Vayakhel – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ויאמר משה אל בני ישראל ראו קרא ד' בשם בצלאל בן אורי בן חור למטה יהודה

And Moshe said to Bnei Yisrael, “See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur, to the Tribe of Yehudah.” (35:30)

Chazal teach that no deed goes unrequited. While, at times, we see individuals laboring in Torah, indeed, sacrificing themselves for the pursuit of Torah study and its dissemination, although their incredible reward does not seem to materialize. This is literally due to our shortsightedness. We must understand that reward does not necessarily occur immediately. It might take generations for that reward to be actualized, but it will definitely come. Horav Yaakov Galinsky, zl, quotes the Binah L’Ittim, who notes that there are times when a person toils to understand a difficult Talmudic passage or halachah, which apparently, he is not…

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ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל... זה הדבר אשר צוה ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayakhel

Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael… This is the word that Hashem has commanded. (35:1,4)

Our parsha receives its name from the Hakhel, assembly of the people, so that they could receive their instructions concerning the building of the Mishkan. This gathering together of all the people was an essential prerequisite for the construction of the Mishkan. Why is this? To understand the significance of this gathering, it is important that we understand the power of “one.” In order to do so, we should examine how breaking a large singular item into many parts reduces its potency. Horav Mordechai Miller, zl, cites a powerful analogy from the Yalkut Shimoni on Sefer Tehillim. A king was…

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ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קודש... כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayakhel

On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you… whoever does work on it shall be put to death. (35:2)

In the previous parshah (Ki Sisa), the Torah addressed the mitzvah of Shabbos observance, detailing the punishment for its desecration. Why does the Torah reiterate it yet again in this parshah (Vayakhel)? Furthermore, if the primary point is to prevent us from working on the seventh day, why does the Torah preface it by saying, “Six days you shall work”? Why not get to the point? Horav Tzvi Pesach Frank, zl, quotes his brother-in-law, Horav Aryeh Levine, zl, who heard the following explanation from a well-known gaon, Torah scholar. At the beginning of Meseches Pesachim, Tosfos explains why the Torah…

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ולהורות נתן בלבו הוא ואהליאב בן אחיסמך למטה דן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayakhel

And the ability to instruct he installed in his heart, he and Ahaliav ben Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. (35:34)

Rashi notes that Ahaliav ben Achisamach was min ha’yerudin she’b’shevatim, one of the lowliest of the tribes, “Yet Hashem equates him to Betzalel regarding the works of the Mishkan, and Betzalel was from Shevet Yehudah, which was from the greatest of tribes.” The lesson to be derived is quite simple: when it comes to building the Bais Hamikdash, all Jews are equal. Yichus, lineage, regardless of its illustrious origins, does not play a role in granting a person a position of distinction. Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, explains that all of the various masks that exist in the world, masks that…

Home -> Vayakhel -> 5773

ויקהל משה את כל קהל עדת בני ישראל ויאמר אליהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Vayakhel

And Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and said to them. (35:1)

Rashi observes that this assembly took place on the day after Yom Kippur, after Moshe Rabbeinu had descended from the mountain. The Sifsei Chachamim notes that Parashas Ki Sisa concludes with Moshe’s descent from the mountain. The narrative here continues from that point. The fact that Rashi emphasizes that the Assembly occurred on the day after Yom Kippur is notable. Is the date really that significant? If the gathering would have taken place on another day – would it have been different? Horav Moshe zl, m’Kubrin offers a practical exposition – something to which we can probably all relate. Yom…

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ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Vayakhel

On six days work may be done, but the seventh shall be holy for you. (35:2)

The Torah introduces the commandments concerning the Mishkan with an enjoinment to guard/observe the Shabbos. On a simple level, the Torah is intimating that, while the construction of the Mishkan is a lofty endeavor with clearly transcendent significance, it does not supersede Shabbos. In other words, the construction of the Mishkan, regardless of its magnitude, is halted for Shabbos. Veritably, one detects an affinity between Shabbos and the Mishkan. Chazal declare that the Lamed-tes Melachos, Thirty-nine classifications of work prohibited on Shabbos, are derived from the nature of work involved in the construction of the Mishkan. What is the connection…

