Vayakhel

Exodus 35:1-38:20

In this Torah portion, God commands the Israelites not to do any work in the Sanctuary on Shabbat. The Israelites gather gifts for God. They gather so many that they are restrained from searching for more. Moses says that Ohaliab and Bezalel, who are filled with the spirit of God, should take the gifts of the Israelites and build God's Sanctuary.

Click here for a summary of Vayakhel.
Click here for a summary of the Haftarah
for Vayakhel.

The Israelites brought God gifts of gold.

Text Studies	Social Action and Environmentalism
The Loveliest Was the Unicorn Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Hillel	Six Days Shall You Work Sam Berrin Shonkoff, AJWS
Spirituality Never Stops Rabbi Neal Loevinger, KOLEL	From "Other" to "Beloved" Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, AJWS
On Matters of the Heart Michelle Young, Union for Reform Judaism	Initiative & Self-Sufficiency Rabbi Ahud Sela, AJWS
	Table For Two Rabbi Phil Miller, socialaction.com
	Ecology & Shabbat Jonathan Neril, Canfei Nesharim

From the Denominations	Pluralism and Outreach
Clothes Are the Message Rabbi Bradley Artson, American Jewish Unversity	Sacred Relationships Rabbi Shimon Felix, Bronfman Youth Fellowship
Living Up to Our Names Rabbi Charles Savenor, JTS	Moving Towards Redemption Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Jewish Outreach Institute
Holiness is Not Intrinsic Rabbi Aaron Cohen, Orthodox Union	The Nature of Cosmos Rachel Adler, Women of Reform Judaism

Family and Fun
Parashat Vayakhel for Families Torah Topics for Today
Parashat Vayakhel Quiz Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Parashat Vayakhel Challah Julie Seltzer