Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei
In Parashat Vayakhel, the craftsmen are selected for the specific job of making the vessels for the Tabernacle.
Moshe said to the Children of Israel, "See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel, son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah." (Shemot 35:30)
Why does the Torah use the extra word "see." Why not just say the verse without it? What does it add?
A Torah commentary by scholars of the 12th and 13th centuries known as Daat Zekeinim, suggests that the people were, once again, complaining to Moshe about favouritsm, since he entrusted the head craftsan job to his nephew, Betzalel. Therefore, he clarified his actions in great detail. "I initially assumed that I would be entrusted with this job, but G-d informed me otherwise. For the Tabernacle to bring atonement for the sin of the golden calf, G-d said we need someone who descends from a person who died trying to stop that sin. Only then will we be forgiven. That's why G-d picked a grandson of Chur, who was lynched trying to do the right thing during that episode."
This is quite hard to understand. Why didn't Moshe just tell the Jewish People he was simply following what G-d had instructed and that Betzalel was best suited for this job? Why the whole megillah? He was Moshe after all, the greatest leader to ever live, who was known as the ultimate servant of G-d. Shouldn't that be enought without any need for him to give further explanation?
We learn from this that you can have someone as humble, dedicated, and honest as Moshe, and yet, when a negative thought pops into the heads of those around him, he needs to take the time not just to defend himself but to give an explanation in a way that people willl understand. This way they will understand what he has to say and feel better about it.
Often in life, we have the feeling that we do not need to explain ourselves to others who may have jumped to the wrong conclusion. If we want to not only be in the clear but to achieve full cooperation from those around us, it is essential to share the reasoning behind our actions whenever possible. Whether it is with friends or co-workers, or siblings, we learn from this example that it is important to take the time and make the effort to explain why we acted the way we did.
Shabbat Shalom
Cantor Marshall Loomer
