Shabbat Commentary - Pekudei

In this week's Torah Portion, Pekudei, Moses gives an accounting of the precious materials which the children of Israel contributed for the building and furnishing of the Mishkan. The items made from these contributions are meticulously described and include the priestly garments and ornaments, as well as the structural elements and ritual "equipment."
God commands Moses to set up the Mishkan and directs him in the placement of its furnishings. God further instructs Moses, "And you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and everything that is in it, and you shall make it and all of its equipment holy and it will be holiness." (Exodus 40:9)*
Moses also anoints Aaron and his sons into the priesthood.

When Moses has completed his work as God commanded, God's presence fills the Mishkan in the form of a cloud over it by day and fire in it at night. Thus ends the final Portion of the Book of Shemot. Chazak! Chazak! V'Nitchazeik. ("Be strong, very strong, and let us grow stronger together.")**

As I studied Moses' detailed accounting and careful setting up of the Mishkan, I sensed something familiar about Pekudei.
True, tradition tells us that we were all spiritually present with the Israelites when they fled Egypt, gathered at Sinai, and built the Mishkan. But my sense of deja vu derived from a more recent experience.

In my years as a Jewish educator, I've received and administered various grants from funding organizations. As a condition for accepting such grant funds, my co-workers and I were required to account for exactly how the funds were used in completing the grant project.
It was necessary to prove that the completed project which the funders had paid for, matched the funder's directives which we'd promised to fulfill in our grant proposal. Representatives of the funding organization might even visit to see the project in action. In advance of their visit, everything had to be in order, exactly as the fundraisers expected.

Imagine Moses assembling and placing all the complicated elements of the Mishkan Project, following God's instructions exactly.
Imagine Moses readying Aaron and his sons to fill their priestly roles as God had commanded.
The demanding preparations described in Pekudei seem to echo elements of the modern grant process.

God had "funded" the Mishkan by commanding the Israelites to contribute precious materials. God had laid out the form and purpose of the Mishkan. Moses and the Israelites were charged with the task of taking the "funds" and actually building the Mishkan as God had commanded.
Would the Mishkan meet with God's approval? Would God grant the children of Israel divine guidance and protection in return for their hard work and careful attention to God's Commandments? YES. According to Pekudei, God's presence did fill the Mishkan.

We no longer have the Mishkan, but God continues to be our grant Partner. We promise to follow God's Commandments, to fulfill mitzvot. In return, we ask God to grant us such Blessings as peace, hope, strength, wisdom, and forgiveness.
As our grant projects enhance the Jewish community, so God's "grants" and God's presence enhance our lives.

Shabbat Shalom Rest and Renew

*Translation from Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman
**Translation from My Weekly Sidrah by Melanie Berman and Joel Lurie Grishaver