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Parashat Vayakhel
Exodus 35:1 - Exodus 38:20

Topics (click on any link)
Synopsis of the Torah portion
Spiritual insights into Parashat Vayakhel
Key verses
Creative Midrash for Parashat Vayakhel

Chapter 35
Moses reiterated the importance of observing the Sabbath. The remainder of Chapter 35 repeats all of the commands given in Parshat Terumah regarding the freewill offerings to the Lord of the materials construct the sanctuary. We hear again the list of yarns, fabrics, skins, metals, wood, oil, spices, incense needed to equip the Tabernacle, its tent, its coverings and the sacral vestments for Aaron and his sons. Men and women, all whose hearts moved them, came bringing their gold jewelry to be crafted in service of the sanctuary. God singled out Bezalel and endowed him with skill and knowledge in all crafts. He and Oholiab shared all the responsibilities of carving, designing, and embroidering all the components of the Tent of Meeting.

Chapter 36
Moses called upon Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to carry out the work of construction of the sanctuary. They began to take all the freewill gifts of building materials from the Israelites, and when enough had been received, more kept flowing in. Moses finally had to insist that no more gifts should be brought. The chapter goes on to describe in detail the actual construction of each component of the sanctuary: the curtains, the tent over the tabernacle, the planking for floors, the wall planks, and screens for the entrance of the Tent.

Chapter 37
Next Bezalel began the construction of the ark to hold the Tablets, following the specifications handed down through Moses. He also made the table overlaid with gold. The utensils that were to be on the table, bowls, ladles, jugs, and jars to offer libations were also made of pure gold. He made the lampstand, with its six branches, of pure gold. Then he made the incense altar with horns in each corner, also from pure gold. the chapter ends with the expert preparation of the sacred anointing oil and the aromatic incense.

Chapter 38
The altar for the burnt sacrifices was made from acacia wood with horns on each of its four corners; these horns were overlaid with copper. All of the utensils for the altar were also made of copper. The laver (the washing basin) was made from the copper mirrors of women who performed tasks at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Bezalel supervised the construction of the enclosure, the main boundaries of the sanctuary. The dimensions were fifty cubits square and all the hangings around the enclosure was made of fine twisted linen. The sockets were made of copper, the hooks for the hangings were silver and all the pegs, which anchored the Tabernacle and the enclosure, were also made of copper.

Spiritual insights into Parashat Vayakhel                        return to top of page
Moses now tells the Israelites that God commanded them to bring gifts, according to the impulse of their hearts, of materials to be used in the construction of the Tabernacle. Also skilled workers were singled out to make the designs and artifacts that would be used in the Tabernacle. Among the materials required were metals such as gold, silver and copper; yarns of blue, purple and crimson; fabrics of different kinds and acacia wood. We have to ask ourselves: How could the Israelites acquire all these materials in the necessary amounts after having just escaped from bondage in Egypt.

Exodus 35:2
On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be out to death.
Food for thought:
1. When the specifications for the sanctuary was completed in parsha Ki Tissa, instructions were given to observe the Sabbath. Why here again?
2. What does the sanctuary have to do with the Sabbath?
3. How do the laws of the Sabbath relate to the construction of the sanctuary?

Exodus 35:21
And everyone who excelled in ability and everyone whose spirit moved him came, bringing to the Lord his offering for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all its service and for the sacral vestments.
Food for thought:
1. How would you describe the enthusiasm that prompted the Israelites to willingly do whatever work was needed for the construction?
2. God specified most of the details of the sanctuary, but some of it was left to the creativity of Bezalel and his crew. Why?
3. How can we apply this same thinking today?

Exodus 35:31
He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability and knowledge in every kind of craft and has inspired him to make designs for work in gold, silver and copper, to cut stones for setting and to carve wood—to work in every kind of designer's craft—and to give directions.
Food for thought:
1. What do you think inspires someone to produce creative works? Creative ability or divine inspiration?
2. Did Bezalel have natural talent as a craftsman or was God's hand responsible for his abilities?
3. How can you demonstrate your creative abilities? Can you recall times when creative impulses motivated you? What caused it?

Exodus 36:4-5
All the artisans who were engaged in the tasks of the sanctuary came, each from the task upon which he was engaged, and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than is needed for the tasks entailed in the work that the Lord has commanded to be done"
Food for thought:
1.  How would you describe the enthusiasm that prompted the Israelites to willingly bring whatever materials were needed for the construction?
2. How in that desolate wilderness could it have been possible to accumulate so many valuable possessions?
3. In today's world, how can we be engaged in building a holy structure?

