By rabbi Reuven Tradburks
The parshiot of Vayakhel and Pekudei are a repeat of Teruma and Tetzaveh. But not quite. In Teruma and Tetzaveh the instructions for building the Mishkan and the Kohanim’s garments were given. In our parsha, the deed is done. Teruma is the instructions; Vayakhel is the doing.
The order of how the things are actually made differs from the instructions that Moshe received. In Teruma, the most important parts, the vessels of the Mishkan came first. After all, the building is not as important as the Aron. When actually doing the construction, the structure comes first, then the contents.
1st Aliya (Shmot 35:1-20) Moshe gathers the people, OU Israel extends deepfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Mandell I. Ganchrow z”l former President of the Orthodox Union (1994-2000), Chairman of the Board of Directors (2000-2002) and longstanding OU Officer instructing them not to work on Shabbat. He appeals to the people to supply all that will be needed: metals, textiles, oil, spices, jewels. Skilled workers shall make all that G-d has commanded: the Mishkan, its covers, the Aron, the Shulchan, the Menorah …. listing all the vessels, the structure of the Mishkan and the Kohen’s garments.
The Mitzvah of Shabbat is repeated before the instructions to build the Mishkan. As if to say: we are building a Holy building, but even it does not supersede Shabbat. No work on Shabbat. It’s not that we don’t know about Shabbat. We have been commanded to keep Shabbat no less than 4 times previously, this being the 5th. We were commanded with Shabbat I) right after leaving Egypt before getting to Mt. Sinai as one of the rules of the Manna (Shemot 16:22), II) in the 10 Commandments, III) in Mishpatim (23:12) to let animals, workers and yourself rest and revive, IV) Ki Tisa (31:12) as a sign of the covenant and V) here, no work and no fire. Shabbat has different themes. I) The Provider theme (Manna): He Provides double; davka, specifically on the day you don’t work. II) The Creator theme: in the 10 Commandments – G-d created the world. III) The Social Conscience theme: don’t enslave your workers in the way the Egyptians enslaved you – be a good employer. IV) The Covenantal theme – Shabbat is an expression, a sign of our special relationship. V) The Rendezvous theme: Shabbat is a meeting in time between man and G-d, as the Mishkan is a meeting in space between man and G-d. The Mishkan cannot be built on Shabbat: work on the spatial meeting place cannot be at the expense of the temporal meeting place.
2nd Aliya (35:21-29) In response to Moshe’s appeal, the people bring generously: the metals, the textiles, the jewels, the spices and oil. Powerful insights into human nature are often hidden in parallel stories in the Torah. Understated. The people brought their gold and other precious things with great generosity. Remember ever hearing of the generosity of the people in zealously bringing their gold? Have we had that already in the Torah? Sure. Golden Calf. Man is capable of being a zealous and generous donor to idol worship one day. And a generous donor to G-d the next. This generosity is a tikkun of that generosity.
3rd Aliya (35:30-36:7) Moshe introduces Betzalel, called by G-d, filled with the spirit of G-d, to be the head craftsman. Moshe called Betzalel and Oholiav and all craftsmen to come to do all that G-d has commanded. They took the materials to begin the work. More donations came the next day. Moshe announced that no more donations were needed. The names Betzalel and Ohaliav have a shared theme: coverings. Betzalel means to be in the shade, in the shadow of G-d. Covered by G-d. Ohaliav is from ohel – tent. My tent, my cover is Av, my heavenly Father. Wait til the comment on the next aliya: coverings are a central theme in the Mishkan. Hence, it is appropriate that the ones to lead the fashioning of the covers should have names that mean covering.
4th Aliya (36:8-19) The work was done: the curtain drapes over the Mishkan, the goat skin drapes, and the colored skin drape on top.
The first things to be made are the drapes. By drapes, we mean the long woven material and skins that are draped over the walls to form the roof and to cover the walls – draped over one wall and extended all the way to the other wall and on down to the ground. This order is odd. Even if we explain that the order of fashioning the component parts of the Mishkan differs from the commands in Teruma – here we make the building first, whereas there the essential vessels came first. But then why, when making the building components first, why not start with the walls, then the coverings. Why the coverings and then the walls? Why this order?
The Mishkan is man encountering the Divine. The vessels represent how we perceive Him: He is the Source of Light, ie wisdom symbolized by the Menorah. He is the Source of our sustenance symbolized by the Shulchan and its bread. He is the Source of our neshama, our life force and our spirit, symbolized by the Incense. And the Giver of the Torah, the Aron. But while we know Him as Provider of those things, He remains draped in mystery, veiled. The focus on the coverings and on the curtains separating the Holy of Holies and the outer area, and then the curtain separating the outer area to the courtyard – well, the focus on coverings is noticeable. It communicates a powerful message – our encounter with the Divine remains veiled in mystery, He remains hidden, behind the veil. Hence the veils and the covers are actually the essential part of the building. And deserve to be built first.
