You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Yael Eckstein  |  March 9, 2021

Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases … —Exodus 39:33

Each week in synagogue, Jews read through the Torah from Genesis to Deuteronomy. This week’s Torah portion is a double reading, Vayakhel-Pekudei, from Exodus 35:1–40:38. Vayakhel means “assembled,” and Pekudei means “counting.”

Most days I wake up feeling excited about my job and about life in general. I am blessed with a wonderful family and a job that is fulfilling and inspiring. However, there are days when the kids are sick, the day is packed with meetings, and some unexpected issue turns up that needs to be dealt with immediately. On those seemingly impossible days, my spirit starts to cry out, “God, I’m just one person — I can’t do all of this on my own!” And inevitably, I always feel Him deep inside say to me, “And you don’t have to!”

In this week’s Torah portion, we read about the building of the Tabernacle, in Hebrew, the mishkan. It took three months and an entire nation to complete the project. Once all the parts had been made, God gave Moses the honor of putting it all together. Everyone had contributed material, time, and talent to making all the parts of the Tabernacle, but Moses would be the one to actually erect the mishkan.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

There was just one problem. Moses did a few calculations and realized that it would be physically impossible for him to build the mishkan on his own. He was in his 80s after all! According to tradition, Moses turned to God and asked, “How will I do this?” God replied, “You make the effort and go through the motions, and then the mishkan, by way of miracle, will erect itself.” Moses did not need to do it all alone.

And that is exactly what happened.

Like Moses, we also need to put in our best effort when it comes to doing God’s work. We cannot run away from our God-given roles in life. But we don’t have to do it all alone, either. God sends us many angels to help in the form of family, friends, co-workers, and complete strangers. He creates circumstances that help us and gives us ideas to guide us. Our job is to do our best, and then, let go and let God do the rest.

Your Turn:

What task are you facing today where you could use some extra help? Before you tackle it, spend a few moments in prayer and ask God for His assistance.