Shmot’s Parting Shots
P’kudei is read by itself this Shabbat. Not with Vayakhel and HaChodesh, as it is 42% of the time. Not with Vayakhel and Para, as it is 18% of the time. Not even without Vayakhel and with HaChodesh (3%) or Sh’kalim (4%) or Sh’kalim AND Rosh Chodesh (7%). Just by itself. It happens a little over 26% of the time, but is not scheduled to be that way until 13 years from now. When it isn’t being Sh’kalim, Para, or HaChodesh, it is the Hafsaka (break) among the Four Parshiyot.

Of course, some of the P’kudei lessons will be presented in the Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary. But let’s focus on one significant theme of P’kudei in this Lead Tidbit (especially since some people have told me that this is all they get a chance to read - Ah, they are missing a lot of good stuff).

Bezalel did everything that G-d had commanded Moshe... They made all of the garments for Aharon, as G-d had commanded Moshe... These first two of the many (18 or 19, depends upon what exactly one counts) times the Torah tells us that people were doing what G-d had commanded. The first is very general and inclusive - Bezalel did ALL... The second one refers to all Bigdei Kehuna - all of them, no details - yet.

Then the Torah gets specific. Very detailed. They made the Eifod...

Remember that the intricate details of each garment were already set down in Parshat T’tzaveh. They are repeated here in P’kudei and there is a “they did what G-d had commanded to Moshe”. It says this twice with the Eifod - an additional time for the Avnei Shoham on the shoulder straps. The Choshen is described in 14 p’sukim worth of detail, and finishes with “as G-d had commanded Moshe”.

Then for the Me’il and the Kutonet, and the Tzitz. Each time, as G-d commanded Moshe. And then another general one when all the work was completed.

Now that everything was made, it all has to be put together to become the Mishkan. And again we find a general, inclusive: Bnei Yisrael did everything that G-d had commanded Moshe, followed by, “And Moshe saw that everything was done as G-d had commanded him (and he blessed the people)”.

After commanding the people to make all the pieces, G-d now commands Moshe to put it all together. And we see the same emphasis in the p’sukim. First a general, all inclusive, “Moshe did all that G-d had commanded”. (Before it was Bezalel and his crews who did all that G-d had commanded Moshe.)

And, once again, each part of the putting things together has a separate, as G-d had commanded Moshe. The phrase flies at us every two p’sukim for a while.

There’s really a lot to say on this topic, but let us suffice with this. General. Details. That covers the range of Jewish Life, not just the construction of the Mishkan. When it comes to broad concepts of Torah and Mitzvot, we should do “all that G-d has commanded... And when it comes to the nitty-gritty details of Halacha and Jewish Practice, we should also be the type of Jew who does all that G-d has commanded, and that Moshe has commanded.

Our commitment should be to the whole package deal of the Written Torah, the Oral Law, Rabbinic legislation, Tradition. Not to do things the way we feel like, but to do “all that G-d has commanded Moshe, so we do”.