Pikudei: assignment

Pikudei: assignment

This week's parsha is Pikudei: the  accounting of the Mishkan. How much precious material is turned into sacred objects. How bulk is distributed into specifics. 

Prior to its usage in this weeks parsha, the word  פקד (Pokad) is used 8 times.  The first refers to Gd  considering  Sarah. 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 next 5  usages of פקד all refer to Gd remembering to redeem Israel.  This is the expression  of  the faith of  Joseph that ends the Genesis. Joseph sees the Israelites trapped by economic shakles in Egypt, but he imagines that, at the right time, Gd will recall the promise to the patriarchs and redeem Israel and bring them to the Promised land.  פקד becomes the password  for the human redeemer, Moshe

 Moshe repeats Joseph's words in his  testimony of  the burning bush to the elders of Israel in Egypt.  The generation of Moshe understand  these words better.  They understand the degradation of slavery that has been imposed upon them   Now they, like Sarah, have a claim for reparations. They have paid their dues.  Slavery in Egypt is not their mission

The next two  mentions of פקד refer to Gd calling the people to account for their sins of idolatry,  The first  is in the context of the 10 commandments.  The second is part of the statement of (ambivalent) forgiveness after the Golden calf, the words that follow the 13 attributes of mercy that we call on in the days of fasting and the days of judgement.  They are the terrifying word that we do not say: that the sins of the parents are visited upon the children.  The accounting works both ways.  Gd compensates for suffering and  repays the betrayal that is idolatry, even onto the  third generation.

Then comes our parsha, the accounting of the Mishkan.  Which פקד is this? It seems like simple  accounting: making sure that everything adds up, nothing is pilfered, ; material is converted to objects.

 Everything is used for its intended purpose, all missions are fulfilled. 

All missions are fulfilled