Pekudei

📜 The Story

Parshat Pekudei is the final portion of the Book of Shemot, and it opens with a careful accounting, a precise report of all the gold, silver, and copper the people donated to build the Mishkan. Moshe wanted everyone to see that every donation was used honestly, with nothing missing.

Betzalel son of Uri, the master craftsman, finished making the special priestly garments: the Ephod, the Choshen with its twelve precious stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes, the Me'il, and the golden Tzitz inscribed Holy to Hashem.

When all the work on the Mishkan was complete, everything was brought to Moshe, and he blessed the people of Israel for their devoted labor.

On the first day of the month of Nissan, Moshe himself set up the Mishkan exactly as Hashem commanded. He placed the wooden beams, spread the coverings, brought in the Ark, the Table, and the Menorah, and set up the altar.

Then a great wonder happened: a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan, so that even Moshe could not enter. From then on, throughout the journeys of Bnei Yisrael in the desert, the cloud rested on the Mishkan by day and fire was in it by night, before the eyes of all Israel, and with this the Book of Shemot ends.