Blessings at the Conclusion (and Beginning...)

Parshat Fekudei 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In the last verse of chapter 39, Moshe looks over all the work that has been completed, and after recognizing that everything was done exactly per instruction, ויברך אתם משה - he blesses the people. Or HaChaim notes the special nature of this blessing is because it was given by Moshe, the man of God. Had it been given by anyone else, he argues, the Torah would not have made any mention of it. 

What was the blessing? The Midrash has a couple of options: 

a. “May it be [His] will that the Shechinah [Divine presence] dwells in your handiwork.” 

b. “May it be [His] will that the evil eye not have any power over you, nor any enemy [have any power against] your handiwork” – because the Mishkan would ultimately be put into genizah in the bowels of the Holy Temple. 

[It should be noted that both of these examples have the language of יהי רצון, which might not actually include a reference to God, but may just be a blessing that "so it should be..."]

 The first blessing ("option a") is repeated by Targum Yonatan, Rashi, B’chor Shor, Rabbenu Bachaye. Rashi (and others) adds the verse ...ויהי נועם ה' אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו – "May God’s pleasantness be upon us and on the works of our hands," which is the closing verse of Tehillim 90 – a prayer composed by Moshe (it begins with תפלה למשה). Rabbenu Bachaye points out that specific connection, and Kli Yakar explains how Tehillim 90 is connected to the workings of the building of the Mishkan – noting, for example, that the Mishkan’s role was to bring back the majesty that was lost on account of the Golden Calf. 

 R Pinchas Horowitz (in his Panim Yafos) suggests a third option: 

    c. that the bracha he gave them was the blessing from Devarim 1:11 – God should add to you one thousand-fold and bless you as He has spoken. 

 Using a mathematical calculation of how the people were likely standing when they received this blessing, Rabbi Horowitz proves that Moshe’s blessing was that they should grow a-thousandfold. 

Chasam Sofer argues that Moshe’s blessing (he follows “option a” above, following the view that most accept) was given more because Moshe came to the realization that without God’s help, there was no way these people would have achieved what they achieved in making every item as per God’s instruction. Moshe’s blessing was therefore that they should move out of such shackles (so to speak) and find the skill and ability to do things with their own ability, perhaps honed over time. Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein – in his תוספת ברכה – similarly noted that the blessing was necessary, but more because the people themselves saw how much they had to do (beyond what they viewed as their skill-ability) seemingly without God helping them. They felt God was not “with them” in the process. He compares the creation of items here, in a seemingly-not-so-openly-miraculous way to the legendary “Shamir” worm of the Mikdash, noting that if the people did not have such a divine hand assisting them in the makings of the Mishkan, they may have felt bad… as if God would not actually “dwell among them” because He didn’t assist them in making the Mishkan in the same way He later would have a hand in the carving of items for the Mikdash .

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch breaks the blessing down into two parts. 

“Moshe bestows his highest blessing and expresses the fervent wish that this obedience in freedom should ever remain the chief characteristic of a Jewish life of mitzvos. That tefilla concludes with the words, ‘May Your work become manifest to Your servants and may Your glory remain with their children! May the bliss of God our Lord remain our lot; let the work of our hands be established upon us, and may You establish the work of our hands.’ ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו = freedom. ומעשה ידינו כוננהו = obedience. Only both of these together, in intimate union, assure us of the נועם, the bliss, that God prepares for us if we dedicate ourselves to Him as our Master.” 

 The blessing is on the one hand that we should have freedom – to choose to serve, and to want to serve the Almighty; and on the other hand, we should be blessed to be obedient to His word, so we are fulfilling our service of Him to the utmost. 

 This concept of the blessing, at this juncture, is reminiscent of blessings we will read of in Parshas Shemini, in Vayikra 9:22&23 – two blessings are given over there by Aharon and Moshe upon the conclusion of the dedication of the Mishkan, which is really at the inauguration - the beginning of the coming use of the Mishkan, in contrast to our parsha, where the blessing follows the completion of the process of making all the items of the Mishkan, before it is even assembled and put into actual use. Some of the opinions there point to Moshe using the same blessing from Tehillim 90, while others suggest Aharon was using the Birkat Kohanin, known at that time, though not yet recorded in the Torah (it is in Parshat Naso), in his own looking out for the welfare and safety of the Bnei Yisrael. 

 All of this begs a simple question – especially in light of the opening comment made by Or HaChaim. 

 Are blessings a good thing, a bad thing, or useless? Does it depend on who issues the blessing? 

Living in a society which includes Jews from different cultures, I am keenly aware of how Sefardim and many Israelis (many of whom are Sefardic or originate from Middle Eastern lands) venerate a Bracha. In fact, as a mohel I am often asked for a bracha – and at many brisses, there is a line of people waiting to get a blessing from the Sandak. 

While most people are asking to be blessed with Nachas, good health, parnassah, and a shidduch for their child (if their child is at that age/stage of life), I have found a unique niche in blessing people "to find Simcha in life." We all have windows of Simcha, usually surrounding milestone events. But we are commanded to serve God with Simcha – and sometimes we need to stretch to find that joy due to all the stresses life brings upon us. 

 Additionally, it is important to add that even though blessings given by people who are not Moshe Rabbeinu are not worthy of being written in the Torah, that by no means suggests those blessings are not of value. 

Blessings promote goodness, between those who are sharing in the blessing and between those who see and witness the care given from one person to another. That, in and of itself, is a blessing. Should we be asked to give a blessing, we should embrace the opportunity to give someone good wishes, and to bless upon them all that we wish for ourselves. When we put others first in that way, the blessings should be heaped back upon us, as Rabbi Horowitz put it, a thousand fold. 

 It may not be recorded in the Torah! But it is recorded in the hearts of those who share the blessings – and that is also a blessing.

There was a blessing at the conclusion of the construction of the Mishkan, and at the inauguration of the Mishkan. Ends… and Beginnings. We all need blessings and we benefit from blessings - both at the conclusion of projects, and when we inaugurate a new undertaking. May we be worthy of blessings at all times in between as well.