Surprisingly Equal - Pekudei 5784

 There were two lead designers in the building of the Mishkan - the portable Sanctuary that the Jews built in the desert.  The Torah says that Hashem “imbued them with wisdom of the heart, to do all sorts of work of a craftsman and a master worker and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and crimson wool, and linen and [of] weavers, those who do every [manner of] work, and master weavers.” (Shemot 35:35.)  In other words, Hashem hand-picked these two men and gifted them with special wisdom and talents, as well as the capability to lead teams of craftworkers.

Three times the Torah tells us that Betzalel from the tribe of Judah and Ahaliov of the tribe of Dan were chosen.  First,  when Hashem commands  Moshe to build the Mishkan, then when Moshe tells the people about the traveling sanctuary, and finally in this week’s Parsha, Pekudei, when the Mishkan is built. 

The truth is that repetition is a theme when it comes to the Mishkan in general.  After recounting Hashem’s instructions to Moshe for the building, furniture, utensils and clothing in great detail, the Torah then repeats every detail in describing the actual building process.  But even so, it does seem that repeating the names of the builders is superfluous.

Rashi points out that Betzalel and Ahaliov come from two very different tribes.  Judah’s was the tribe of leadership and royalty.  King David came from the tribe of Judah, and the Jewish monarchy is synonymous with Judah. Moshiach will be a descendant of Judah.  Judah himself was one of Leah’s children, Jacob’s first wife, and he was recognized by his brothers as a leader.

Dan, on the other hand, was a less prominent brother.  His mother was Bilhah, a maidservant, and in terms of hierarchy his tribe could be considered on a lower rung.  In fact, in the early days of Jacob’s family, the children of Leah looked down on the children of the maidservants. 

Nevertheless, when it came to carrying out His instructions, Hashem Himself equated the abilities of the two tribes. This is especially significant when we consider that the Jews had just left Egypt where they were all slaves – second class citizens, and keeping people in different classes was commonplace.

Now a house for Hashem was being built and His presence was about to be revealed in the world, fulfilling the purpose of creation.  The Torah stresses, and emphasizes three times, that there is no hierarchy in connecting to Hashem.  

There are many religions that consider their leadership the gatekeepers of religious life.  The clergy decide what the practices will be.  Torah, however, tells us that every Jew equally has access to the Torah’s knowledge.  

There is a story told of one of the great medieval sages living in a Muslim country who was very close to the ruler.  In a discussion they were having, the ruler expressed skepticism that the Rabbis had not changed the Torah and that it had been faithfully followed, unchanged, through the generations.  The Rabbi, who used to read the Torah aloud in the Synagogue, invited the ruler to attend Shabbat services.  As he was reading, he intentionally made a few mistakes, and the community members loudly corrected him.  

Later, the ruler expressed outrage that the people would be so disrespectful to their leader.  The Rabbi smiled and said:  I wanted to show you that nobody owns the Torah.  No matter who it is, we cannot change anything, and every Jew has the right to correct a mistake.  When a Rabbi or a Rabbinical court issues a ruling, the parties to the case have the right to ask what the basis of the ruling is.

Some people may think, I’m not a great scholar.  I don’t come from a long line of Rabbis.  I didn’t go to the best Yeshiva.  I didn’t grow up religious.  Who am I to make a difference in the world?  How can I approach Torah, and how can I expect to bring divine light to the world?  The Torah answers three times.  It’s not about lineage, it’s not about background.  There is no hierarchy in Torah.  Rather, if you set your mind and your heart to it, you too can rise to the greatest heights.