“I am black but beautiful”

 While Bnai Israel constructed the Mishkan they said, “Sh’chora ani venava- I am black but beautiful.”

Indeed these two ideas seem extremely contradictory; however, these two attributes portray Bnai Israel’s escalating history. Bnai Israel proclaim,

-       ‘I am black when my own deeds are taken into consideration, but beautiful considering the deeds of my forefathers.’

-       ‘I was black in Egypt, but beautiful when pronouncing na’aseh venishma- we will do and we will hear- at Mount Sinai’

-       I was black when I rebelled at the splitting of the Red Sea, but beautiful when I exclaimed, this is my G-d and I shall glorify Him.’

-       I was black in the incident of the golden calf, but beautiful in the construction of Mishkan.’

Indeed Bnai Israel had many rough times, but they always found ways to do teshuva and make themselves beautiful once more. Moreover, many times we feel as if we have gone astray from Hashem, and have become so black that there is no turning back; however, the first step in becoming beautiful is recognizing that indeed you have tarnished your soul, but there are opportunities for unlimited goodness for your soul to be beautiful once again.