Pekudei
38:21 – 40:38
This week’s selection is somewhat
similar to last week’s reading - Vayak’hel.
Similar, but not exact. While
Vayak’hel seems to have been written describing the work as it had been assigned
and as it was being done, Pekudei is an accounting of what had been
accomplished – a final inventory if you will.
As we inventory the parashah, we
discover an inventory of all that had been made. Along with this accounting is another one
that is just as important. No less than
seventeen times is it mentioned “as the Lord commanded Moses”, and the other
two references of an accomplishment according to the command of the Lord are
directly referencing Moses (see 39:43 and 40:16).
Moshe has shown himself faithful in
the construction of the mishkan.
The
beginning of the manufacture of the parts of the mishkan could not have begun
less than 40 days after Shavuot since Moshe went back up on the mount for that
length of time following the golden calf incident. Erection of the mishkan occurred on the 1st
day of the 1st month of the second year, a mere fourteen days before
Pesach. Ergo, a mere 311 days was the
maximum amount of time between the commencement and completion of the
project. From that we must also subtract
forty-four or forty-five days for shabbatot (shabbats), so this whole project
took 267 or 268 days to complete.
Upon further investigation I
discovered that the gestation period for humans is 268 days according to
“research published in Human Reproduction”. As reported in the research,
“the researchers were
able to determine the exact
moment of ovulation and
implantation in the womb.
From these dates, they
were able to determine that
the time from ovulation
to birth is 268 days. Even with
that knowledge, the researchers
found that there is
STILL a potential five
week variability in the gestation
HaShem chose to dwell with His
people, and it presumably took a full gestation period of working days for the
mishkan to be built. Between fourteen
and fifteen centuries later, Yeshua would endure a gestation period as His
earthly tabernacle was developed.
As interesting as that is, I am
still drawn to the number of times we are told that Moshe did as the Lord
commanded. What a special spirit that
HaShem gave that man!
Much has been attributed to many
great leaders as Eisenhower, Churchill, Lincoln, Washington, and Alexander the
Great, but none had the temerity, the chutzpah of Moshe over so great a number
of people for so lengthy a period of time.
In my mind, Moshe has been unequalled in his ability to lead, and he has
only been surpassed by the One of Whom he was a shadow.
Our reading closes with a cloud over
the tent and the glory of the Lord having filled the tabernacle. When HaShem moves, the people move; when
HaShem is stationary, so are His people.
In this, let it be said that for the present time of our reading, the
people did as their leader, they did as the Lord commanded. May that be said of each of us also.
With the encouragement received from
this parashah, may we with vigor join together and say, “Chazak! Chazak!
Venischazeik! (Be strong! Be strong!
And may we be strengthened”!)
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