Parashat Hashavua: Beha’alotcha
After almost a year camped at Har Sinai, with the Mishkan (Tabernacle) finally built, we read this week in Parashat Beha’alotecha that the time has come for Bnei Yisrael to resume their journey. The process of getting to this point reminds me of what we hope for in the process of learning, especially as the school year comes to an end. Initially, when the Torah introduces the Mishkan, it seems to be needed because God’s presence is not felt enough. They are therefore instructed by God, “וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה – take a gift for Me,” (Ex. 25:2) in order to “make a Mikdash for me – וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ.” (Ex. 25:8) Now that the Mishkan is complete, we see that God’s presence is always felt. וּבְיוֹם֙ הָקִ֣ים אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן כִּסָּ֤ה הֶֽעָנָן֙ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן לְאֹ֖הֶל הָעֵדֻ֑ת וּבָעֶ֜רֶב יִהְיֶ֧ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵ֖שׁ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃ – On the day the mishkan was set up, the cloud covered the mishkan, at the Tent of Meeting; and in the evening fire appeared above the mishkan until morning. This is how it always was – כֵּ֚ן יִהְיֶ֣ה תָמִ֔יד.” (Nu. 9:15-16)
What changed? Of course, the obvious answer is that initially there was no Mishkan, and now there is. To my mind, however, the difference in feeling God’s presence was not as much the Mishkan itself as it was the work that went into building it. Proof of this is how the shoresh of ע-ש-ה – which conjugates to create different words meaning making or doing something – is used more than one hundred times throughout the many chapters dedicated to the building process! All that work is what actually made their relationship closer.
Of course, simply doing the work is insufficient. Rather, that work needs to be “מְלֶ֥אכֶת מַחֲשָֽׁבֶת” (Ex. 35:33), done thoughtfully and with intention, as the Mishkan was. And learning also requires one to be actively engaged, with a sense of ownership. In the beginning, Bnei Yisrael were assigned a very secondary role when they were told by God “וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י / take for Me” and “וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י / make for Me.” But this week, even though Bnei Yisrael still take their cues from God about when to break camp and move on, Moshe is also told עֲשֵׂ֣ה לְךָ֗ שְׁתֵּי֙ חֲצֽוֹצְרֹ֣ת – make two trumpets for yourself,” in order to mobilize the camp in partnership with God - וְהָי֤וּ לְךָ֙ לְמִקְרָ֣א הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וּלְמַסַּ֖ע אֶת־הַֽמַּחֲנֽוֹת. (Nu. 10:2)
One could look at this “you / לְךָ” as applying primarily to Moshe’s partnership with God. Rashi explains that “the signal to travel happened in triplicate: by the word of the Holy Blessed One, by the word of Moshe, and by the trumpets / עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה הָיוּ נוֹסְעִים: עַ״פִּ הַקָּבָּ״ה וְעַ״פִּ מֹשֶׁה וְעַ״פִּ הַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת. (Nu. 10:2) The Siftei Kohen (Shabbatai ben Meir HaKohen, 1621-62) emphasizes the special status of Moshe when he imagines that “the Holy Blessed One said to Moshe, ‘You say ‘arise God’ and I arise, you say ‘return God’ and I return, which are between you and Me; but I want to elevate you and inform everyone that by your word I camp and by your word I travel, so ‘make for yourself’” trumpets [in order for everyone to hear how you influence Me] / אמר הקב"ה למשה אתה אומר קומה ה' ואני קם אתה אומר שובה ה' ואני שב, הם דברים שביני לבינך, אבל אני רוצה לעלותך ולהודיע לכל שעל פיך כביכול אני חונה ועל פיך אני נוסע, לזה עשה לך.”
The Or HaChaim (Chaim ibn Attar, 1696-1743), after reviewing several different explanations for these trumpets and for the word “you / לְךָ,” concludes with the expression, “there are seventy possible interpretations of the Torah / וְשִׁבְעִים פָּנִים לַתּוֹרָה,” meaning, many interpretations are legitimate. (BeMidbar Rabbah 13:16) May we, whether we are considering the phrase “make for yourself – עֲשֵׂ֣ה לְךָ֗,” or any other subject, strive for an expansive and inclusive perspective towards our tradition, towards knowledge more generally, and towards each other; and may we, like our ancestors, value hard work, and stay actively engaged in, and feel a strong sense of ownership of, the process of learning and growing.
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Jack Nahmod
Middle School Judaic Studies Head (Ivrit/Limudei Kodesh/Tefillah)
