout their travels, erecting it at each encampment so sacrifices could be offered there. In the latter section of the Book of Shemot, the Torah goes into the nitty-gritty particulars of the Mishkan , specifying precisely how the structure itself, and all its various appurtenances, were built. While this section might at first seem intimidating – and, dare we say, tedious – it goes without saying that there is endless depth and profundity in each and every detail in the Torah, this section certainly being no exception. The One Person Who Did Not Donate Here we will turn our attention to one oft-overlooked detail of the Mishkan ’s construction. This section begins with the opening verses of Parashat Teruma, where Gd commands Moshe to ask the people to donate the materials that were needed for the Mishkan . This proved to be the most successful campaign in the history of fundraising, as the people donated so generously that Moshe had to announce that they should halt further donations. The Midrash ( Vayikra Rabba 1) relates that although the nation responded with remarkable enthusiasm and generosity to the call for donations, there was one prominent member of the nation who did not donate anything – Moshe Rabbenu! Surprisingly, while Moshe was the one who instructed the people to contribute, and oversaw the entire project, he did not donate any materials. The Midrash tells, “ Hayetah nafsho shel Moshe agumah alav ” – Moshe felt despondent over having not participated in the donation of materials for the Mishkan . Gd consoled Moshe by assuring him, “By your life, your speech is more beloved to Me than everything.” The question is obvious. Why did Moshe not donate materials? The Sages teach that Moshe was a wealthy man. He certainly had what to contribute. Why didn’t he? And if he had a good reason not to donate materials, then why did he feel despondent and left out? The Hatam Sofer (Rav Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, 1762-1839) offers what might at first seem to be a simple answer – but which in actuality provides us with a profound, eye-opening insight. A number of sources teach that Gd commanded the people to construct the Mishkan in order to atone for the sin of the golden calf. Just 40 days after beholding Gd’s revelation at Sinai and jubilantly accepting the Torah, Beneh Yisrael betrayed the Almighty by fashioning a golden image of a calf, and worshipping it. To rectify this grievous sin, the people were now called upon to donate precious materials for a site that would be used to serve Gd. Accordingly, the reason why Moshe did not participate in the donation of materials for the Mishkan is plainly obvious – he did not require atonement. As the Mishkan was needed to rectify the sin of the golden calf, Moshe did not donate towards this project, as he took no part in the golden calf, and, to the contrary, he reprimanded and punished the people for this grave incident. However, as the Hatam Sofer acknowledges, this raises another difficult question: why does the Midrash describe Moshe as feeling