by Rabbi Daniel Huebner

Among the Jews who left Egypt, there were many artisans with special skills. When it was time to build the Tabernacle, they all did their part. The goldsmiths, silversmiths, weavers, and carpenters all volunteered their services.

The Torah mentions one specific group of artisans, a group of women who possessed an unusual skill with a very exclusive market. They knew how to spin goat hair while it was still attached to the goat. This required exceptional spinning and animal management skills. They had to keep the goats calm and in place while they worked laboriously with their hair.

Goat hair is not as soft and luxurious as sheep wool. However, if the hair is spun while still alive, it is somewhat softer than after it is sheared. This was a time-consuming task that required unique skills. Only very wealthy people, who could afford the luxury and who cared for the subtle improvement in quality, would pay the steep price.

When it was time to build the Tabernacle, these women stepped forward. They could have just let ordinary spinners spin the detached goat hair for the coverings of the Tabernacle. But they would not hear of it. If they had a skill, they wanted to use it for G-d's home. Firstly, G-d's home deserves the very best. Secondly, if they had something unique to contribute, they did not want to be left out. In other words, they wanted to beautify G-d's home with the best artistry there was to offer. Despite the laboriousness of their task, their threads were completed before the ordinary spinners completed their treads. As a result, the goat hair coverings of the Tabernacle were the first to be woven and completed.

This is more than just an interesting part of the construction of the Tabernacle. Like everything in Torah this detail gives us a valuable lesson.

We all have our own sets of skills and abilities. There are some more ordinary skills, and some more specialized skills. We often think of our skills as something we use for ourselves and, on occasion, for others who might be in need. By teaching us about these women, the Torah reminds us that our skills are not for us first and for others second. They are for G-d first and for us second. Whatever skill we might have, we must ask ourselves, how can we use it for something purposeful?

If G-d and nature were separate systems, and G-d imposed upon nature, making demands on our natural bounty and skills, then we would be the ones to decide how to use our skills. If we chose to be generous, we could share our skills; if not, we could keep it for ourselves. It would be our right, for the skills would naturally be ours.

The Jewish view is that G-d and nature are not parallel systems, rather that G-d is the creator of nature, and everything in nature is organized by G-d according to His will. It follows that our skills are granted to us by G-d. Of course, we get to use them for ourselves. But since they are His and given to us for a reason, our first priority is to ask how we can use them for positive change in the world. Sometimes, the answer is obvious. Sometimes, we have to dig a little to figure out how to use our skills for G-d.

Sometimes, the skills we have are duplicated by others. It is easy to sit back and let the other person take care of G-d's needs, while we focus exclusively on ourselves. The women mentioned in the construction of the tabernacle tell us differently. There were many weavers who could have woven the goat hair. But these women were not content with letting ordinary weavers build G-d's home. G-d's home deserves the best.

If other people with your skills are helping, find a way to do it better, to do more, and to be more extraordinary so that G-d's community can receive the best. For yourself, you can decide if mediocre is enough. For G-d, nothing less than extraordinary will ever be enough.

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Rabbi Daniel and Raizel Huebner moved to San Miguel from New Jersey in 2018 with their family to start Chabad SMA. They enjoy living in San Miguel and integrating with the community through classes, Jewish activities and social events.

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