Parashat Vayakhel

Moshe Rabbeinu exhorts Bnei Yisrael to keep Shabbat, and requests donations for the materials for making the Mishkan. He collects gold, silver, precious stones, skins and yarn, as well as incense and olive oil for the Menorah and for anointing. The princes of each tribe bring the precious stones for the Kohen Gadol's breastplate and ephod. G-d appoints Betzalel and Oholiav as the master craftsmen. Bnei Yisrael contribute so many resources that Moshe begins to refuse donations. Special curtains with two different covers were designed for the Mishkan's roof and door. Gold-covered boards in silver bases were connected, forming the Mishkan's walls. Betzalel made the Holy Ark (which contained the Tablets) from wood covered with gold. On the Ark's cover were two figures - keruvim - facing each other. The Menorah and the table with the showbreads were also of gold. Two Altars were made: a small incense Altar of wood, overlaid with gold, and a larger Altar for sacrifices, made of wood covered with copper.

Parashat Pekudei

The Book of Shemot concludes with this Torah portion. After finishing all the different parts, vessels and garments used in the Mishkan, Moshe gives an accounting and enumeration of all the contributions and of the various clothing and vessels that had been fashioned. Bnei Yisrael bring everything to Moshe. He inspects the handiwork and notes that everything was made according to G-d’s specifications. Moshe blesses the people. G-d speaks to Moshe and tells him that the Mishkan should be set up on the first day of the first month, i.e., Nissan. He also tells Moshe the order of assembly for the Mishkan and its vessels. Moshe does everything in the prescribed manner. When the Mishkan is finally complete with every vessel in its place, a cloud descends upon it, indicating that G-d's glory rested there. Whenever the cloud moved away from the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael would follow it. At night the cloud was replaced by a pillar of fire.

PARSHA INSIGHTS

Vayakhel

Not Fire Power, Not Brain Power

“Moses assembled the entire congregation of the Children of Israel and said to them: These are the things that Hashem has commanded, to do them.” (35:1)

If wars are good for anything, it’s this:

A war brings out in people what Londoners in the second world war called – ‘the Blitz Spirit.’ A spirit of shared hardship. Wars either bring out the worst in people – or the best. In the current war against Iran, we see the internecine strife in the Land of Israel - religious versus secular, Right versus Left - replaced by a spirit of unity and brotherhood (however brief this may be.)

But let us not delude ourselves: unity in itself has no over-arching value. Unity is only valuable if it leads to the strengthening of Torah and its values.

Our Sages teach: Great is Peace, for it was placed in the portion of the Righteous; great is peace for it was not placed in the portion of the Evil. (Yalkut Nasso)

When Moshe assembled the entire congregation of the Children of Israel in a unified gathering, the first thing he said to them was: “These are the things that Hashem has commanded, to do them.”

Unity and community only have value when they lead to doing the mitzvot – the Will of Hashem.

Let us hope and pray that the current unity in the Land of Israel will lead to a greater awareness that all our miraculous success, in this and all the wars that the State has fought, have nothing to do with our superior fire-power, or brain-power, but are because the God of Israel fights for His People – and we merit that protection in proportion to our fulfilling His Will.