Pikudei:  the core meaning

I learned a new word this week: Polysemy.  It refers to a word with multiple related meanings. Such words are challenging. They must be interpreted in context. I want to explore the polysemic title of this week's parsha, pikudei. 

Pakad, פָּקַד, the root  of the the title word of this week's parsha can mean to attend to, number,  reckon,  visit,  punish,  appoint,  look after,  care for, etc.  Based upon this week's parsha it would seem to mean "accounting."

אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה ׃

These are the accountings of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were  accounted at Moses’ bidding

Rashi confirms this interpretation here. 

אלה פקודי. בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ נִמְנוּ כָל מִשְׁקְלֵי נִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לַכֶּסֶף וְלַזָּהָב וְלַנְּחֹשֶׁת, וְנִמְנוּ כָל כֵּלָיו לְכָל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ:

 In this section are enumerated all the weights of the metals given as a contribution for the Tabernacle, of silver, gold and copper, and also there are enumerated the vessels used for every kind of service in it.

The 117, 730 shekels of gold were worth  approximately $116 million dollars and the 301,775 shekels of silver  were worth  $3.3 million dollars. The product, the mishkan, the point of connection between Gd and Israel, was worth much more. 

On this same verse, Rashi quotes the Midrash: 

משכן העדת. עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁוִּתֵּר לָהֶם הַקָּבָּ"ה עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִשְׁרָה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם:

The Tabernacle was a testimony to Israel that God had shown Himself indulgent to them in respect to the incident of the golden calf, for through the Temple He made His Shechinah dwell amongst them (Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 6).

Although Rashi bases the connection between the mishkan (tabernacle)  and the Golden calf on the word ayduth, pakod, the accounting, also connects the mishkan to the Golden calf. 

Perhaps the most frightening usage of pokad occurs when Gd  announces forgiveness for the sin of the Golden calf. 

 וּבְי֣וֹם פָּקְדִ֔י וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם חַטָּאתָֽם׃

when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.” 

A cost had been calculated, a price had been exacted, for the sin of the Golden calf  and the day would come when it would be  exacted. 

This accounting is mentioned in today's daf Yomi  ( Sanhedrin 102a) 

 אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אֵין לָךְ כׇּל פּוּרְעָנוּת וּפוּרְעָנוּת שֶׁבָּאָה לְעוֹלָם שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ אֶחָד מֵעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בְּהֶכְרֵעַ לִיטְרָא שֶׁל עֵגֶל הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְיוֹם פׇּקְדִי וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵהֶם חַטֹּאתָם״.

 Rabbi Yitzḥak says: You have no punishment that comes to the world in which there is not one twenty-fourth of the surplus of a litra of the first calf.

 as it is stated: “On the day when I punish (pokad, account for) , I will punish ( pokad)  their sin upon them” (Exodus 32:34)

On some level, the mishkan (Tabernacle) that  Moshe is  appraising   deflects the punishment that  was due. 

The  collection of the silver for the construction of the mishkan  is tied to Pokad.   In this week's parsha we are told that the half shekel silver poll tax, collected from every male over the age of 20, was used to make the pedestals for the sanctuary.  

When the collection is described:

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

בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃

When you take the sum of the children of Yisra᾽el after their number (pikudayhem), then they shall give, every man a ransom for his soul to the Lrd, when you number (pakod)  them;  so that there be no plague among them, when you number them.

 

 Pakod is mentioned in every sentence that involves this 301,775  shekels of silver. The accounting is important. The half shekel is  a partial payment of the debt. Pokad ties the mishkan to forgiveness. 

The polysemy of pakod allows it to take on another meaning in this sentence: assignment.  I could read this sentence as meaning: when you count the children of Israel, as individuals, and  you are thus reminded of their assignments, פְקֻדֵיהֶם֒, a ransom will be required.  An accounting is required for failing to live up to one's potential; and the contribution to the mishkan can deflect some of that cost. 

 

The usage of Pakod to mean assignment is seen when the imprisoned Joseph is assigned to supervise the high profile fellow prisoners: Pharaoh's demoted wine steward and baker .

וַ֠יִּפְקֹד שַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֧ים אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף אִתָּ֖ם וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹתָ֑ם

The prefect assigned Joseph to them, and he attended them. 

I can see the mathematical relationship between the assignment and accounting. Accounting is the assignment of valuation. An assignment subjects the designee to account for her actions. 

The first use of pakod in the Torah refers to Gd  considering  Sarah. פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר 

The LRD took note of Sarah as promised,

Sarah had accompanied Abraham on the dangerous journeys and had cooperated with him in misleading their hosts about their relationship.  She had sacrificed her pride by giving her maidservant to Abraham so that  he could have a son.  Now it was time for Sarah's compensation, she had acquired enough of the capital of the downtrodden to rate Divine consideration which meant the fulfillment of her dream. 

The promise of redemption from Egypt is announced with a similar usage pf Pokad. When Gd reveals the plan for the redemption of the Israelites to  Moses at the burning bush, Moses is  instructed to say: 

פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֨דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם [poked pokaditi]

Gd had taken notice, taken account., considered, remembered...

 the Israelites in their plight. There was an accounting of the centuries of bondage, compensation would be given.

The first book of the Torah, 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.

Pakod is simultaneously a very frightening word and a very comforting word. It conveys the strict justice  of the audit and the mercy  of empathy. 

The Shabbath and Holiday shachrith service have a hidden pakod. 

Shochen  Ad contains 

בְּפִי יְשָׁרִים תִּתְהַלָּל. 

 וּבְדִבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים תִּתְבָּרַךְ. 

 וּבִלְשׁון חֲסִידִים תִּתְרומָם. 

 וּבְקֶרֶב קְדושִׁים תִּתְקַדָּשׁ:

Gd will be...

praised in the mouths of the upright

and blessed in the words of the righeous

and exalted in the tongues of the pious

ans sanctified in the midst of the holy ones

The acrostic of the middle words is Yitzchok, Isaac. 

On the High Holidays, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur , Ashekenazim rearrange the the words that mean praise, the last word of each verse, so that the acrostic is Isaac's wife, Rivka.  (Sefardim use that arrangement every Shabbath) .  The rearrangement made me wonder if the first words of each line could also be rearranged as an acrostic. Yes, it spells Lifkod, to account for. 

Perhaps it is best not to be reminded that we are subject to audit and must account for ourselves every Shabbath. Perhaps that is best hidden. But I think it is there. 

There is nothing like a Jewish accountant.