Vayakhel - second to last parsha in Sefer Shemot; final preparations of the Mishkan, the vessel for the receiving of the Shekhinah.
Normally combined with P'kudei but separate this year because of the leap year.
Surface appearance of being an identical repetition of Terumah, exact order of components.
But, there are important differences between the two - Terumah speaks of the "motivated heart," while Vayakhel speaks of "wise hearts," and "inspired hearts." Terumah say "you shall" - Vaykhel says "he did." Terumah is in the future tense, Vayakhel is in the past tense.
This addresses two basic human experiences of time: anticipation and retrospection. The experience of time is crucial to Judaism
Heschel wrote in his book, "The Sabbath," that the very essence of the Jewish people is Shabbat - an island in time that has sustained them. As Heschel says: It isn't surprising that for the eternal people, the dimension of time, not space, is at the center of Jewish existence.
The question arises, what is at the center of this anticipation and retrospection - what is being contemplated? If we count the parshiot from the beginning of Terumah to the end of the sefer, there are 547 verses. The 273rd verse, in the very middle, is Exodus 32:32, the moment when Moses asks HKBH to forgive Israel for the Golden Calf, and mentions the book of life. This verse is the critical moment of redeption in the book of Shemot, the book of redemption according to Rashi. It is also one of the sources for the idea of the Book of Life in the Yom Kippur liturgy.
Now to our parsha:
"Vayakhel" is the same root as "Kohelet" meaning congregation. The portion emphasizes the importance of a congregation and its spiritually powerful actions. The Jewish People fulfill their mission in bringing G-d into the world through the Tabernacle and we do it as a community, as well as as individuals.
Though most of the parsha deals with the Mishkan, it begins with another decree of Shabbat. The Torah seems to be telling us that even for the most important work possible -- bringing the divine presence, the Shechina, into the world- we must allow for the holiness of Shabbat. In other words, the holiness of space must make room for the holiness of time.
The emphasis on Shabbat is reflected in the Zohar, whose commentary on Vayakhel concentrates predominantly on Shabbes and bringing the Shekhinah into the world. In fact, an excerpt from the Zohar's section on Vayakhel appears in our liturgy, at the dramatic moment when the ark has been opened and the Torah is about to be brought out - when we say B'riq Sh'mei. The ideas in B'riq Sh'mei are brought together to inspire a state of readiness to receive the Torah, to prepare a vessel.
Specific words in Vayakhel:
Avodah, a word used specifically in connection with building the Mishkan, first appears at Exodus 1:14, where we read: "they embittered their lives with hard work, with mortar and with bricks, and with every labor of the field…" Here we see the Torah changing the work of slavery in Egypt to the work of serving Hashem. In the avodah of spiritual work, we are reminded of being brought out of Egypt by the strong hand of G-d.
Kelim - vessels 100 - same Gmtrya as "the seas" in Bereshis, "the water" (paro in the AM Ex 8:16, "its cups," "poured out" - all water=Torah - also "Ol" - yoke - as in "Ol malchut shamaim" the yoke of heaven. Yoke first appears in Torah at the pasuk about the Red Heifer.
There's a lot of commentary about the boards. Sforno says they "omdim" means they stand forever, thus the Mishkan is eternal. The boards are 10 cubits high, suggesting the 10 sfirot etze chaim, 10 commandments, 10 creation words. Its boards - karashav - 616 - Jitro, The Torah, uvaharta - "choose life."
"Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Hur."
"G-d's light made evident in the shadow of G-d." Reminds of bedikat chumetz.
The curtains in the mishkan are made of linen and wool, twisted together. We have a prohibition about mixing linen and wool, which is called shatnez. One idea about why we go directly against this prohibition in the Mishkan it that it is a healing for what happened with Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and Abel herded sheep. The shepard has a warm blooded relationship with his animals, while the farmer is less personal with his crops. Sheep herding is a simpler lifestyle, nomadic, and less regimented. Farming, on the other hand, brings mass production, regimentation, slavery, and depersonalisation.
How does mixing wool and linen mend the break between Cain and Abel? Because wool comes from sheep and linen is a plant grown in fields.
Curtains - northern lights - Rashi's stars: "sparkles in the hooks and clasps."
It's said that the Mishkan reflects creation itself in its complexity and layering, as well as reflecting our own bodies. Contemplating nature, like the Mishkan, or the Aurora, or the miracle of our every cell, instills awe and gratitude in us, making us fit vessels to receive the Torah.