וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הָאֹהֶל וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָיו קְרָסָיו קְרָשָׁיו בְּרִיחָו וְעַמֻּדָיו וַאֲדָנָיו׃
Then they brought the Tabernacle to Moses, with the Tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its planks, its bars, its posts, and its sockets. (39:33)
Rashi, citing the Midrash, comments that they brought these parts of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) to Moshe because they themselves were unable to erect it. Moshe had done no work in the construction of the Mishkan so Hashem left for him the task of erecting it. Now the reason nobody was able to erect the walls of the Mishkan was because the weight of the boards was so great that no human strength was capable of setting them up. Moshe, however, succeeded in placing them in their positions. At first he said to Hshem, “How is its erection possible by human beings?” God answered him: “You be busy with your hands!”, meaning just start doing it. He appeared to be erecting it, but in fact it rose and set itself up on its own.
How then was Hashem’s desire that Moshe erect the Mishkan because until now he had no part of the construction fulfilled if he really wasn’t doing it? Was it because it looked that way?
Rabbi Meir Rubman, of blessed memory, explained that we see from here a very important principle in regard to our service of Hashem. It’s the effort that counts! Moshe has to do his part in raising the Mishkan. The rest is in the hands of Hashem. Once he’s done what he can do the final result is credited to him.
When we are faced with challenges or responsibilites that seem insurmountable or beyond our reach, we must do what we can, put our trust in G-d, and leave the rest up to Him. When with Hashem’s intervention our labor bears fruit, He credits it to us.
But we still need to understand something else. It seems that those involved in constructing the Mishkan tried to erect the boards but they couldn’t, as Rashi writes, ”for they themselves were unable to erect it.” Hashem wanted Moshe to do it. If so why then didn’t Hashem just tell Moshe that this is for him to do without others trying first?
Let’s ask another question. The Midrash cited by Rashi states that Hashem left for Moshe the task of erecting the Mishkan because, ”nobody was able to set it up because of the weight of the boards which no human strength was capable of setting up.” Was that something they only realized after they first tried? If yes then we can suggest that Hashem wanted them to try first in order that they realize that what Moshe would eventually do was miraculous and they would learn the lesson mentioned above that it’s the effort that counts.
Perhaps we can argue that even before they tried they realized that it was not humanly possible to do. After all, each beam was ten cubits high (a cubit measures between 1.5 -2 feet) and a cubit and a half wide, plated in gold. But like everything else involved in constructing the Mishkan and the Priestly garments that they weren’t trained to do but because of their willingness to try they were granted from Hashem the ability to perform to perfection, they would now continue with setting up the walls because it was time to do that. They weren’t granted the ability to do it because Hashem reserved that for Moshe.
But now our question returns. Why didn’t Hashem just tell Moshe that this was for him to do without others trying first?
Perhaps it was to teach the following. One can imagine how disappointed those who tried erecting the walls were after they were so wildly successful until now with their efforts and now they were failing. Even more, they saw that it was Hashem’s plan for Moshe to do it. They learned that there may be times that we want to accomplish something even in the service of Hashem but in His infinite wisdom He may want someone else to accomplish it.
Although we will be rewarded for our efforts, that may still be a hard pill to swallow. The lesson to them was that accepting what Hashem does not want from us is as important and meritorious as doing what Hashem does want from us.
After all’s said and done, we pray that our efforts (and non-efforts) be blessed with the blessing (cited in Rashi on 39:43) Moshe gave the people after seeing the completion of the Mishkan’s construction: “ ‘May it be the will of God that His Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands’; ‘may the pleasantness of Hashem our God be upon us – our handiwork, may He establish for us; our handiwork, may He establish.’ ” (Psalms 90:17)
Shabbat Shalom & Chodesh Tov!
Yitzchak