This week’s Torah portion lists the 13 materials that Jews were asked to contribute towards the building of the Mishkan, the traveling tabernacle that the Jews built in the desert. The Shoham stones were one of the most valuable and expensive materials donated, is listed second to last. While the Jews personally carried and monetarily donated the other materials, the Torah states that the Shoham stones were carried by the clouds. Wouldn’t this miraculous ordeal make the Shoham even more worthy of being listed first as opposed to the end?

Lesson:

When it comes to physical endeavors, the reward is not always proportional to the amount of effort invested. Lottery winners put in minimal effort yet reap grand rewards, and some people work hard day in and out yet still struggle to make ends meet. But spiritual pursuits don’t work in the same fashion. The Mishnah (Avot 5:23) says that for these types of endeavors, the reward is proportional to the effort. Whether we succeed or not is completely up to God, yet the amount of toil that we invest is completely up to us. Therefore, the effort and exertion is what our reward is based on.

This is one explanation as to why the Shoham stones were listed towards the end. Even though this material was comparably more valuable, the amount of effort the Jews put in towards these stones was far less. Therefore, the materials used where the Jews invested effort were considered far more valued.

This is a comforting lesson as we know that if we put in the effort and try, regardless of the outcome, we have succeeded and will be rewarded proportionally. This idea is further reflected in the parsha when God commands Moses to build a menorah (25:31). A famous Torah commentary, the Midrash Tanchuma, explains that it was so complicated that Moses could not visualize God’s instruction. So God showed him an image of what the menorah should look like. Even this wasn’t enough to help Moses construct the menorah, so in the end God instructed Moses to throw the ingot into the fire and the completed menorah materialized.

Does this mean that Moses failed his mission to build the menorah? Of course not! Our mission in life is not to succeed since success is determined solely by God; our mission is only to try and put in our best effort.

Exercise: Go out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself to perform a mitzvah that is difficult for you. This could be giving a little extra tzadakah, charity, sharing your special, homemade cookies, wearing something not as appealing but more modest, or giving up your free afternoon to help someone in need. Have in mind that your reward for this mitzvah is proportional to the extra effort you applied.