Vayakhel Commentary

Initiative and Self-Sufficiency

God met the Israelites' need to relate to God on their own terms — we must do the same.

Moving Towards Redemption

The messages of hope and togetherness in Vayakhel and Pekudei prepare us for Passover.

Vayakhel

Exodus 35:1-38:20

Sacred Relationships

The mirrors used to create the basin in the Tabernacle teach us that sanctified sexuality means seeing ourselves in relation to others.

Clothes Are The Message

The clothing of our religious leaders communicates our perceptions of our relationships to God and each other.

On Matters Of The Heart

The image of Israelites, whose hearts moved them, donating gifts to the Tabernacle, inspires us to consider the meaning of having a heart that is moved.

Parashat Vayakhel: Summary

The Israelites bring so many materials for the construction of the Tabernacle that Moses tells them to stop; Bezalel and Oholiab, gifted craftspeople, construct the elements of the Tabernacle.

Table For Two

Our tables, symbolic altars, become tools in our quest for sacredness when we share them with the poor and marginalized.

Spirituality Never Stops

The connections between building the Tabernacle and Yom Kippur reminds us that all aspects of our spirituality are connected.

The Tabernacle and Shabbat’s Shared Message

Holiness is not limited to one sphere.