Meticulous Mitzvah Observance Is ALL That Matters

“Moshe saw the entire work, and behold they had done it as Hashem had commanded, so had they done. So Moshe blessed them.” (39:43)

Rav Sternbuch recalls how Rav Yechezkel Sarna would marvel at this pasuk. The nation had donated a lot of silver and gold etc. for the construction of the Mishkan, those responsible for constructing it had employed wonderful wisdom and expertise, and yet when Moshe saw that the work had been completed, he was impressed neither with the generosity of the nation, nor with the wonderful wisdom that had been displayed in its construction. He was only preoccupied with one point: he considered the entire work and confirmed that everything had been achieved in accordance with the Will of Hashem.

This shows that there is no higher value than that, and all other matters are only means for achieving this ultimate goal. Clearly then this is the goal which every Jew should strive to attain throughout his entire life: to fulfill the Will of Hashem.

From Rabbi Sternbuch’s comments on Parshas Pekudei (the English Parsha sheet)