Naso 5774

“And it was that on the day Moshe (Moses) finished erecting the Mishkan (Tabernacle)…” (Bamidbar/Numbers 7:1)

Why does Torah credit Moshe with erecting the Mishkan when another man, Betzalel, was the G-d-appointed artisan who carried out the work?

Writes Rashi: “Scripture credits Moshe with it because he utterly devoted himself to it, overseeing that the design of each article conformed with what he was shown on the mount [Sinai], to instruct the craftsmen, and he did not err in any design.” In other words, Moshe had the vision, the self-sacrifice and devotion to ensure that the building project was finished, and that it was carried out the right way. While Moshe did not take part in the construction, he deserves to get the credit for taking responsibility and being accountable for the project’s completion.

As parents who wish our children to succeed and excel, we may be tempted to take over their homework and school projects so our children will get better grades. Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich in a video on www.aish.com warns against this dishonest and dangerous practice: “If we do their work, who is accountable? They will learn to be responsible if we let them be responsible. They will make mistakes. They will suffer the consequences. If we allow our children to be responsible, they will be the Moshes of the Jewish people.”

http://www.aish.com/tp/pak/parenting/Robbed_of_Responsibility.html