Pekudei-HaChodesh - Process the Process

A reminder that the process of Geula / Redemption takes time and patience.

Last week, I raised a familiar question about our parsha: why does the Torah repeat all the details of the Mishkan in Vayakhel and Pekudei?

We already went through Terumah and Tetzaveh, which lay out, in great detail, God’s instructions for building the Mishkan—its structure, furnishings, and klei Hakodesh/sacred objects. Those parshiot serve as the blueprint.

So, when we finally get to Vayakhel and Pekudei, which describe how the Mishkan was actually built, why not just summarize with the line we hear again and again: “Ka’asher tziva Hashem et Moshe”—the people did just as God commanded Moshe—and move on?

If we were in shul, this is where I’d make my annual joke—now biannual—that we could just read that one verse and head to kiddush early. So why does the Torah repeat every single detail over two full parshiot? What’s the purpose?

I think we can begin to answer our question by considering Parshat HaChodesh. It’s commonly read just before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, since its main topic is Rosh Chodesh Nisan. It also reminds us that Pesach is approaching, with mitzvot such as observing Nisan as the first month, offering the Korban Pesach, and eating matzah—all commandments given before the Exodus.

Most holidays begin on the anniversary of the event they commemorate. But like Purim’s connection to Adar, Pesach begins softly with Rosh Chodesh Nisan. At the seder, we even raise the question: Yachol me’Rosh Chodesh—could the Korban Pesach have been offered starting from Rosh Chodesh? Why pose that hypothetical two weeks early?

The answer may lie in a passage from Rosh Hashanah 10b–11a, where Rabbi Eliezer says the world was created on Rosh Hashanah, while Rabbi Yehoshua says it was created on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. Tosefot famously reconciles the views: the world was created in thought on Rosh Hashanah, but in action in Nisan.

These two types of creation reflect two different perspectives on life. Rosh Hashanah centers on thought, on big-picture reflection and realignment. That may be why it’s a time for deep contemplation, when a person can make life-changing decisions and even do teshuvah in an instant.

Pesach, by contrast, emphasizes action—step-by-step, deliberate effort. The holiday is full of physical tasks: cleaning, cooking, eating symbolic foods, and handling ritual objects at the seder. It’s a process that demands focus and patience, one action at a time.

That’s why I believe the parsha describing the Exodus is called Parshat Bo. As we learn in Rosh Hashanah 11b, the departure from Egypt was “meshumar u’ba mi’sheshet yemei bereishit”—guarded and set in motion from the six days of creation.

The word “bo” (to come or approach) appears repeatedly in discussions of Mashiach, our future redemption. For example, in the Rambam’s 13 Principles: “Ani ma’amin be’viat haMashiach”—I believe in the coming of the Mashiach—and “sheyavo”, that he will come. Both are rooted in “ba”, implying not just arrival, but process.

This teaches us that redemption is constantly in motion—bo means it’s happening, approaching, unfolding over time. It’s not instant. And yet, the Midrash says Hashem redeems us keheref ayin—in the blink of an eye. It may come suddenly, but we must still be patiently waiting. This may explain why Pekudei repeatedly says “ka’asher tziva Hashem et Moshe” while still recounting every detail of the Mishkan. Like the coming of Mashiach, Vayakhel–Pekudei reflects a process that demands patience at every step.

It also explains why God made us wait two more weeks to celebrate Pesach. Parshat HaChodesh reminds us that redemption isn’t immediate—it’s a process we must endure with faith and patience, seeing it through to the end.

This is the same kind of patience we need to have with the eruv. It’s hard not having one, but when you can’t carry, you start to appreciate just how much it means. And when it does go back up, God willing, very soon, we’ll value it all the more.