Parshat Vayak'hel and Parshat Pekudei

Parshat Vayak'hel and Parshat Pekudei

Vayak’hel  -  Exodus 35:1-38:20; 1 Kings 7:13-26; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Pekudai     -  Exodus 38:21-40:38; 1 Kings 7:51-8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Vayak'hel records the actual implementation of G-d's instructions on how to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), recounted earlier in the Parshah of Terumah. Indeed, Vayak'hel is very nearly a repeat of Terumah except that the same details that in Terumah are prefaced with the words, "And they shall make...", are here presented following the preface, "And they made..." .

This double portion concludes the book of Exodus. Pekudei is one of the shortest parashiyot, and it describes the final 'accounting' of the materials that were used to construct the Mishkan. The Mishkan is erected and the book of Exodus ends with God's approval and God's glory residing among the Israelites.

The Mishkan was a labour of love, and a communal effort. It was also not the labour of the men exclusively. Earlier we read that women who were talented in weaving created the fabrics and coverings (Ex. 35:25). Over and over again, the Torah goes out of its way to include women: "And so the Israelites, each man and woman... brought it as a freewill offering to Adonai" (Ex. 35:29). Rabbi Nancy Weiner in The Women's Torah Commentary (ed. Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, Jewish Lights) points out that the repeated mention of women's contributions and participation in the construction of the Mishkan is quite remarkable, and out of character for the Torah in general. The Torah is stressing that women participated with their own skills and contributed from their own possessions. The fact that both men and women participated in Israel's most significant collective religious experience is relevant still today.

The Torah's mention of women's participation is unique, but there is something else that is unusual. The Mishkan was built out of a variety of materials listed here that were donated by the Israelites. While we might wonder where the Israelites (remember they were slaves) had access to the vast quantities of gold, precious gems or even acacia wood in the middle of the desert required to build the Mishkan, the Torah doesn't specifically state. But, in Genesis 17, HaShem promised that after 400 of being enslaved, the Israelites would emerge with great possessions. This came to fulfillment precisely as HaShem said it would.

Exod 12:35-36

35       Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver,       articles of gold, and clothing.

36       And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

Three different metals were used in the construction: gold, silver and bronze. The bronze offering was used to make a variety items: hardware sockets as well as the bronze altar. But in the instructions (Ex. 30:18) there is one other item that is to be made of bronze that is not included here: the bronze washbasin and its stand (the kiyor). The sage Abravanel articulates the general consensus that the basin was not made from the bronze of the general free offering, but was fabricated out of a special donation from the women.

The legend says that while enslaved, the men returned home each night exhausted after being brutalized. The last thing on their minds was procreation. But, HaShem had promised Avraham that from his seed He would make a great nation. So the women used these polished bronze mirrors to beautify themselves so that their husbands would become aroused, in order to fulfill the promise and make it a reality. They entered Egypt numbering 70 in total and they emerged at the appointed time numbering in the millions. The mirrors did the trick!

And therefore, these mirrors were used in the manufacture of the Kiyor (washing laver). After slaughtering the animals at the altar, the priest would come bloodied and dirty to the laver. He would gaze into the polished bronze and see his bloodied reflection, a depiction of the condition of sin and the necessity of blood atonement.

Then, after washing himself in the cleansing waters, he now saw himself as cleansed and restored. Similarly, R. Sha’ul uses this analogy in Eph 5; he uses the symbolism of marriage but later, he says I’m talking about Messiah and His Bride!

Eph 5:25-27

25       Husbands, love your wives, just as Messiah also loved the ecclesia  and gave Himself for her,

26       that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27       that He might present her to Himself a glorious ecclesia,  not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Titus 3:4-7

4          But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

5          not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the  Holy Spirit,

6          whom He poured out on us abundantly through Yeshua, our Messiah,

7          that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the     hope of eternal life.

The cleansing and regeneration has been accomplished in and through the Messiah Yeshua! All we have to do is draw near and appropriate the completed work of the execution stake! The Israelite women used the mirrors to beautify themselves so as to produce a great nation. Messiah gave His own lifeblood in order to cleanse us from our filth so that He might create for Himself a Bride without spot or blemish!

‘It’s done, yes it’s done’!