A Versatile Sedra

10.6% of the time, P'kudei is the sedra of Parshat Sh'kalim, and at the same time is either Rosh Chodesh (3.9%) or Machar Chodesh (6.7%). 26.2% of the time it is the HAFSAKA between Sh'kalim and Zachor (as it is this year). The 36.8% of the years so far, accounts for the 13-month, double Adar years. 18.1% of the time, P'kudei(together with Vayaqhel) is on Shabbat Parshat Para. 41.7% of the time, P'kudei (together with Vayaqhel) is on Shabbat Parshat HaChodesh. And a rare 3.3% of the time, P'kudei is HaChodesh by itself. It is the only sedra that is always within the 5 or 6 Shabbatot range of the Four Parshiyot. (There is at least one, andsometimes two, hafsakot within the sequence of the Four Portions.)

I hope the above was satisfying for fellow stat-heads and not too off-putting (as the British seem to say) for those who don't know a Mitzva Density from an Earned Run Average (l'havdil). The point is that as "busy" as P'kudei is, and as often as we get "side-tracked" by other topics and overlook P'kudei, this year, asthe HAFSAKA Shabbat, and unattached from Vayaqhel, we can look into the sedra on its own and hopefully draw some insights that are often overlooked.

For example... At the beginning of the sedra we are reintroduced to Bezalel who (as we are taught from Drashot on the wording in the p'sukim) had an enthusiasm and an innovative spirit that manifest itself in some of the changes in order between the commands of T'ruma and the carrying out of the commands in Vayaqhel and P'kudei. Bezalel was NOT a ROSH KATAN. He approached his work with his many talents and his Divinely inspired intellect and powers of perception. We can learn much from him and the way the commentaries speak of him.

For example... From the description in the Torah of the accounting given by Moshe and witnessed by Bezalel and Aholiav (with Itamar involved in the reckoning as well), we learn how carefully a public official must keep accounts and how carefully he must report to the people he serves. Baal HaTurim says that the VAV in P'kudei(which could have been left out, as is the usual grammatical style of the Torah) points us to the 6 hundred thousand (Bnei Yisrael) who were witness to Moshe's accounting, so that no one would suspect him of any impropriety.

And for example, the repeated phrase - "...as G-d had commanded Moshe." The concept as applied to the construction of the Mishkan can be applied by us in our everyday life as Jews. Just like the Torah does not reserve its statement until the whole job is done, but rather takes each phase by itself, evaluates it, and concludes that it was done properly, so too should we apply this to what we do. We should not just look at ourselves as overall religious, but we must ask and answer questions about every action and deed. One gets up in the morning, gets dressed and davens. Was this done properly - deed and kavana-wise? The answer should be, that we behaved "as G-d commanded us.

And breakfast and going to school or work, conduct of business, Torah study, interpersonal relations, opportunities for doing Chessed...

Break down your day into 10 or 20 components, each different from the others, and see how often we can echo the phrase, "just as G-d commanded Moshe".

Many lessons to be learned from P'kudei when we are not preoccupied with other calendar issues.

A TT reader (can't find his name now; wanted to acknowledge him) reminded me of one of my favorite DIKDUK rules (because of what it produces). Under certain circumstances, the DAGESH (dot) in a BET, KAF, PEI (and three others, but these are the "fun" ones) drops out. This week's sedra is EILAEH F'KUDEI. The best is probably PURIM. In the Megila it says, "therefore they called these days - FURIM". FARA ADUMA. Slightly different grammar rule applies to PICHOL, who is never called that; only FICHOL. Here's a good one (because most people don't notice it.) What's the bracha on the fragrant spices at Havdala? Look carefully. It's BOREI MINEI V'SAMIM. More to come