Counting our G-d-given gifts

In parshas Pekudei, we learn about the final tally of all of the contributions to the Holy Temple. After all the hard work we have read about in the past few parshas, with every minute detail and all the weights and measurements, there’s a cheshbon (calculation).

Moses takes every last coin donated into account, and publishes the financials for all to see.

The commentaries on this explain just how careful we need to be when handling communal funds. We cannot only be clean, we must also be wholesome in the eyes of the general public.

The Chassidic masters explain how to take this into our everyday lives. Every person is a miniature sanctuary and every detail of the Holy Temple is an essential aspect of our divine service. Every so often, we need to pause and make a calculation to see where we are in life. And just as we ought to know our shortcomings in order to rectify them, we must also know our capabilities in order to maximise them.

Reb Hillel of Paritch wanted to meet Reb Shneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rebbe, but every time he arrived at the town where the rebbe was at the time, the rebbe had already departed.

So, he decided to find the rebbe’s travel plans and arrive there first. He would hide in the room where the rebbe would stay, and the rebbe would be compelled to see him.

Reb Hillel prepared a question in the Talmudic tractate of Erachin – the tractate that deals with evaluations – to ask the rebbe. The rebbe entered the room, and before Reb Hillel could do anything, he heard the sing-song of the rebbe: “If a [young man] has a question in Erachin, he must first be maarich [evaluate himself].”

Let us take moment to take notice of our G-d-given gifts and maximise our potential!