Moshe's Blessing

Parshat Fekudei

 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

 

“Moshe saw all the work, and behold they had done it. Just as God commanded, so they did. And Moshe blessed them.” (39:43)

The second to last chapter of the book of Shmot ends with an odd statement, essentially repeating that the people did as they were supposed to. On the one hand, they completed the work (which had obviously been put in motion because God commanded it). On the other hand, they did it just as God commanded. And they were blessed for it. Or HaChaim notes that plain blessings exchanged between people do not normally get mention in the Torah, but this blessing, because it is coming from Moshe, is clearly deserving of honorable mention.

What was the blessing?

The Zror HaMor suggests it was simply a hearty “Yasher Koiach” – amazing job sentiment.

Most commentaries raise one of two related possibilities. Firstly, “The Shechinah should rest in the product of your handiwork.” (Midrash Aggadah). Rashi’s elaboration of this is the second most popular "blessing possibility," that Moshe declared one of the 11 “songs” of Tehillim 90, specifically verse 17, “And may the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the work of our hands establish for us, and the work of our hands establish it.” (The “Vihi Noam” verse). These approaches will be explained further after we explore other possibilities of what Moshe’s blessing was.

Midrash Aggadah raises a different possibility, “That the Ayin Hara (Evil Eye) should not have any dominion over you, and should not be an enemy to your handiwork.” The Midrash here notes that this was also a blessing for the future treatment of the Mishkan when it would be stored away in the tunnels of the Temple after it will have been retired.

Utilizing the formulation of Rabbenu Bachaye, the Kli Yakar postulates that the double usage of language of completed work, Avodah (39:42) and Melacha (39:43), is meant to reflect similar language as utilized in the depiction of Maaseh Bereshit (the account of Creation in Bereshit 1-2). In this sense, when Moshe is looking over what they’ve accomplished, he sees how they have completed the model of the Mishkan, which is a reflection of Creation. Perhaps his blessing them after the work is done, echoes God’s blessing the Sabbath when He finished  His work of the 6-days of creation. This would indicate a blessing supporting their efforts, and a sanctification of what they've done in the parallel to Shabbat.

Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz (Panim Yafos) notes that Moshe looked out upon the people, who somehow fit in the courtyard of the Mishkan, and utilizing mathematics of such a miraculous impossibility, he quotes Rabbi Yosi (ala the Yalkut Shimoni) who says the blessing was “May the Lord God of your forefathers add to you a thousandfold as many as you are, and may He bless you, as He spoke concerning you!”  (Devarim 1:11)

The Alshich begins with a unique possibility, that Moshe blessed both God and Israel. To God: “You should continue Your abundant blessings to Your people below.” To the people: he blessed them for their efforts.

In his view, the two verses that started the command for making the Mishkan (25:8-9) were in fact a two-part blessing. God had said, “They shall make for me a sanctuary” and “And I will dwell amongst them.” God’s blessing, as it were, was that they people should merit to be so righteous, to be worthy of such a blessing of having His presence be amongst them. The verse which follows is the instructions for how to achieve the two-sided blessing. Do “As all that I will show you” [make the sanctuary] and “So should you do” [Have Me dwell amongst you.]

“Moshe saw they had done it and behold they did it” (39:43), namely that they made the Sanctuary and merited to have God’s presence descend to the Mishkan, but it was only Moshe who saw this because he was blessed with the Divine spirit (Ruach Hakodesh). This is why Moshe knew they were worthy of being blessed.

Alshich goes on to analyze how “Vihi Noam” was the blessing. (See Rashi as noted above) Moshe emphasized “Maaseh Yadeinu” (the work of our hands) because the Israelites were afraid that God’s Shechina would not make an appearance on account of the aftermath of the Eigel (Golden Calf). The Shechinah (as it were) did not appear in the 7 Inauguration Days. So perhaps Moshe was intimating that since the Eigel emerged from the fire on its own (32:24) – and since it wasn’t “us” but “them” (ie the Erev Rav) who made it – the Mishkan should bring the Shechinah. In every sense the Mishkan is the antithesis of the Eigel. We “made it” (it didn’t emerge). And “we” made it (not the Erev Rav).

Jumping on this band wagon, The Chasam Sofer notes that the blessing came because their work had all been done “l’shem shamayim” – with the proper intentions, untainted by ulterior motives or thoughts. Netziv adds, “You did this all out of your love for God.”

Moshe was blessing the people that God should look at what this is, in comparison to what it is not (Eigel), and He should “Establish it.”

Perhaps all of this blessing of the people really inspired Moshe, as he noted their dual behavior which – in his view – clearly warranted a blessing. Their having built the Mishkan, and their having brought God’s presence was so noteworthy, that “Moshe did all that God commanded him. So he did.” (40:16)

When it comes down to being inspired, imitation is the best form of flattery. Moshe clearly noted that the behavior of the Bnei Yisrael in making the Mishkan was something he admired. When it was his turn to put together the Mishkan, he too wanted to behave in a manner which, in his mind, was clearly worthy of a blessing.

We should all be similarly inspired to imitate those whose behavior and whose service of God is worthy of blessings.