This week’s Parshah opens with the list of raw materials that were needed in order to build the Tabernacle and the clothes of the High Priest. “This is the portion that you should take from them: gold, silver, and copper; and turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool; linen and goat hair; red-dyed ram skins, tachash skins, acacia wood; oil for illumination, spices for the anointment oil and aromatic incense; shoham stones and stones for the settings, for the apron and the breast plate”.
The Ohr Ha’Chaim (1696-1743) picks up on the ordering of these materials. From the beginning of the list we can see that the Torah is listing out the most expensive items first, starting with gold and moving down the scale to silver and copper. This ordering fits in perfectly until we hit the very end of the list where we meet the precious gems that were used to adorn the apron and the breastplate of the High Priest. These stones were undoubtedly more valuable than the gold and silver, why then are they mentioned last on the list?
He offers several possible explanations, but let’s focus on his third answer. The Gemora tells us that these precious stones fell together with the Manna from heaven. Seemingly this should give them even more status – they were heaven sent, straight from Hashem? However this is not the case. That which is acquired through no toil is of little importance compared to that which a person has exerted effort to achieve.
Rav Pam (1913-2001) explains with the Gemora that tells us that if a person entrusts another person to look after his home grown produce, and due to the owners long absence it begins to rot, he must nevertheless hold on to the original produce and not sell it. Even a drastic depreciation in value – whereby the person will only salvage a small portion of his original produce – does not allow him to sell. Why? Answer the Gemora, “A person wants one ‘kav’ (measurement) of his own then nine ‘kav’ of his friends”. Explains Rashi: because he invested effort into his own produce, and this in turn creates a bond to his own handiwork.
Effort on a project creates attachment to it. The precious stones that just ‘appeared’ – effortlessly, were of least importance compared to the other materials that came about through sweat and toil. The other donations either came from items that the Jews themselves owned, or from the gifts received from the Egyptians before leaving or lastly from the booty the Yam-suf delivered to the Jews after it had drowned the Egyptians. These last two options were in lieu of the hundreds of years of slavery that the Jews endured and thus are considered to be items acquired through the toil of one’s own hands.
I once hear Rav Taub observe that we live in a generation where we want our Judaism to be “ready-made, pre-packed, no effort”. But real connection to our Judasim can only come about through putting in some effort. He also pointed out the wonderful Charity organization called Kupat Ha’ir which when you donate it gives you the option of ticking the blessing that you would like from one of the leading sages of our generation. ‘Kupat Ha’ir’ he wondered! Perhaps it should be called ‘Cop-out Ha’ir’ not ‘Kupat Ha’ir’. To by–pass the effort needed and to absolve oneself of responsibility and of doing any endeavour because I gave a donation and ticked what I want? If I ticked that my children should do well in school – and the greatest Rabbi’s will daven for this then I can take a back seat and watch the events unfold! This is effortless and not cherished by Hashem.
When Yaakov is sent by his mother Rivka to get the blessing off his father, she dresses him in the clothes of Eisov so that Yitzchak will not realise that it is Yaakov. Eisov entrusted these special clothes with his mother and they were actually the clothes that Eisov had taken from King Nimrod after killing him. What was unique about these clothes, was that you could use them to hunt animals. The cloak was so realistic that the animals mistook the person wearing it for and animal. When the animal approached all Eisov had to do was surprise the animal and capture it. Why then was Eisov himself not wearing this ‘hunting coat’ while he went to procure a meal for his father?
Suggest Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740–1809): Eisov the example par excellence of honouring one’s parents realised that to hunt the easy effortless way was no way to honour one’s father. When he went to prepare a meal for his father he deliberately left the coat behind so that he could hunt properly. The resulting meal he prepared for his father was one full of love because he had invested effort to get it. It was truly – his own ‘kav’ (measure).
The criteria for donations for the Tabernacle was“ to give of one’s heart”. What really counted was not how big the check was, but rather how much one exerted one’s heart towards serving Hashem. The precious stones were lowest on the list of raw materials because of the relative little connection that they had to these freebies.
Let me conclude with a great quote from the Emeritus Chief Rabbi Sacks, “We appreciate the one-click buy, the one-stop shop, the instant communication and the computer search that takes microseconds. But this applies when we are seeking convenience, not when we are seeking meaning. If what we are looking for in a religion is convenience, no one in his or her right mind would recommend Judaism. But if we are looking for meaning, no religion has ever been more profound.”
Good Shabbos, Yaakov