Pekudei Hachodesh 2025

There are a lot of commercials today related to being overweight. One that I hear often on one of the Boston sports’ radio stations speaks specifically to men of my age and how difficult it is to stay fit and trim. It’s a loss of a certain male hormone that it claims is the cause for the middle age bulge around a man’s waist. Some ads suggest that one should become a member in a program that evaluates one’s body’s abilities to lose weight based on types of foods, exercise, etc.  The clinicians there recommend a diet based on the individual’s own body chemistry. And then there is the trend of weekly shots.

Truth is that as we get to a certain age, maintaining a certain weight or body type either has to be a passion or a way of life. But then things get in the way that make both the passion and way of life just a tad more difficult. 

A colleague pointed me towards a midrash related to Moses’ dilemma of his own personal weight while leading the Children of Israel through the wilderness. Moses had just come down from Mt. Sinai for a second time. The Children of Israel were busy creating the Mishkan, the Tabernacle of God, in the desert. It came just after one of the most gut-wrenching moments in Moses’ leadership - the creation of the Golden Calf and the dancing and excitement of the people, who had thought Moses had perished in his forty-day conclave with God up on Mt. Sinai. Moses had become so distraught, that according to the midrash, Moses put on a lot of weight. People noticed. And here is what they thought according to Midrash Tanchuma:

But R. Hama said: They were saying to his shame: Look at the (fat) neck; look at the (fat) thighs. Moses is eating from what belongs to Jews and drinking from what belongs to Jews, for everything he possesses comes from the Jews. Then an associate of his would reply: Would you not want a person in charge of the work on the Tabernacle to be wealthy?

People have a way of being cruel. The once slaves, now free, looked at Moses and instead of recognizing the angst he was feeling, accused Moses of stealing the funds which they gave for building the Mishkan. They alleged that Moses used those stolen funds to feed himself until he was not just larger than life, as God’s prophet, but larger than life around his mid-section. 

Yes, even Moses, despite being their protector and leader, was a real human being, with hurt feelings that brought on a depression that led to a feeding frenzy. I wonder what kind of food he could have found near Mt. Sinai that would have been equal to the junk food and the processed foods that we eat that create for us the battle of the bulge. Or was he simply so frustrated with the events and the people that he consumed whatever it was he could find within his reach? How challenging it must have been for Moses to have to deal with a people who had just been freed from slavery, had been given the Ten Commandments and Torah, and had been given a second chance by God after Moses had to plead with God not to annihilate them for their heresy in the sin of the Golden Calf! And so Moses turned to food as a way to deal with his frustration.

I would guess that many of you reading this week’s version of Rabbinically Yours are wondering how the authors of the midrash could even think of such a picture of Moses at this moment?  Perhaps you might be commiserating with him or seeing one’s own self. I would venture to think that the authors may have been experiencing a similar frustrating moment as they were the leaders or thinkers of the Jewish community of their time. Moses’ story might have simply been their own in their time in history.

The Torah states that Moses provided an accounting of each item that was donated and how it was used in the building of the Mishkan. Most commentators use this statement in the Torah to simply show that it is important to keep a financial ledger or reporting of items given and used, and how they were used. Moshe, honest in every way shape and form, simply wanted to insure that his honor was kept through the building process. 

But then there comes our midrash! So, how did Moses handle the accusations of stealing to finance his eating frenzy? The Midrash provides us with the answer: “As soon as Moses heard that, he said to them: By your life, after the Tabernacle is finished, I am making an accounting with you. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE…”

It leaves me with one question as Passover comes closer: how will I overcome my Passover food eating frenzy that has nothing to do with frustration, but just the desire to partake of all of my favorite Passover things? 

I wonder if I just followed the maftir reading for this Shabbat if that might help? On this Shabbat we read Parashat Hachodesh, the last of the four special readings that precede Passover. This last one, Hachodesh, is read at the beginning of the new month of Nisan. Hachodesh, “this is the month” of celebration of the Exodus, participating with others in the preparation and partaking of the Paschal sacrifice, together with the eating of matzah. The reading is specific to the preparations. But notice it does not have the cakes, the fruit gels, the matzah brie, the matzah ball soup, the macaroons, the Passover seven-layer cakes, or the matzah butter and jam which is a morning tradition in our house. Then again, what would Passover be without them!!!

Bring them home now!!!

Am Yisrael Chai!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi K