Vayakhel Ex
35:-38:20
In this week’s portion, Moses convenes the entire people. Just as the laws of the Tabernacle end with the laws of the Sabbath, so, too, the actual building begins with a reiteration of the holiness of the Sabbath, mandating that the people refrain from work and from kindling fire on Shabbat. Moses then calls for contributions from the people and asks those with talent and ability to participate in the project. Bezalel and Oholiab take the donations and begin to work. The people join in the work of construction, sewing, and building, and Bezalel turns to fashioning the furniture and many accessories of the Tabernacle.
This is a relatively short Torah portion and is almost entirely a recapitulation of the instructions for fashioning the tabernacle and its furnishings. In previous weeks, we have read in detail about the dimensions, supplies needed, architecture, and design of the tabernacle, and now it seems we get it all over again. As you know, if you have studied Torah, the text is known for its brevity and rather sparing in its use of words. It is not a flowery novel with a lot of extra description. The editors were very careful in being sure that if the text was included, it was done so for a reason.
Commentators, therefore, have tried hard to make sense of this repetition. One suggests that God so loved the idea of having a permanent home with the Israelites that the details were repeated. Another one offers that the first version of the details represents God’s commands, complete with great enthusiasm radiating from the heavens to the Israelites below. This version represents the Israelites actually carrying out the commands, reflecting back the love and enthusiasm for God.
My favorite commentary on this portion comes from the great French rabbi and commentator Rashi. There is a tradition that explains that the sin of the Golden Calf and God forgiving the people for their sin occurred on Yom Kippur. Based on that tradition, Rashi sees that the events of this weeks Torah portion must take place on the day after Yom Kippur. He explains that Moses urges the people to translate their sense of a renewed relationship with God, of having atoned and been cleansed and forgiven, into action by keeping Shabbat, and by contributing to the fashioning of the tabernacle. This outpouring of emotion is evident as all the men and women whose hearts moved them to bring anything for the work that God had commanded did so as a freewill offering. In fact, the donations are so plentiful that Moses has to order the people to stop giving. May this be a model for our generosity, in all forms, throughout our lives.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Korn
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