Vayakheil Pekudei - March 9, 2013

This past week we worked on the very beginning of the double parasha Vayakheil / Pekudei.  This section was from Exodus 35:1 through 40:38 beginning on page 191 in the JPS TANACH.

By the very beginning I mean the “very” beginning with the first word “Vayakheil”  Va-and, ya-God, k’heil-assembled.  The people were assembled to hear understand the connection between the Tabernacle and Shabbat.  Interesting though is the statement of assemblage because the last assemblage of this kind was to create a “golden calf.”  So in order to move forward in the Torah we actually moved all the way back to page 183 and Exodus 32:1 where this word (in variant form) was used.  The key here is that that first use of the word which included the root “khl” started a narrative and the next word which contained the root “khl” ended the narrative.  So there lies a story within the story.

The people were told to bring their riches to the construction of the Tabernacle with the same verve as they did when bringing their gold for the shaping of the calf – idol.  However, they were told to do so if their heart so moved to do so.  The thought being that out of guilt from the golden calf the people would move to compensate for their past action.  Well it worked. Notice that in no way was this deemed a punishment though the opportunity to make amends certainly has to be recognized and the people did oblige.  In Parashat Pekudei, Rashi points out that the need to make a full and accurate accounting of the riches brought for the Tabernacle was not so much for demographic purposes but as a response to the murmurings of the people as they assumed that Moses was deriving benefit from such a vast amount of acquired wealth.  And so the first transparency laws began to emerge, hence Moses called for the full accounting.

In the recent issue of Reform Judaism magazine several participants in our Torah study sessions asked me to respond to two articles.  The first is found on page 56 of the magazine entitled “Were the Jews Slaves in Egypt?” and the second found on page 57 is a sidebar article entitled “Torah is Not History.”  I started to address these two articles and their messages however time called us to the Main Sanctuary for services.  I told everyone to please read those two articles and there would be time available for next week to review as well.  The session will begin with a broad response to these articles but cannot delve too deeply with our time constraints.

We will be studying Parashat Vayikra – Leviticus 1:1 through 5:26 found on page 207 in the JPS TANACH.  We will only have the one hour to take in a great deal.  Please come early, have some breakfast, take a deep breath and let’s have some fun!

Cantor Eichaker