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והמלאכה היתה דים לכל המלאכה לעשות אתה והותר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Vayakhel

And the work (of bringing materials for the building) was just enough, to make all the works (of the Mishkan), and there was left over. (36:7)

When we read this pasuk we are struck with an anomaly in its interpretation. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks: Are these two expressions – dayom, “just enough;” and v’hoseir, “left over” – actually exclusive of one another? If there was “just enough,” then there could not have been anything “left over”; and if there is something “left over,” then clearly there was more than “just enough.” The Sfas Emes approaches this from a number of perspectives. We will select one which teaches a valuable lesson in avodas Hashem, service to the Almighty. In the Midrash Tanchuma, Chazal state that the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5772, Vayakhel

“Every wise-hearted person among you shall come and make everything that Hashem commanded.” (35:10)

Why did Moshe Rabbeinu not simply say, “All of the wise- hearted among you shall come and construct the Mishkan? Would it not have been more correct to identify what they were doing, building the Mishkan, rather than just telling them to follow Hashem’s command? Horav Moshe Feinstein, z.l., makes a profound inference. Man only builds the structure, Hashem actually makes it into a Mishkan/Mikdash when His Shechinah reposes there. All we can do is follow Hashem’s dictate, adhering to His command and instruction. Only then can we aspire for the Shechinah to rest there, thereby transforming this edifice into…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5772, Vayakhel

“See Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel son of Uri, son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah.” (35:30)

Every time the Torah details Betzalel’s pedigree, it goes back two generations to his grandfather, Chur. Apparently, Chur played an important role in molding Betzalel’s perspective on life. Indeed, it was probably because he had descended from Chur that Betzalel was selected to build the Mishkan. Only a very special individual, one whose devotion to Hashem had been exemplary, would undertake this unprecedented endeavor. Chur was the individual who challenged the erev rav, mixed multitude, when they rebelled against Hashem to build the Golden Calf. He was killed for his devotion. His spirit of mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, remained alive in…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Vayakhel

Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael. (35:1)

The Avnei Nezer explains that as the Mishkan’s construction came to a conclusion, Moshe Rabbeinu assembled the entire nation for the purpose of teaching them the importance of harmony. The goal of the Mishkan is to serve as the one unifying place, the singular force towards which all of the Jewish People focus their prayers and sacrifices. Until the completion of the Mishkan, it was permissible to offer sacrifices on Bamos, personal altars. Each and every Jew did his own thing, expressing his service to Hashem on his personal wavelength, exclusive of his neighbor. Tefillah was an individual endeavor. It…

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ויאמר משה אל בני ישראל ראו קרא ד' בשם בצלאל בן אורי בן חור למטה יהודה

And Moshe said to Bnei Yisrael, “See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur, to the Tribe of Yehudah.” (35:30)

ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל... זה הדבר אשר צוה ד'

Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael… This is the word that Hashem has commanded. (35:1,4)

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קודש... כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת

On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you… whoever does work on it shall be put to death. (35:2)

ולהורות נתן בלבו הוא ואהליאב בן אחיסמך למטה דן

And the ability to instruct he installed in his heart, he and Ahaliav ben Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. (35:34)

ויקהל משה את כל קהל עדת בני ישראל ויאמר אליהם

And Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and said to them. (35:1)

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש

On six days work may be done, but the seventh shall be holy for you. (35:2)

והמלאכה היתה דים לכל המלאכה לעשות אתה והותר

And the work (of bringing materials for the building) was just enough, to make all the works (of the Mishkan), and there was left over. (36:7)

“Every wise-hearted person among you shall come and make everything that Hashem commanded.” (35:10)

“See Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel son of Uri, son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah.” (35:30)

Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael. (35:1)

YEARS

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