Vayakhel-Pekudei
Exodus 35:1–40:38
Ezekiel 36:16–38
The last two Torah portions of the Book of Exodus seem redundant, and I’m afraid that if asked, many might vote against including them in the Five Books. Somehow we enjoy teaching Torah stories from Genesis to Exodus up until about two, three weeks ago. After that, we enter a combination law school with a major in architecture and design. Yet again, we listen to the repeated description of the Tabernacle construction and the long, precise details of its components.
Does it really matter how long is the table, how high the ark, what color the curtains? Do we really need four Torah portions for that? That’s four times as many as we have about Abraham’s childhood, whom we meet for the first time at age 75, and isn’t he the first monotheist, the father of our nation?
First: Contrary to popular opinion, Abraham is not the first monotheist. When God spoke to Adam and asked him ayeka (Where are you?), Adam knew exactly who was talking. And when Noah was told to build an ark because of upcoming rains, he didn’t seek a second opinion. Both of them knew it was The One who was talking to them. They, too, were “monotheists” — a word that doesn’t even exist in Hebrew.
Faith in an invisible God is hard and almost impossible to hold on to. When left to our own devices, we tend to find tangible stuff that represents that faith, which we then hold dear. Before too long, we start worshipping the stuff, replacing our belief in God with various forms of idolatry.
What was unique about Abraham is that he started a path that connected and balanced faith and action, complementing and strengthening each other. This is also what the Mishkan does: It creates for us in a structure what Abraham started as a way of life.
Rabbinic commentaries explain that God knew of the people’s need for something concrete in their spiritual lives, especially after the golden calf incident of last week’s parashah. Instead of forbidding material expressions altogether (as would be appropriate!), God compromises and allows a Tabernacle, a mobile temple, but with clear and specific construction and worship instructions.
OK, you might say, so that’s what we read about in the Torah portion of Terumah. Why repeat it this week? Indeed, in Terumah we got the instructions, but we were passive listeners. In this week’s parashah we became the doers, sharing in one of the greatest projects of our people’s history: a band of nomad-slaves building a house for God; and against our argumentative nature and second-guessing everyone from “in the beginning” and on, this time we get directions and we follow them precisely.
Some consider this parashah not only a necessary piece but the greatest miracle in our history, for we joined together and worked toward the same goal.
The name of this week’s parashah, Vayakhel, means “and he gathered” or “assembled, brought together.” The word shares the same root as kahal and kehillah, congregation, community. It speaks less of construction and more to the “power of community.”
There are many commentaries about the dangers of divisiveness among our people. According to our tradition, the Temple was destroyed because of sin’at chinam, baseless hatred. During the sin of the golden calf, the people fought against each other, while during the giving of the Torah, God speaks about the people of Israel in singular form, as if they are one person.
One of the commentators takes it a step further: Vayakhel, he says, implies a positive commandment to create congregations, a mitzvah we have followed since time immemorial.
Everywhere we go, we set up communities and congregations, conferences, gatherings, assemblies and meetings. We must, however, notice that the next verse says: “These are the matters that God commanded to do them” — to let us know that it isn’t enough just to gather and talk. Rather, talking should lead to positive, God-inspired action.
So it is today. We value the “power of community” — our ability to get together in spite of our differences to share common ideals, to build a physical and spiritual house for God where everyone finds a purpose and a role.
Michal Kohane is the director of the Israel Center of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. She has served in leadership roles throughout Northern California and holds advanced degrees in studies of Israel, psychology and education. She can be reached at [email protected].