PIkudei: accounting

We call this week’s parsha pikudei, based upon the first two words .

אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

These are the records [accountings, accounts] of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up [ accounted, counted] at Moses’ bidding—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

  This word is not easy to translate and carries significance beyond its rendering. This word brings together the end of Bereshith, the first book of the Torah with this, the last parsha of Shemoth, the next book of the Torah. I have wondered about this word for some time.

Bereshith ends with two verses (before announcing the death of Joseph) that repeat

פָּקֹ֧ד יִפְקֹ֣ד [pokad yifkod]

[Gd will] …take notice of you (JPS), take account of you (Evertte Fox), visit you (Koren), consider you (Metzudah), remember you (S.Silverstein).

These are Joseph’s final words of encouragement, and they are charged with hidden meaning. Remembering can only take place in that which is forgotten. Only the overlooked can be reconsidered.

When Gd takes account both the good and the bad are considered. Joseph is telling the brother who was sold him into slavery that an accounting will occur. And he implies that despite all of the guilt, they will be redeemed.

 

When Gd reveals the plan for the redemption of the Israelites, Moses is instructed to say

פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֨דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם [poked pokaditi]

Gd had taken notice, taken account., considered, remembered, etc.. the Israelites in their plight. These words are a response to Moshe’s request for a path toward credibility, to enlist the Israelites into the process of  exodus.   Perhaps there was a tradition, a memory of Joseph’s parting words. These were  a secret code that the redemption from Egypt would begin.

The book of Shemoth, the Exodus, ends with an accounting of the mishkan, the portable sanctuary, the great architectural project of the desert Israelites. In context, pkd means accounting, a verification of the appropriate and complete usage of the valuables donated for the project.

Two words are repeated in this verse: פֻּקַּ֖ד, pkd,  and מִשְׁכַּ֣ן, mishkan, the sanctuary. The repeat of mishkan evokes the history of Jewish central Temples: the one described here constructed by Moshe; the Temple of Solomon, mentioned in the haftorah; and the second temple of Ezra and Nehemia, destroyed by the Romans. To the Sforno and Abarbanel, the repetition invites a comparison that demonstrates the superiority of the mishkan of Moses. Rashi leads us to the Midrash Tanchuma:

אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל, לָמָּה מִשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכָּן שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, שֶׁנִּתְמַשְׁכֵּן עַל יְדֵיהֶם. הוּא שֶׁאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה אוֹמְרִים: חֲבֹל חָבַלְנוּ לָךְ (נחמיה א, ז), הֲרֵי שֶׁנִּתְמַשְׁכֵּן שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים

R. Samuel said: Why was the word mishkan (“Tabernacle”) repeated twice? Because it was seized twice on account of their sinfulness. That is why the men of the Great Synagogue said: We have dealt (habal habalnu) very corruptly against Thee (Neh. 1:7). Hence the Temple was seized twice as a pledge.

In its absence over the past millenia, the sanctuary is thought of as a bailment, a precious object held by the pawnbroker, awaiting redemption, a pikadon.

The silver collected for the mishkan (the only actual accounting given) is a poll tax, the basis of the census. The collection is based upon a verse that uses  פְקֹ֣ד, pkd, twice.

 כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַי

בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃

When thou dost take the sum of the children of Yisra᾽el after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to the Lord, when thou dost number them; that there be no plague among them, when thou dost number them.

 

When Moses descends from Sinai to the people worshiping  the Golden calf, the repetition of   pkd is used again:

עַתָּ֞ה לֵ֣ךְ ׀ נְחֵ֣ה אֶת־הָעָ֗ם אֶ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ לָ֔ךְ הִנֵּ֥ה מַלְאָכִ֖י יֵלֵ֣ךְ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וּבְי֣וֹם פָּקְדִ֔י וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם חַטָּאתָֽם׃

Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My messenger shall go before you. But when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.”

Moshe was a unique leader. He was the single person who interacted so closely with Gd and brought Gd’s message to the Israelites. Trust in the accuracy of the messages conveyed by Moshe is one of the thirteen principles of Maimonides.  Distrust of Moses is not an option for us. Thus, the audit of pikudei could not have been done because of doubt of Moshe’s honesty. However, it is clear that Moshe’s contemporaries had differences of opinion with him ( usually to their disadvantage).

The first use of the word is when Gd announces that  Sarah is pregnant: 

פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר׃

took note of Sarah as promised

This is a positive example that Gd can make the extraordinary occur; Gd can make a miracle. 

The last use in the Bamidbar, the book that is called Sefer Pikudim involves the battle against Midian

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ נָֽשְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹ֛אשׁ אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדֵ֑נוּ וְלֹא־נִפְקַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ אִֽישׁ׃

They said to Moses, “Your servants have made a check of the warriors in our charge, and not one of us is missing.

May we have an element of  this miracle again now, when we need it. 

The Midrah Tanchuma recognizes the possibility that there were scoffers who suspected Moses.

 [edited for brevity]

, אלה פקודי המשכן, ולמה עשה עמהם חשבון,

 אלא שמע משה ישראל מדברים מאחריו

, ומה היו אומרים, ר' יצחק אומר לשבח היו אומרים,

', ור' חמא אמר לגנאי, היו אומרים ראה צואר, ראה שוקים, אוכל משל יהודים, ושותה משל יהודים, וכל מה שיש לו מן היהודים,

, כיון ששמע משה כך אמר להן חייכם משהמשכן נגמר אני עושה עמכם חשבון, שנאמר אלה פקודי המשכן וגו'.

 

(Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE. But why did he make an accounting with them when the Holy One trusted him? It was simply that Moses had heard Israel speaking behind his back,

 And what were they saying? R. Isaac says: They were saying in his favor

 But R. Hama said: They were saying to his shame: Look at the <fat> neck; look at the <fat> thighs. Moses is eating from what belongs to Jews and drinking from what belongs to Jews, for everything he possesses comes from the Jews.  As soon as Moses heard that, he said to them: By your life, after the Tabernacle is finished, I am making an accounting with you. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE….

 

The midrash seems open to the idea that some people did not trust Moshe.

As we approach Purim next week, we also see a hint of the same idea as the Megillah ends:

כִּ֣י ׀ מׇרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכׇל־זַרְעֽוֹ׃

For Mordechai the Yehudi was second to King Achasverosh, great among the Yehudim, esteemed by most of his brethren; he sought the welfare of his people, and was the spokesman for the peace of his descendants.

For leaders that fall short of Moshe’s authority, all the leaders that we experience in the world, there is precedent validating a level of doubt; there is an expectation that an audit will prove honesty, but there is enough doubt to do the audit.

Every person is subject to the personal audit.