Pikudei: Rav Gavriel Ze’ev Margulies: Moshe’s Blessing

“Moses saw the entire work, and behold! They had done it as God had commanded, so had they done! And Moses blessed them.”  Would it not have made more sense for Moshe to bless the people only after they had finished erecting the Mishkan, for then they would see how everything fit together perfectly? Why did he rush to bless them when they finished their work before the Mishkan was actually erected?

It is customary in the world that when someone is hired to make doors or windows or any such thing for a home, the person who ordered the things will make full payment only after the items are placed into the home. The manufactured items may need some slight adjustments before they can fit perfectly into their place.

However, this was not true about the work performed for the Mishkan: since all their actions were guided by Heaven, as the verse says, “He filled them with wisdom of the heart to do all their work,” when God guided them so that all their work should be perfect, there was no doubt that everything would fit into its proper place.

Therefore Moshe did not withhold his blessing until the building was erected, but immediately upon seeing the work they had done, bless them as if to say I am confident that your work is completely an expression of God’s guiding hand. (Rabbi Gabriel Ze’ev Margulies)

We can apply this concept to much of our service of God and Torah study. We will never have the opportunity in this lifetime to see the full structure erected, so to speak, meaning to see the full extent of all our accomplishments. However, when we strive for our Service and Study to be guided by Heaven, we can be confident that all will fit perfectly together as God intended.