no cheshbonos

Last in the list of items donated for the Mishkan mentioned in the opening of P' Terumah are the precious stones of the avnei milu'im and avnei sho'ham.  Chazal (see Kiddushin 31) tell us that these stones literally cost a fortune.  So why are they mentioned last?  Why not give these gifts the prominence they deserve and mention them first, at the beginning of the list of donations?

The Ohr haChaim gives two answers, both elaborated on by R' Chaim Shmuelevitz in his Sichos Mussar (5732 #22).  I want to focus on the second answer. 

Rashi in our parsha (35:27) tells us that these precious stones were donated by the nesi'im, the princes of the tribes, after everyone else had given their gifts.  The nesi'im said: let everyone else donate, and whatever shortfall is left, whatever is needed to complete the job, we'll make it up.  Because they procrastinated, says Rashi, the word nesi'im in our parsha is written chaseir, missing a letter "yud."  And, writes the Ohr haChaim, because they waited until the end of the collection to bring their gifts, these gifts are recorded last on the list, as if they were lacking in importance.

What do you think the reaction of a yeshiva administrator or shul president would be if someone were to tell them that whatever the budget shortfall for the year is, they will cover it, no matter what the amount?  That gvir just made that administrator or that shul treasurer's year!  No more having the plead people for money, no more worry about cash flow, about spending, etc. 

What's so wrong with what the nesi'im did?

Answers R' Chaim Shmuelevitz: it's a wonderful cheshbon, but when you love something, you don't make cheshbonos.  When you love something and are passionate about it, you can't stop yourself from being involved from the get-go. 

I want to add two points.

A) R' Chaim Shmuelevitz sees this idea as a general principle in avodas Hashem.  I would like to suggest that it may be especially relevant, if not exclusively applicable, to the Mishkan.  "V'asu li Mikdash... k'chol asher ani mareh oscha... kein ta'asu."  (25:8-9)  The sentence starts "v'asu...;" why repeat "v'kein ta'asu" at the end?  Answers Ramban: ba ha'keifel l'chizuk u'l'ziruz.  The Torah repeats to add emphasis because the command to build the Mishkan must be fulfilled with alacrity and with zealousness.

Maybe the cheshbon of making up the shortfall is not such a bad idea when you deal with your local yeshiva or local shul, but when it comes to building the Mishkan when there is an explicit command to act with zerizus, then all bets are off, all cheshbonos should fall by the wayside. 

B) Why do we need a command to act b'zerizus with respect to building the Mishkan in particular?  I would suggest as follows: Rashi in last week's parsha writes that the people thought Moshe Rabeinu was late in coming down from Har Sinai and they went into panic mode.  They thought Moshe was dead, they thought they were leaderless, and the rest is history -- cheit ha'eigel. 

But they had an excuse -- by their estimation, Moshe had not come back!?

That excuse is no excuse.  If you love someone, then what's a few extra hours, an extra day, of waiting to see if they will come back?   If you love someone, how do you so easily give up hope of seeing them again?

The Mishkan is a kapparah for the cheit ha'eigel.  If the sin of the eigel was because we did not love Moshe Rabeinu enough to wait for him just a little longer before throwing in the towel.  The tikun has to be showing our love and passion for the Mishkan, for Hashem.  The way to do that is by rushing to give, not making cheshbonos.