The modern commentator Yishayahu Leibovitz, brother of Torah
scholar Nechama Leibovitz, refers to a Midrash which contrasts the completion
of the building of the Tabernacle from this week’s parasha with the building
and worship of the Golden Calf in last week’s parasha. The midrash notices that
in the story of the Golden Calf, “all the people broke of the golden earrings”
(Ex 32:3), but in the story of the Mishkan, “every one of a generous heart”
brings gifts for the building of the structure.
The difference here is between the collective action in
donating to the calf and the individual actions of donating to the
Tabernacle. The Midrash concludes that
when the project is for “the good,” in the instance of the Mishkan, only those
of generous heart responded to the call. But when the project was for “the
evil,” in the instance of the calf, the entire nation responded.
The reason, Leibovitz posits, is that worshipping God does
not come from a natural impulse within human beings. It takes a spiritual effort
to overcome our nature to take upon ourselves the service of God. With
idolatry, however, our natural urge is to engage in it.
Do we agree with this theory? Is it more natural for us to
engage in idol worship, whatever form that may take for us today? What kind of
effort does it take for us to serve something higher? We also read that the
people are so generous that they actually bring too many gifts, and Moses has to
tell them to stop. Does this reflect a spiritual effort or a natural urge? Can something
that first takes concerted effort eventually become a natural impulse?
Another set of questions emerge from the idea that while the
Mishkan is meant to be a project that serves God, it is still the work of human
labor and creativity. We read that God chooses Bezalel and Oholiab, who have
been “endowed with the skill” to do the work of carving, embroidery and design,
to take the materials and make them into the furnishings and pieces of the
Tabernacle. What does this mean, that they have been “endowed with skill”? Does
artistic ability come from God, or is it a naturally occurring human trait?
I look forward to exploring these questions, along with
yours, as we study together tomorrow morning.
