Parashat Truma

Parashat Truma

By Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

This week’s Parsha begins with a very detailed list of the gifts that the nation of Israel brought to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Shmot 25:3-7 records the gifts in the following way-

“… gold and silver, and brass and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair; and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood; oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.”

It is evident that the Torah is cataloging all the items in order of worth from highest to lowest. There is a change, however, at the end of the list. After mentioning the oils and incense the pasuk begins to discuss precious stones, stones whose worth is greater than gold and silver.

The Or Hachim asks the question, why would the Torah begin in a consecutive order and then switch its thought process at the end?

He answers that all of the items up until the stones were given to help build the Mishkan and the stones were for the clothing of the Priests.

There is a second answer given by the Rabbis. They ask in Gemara Yomah (5a), where did the nation of Israel get these stones?

The Rabbis answer that the clouds that led the nation of Israel through the desert during the day gave them these stones. From this we understand the people didn’t work hard to attain the stones. Therefore, interestingly enough the list isn’t in the order of value but rather in order of effort to acquire these items.

In other words, the Torah finds more value in the means than not the ends. The modern world tells us that when we set out to climb a mountain arriving at the top marks success. The Torah teaches us the complete opposite. We should put our efforts into our toiling and not worrying about the accomplishment and reward at the end.

Shabbat Shalom!