The terms leadership, accountability and transparency have been bandied about often since last summer’s snafu in Lebanon and over these past months with the host of open files on both the state attorney general’s and state comptroller’s desk.
Our Parsha Vayakhel is dedicated to teaching B’nai Yisrael about Shabbat which has always, until recent times, been the unifying, defining factor of Judaism. It alludes to all else — Yishuv HaAretz, Kiddushin, etc. It symbolizes the Jew’s faith in Hashem. The parsha begins by stating that “Moshe assembled the entire congregation of B’nai Yisrael…” (Perek 35, Posuk 1) However, Torah’s loshen (language) “Adat B’nai Yisrael”, in the context of learning the laws of Shabbos as related to the construction of the Mishkan seems to indicate a unity, as one, amongst the Assembly of the B’nai Yisrael.
The introduction of Parsha Vayakhel;”…These are the words that Hashem commanded you to do” (Perek 35, Posuk 1) is not merely an introduction but a rectification, a kapparah for the Chait HaEigel.
But there is question. Was Vayakhel meant only as a Mitzvah in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu and the Malchei Yisrael? Or was it also meant to have application for B’nai Yisrael throughout our travails in Galut, including our current troubled times where divisiveness, me-first self-centeredness and self-aggrandizement amidst a bitter war against murderous Arab terror threatens to destroy us from within in ways that the Arabs alone would never be able to accomplish were we truly “Adat B’nai Yisrael”?
The word Vayakhel — Assembling together of Kol B’nai Yisrael, introduces the building of the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting), the forerunner of the Beit HaMikdash, which serves as a kappara (atonement) for the Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf).
A few years ago, Rav Arye Gordon said on our Parsha;
Vayakhel, when used for Tov, is to actualize immense power and potential which is capable of being used for the most lofty, noble goals — building, growing and developing love for our fellow Jews, Kavod shel Shemayim V’Torah (man’s recognition of Hashem’s control of the world and Torah as Hashem’s blueprint for man’s service).
Vayakhel, when used for rah, is capable of being used, Heaven forbid, to undermine and destroy. Or if the vehicle, Vayakhel is not used at all, the reticence and inability of Am Yisrael to come together and even talk about unity is something for which we all would be held accountable.
Mida keneged Mida, Vayakhel of our Parsha, by Moshe Rabbeinu’s emphasis on the holiness of Shabbat and his appeal for funds and donations toward the building of the Mishkan, serves to rectify the previous misuse of gathering together. The message of Parsha Vayakhel seems meant to atone for the Chait HaEigel.
And perhaps in our times, our Vayakhel conjures up a tikkun, an atonement for the disunity among us which has rendered us ineffective in opposing a regime which is merciful to the cruel and cruel to the merciful as exemplified two years ago in the months and days leading up to the expulsion, as well as on Yom Pakuda; the days of the event itself.
Our Parsha Pekudei begins; “These are the accounts of the Mishkan (the Sanctuary), the Mishkan of testimony, which were drawn up on Moshe’s orders …” (Shemos, Perek 38, posuk 21 — Metsudah Linear Chumash, page 579).
In short, Pekudei is the accountant’s parsha, the parsha of crunching the numbers.
The Sefer L’lmod U’Lamed (Parsha Pekudei, pages 97-98) asks what the primary reason was for Moshe’s detailed accounting of the costs of the construction of the Mishkan. The Sages tell that “there were apparently some who suspected that Moshe might have keep some … contributions for his own use.” (L’lmod U’Lamed, page 98).
The Sefer “The Midrash Says” (pages 357-360)notes that Moshe Rabbeinu overheard mutterings among certain people, presumably sinful individuals such as Dasan and Aviram, who cast aspersions upon his (Moshe’s) honesty regarding the allocation of the people’s donations. Therefore, Moshe committed himself to account for the allocation and purpose of everything donated toward the construction of the Mishkan.
“The Midrash Says” (page 357) then relates that not only did Moshe account for all donations, but he “… gave his calculations to a second person, Ithamar Ben Aharon, for verification.” Perhaps this was the first real CPA-like audit.
Moshe Rabbeinu therefore was the model of, and set the standard for accountibility, oversight and transparency of leadership.
He is the prototype of a true Jewish Leader — humble, modest, without desire for self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment. His first and foremost thought was for the welfare and well-being of his nation — the B’nai Yisrael. Moshe Rabbeinu was above corruption and self-enrichment. Nobody owned him as he could not be bought.
If only the modern-day “leaders” of Medinat Yisrael — the prime minister and his cabinet; 120 Chavrei Knesset, even the so-called “religious” alignments, were to even begin to tip the iceberg of moral integrity, fiscal accountability and transparency and caring for one’s fellow Jew as himself, then each of them would have been no files under investigation by either the Attorney General’s office or by the state comptroller and no one would conjure up laws permitting the legalized ripping off one’s fellow Jews of their homes and possessions at legalized gunpoint without proper lawful and transparent restitution.
Leaders would set the tone and standard for the emulation by a unified Am (the people) who would then treat each other honestly and with loving compassion in their business and monetary dealings.
May we be zocha in this coming year that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard and the 3 captive Chayalim and the other MIAs be liberated and returned to us and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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