Parshat Pekudei - The Blessing in Work

At the conclusion of the building of the Mishkan something lovely happens. Moshe turns to the nation and blesses them:

"וירַּא מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ - וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם מֹשֶֽׁה׃ ְ

"And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as יהוה had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them."

Rashi, (quoting Midrash Tanchuma) reveals the content of Moshe’s blessing:.

רשי (שמות ל"ט מב- מג )"ויברך אתם משה. - אָמַר לָהֶם יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם ) מדרש תנחומא, נשא כ״ז:א(, וִיהִי נֹעַם ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וְגוֹ', וְהוּא אֶחָד מִי"א מִזְמוֹרִים שֶׁבִּתְפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה (ספרא):

Moshe blesses the people with the hope that the divine presence will pervade the work of their hands but there is more. The Midrash also tells us that Moshe added to his blessing a verse from one of the Psalms that is attributed to him.

“וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃" (90, 17)

"May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us; Let the work of our hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands!"

This says Rashi, adds two more pieces to the blessing

רש"י על תהילים צ׳:י״ז

“כוננהו.” כונן אותו, ושני פעמים ומעשה ידינו כוננהו א' על מלאכת המשכן שבירכן לישראל והתפלל שתשרה שכינה במעשה ידיהם במשכן ואחת שתהא ברכה במעשה ידיהם

Here is not only a hope for G-d’s closeness, it is a recognition of the active part that Am Yisroel have now played .both in redeeming themselves from the sin of the Golden Calf and in showing their loyalty to G-d. The acts themselves were blessed as well as the result. Rashi goes even further. The seeming repetition of words he says is a double blessing. When Moshe says “Let the work of our hands prosper”., he is referring to the work of the newly finished Mishkan but when he says a second time “O prosper the work of our hands”. It is a blessing for endeavors yet to come.

This is a blessing worthy of a people who are destined to live in their own land and develop it It reminds us that there is not only the “Protestant” work ethic” but the Jewish work ethic.

Paradoxically , we see this most clearly in the verses commanding us to rest on Shabbat.. For in each instance where we are told to have one day in which we cease to work the command is preceded by the words: :

ששת ימים תעבודו ועשית כל מלאכתך

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work,”

It is the labor of the days of the week that gives power and meaning to resting on Shabbat.