In our desert region, we have limited water resources. One year of drought can have major repercussions to our water supply and there are good people working around the clock to find solutions. Recently the El Paso Water Utilities was running ads with the slogan “Less is the New More.” The message is simple, stop wasting water and help preserve what we have. When we are economical with our supplies, we discover that our quality of life is not affected by using less.
This positive perspective is rooted in the Torah from an unexpected source.
In this week’s parsha Nasso we learn of the inauguration of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle in the desert. This beautiful structure accompanied the Israelites throughout the rest of their 40-year sojourn in the desert and therefore designed to be mobile. The Levites were charged with the mission of transporting the enormous edifice and they were in need of “moving trucks” to get the job done.
The leaders of the twelve tribes donated six wagons and twelve oxen to the Mishkan as an inauguration gift, and they were assigned to the Levites as “moving trucks”. The family of Gershon, responsible for transporting the tapestries, received two wagons and the family of Merari, responsible for transporting the boards, the columns and the sockets, received four wagons.
Now, taking into account the sheer weight, size and amount of boards, columns and sockets the Merarites needed to transport, four wagons were terribly inadequate to get the job done. Loading and balancing such a heavy burden on those wagons during the journeys was extremely difficult and nerve wracking. Why were they not provided more wagons in accordance with their needs? Money was not an issue!
As it turns out, the Merarites managed to transport their load for 39 years. Despite the fact that it was inconvenient and difficult, four wagons proved to be sufficient. This teaches us that every resource in this world needs to be used to its fullest potential – even if it demands excruciating labor on our part!
This powerful lesson applies to all areas of life. Every minute needs to be utilized to the fullest, no matter how exhausting this maybe. Every penny can create a better world and every interaction should serve a higher purpose. Living life with such focus is difficult but G-d did not create anything extra.
Our greatest gift is the ability to extract the fullest potential out of everything we have.