Getting There Is Half the Fun!
When one is focused on the goal, all the prepatory work acquires the status and stature of the final end.
Wagon Donations
When the Mishkan — the portable Sanctuary the Jews built in the desert — was completed, this week’s Parsha recounts how the nesi’im, the leaders of the Twelve Tribes, brought six wagons — for the purpose of transporting the Mishkan — to Moses. G-d, in turn, instructed Moses to accept these wagons, and stressed “They shall be for the service of the Mishkan.”
One may ask, why did G-d have to authorize Moses to accept these wagons? Why would Moses hesitate to accept them on his own?
Our Sages in the Midrash, offer a rather cryptic observation concerning this contribution:
“This parallels the verse ‘And it shall come to pass on the sixth day that they shall prepare that which they bring in,’”
This is a reference to the need to prepare one’s food on Friday for the Sabbath.
What possible connection is there between the preparation for the Sabbath and the contribution of wagons? And what possible lesson is the Midrash trying to impart to us with this association?
The Role of Preparation
Upon reflection, it seems that the focus of the Midrash is on the concept of preparation. Moses was concerned that it was not befitting men of the stature of the Leaders of the tribes to be concerned with wagons, which have no intrinsic purpose. They are only good to help deliver the Sanctuary to its destination, but do not actually help in the construction of or the service in the Temple. It would be much better, perhaps, Moses thought, that these wagons should be contributed by people who are not so “high up” in the hierarchy of the Jewish people.
G-d disagreed. These wagons were not of secondary or tertiary importance. Indeed, “They shall be!” G-d stated emphatically to Moses, “for the service of the Mishkan.” They are as important and beloved by G-d as any other component of the service. G-d’s simple message was: Do not denigrate the role of preparation.
To cite an analogy to this theme of the importance of the role of preparation in Judaism, the Midrash quotes the verse concerning the preparation for the Shabbat. One cannot just jump into the Shabbat without preparation. For six days we prepare for just one day! Why?
Focused on the Goal
Contrary to what one might think, it is not that the six days of the week are of secondary importance. Rather, when the six days of the week are imbued with a sense of direction; they all point to the Sabbath, they too become Sabbath-like and possess intrinsic value.
Similarly, G-d taught Moses and the Jewish people. Do not think that the wagons are of secondary importance, though their purpose is merely to transport the Sanctuary. When one is focused on the goal, all the prepatory work acquires the status and stature of the final end.
The application to our lives is now readily apparent.
When one reflects about the amount of time we spend on preparing for important events and milestones in our lives, we often wonder, why is it that perhaps the majority of our life is devoted to preparing for those things that count.
We sleep in order to be rejuvenated to function the next day. We spend time bathing, dressing and preparing for work. Most of what we do at work might be preliminary research and legwork that will only be meaningful when all the pieces come together.
People in the fund-raising community know all too well how many telephone calls, meetings and how much paper work is needed before one gets the contribution to fund a worthwhile cause.
Now, while everyone agrees that all of this work would be futile if it does not lead to the intended outcome, we often wonder, why is the system set up so that so much time and energy is expended on the preparations? To which the Torah in this week’s Parsha answers, “They shall be for the service of the Sanctuary.” As long as we are focused on the “service of the Sanctuary,” every minute detail in the preparation is imbued with the significance of the end.
Solace for all Our Waiting
We can also take some solace from the above in dealing with the fact that history has given us thousands of years of preparation for the final outcome, the coming of the Moshiach. To some these painful years of waiting appear to be devoid of real meaning. However, in light of the above, it can be stated that when our hearts, minds and actions are focused on the end — on making the world a dwelling place for G-d, the ultimate goal of the Messianic Age — all of this time we spend waiting, albeit impatiently, for the end result acquires the character and status of the Messianic Age, the Age of ultimate meaning.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Naso by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
