Vayakhel: 14 Karat Gold

By Jessie Leader

Adaptations of a dvar torah from R? Zev Leff

The Torah is not merely composed of isolated events that are strung together haphazardly. Although some commentators argue that it is not set up chronologically, the Torah has a flow that intricately connects concepts from one Parsha to another. This week?s Parsha, Parshat Vayakhel, seems to be completely independent from the previous week, Parshat Ki Tisa. In this week?s portion, explicit instructions are given as how to build the Mishkan. One might wonder, how could this possibly connect to last week, which painstakingly spelled out how Bnei Yisrael committed the most horrific and monumental sin of all, the Golden Calf? Ki Tisa is a Parsha that is filled with drama and pain, where Bnei Yisrael go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. How, then, can the drama and tragedy of last week’s Torah portion be reconciled with the technical description of the Mishkan’s construction in this week?s parsha?
Let us view this qualm through one of the favorite Jewish metaphors, Bnei Yisrael and Hashem being in a loving husband and wife relationship. This is a relationship that we see often within the Torah, like in Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs). The revelation at Mt. Sinai has often been referred to as the ?Chupah? of Bnei Yisrael and Hashem, the point where a bride and groom spiritually become one. This is the climax of a relationship, the culmination of everything they have worked for up until this point. It is filled with love and drama, passion and desire. At the same time, our commentators tell us, the sin of the golden calf was the misdirection of that love by the Jewish people, a monumental mistake that put a serious strain on this special relationship. How does the Mishkan relate to all of this?
The Mishkan can be viewed as having a twofold purpose. When given as a commandment to be built by Bnei Yirsrael in Parshat Terumah, it exists for the purpose of an expression of faith in Hashem. This interpretation can be seen through the placement of the laws of the mishkan preceding the laws of Shabbat in Parshat Ki Tisa. One of the main reasons for the observence of Shabbos is to strengthen the faith of Bnei Yisrael. The Meshech Chachma comments that the laws of the Mishkan and of Shabbos were placed in that order to show that they did not interfere with each other, and therefore the service of the Mishkan could be done on Shabbat. However, after the cheit haegel the order is reversed. The laws of Shabbat appear first, and are then followed by the laws of the Mishkan. The Mishkan now exists for the purpose of strengthening Bnei Yisrael?s faith in Hashem, not just for the expression of this faith. Because it serves the same purpose as Shabbat, the Mishkan?s service can no longer be permitted on Shabbat.
The Mishakan is given to Bnei Yisrael for a different purpose after the cheit haeigel. Here is another query: When a husband and wife get into a fight, do they both just say sorry and hope everything is ok? Sometimes, but if the issue is something deep rooted and important, many times it is important to have a physical manifestation of that love; the wife will cook dinner, the husband will bring flowers, or if the missus is lucky, a tennis bracelet. This is what Hashem is giving to Bnei Yisrael to symbolize his constant love for them. The Mishkan was a dozen red roses, a diamond ring, and a trip to Hawaii all in one. It is a new way for Bnei Yisrael to strengthen their faith in Hashem through his gift to them.
That is how this week’s Torah portion relates to Ki Tisa; it takes the drama and fervor of the Golden Calf and converges this with the forgiveness and love of the Torah. Rashi says that people brought riches to the Mishkan ?with everything they had.? A prime example is the machtzit hashekel. The existence of this collection was for the construction of the Mishkan. The melted down silver of Bnei Yisrael became the structural foundation of the Mishkan, and their faith was exemplified as the structure of the avoda within the Mishkan. Bnei Yisrael truly wanted to make amends with Hashem, and bring their relationship back up to the level it was once at.