Exodus 36:34
They overlaid the planks with gold, and made their rings of gold, as holders for the bars, and they overlaid the bars with gold.
Food for thought:
1. This parsha duplicates much of what we found in parshat Terumah. What do you find to be the essential difference between the two?
2. Three metals of different values are specified in the construction. How do these metals relate to the physical domain of the sanctuary?
3. Why were rings to insert poles specified for the major components of the sanctuary? What function did they play?

Exodus 37:1
Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out; and he made a gold molding for it round and about.
Food for thought:
1. Why was gold specified for the ark?
2. Where was the ark to be placed?
3. What was its function?

Exodus 37:29
He prepared the sacred anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense, expertly blended.
Food for thought:
1. What do you think is the spiritual purpose of anointing oil?
2. What is the aromatic incense? How does it function?
3. Do you think oil and the incense are used the same or differently?

Exodus 38:1-2
He made the altar for burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide--square--and three cubits high. He made horns for it on its four corners, the horns being of one piece with it; and he overlaid it with copper.
Food for thought:
1. Do we have some representation in today’s synagogue for the altar? If so, how do we sacrifice on it?
2. What was the purpose of the horns? Why were horns specified in the blueprint?
3. Why was the altar overlaid with copper? How does copper rank in the order of the three metals?

Exodus 38:1-2
He made the laver of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of women who performed tasks at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Food for thought:
1. Why do you think the copper for the laver was taken from the mirrors of women who performed tasks at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting? Could mirrors have anything to do with self-reflection or vanity?
2. What kind of tasks do you think these women performed?
3. There are a number of structures mentioned in connection with the Sanctuary: the Tent of Meeting, theTabernacle, the Enclosure and the Holy of Holies. Can you determine what they are and what role each played?

Additional questions to ponder:
1. What is it about the story, a verse, a word that seems to resonate with some aspect of your life?
2. Is there something about the story that rings a bell?
3. Can you recall experiences in your life when you have experienced something similar to this story?
4. How would you describe the characters in the story? Who do you know who's like them?
5. Can you personally identify with any one of the characters in the story? Which one?
6. Can you find a similarity between yourself and all the characters in the story?
 

Reflections:
The Rabbis of old would meditate on such questions, sometimes for weeks at a time, to help find deeper meaning in the verses. You may wish to contemplate just one or a few of these questions at a time, rather than tackling them all.
In what ways we any of your responses to the questions personally meaningful?

Suggestion:
Some of the questions here are of a personal nature which in some cases could be emotionally upsetting. If so, try relaxing your body as much as possible and takes long slow breaths of air. That usually helps to relieve anxiety.

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Creative Midrash on Parashat Vayakhel                         return to top of page
 

Exodus 35:5-9
This is what the Lord has commanded: Take from among you gifts to the Lord, everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them--gifts for the Lord: gold, silver and copper; blue, purple and crimson yarns, fine linen and goats hair; tanned ram skins, dolphin skins and acacia wood; oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; lapis and other stones for setting, for the ephod and the breastplate.

The Rabbis of old would create parables, stories and narrative connections around such selected verses. What do you see between the lines, the sentences and the letters. The following questions can provide a launch pad upon which to create your own meanings of the Torah.

Nowhere does the Torah state where all these materials came from. Where do you think it came from? How could a band of ex-slaves accumulate so much material value after being in the desert a short time? Is it possible that a wilderness could yield so many precious commodities? Before leaving Egypt, they borrowed from their neighbors (Ex.11:2 ). Would they have known to borrow just the materials needed for the sanctuary? Could each person have carried that much out of Egypt to construct this Tent in the wilderness? Could all this material have come upon them miraculously like manna in the field? A considerable amount of gold must have been used for the golden calf, where would so much for its construction come from? What was each person's motivation to bring as much as his heart moved him, and still they brought much more than what could be used?

Spend some time thinking about these questions. After you mentally process them for a day or two, it could be helpful to record your conclusions in a journal. It's not important to have correct answers; it's more important to wrestle with the narrative. In time this process can teach you to change many of your unproductive thoughts and beliefs for new ones that work more effectively.