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This week’s Parsha, Parshat Pekudei, concludes Sefer Shemot with additional details about the construction and dedication of the Mishkan. After a lot of hard work, the Jewish people are finally successful in creating a dwelling place for Hashem’s shechina. Toward the end of the Parsha, however, the Torah suddenly shifts from its discussion of the Mishkan and comments on Bnei Yisrael’s travel through the desert. The last pasuk of the Parsha says, “When the cloud [of glory] that covered the Tent of Meeting would rise, the Children of Israel would travel.” Why does the Torah suddenly mention the Jewish people’s travel arrangements when it had just been discussing their success in building the Mishkan?

Through this sudden change, the Torah teaches us the importance of striving for everlasting success, rather than settling for success that is temporary and short- lived. While the completion of the Mishkan was an incredible accomplishment for Bnei Yisrael, the Torah immediately mentions details about their travel through the dessert to emphasize that they did not stop there. They continued on their journey, both physically and spiritually, to become closer to Hashem. A similar theme is illustrated in Megillat Esther, which we will read in just a few weeks. Immediately after the Jews are saved from Haman, Mordechai and Esther establish a holiday in order to commemorate their victory and thank Hashem for saving them. Rather than bask in the glory of their success, they take action to ensure that their salvation from Haman will always be remembered and that the Jewish people will continue to praise Hashem for saving them.

This idea can also be applied to the Chessed that we do in Beit Hayeled. We are all aware that at times, working with our kids can be a struggle. We do not always walk away from our families feeling successful. Yet when we catch a glimpse of one of our kids smiling and we realize that we have had some positive impact on their lives, we feel a true sense of satisfaction. However, we must realize that we have so much more to give them and that this small success is only a stepping stone toward even greater achievements.