By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, San Diego

I could never be a religious fundamentalist because I love ambiguity. I do not think that life is straight forward or that there are easy answers for big questions. Conservative Judaism recognizes that life is messy and encourages us to think for ourselves and reach our own conclusions.

I just discovered a wonderful example of Jewish ambiguity in a commentary on this week’s parsha, Pekudei, by Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin.

Parshat Pekudei gives a detailed accounting of the materials used to build the Mishkan. It is so detailed that it even spells out the number of gold shekels contributed by the Israelites for a relatively minor portion of the construction: "And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the posts, overlay for their tops, and bands around them." (Ex. 38:26)

Rabbi Shapira quotes Midrash Rabbah: Once the Mishkan was completed Moshe said to the Israelites, "Come before me and I will make a complete accounting of the monies contributed to build the Mishkan."

However, when he finished it turns out that he had forgotten about the 1,775 shekels used for the "hooks for the posts." He began to worry: "Perhaps the Israelites will think that I stole their money!"

It was then that God helped him remember the holy work for which these 1,775 shekels were used.

Rabbi Shapira notes that when it came to the building of the Golden Calf, the Israelites who contributed did so willingly, openly, and generously, and did not demand an accounting.

But when it came to the building of the Mishkan , for which they each were required to make a modest contribution of one-half of a shekel, they all of a sudden demanded to know how every penny was spent!

Rabbi Shapira concludes that when it came to building something sinful, the Golden Calf, the Israelites were not exacting. But when it came to something holy, the Mishkan, they wanted to make sure they knew every the detail. (Shivim Panim l’Torah, Exodus, p. 255)

But what exactly was Rabbi Meir implying? I see two possibilities:

1. The Israelites were not so careful when it came to the Golden Calf because they knew its construction was evil and tried to distance themselves from it.

But when it came to the Mishkan, because it was so holy, special, and Godly, they wanted to make sure that everything was done exactly right!

OR

2. When it came to the Golden Calf the Israelites did not care how the money was spent because they were happy to use it for something self-serving and morally repugnant. They did not care about cost overruns or shoddy accounting!

However, when it came to the Mishkan, where they obligated to give the money for something other than their own needs, they wanted to make sure that every single gift was publicly accounted for!

Rabbi Shapira does not make his position on the above two possibilities clear, and perhaps intentionally so. He leaves it up to us. 

Are we concerned how the charities we support spend the funds we contribute because:

1. We want to make sure that every dollar we contribute is used effectively to support the institutions and causes closest to our hearts?

OR

2. Because we resent making these contributions, think our money is being wasted, and that we are being taken advantage of?

A good question, whose answer says more about us than about Rabbi Shapira’s understanding of the Midrash!