You Are Gold

G-d instructed Moses to convene a team of superior artisans to lead a team to build the Tabernacle. Though the leaders were superior artisans, anyone could volunteer; one did not need an exceptional pedigree to earn a place on the team. All it took was a required skill set. The same was true for donating material for the Tabernacle. You did not need to be a member of the elite. Everyone was invited to contribute.

Thirteen (some say fifteen) items were needed for the construction project. The Torah lists them, and gold is first on the list. This is somewhat curious, considering that gold was not the most common commodity people owned. Our ancestors left Egypt exceedingly wealthy, but even rich people had more copper and silver than gold.

Though gold was used liberally in the Tabernacle, it was not the most common material in the construction. Many things were gold-plated but made of copper or wood. Undoubtedly, more copper and wood were required than gold, which makes it curious that the Torah lists gold as the first item on the list.

You might think the Torah lists gold first because it is the most expensive; those who gave gold deserve to be lauded at the top of the list. Yet, diamonds were also necessary for the Tabernacle, and though they are more expensive than gold, they appear closer to the bottom of the list.

You Are Gold

My mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, shared a profound perspective on this Shabbat in 1992. This was his last opportunity to lecture on this Torah portion because he suffered a stroke four weeks later, from which he did not recover.

The Rebbe shifted focus from the donation to the donor. The Rebbe pointed out that all Jews, ordinary and extraordinary, men, women, and even children, were invited to contribute to the Tabernacle. You were welcome if you had something to contribute and the will to share it.

The Rebbe asked how an ordinary Jew could build an extraordinary home. The Tabernacle achieved the impossible. The infinitely vast G-d, Who cannot be contained even by the vast Heavens, resided in this finite tent. This was an impossible feat that required a builder who could bridge infinity and finitude. How could an ordinary person accomplish this?

The Rebbe explained that the very basis for this question is misguided. You see, said the Rebbe, there is no such thing as an ordinary Jew. If you ever doubted that this story should convince you that it is so. Every Jew has a spark of G-d—a soul—that resides in a body chosen by G-d to be His people. Every Jew has a spark of an infinite G-d in a finite body. Every Jew bridges this gap. Thus, every Jew could build the Tabernacle. No Jew was too ordinary to pull off this extraordinary feat.

On the surface, the ordinary Jew seems, well, ordinary. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Underneath, every Jew is a treasure. Every Jew is gold. Every Jew can turn his or her corner of the world into a sanctuary for G-d. Every Jew can turn his or her heart into a home for G-d. Every Jew can do the extraordinary.

The Torah lists gold first. Not because gold is most important, but because those who donated it are most important. The Torah wants us to know that though gold might have been scarce in the ordinary Jew’s pocket, it was not extraordinary for a Jew to own gold. Gold is natural to a Jew, for every Jew is golden. Therefore, the first and most natural contribution for a Jew, is gold.

The Pivot Moments

You might not feel golden when you enter a room, and someone triggers you. When colleagues challenge and mock you, you might feel worthless. When your children disrespect and judge you, you might feel empty. But that is just your surface. Know that under the unwashed rag lies a sparkling bar of gold. A child of G-d. A member of the chosen nation. Chosen to shine a light unto these moments of darkness.

You can turn these challenging moments around and use them to grow stronger. You can use them to become more empathetic. You can use them to become more sensitive. You can use them to feel badly for those who torment you most. You can use these moments to show yourself and the world what you are really made of.  These moments were designed to turn you into a leader. You have it in you to make it happen; all you need to do is grab the opportunity handed to you to reveal your inner gold.

What Is This?

A Jew was leaving Russia for Israel after many years of suffering and persecution by the Soviet authorities. When he arrived at the border, the Soviet guard inspected his belongings and found something covered in gauze. “What is this,” he demanded, certain he had found contraband.

“Don’t ask what this is,” replied the Jew, “ask who this is. This is a bust of comrade Joseph Stalin. I owe him everything: my education, my value system, my culture, my beliefs, my sophistication, and I never want to forget my debt to him. When I get to where I am going, I will place this bust on my mantelpiece, and every day when I wake up, I will begin the day by thanking him for all he did for me.”

Taken aback, the guard mused that he always knew these Jews were crazy, but how could he reject this patriotic fervour? He let him go.

When he arrived in Israel, the Israeli guard inspected his belongings and found the gauze-covered bust. “What is this?” he asked. “Don’t ask what this is,” replied the Jew, “ask who this is. This is a bust of comrade Joseph Stalin.” “Stalin,” recoiled the Israeli guard, why would you bring him to this country?”

If you only knew how much he tortured and persecuted us, you would understand why I want to have his bust on my mantelpiece and why I want to begin each day by cursing him and spitting in his face. Well, mused the Israeli guard. All the torture this poor Jew suffered must have gotten to his head. Who am I to judge him? And he let him through.

The old Jewish fellow finally arrived at his daughter’s home and began to unpack. His granddaughter watched with fascination as he unwrapped the bust, and the features became visible. “Who is this?” she asked with delight. “Don’t ask who this is,” replied the wise old man, “ask what this is. This is five kilos of pure gold that I just snuck across two borders . . .”

Every Jew is five kilos of pure gold. And not just five kilos. Every Jew is a treasure. Don’t undervalue yourself.  You are not like everyone else. You are a child of G-d. You have the capacity to change the world for the better. You can tear down the veil and reveal that the world is a beautiful sacred garden. You can make this world holy. You can turn it into G-d’s home.