Parshat Vayakhel

2002

Build a Tabernacle

A recent Newsweek article took readers on a tour of Hanger 5 in JFK Airport's Cargo Area D, one of two such hangers - of an original five - still filled with donations made to the Salvation Army after September 11. Among the item stored there are stuffed animals, rubber boots, blankets, and gallon after gallon of bottled water. But, the Salvation Army was not the only agency coordinating the post 9-11 American largesse. In the months directly after the tragedy, elementary school children, church and synagogue groups, and grandparents across the country filled nearly two dozen warehouses with items such as dog food, cell phones and medical supplies. None of these items was asked for - the Federal Emergency Management Agency widely discourages donations of material goods after most disasters - and very little of it was actually needed.

This week we read a double portion of Torah, Vayakhel and Pekudei, which concerns the building of the Tabernacle. Taken together, these are the last two portions in the biblical book of Exodus. In the chapters preceding this week's portion we find the incident with the Golden Calf and the subsequent renewal of the covenant between God and the Children of Israel.

In the opening verses of Vayakhel, Moses gathers the community and readies them for construction, asking them to give of themselves through both skilled labor and a specific list of material goods, such as goat's hair, acacia wood, gold, and oil. And give, they did.

Approximately 40 verses after Moses asks for contributions from the community, Bezalel and Oholiav, the artisans charged with overseeing the construction, approach him. Following is an excerpt from the Torah portion:

Exodus 36:1-7

1. And Bezalel and Oholiav shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord hath commanded.' 2. And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiav, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it. 3. And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, wherewith to make it. And they brought yet unto him freewill-offerings every morning. 4. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they wrought. 5. And they spoke unto Moses, saying: 'The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.' 6. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying: 'Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from bringing. 7. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

Guiding Questions

What inspires you to give? What inspired the Children of Israel in our Torah portion? What inspired people after 9-11? Is there a common thread to all of this giving?

Is it possible to be too giving? If so, why do you think people give to excess?

What are the consequences of giving more than is needed?

A Word (More Precisely, a Few Related Words)

The word for which our Torah portion is named, vayakhel, means "and he gathered." The root of this word is found in a slightly different form in Exodus 32:1, vayikahel, where it is used to show that the people gathered themselves, in that case in conjunction with the building of the Golden Calf. Both of these words share a root in common with the word kehilla or community. It is clear from both our Torah portion and life experience that it takes a great deal of giving to sustain a community. It seems equally clear that this giving can be as crippling as it is sustaining if it is done to excess or to meet the needs of the donor and not the intended recipients.

As I learned as a child from the oft-played album "Free to Be You and Me," "Some kind of the help is the kind of help that helping's all about, and some kind of help is the kind of help, we all could do without."

It is natural, perhaps laudable, to want to give when asked as were our ancestors in this week's Torah portion or when confronted with the terrible scenes which flooded our vision throughout the fall. May we continue to have the strength to respond to the needs of our community.

Prepared by Rabbi Toby Manewith, Director: Hillel's She'arim - Gateways Initiative.