There are times in the life of an individual and of a nation when a goal seems to be beyond reach, when the thought of not being able to achieve the impossible discourages even making an effort in that direction.

At such a moment it is worthwhile reflecting on the lesson taught in this weeks Torah portion. Previous chapters reported the great outpouring of gifts from the Jewish people which provided the materials for the construction of the Mishkan Sanctuary and all the sacred vessels and priestly garments connected with it. Now that the craftsmen had completed their work, all that was necessary was for someone to put up the boards which would serve as the walls. The heaviness of these boards, however, made it impossible for any human to lift them into place. This job was then left for Moshe, a privilege accorded to him by Heaven as compensation for not being involved in any phase of the construction.

"But how can any human achieve this?" asked Moshe. To which G-d replied: "You do what you can and give the appearance of putting up the Mishkan and it will stand up by itself."

This is a valuable lesson for all those charged with the responsibility of establishing and maintaining yeshivot, synagogues and all the other religious institutions which are the perpetuation of the Mishkan in our day. As impossible as the goal may sometimes seem because of financial difficulties, just remember that all you have to do is go through the motions and G-d will see to it that the Sanctuary rises and stands forever.