Many copies of Chumash list, after each parasha (weekly reading), the number of verses in that parasha. By and large, they omit it for parashas P'kude; why?
(And if the answer is that they copy the information from some version of the m'sora, which omits the information for P'kude, my question is transferred to that m'sora: why does it omit the information for P'kude?)
Aharon Ahrend has a detailed article in Rabbi Mordechai Breuer's Festschrift (vol. 1 p. 157) titled "The Mneumotechnical Notes of the Numbers of Verses in the Torah Portions" where he goes through the history of these notes. Turns out Pekudei's mnemonic was first erroneously dropped in the Venice Mikraot Gedolot along with Toldot's and Haazinu's. This edition had a number of other errors in regards these notes which he details (such as Vayikra getting the mnemonic צו or Lekh Lekha getting מכנדב instead of מכנדבי). In later editions the mnemonics for Bechukotai, Vayechi, Yitro were each dropped too. An edition in 1859 (which had some of its own errors, like using מכנדיב instead of מכנדבי) added them all back in except Pekudei's, and that's why you often still see it missing.
In old texts we can still find mnemonics for its 92 verses such as עזיה or סבכי.
From Chabad.org this question was once asked by Rabbi Alexander-Sender Yudasin to the Lubavitcher Rabbi Zatzal. The Rabbi said that perhaps since the Siman was = the words "בלי כל" the original Siman said "בלי כל ֿ סימן". A publisher who misunderstood took it that there was no Siman and left it out, thus it was not in future editions.
הרב אלכסנדר-סנדר יודאסין, שהיה רב בתל-אביב, שיגר מכתב אל הרבי מליובאוויטש ושאל מדוע בסוף פרשת פקודי בחומשים לא מופיע 'סימן' לפסוקי הפרשה (מילה או כמה מילים שהגימטרייה שלהן היא כמניין הפסוקים), שלא כמו בפרשות האחרות.
"הרבי השיב לו תשובה מפתיעה בפשטותה הגאונית. וכך כתב: "יש לחפש בדפוסים הראשונים, כי לדעתי אין זה אלא השמטת המדפיס, ונמשך הדבר כן גם אצל שאר המדפיסים שבאו אחריו"
"לאחר מכן מציע הרבי הסבר מדוע השמיט זאת המדפיס: בפרשת פקודי יש תשעים ושניים פסוקים. הגימטרייה של המילים "בלי כל" היא תשעים ושניים. ייתכן איפה שהיה כתוב "בלי כל ֿ סימן". לאחר מכן בא מדפיס ('הבחור הזעצער') שלא הבין את משמעות הדבר, אלא תפס את העניין כפשוטו, שאין כאן שום סימן, והחליט שאם כך, אין טעם לציין זאת"...
I recall reading the the menmonic בלי כל Bli Kol is a remez/allusion to the posuk in the Tochacha of Ki Savo at 28:55 which says that מבלי השאיר לו כל, that a person will eat his child and leave nothing over. So it is alluding to a Klallah that nothing will be left. Not sure why the middle words are left out except that the point is brought across without the additional words and , obviously, to make it equal 92. It would seem to imply that Pikudei which lists the materials for the Mishkan and lists the clothing of the Kohanim and contains the setting up of the Mishkan and the fact that the Glory of Hashem filled it, means that the Yidden were forgiven for the Chet Ha Egel. So the Kellalah of Bli Kol was avoided. Perhaps the printer made a mistake but perhaps he left it out on purpose because its not a good siman if you just refer to the curse. But if you refer to the curse being uprooted, than its ok. All in the intention of the reader.
Additionally, a few Posukim before at 28:47 the Torah says that because you did not serve Hashem correctly when you had מרב כל therefore the punishments will come. Seems that Bli Kol is the opposite of Merov Kol. Same idea, you dodged the bullet of Bli Kol with the building and dedication of the Mishkan but now we see that a Bli Kol is the Midah Geneged Midah of not serving Hashem when you had Merov Kol. My thought- not sure if its any good.