5th Aliya (36:20-37:16) The planks for the walls, the Parochet to hang in front of the Holy of Holies and the Curtain at the entrance to the Mishkan. Bezalel made the Aron and the Shulchan. 6th Aliya (37:17-29) And he made the Menorah and the Incense Altar.
Where is the music in these instructions for the Mishkan?
Let me explain. All the vessels outlined here are used in the daily service. The daily service will involve: lighting the Menorah, having bread on the table that is eaten on Shabbat, the burning of incense, and the offering of sacrifices. The senses are covered. Menorah: sight and heat. Incense, smell. Bread, taste. Sacrifices, tactile. Where is the sound?
Why is there no description of musical instruments? The daily service did have music. The Leviim sang a Shir Shel Yom, a song of the day. When the daily offering was brought and the wine was poured on the altar, there was music, both vocal and instrumental. The Rambam, (Hilchot Klei Hamikdash 3:4) based on the Talmud describes the orchestra in the Mikdash – no less than 2 harps, but not more than 6. Flutes: at least 2, not more than 12. Brass: at least 2, not more than 120. Lyre (kinor): no less than 9, no upper limit. 1 drum. I would imagine that this means that there was like a little chamber orchestra, small, that played on regular days. But Shabbat and certainly Chagim, the big orchestra performed – imagine 120 trumpets. That is a big sound.
Why then, no instructions for the building of the musical instruments?
Perhaps, music is just different. Whereas the Menorah is lit with the same oil every day, the incense recipe is the same, the bread recipe the same, the sacrifices the same – but when it comes to music, same is not what we want. The Avoda is identical daily; because G-d is telling us how to serve Him. Not too ostentatious, not too modest. Measured amounts; come close but not on your terms, on Mine. I am telling you how to serve Me.
But music isn’t what He wants; it is what we want. Singing is our reach to Him. It is our voice. It is part of the Avoda – but it is as if He says “serve Me in song, but you choose the song.” Our voice – well, we say in Tehilim – Shir Chadash, sing a new song. Freshness, variety. We will never know what the music sounded like in the Mikdash, but we do know that there were different words daily. Each day had a different Psalm. I would imagine, those different words also had different tunes, different music played by the orchestra to accompany those words.
What music would accompany Wednesday – a psalm of the harsh G-d of judgment? Or Monday, how beautiful is Jerusalem? I would imagine Monday is major key, with an upbeat rhythm. Wednesday, minor key, reflective, pensive, slow paced. (that is, if the composer of the music were from Western Europe. The middle eastern tonality of ancient time did not employ major and minor scales as we know them).
While the music was a mitzvah with the singing and instruments part of the service, the Torah left the form, the number, the kind of instruments in our hands, at our discretion. For the music, while essential, is our reach for Him.
7th Aliya (38:1-20) He made the altar for the offerings, the copper wash basin, the lace curtains to hang around the entire perimeter of the Courtyard and the screen to cover the entrance.
As we move away from the Holy of Holies, the materials become less majestic and grand. Not gold but copper. Not fancy regally colored curtains but white hangings.
HAFTORAH 2 MELACHIM 12:1-17
The reading of the special portion for Shabbat Shekalim discusses the annual obligation for every Jew to give a half shekel to the Beit Hamikdash. In this vein the theme of the haftorah discusses the implementation of King Yehoash to earmark this collection of communal funds for the purpose of upkeeping the first Beit Hamikdash.
The haftorah begins with the new king taking the initiative to renew the covenant when the king took note that the kohanim of the people of Israel with the Almighty. A critical step toward accomplishing this goal was the obliteration of the altars and statutes that were used for idol worship. Officers were also appointed to oversee the Beit Hamikdash.
King Yehoash gave instructions to the kohanim regarding all the funds that were donated by the nation of Israel. However, OU Israel wishes Mark & Ariane Schneider a BIG Mazal Tov on the birth of their grandson, son to Jesse & Amy had neglected to properly maintain the Beit Hamikdash, he ordered that the funds be placed in special containers near the Mizbeach and they were then given directly to the craftsmen and workers who maintained the Beit Hamikdash.
Rabbi Reuven Tradburks is the director of Machon Milton, our English Language Conversion Course in Jerusalem.
