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Vayakhel - Get to Work – and Leave the Rest to Hashem

 

Parashat Vayakhel begins with Moshe assembling Beneh Yisrael and conveying to them Hashem's commands regarding the construction of the Mishkan.

 

Rashi makes a comment that might, at first glance, seem trivial – but, when we think about, is nothing short of astounding.  He writes that this gathering took place the day after Yom Kippur.

 

Rashi here isn't just giving us the timing of this assembly.  He is showing us something remarkable about Moshe Rabbenu.  To understand the message, we need to understand the events leading up to this day.

 

On the 6th of Sivan – Shavuot – Moshe went up Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.  When he came down forty days later, he saw the people worshipping the golden calf.  He spent the next forty days pleading with Hashem to forgive them.  He then went up the mountain again on the first day of Elul to receive the second set of luhot (tablets).  He spent yet another forty days on top of the mountain, coming back down for the last time on Yom Kippur.

 

This means Moshe had spent 120 nearly consecutive days – four months! – on top of Mount Sinai with Hashem.  Now he has returned, having completed that mission.  And the very next day, he gets to work.  He doesn't go on vacation.  He doesn't take a break.  He doesn't relax.  He doesn't allow himself any "down time."  He gets right to work, instructing the people to donate materials and to build the Mishkan.

 

Moshe's energy and zeal had a significant impact on the people.  The Torah says that after he told them Hashem's commands, ויצאו כל עדת בני ישראל מלפני משה – the people "left from Moshe's presence" (35:20).  The commentaries explain this to mean that they left inspired by Moshe.  They were moved by his example of commitment and hard work, of proactive and devoted effort.  And they, like him, got straight to work.  They right away brought all that was needed for the Mishkan – to the point where, just a couple of days later, Moshe had to tell them to stop donating.

 

But there's also something else remarkable about this story.

 

The people in charge of building the Mishkan worked so diligently that the project was completed on Hannukah.  However, it was only months later – the beginning of the month of Nissan – when Hashem told them to start using it and offer sacrifices there.  Everything was ready – but Hashem decided when it would be used.

 

This is how we are to approach life: we need to get to work, diligently, without delay, without wasting our time – but with the understanding that the outcome depends solely on Hashem.

 

Our job is to do the work, to put in the effort, to try our hardest.  But Hashem decides what the final result will look like, how, when and where things fall into place.

 

Life is so often overwhelming, at times even scary.  We have a lot on our plate.  We don't know where to start.  Sometimes, we're not even sure what to do.

 

In these situations, we need to just get to work and leave the rest to Hashem.  We need to avoid escaping to our screens, procrastinating, pushing things off, overthinking, worrying, fretting, and hoping.  Instead, we need to act, to get going, to do the best we can – and trust that Hashem will take care of all the rest. - Joey Haber

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https://itorah.com/weekly-inspire/get-to-work-and-leave-the-rest-to-hashem/15/31073