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vaYakhel
Ex 35:1-38:20
1st Aliya
35:1--35:20
2nd Aliya
35:21--35:29
3rd Aliya
35:30--36:7
4th Aliya
36:8--36:19
5th Aliya
36:20--37:16
6th Aliya
37:17--36:29
7th Aliya
38:1--38:20
Haftarah
I Kings 7:13--26
Glossary of Names
Aharon----Aaron
bat kol--voice of Adonai
b'sefer--into a book
B'zalel--shadow of Elokim
chen--favor
chesed--covenant loyalty
C'na'an--Canaan
dayenu--enough for us
ekev--as a result of
Etz haChayim--the Tree of Life
Har-haElokim--the mountain of God
Har Sinai--Mt. Sinai
kapporet--cover, Ark cover
k'hilah--community
ma'aseh choshev--woven design
maftir--concluding
Mitzrayim----Egypt
moftim--wonders
Moshe---Moses
s'gulah--treasure
Sh'mot--names
tikvah--hope
vaYakhel--and (Moshe) assembled
Yechezk'el--Ezekiel
Yisra'el---Israel
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vaYakhel (Exodus)
35:1...
1st Aliya
Moshe assembled the entire assembly of
the Children of Israel and said to them: "These are the things that HaShem
commanded, to do them: 2" 'On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day
shall be holy for you, a day of complete rest for HaShem; whosever does work
on it shall be put to death. 3You shall not kindle fire in any of your
dwellings on the Sabbath day.' "
While the
other mitzvot were affected by the sin of the Golden Calf, the
Sabbath, to which Moshe now adds new instructions, had not been tarnished.
Consequently, when the Tablets were destroyed, the letters making up the
commandment of the Sabbath remained intact, while the others fled. That
notes, R' Avraham Mordechai of Gur,
ve'katuv bahem she'mirat shabbat is why the Sabbath prayers include this phrase,
on which (the Tablets) is inscribed the observance of the Sabbath,--the only
letters that retained their original status were those regarding the
Sabbath.
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vaYakhel (Exodus)
35:21...
2nd Aliya
Every man whose heart inspired him
came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of HaShem
for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred
vestments.
According to Ramban and Ibn
Ezra,
this
verse
refers to the craftsmen; we must remember that the commands pertaining to
building the Tabernacle and making the holy objects were almost always
addressed to Moshe personally. Indeed, the whole nation was personified in
him. But the actual performance of the work had to be entrusted to others,
for Moshe served in the capacity of the king and, as the Midrash tells us,
it is up to the king to give orders, not carry them out (Shemot Rabbah ch.
40). Deprived of experience and professional training, due to their
slavery in Mitzrayim, the artisans had to be motivated with a holy fervor
before undertaking a task for which they were unprepared.

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vaYakhel (Exodus)
35:30...
3rd Aliya
Moshe said to the Children of
Israel, "See, HaShem has proclaimed by name, Bezalel son of Uri son of
Hur, tribe of Y'hudah. He filled him with Bit'vunah, Be'Chakmah, and
oo've'da'at, and every craft--to weave designs, to work with gold, silver,
and copper; stone-cutting for setting, and wood-carving--to perform every
craft of design.
In the Talmud R' Yitzchak
explains it as a form
of proposal to the Israelites to consider Bezalel's appointment. G-d
did not want to force it upon them because of the principle that one should
not impose a leader on the community without consulting it first. The
Midrash Tanchuma suggests that as first the Israelites thought the proposal
came from Moshe. They noted that Bezalel was one of Moshes' relatives, as
were the "Kohanim" and Levites, all of who were given honored roles in the
Divine service. The Talmud adds that it was only later, after
they heard that the proposal came from G-d Himself that they responded with
enthusiasm, saying, if it is good for HaShem and for you, then how much more
so is it good for us.

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vaYakhel (Exodus)
36:8...
4th Aliya
All the wise-hearted among those
doing the work made the Tabernacle; ten curtains of linen, twisted with
turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool; they made them with a woven design of
cherubs.
Ramban comments that in the
lengthy series of commands concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, an important element is lacking:
the detailed instruction to the craftsman. The Torah nevertheless gives long
descriptions of the work carried out, and (particularly in Sidrah P'kudei)
and stresses that every slight detail corresponded to Elokim's command to
Moshe. This demonstrates that the craftsman were truly wise-hearted men
( חבמי לב). Only general guidance was needed. The
rest was worked by the artisans using their instincts and skills.

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vaYakhel (Exodus)
36:20...
5th Aliya
He made the planks for the
Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing erect. 21Ten cubits was the
height of the plank, and a cubit and a half was the width of each plank.
22Each plank shall have two tenons, parallel to one another, so
he did for all the planks of the Tabernacle.
R' Hirsch interprets the
repetition of the details concerning the Tabernacle as an indication of the
artisans' awareness of their holy work. The diligent study of its complex
material preoccupations, he rediscovers the spirit of holiness that filled
the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. Hence, although the Tabernacle is no
longer in existence, it continues to fulfill its mission. Through our study
of its laws, it continues to live among us.

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vaYakhel (Exodus)
37:17...
6th Aliya
He made the Menorah of pure
gold, hammered out did he make the Menorah, its base and its shaft, its
cups, its knobs, and its flowers were from it. 18Six branches
emerged from its sides, three branches of the Menorah from its side and
three branches of the Menorah from its second side; 19three cups
engraved like almonds, a knob and a flower on the next branch--so for the
six branches that emerged from the Menorah.
The Torah ends the account of the
Tabernacle's construction with the vessels that represents the essence of
the Sanctuary's teaching. These vessels, that are contained in the
Tabernacle structure, symbolizes the innermost of human ideals: There is an
Ark containing Elokim's teaching; there is a Table that reflects mankind
struggle to sustain his physical being by fighting for their daily bread;
and finally, there is a Menorah that reflects mankind obligation to spread
the Light of the Torah to others.

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vaYakhel (Exodus)
38:1...
7th Aliya
He
made the Elevation-Offering
Altar of acacia wood; five cubits its length, and five cubits its
width--square--and three cubits in height. 2He made its horns on
its four corners, from it were its horns, and he covered it with copper.
3He made all the utensils of the Altar--the pots, the shovels,
the basins, the forks, and the fire-pans--he made all its utensils of
copper.
It is these vessels that symbolize the
purpose of creation, for their holiness is a reflection of mankind that
Elokim created for His pleasure. It is only because of His mercy and
kindness that mankind exist today.

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