ON THE PARSHA
          Parshas VaYakhel

          by Dovid Lipman, Israel
          Year 2, No. 21


Introduction

This parsha details the building of the Mishkan and has six parts:
       1) Moshe's Instructions
       2) Donations Are Given
       3) Getting Organized
       4) The Mishkan Structure
       5) The Mishkan Interior
       6) The Courtyard
Since Terumah was missed, some of the Mishkan details are included here.

1. Moshe's Instructions -- 35:1 [Beg.] to 35:20 [Aliyah 2]

Moshe gathers the people and teaches them about Shabbos (which outlines the six-day work week) and tells them about the task of building the Mishkan, for
which donations are needed.

   A Time to Laugh

   (35:1) "These are what Hashem commanded..." The gemara (Yerushalmi Shabbos 7:9) notes a hint to the count of Melachos on Shabbos, 39, from the word
"Eileh" [these], whose gematria is 39 if you count the "heh" as a "ches" (1+30+8 instead of 1+30+5). Maybe the gemara learns this way by pretending it was
really a "ches", and it only came out "heh" because some people mispronounce a "ches" as a "heh"....

2. Donations Are Given -- 35:21 [Aliyah 2] to 35:29 [Aliyah 3]

The nation begins to bring the necessary metals, wood, and other raw materials needed for the Mishkan.

   From the Gemara

   (35:22) "...every committed heart brought..." From this language the gemara learns some laws of vows. In Chagiga 10a, that if the person goes back on his
commitment, it's possible to undo the vow, and in Shvu'os 27b, that even an unspoken commitment must be kept.

3. Getting Organized -- 35:30 [Aliyah 3] to 36:7 [Aliyah 4]

Moshe puts Betzalel and Ahaliav in charge of the work, telling the people to start bringing the donations straight to them. Soon the daily influx of donations
surpasses the need, which the workers tell Moshe, and Moshe makes an announcement to stop the donations.

   Worthy of Note

   (36:3) "...and they brought them more donations every morning." The gemara (Yoma 75a) learns from the language 'every morning', also used by the Mann,
that diamonds and precious stones would fall daily with the Mann. So why weren't they mentioned in the Torah then? Perhaps it's because when hunger
strikes, only food matters, and people stop valuing material things, realizing they don't help in the long run.

4. The Mishkan Structure -- 36:8 [Aliyah 4] to 36:38 [end, Chap. 36]

Betzalel first builds the building structure, 30 amos by 10, with 48 gold-plated wooden beams, supported by 96 silver-plated sockets, and connected by 5
crossbars along their height and square "rings" at the top. On top lay four layers of woven material as a roof, two of which covered the back wall. The front
doorway and the doorway to the Holy of Holies (a 10 by 10 area) were defined by cutains held by pillars with hooks.

5. The Mishkan Interior -- 37:1 to 38:8

Then Betzalel builds the holy vessels to put into the Mishkan: The Aron, a gold encased box to hold the Tablets, covered by the Kappores, its golden lid from
which was molded the angelic forms of Keruvim. The Shulchan, a table for the Showbread, complete with racks for all 12 loaves. The Menorah, a seven
branched candelabra of pure gold. The Altars, the inner golden one for incense and the larger outer hollow one for offerings, along with the incense and the
annointing oil. The Kiyor, a self-contained washing station for washing hands and feet; its water was also used for the Sotah test.

6. The Courtyard -- 38:9 to 38:20 [End]

Finally, the materials for the Courtyard, 100 amos by 50, made of 56 woven panels held by pillars, mini-crossbeams and hooks, and nailed down to the ground
with pegs at the bottom. A curtain 20 amos wide at the entrance was placed farther out then the "shoulder" panels, to allow entry on either side.

   Do You Remember? - from the files of On the Parsha

   1. "This" is what Hashem commanded - as opposed to what?
   2. Why isn't spinning thread directly off animals' backs a Melacha on Shabbos, if it was done in the Mishkan? (Shabbos 74b)
   3. In 38:8, how does "tzov'os", from the word for "army" fit into the ending "at the entrance to the Ssnctuary"? (Onkelos)