Kevin Bemel ·
How to Quickly Increase Strength and Wisdom
2-½ minutes to read
Parsha [Passage of Scripture] Nugget [Precious Idea] Pekudei – Exodus 38:21-40:38I want my daughter to be more self-sufficient. Benevolently, I wonder how will she face having to do her own laundry. She’s a whiz at baking cakes, but she can’t live off of baked goods. And will she live in sty when she no longer has my wife’s help cleaning up her room? She, on the other hand, likes having my wife take care of her. Selfishly, I want my wife’s company for more than our one date night a week. Of course, I grew up listening to Harry Chapin sing The Cat’s in the Cradle, bemoaning that his son no longer needs his help. Parshas Pekudei gives the way out of my quandary:
“And they brought the Mishkan to Moses…” (Shemos/Exodus 39:33)
In this Sabbath’s parsha, Moses accounts for the donations collected to construct the Mishkan and its utensils. Then he sets it up for the first time.
Admitting What You Don’t Know
Bezalel and Ohlioab were wise enough to build a home for G-d. Why couldn’t figure they figure out how to set it up? One commentator says the planks were too heavy to lift upright. But there had to have been enough people available to provide the power.
Another commentator suggests the difficulty was spiritual. They could have mustered the physical strength. But try as they might, they couldn’t figure out how to build it. They realized the intense sanctity of the Almighty’s home required more than craftsmanship and ingenious engineering. Admitting their shortfall, they turned to Moses, whose spirituality exceeded all others.
The builders saw Moses work backwards. First, he erected the tent then he built the structure to support it. They learned a valuable lesson about how G-d connects with the physical world.
Asking for Help Makes You Stronger and Wiser
Many adults never get over their first taste of independence as a teenager. They like how being self-sufficient made them feel grown up. To them, asking for help becomes virtually a sin. Rather than admit they don’t know and need assistance, they’ll crash and burn. They think it’s weak not to be able to do everything themselves.
There are two paths to growth. The first is through trial and error. It’s a long and rocky road. The punishment dished out wears down a person’s energy.
The other route is to find a teacher or mentor, someone who has trod the road before and can show you an easier, surer way. By accepting, or better yet, asking for such guidance, you can accomplish your goal faster. With new knowledge, you’ll be stronger and wiser for tackling future challenges.
The cost of taking the long road often can never be recouped. It is virtually impossible to change your mindset and recover your strength.
Taking the second path may require an initial hit to your dignity. You’ll realize you don’t know it all. But you’ll be able to move forward so much faster you can recover such a cost in no time.
The Almighty wants you to live a life of growth. By admitting what you don’t know and asking for help, you’ll quickly increase your strength and wisdom.
What prevents you from asking for help when you need it? Please comment below.
Every year beginning on Simchas Torah, the cycle of reading the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, ends and begins again. Each Sabbath a portion known as a sedra or parsha is read. It is named after the first significant word or two with which this weekly reading begins.
What verse in the Old Testament would you like to know more about? Ask here and I will answer it in a future Parsha Nugget!
