Rabbi Erica Steelman
This week’s Torah portion is Vayakhel-Pekudei: Exodus 35:1 — 40:38
While the Torah contains many instances that reveal human shortcomings, this week’s double Torah portion, Vayakhel-Pekudei, reveal other aspects of our abilities and potential.
Over these two parshiyot that conclude the Book of Exodus, a remarkable transformation occurs within and among the people of Israel. We go from a disparate assortment of people full of complaints and fears — despite no longer being enslaved and despite being taken care of (fed, sheltered and protected) — to a community that successfully carries out God’s instructions and blueprint for creating an exceptionally detailed Mishkan, a portable sanctuary, and all the related accoutrements.
Parshat Vayahkel gets its name from the first word of the parsha (Exodus 35:1). The verse begins: “Vayahkel Moshe et kol adat B’nei Yisrael.” Some English translations render this: “And Moses assembled or” And Moses gathered” the entire congregation of the children of Israel. Rashi, however, asserts that the verb vayakhel should be translated in its causative form — Moses doesn’t literally pull people together. Rather, Moses causes the people to gather themselves together. All the people traveling in the wilderness with Moses come together all genders, ages, tribes, social positions — everyone. This begs the question: What does Moses do that causes the people to bring themselves together to form a kehilla, a community?
The key to this conundrum is also found in Vayakhel-Pekudei. God, through Moses, invites each person to participate in a shared communal project. Everyone is invited to contribute “as their heart so moves them.” In other words, God communicates to each person, through Moses, that they matter and furthermore have something to give. It is an inclusive, welcoming invitation. No one is required to give — the choice is theirs. After Moses finishes, the people disperse and something remarkable happens. They start bringing the materials Moses listed. In fact, the people bring so much and so quickly that eventually they are told to restrain themselves from giving. What? They eagerly seek ways to contribute and participate in the building of the Mishkan? Some supply the necessary physical materials, others give of their skills, knowledge, creative abilities and physical labor. The same people who have complained about their living conditions and all that they lacked are now eager to give.
We learn that God has placed knowledge, skills and abilities within people. And in the head craftsperson, Bezalel, and his assistant, Ohaliav, God has given them the wisdom, knowledge, understanding and skills to do all the various crafts, as well as the skills to teach others. The Sages note that while Bezalel comes from the lofty tribe of Judah, Ohaliav comes from the more modest, lowly tribe of Dan. God chooses the two of them to lead this magnificent project.
It is easy to lose sight of this transformation and get lost in the dizzying details and descriptions of the building of the Mishkan — even for me, a trained metalsmith who appreciates what goes into handmade crafts. It’s a lot. And it is hard to reconcile the fact that the people, while journeying in the wilderness and having been enslaved, are suddenly able to produce all these precious and refined materials (gold, silver, copper, precious stones, dyes, fabrics, wood, spices, oil) and moreover have the necessary tools and equipment.
But perhaps this is part of the teaching that continues to be relevant to us today. We can achieve great things when we work together, when we share, cooperate and collaborate. The scale and scope of the Mishkan project is so vast and intricate that it could only come about if everyone participated in one way or another.
And here is precious Torah for us today. Each person is endowed by God with gifts to share. Too often, we do not see and appreciate the fact that each person we encounter has gifts to share, and sadly we often don’t recognize the gifts we have to give. At times, we may feel overwhelmed by thoughts of what we “should” do, create, or be, and feel inadequate, insignificant, lacking, or lost.
God’s invitation, heard so clearly in Vaykhel-Pekudei, extends to each of us. May we hear the call to contribute, to open ourselves to the blessings of giving and receiving, and together build inclusive, welcoming communities.
In Pekudei, we read: “Moses saw the entire work and behold! They had accomplished it; as God had commanded, so had they done; and Moshe blessed them,” (Exodus 39:43). The Sages, turn to Psalm 90, the psalm attributed to Moses, and determine the blessing Moses bestowed upon the People of Israel upon completing the Mishkan is:
“May the Shechinah rest in the work of your hands. May the pleasantness of my Lord, our God, be upon us.”
May it be so.