Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Vayakhel Pikudei – Rishon: Moshe commands Bnei Yisrael regarding the Mishkan (Sunday, 19th Adar)

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Parshas Vayakhel

Pesukim: 122 [Siman: סנואה]

Haftorah:[1] Melachim 1 7:13-26

           

Number of Mitzvos:

There is One Mitzvah in Parshas Vayakhel. Zero positive commands and One negative command.

 

Negative commands:

1. Mitzvah 114/Negative 67: Not to adjudicate capital punishments on Shabbos. 

 

Rishon

  1. Keeping Shabbos:
  • Moshe gathered the entire Jewish people and told them that Hashem commanded as follows: For six days a week you shall perform work and on the seventh day it shall be a complete day of rest for Hashem. Whoever does Melacha shall be put to death. You shall not light a fire in all your dwelling places on Shabbos.
  1. Moshe commands Bnei Yisrael regarding the Mishkan:
  • The materials needed: Moshe told the Jewish people saying that Hashem commanded them the following: Every person of generous heart is to give a donation. The following donations are needed:
    • Gold,
    • Silver,
    • Copper,
    • Techeiles Turquoise wool,
    • Argamon Purple wool,
    • Scarlet wool,
    • Linen,
    • Goat hair,
    • Red dyed ram skins,
    • Tachash skins,
    • Shittim-Acacia wood.
    • Oil for lighting
    • Spices for the anointing oil and Ketores incense.
    • Shoham stones
    • Filling stones for the Eiphod and Choshen.
  • The items needed to be made: Every skilled individual is to come and make everything that Hashem commanded, which includes the following items:
    • The Mishkan: The Mishkan, its tent covering, and its accessories which include its hooks, beams, bars, pillars and sockets.
    • Aron: The Aron and its accessories which include its poles and covering.
    • The Shulchan: The Shulchan, its poles, and all of its accessories, including the Lechem Hapanim.
    • The Menorah: The Menorah and its accessories, including its lamps and oil.
    • The Ketores altar: The Ketores altar, its poles, anointing oil, Ketores, and entrance screen.
    • The Olah altar: The Olah altar, its copper netting, its poles, and all of its accessories.
    • Kiyor: The Kiyor, and its accessories.
    • The courtyard: The curtains of the courtyard, its pillars, sockets and the entrance screen. The pegs of the Mishkan and courtyard and their cords.
    • The priestly garments.
  • After hearing the above commands, the Jewish people left Moshe’s presence.
  1. The donations come in:
  • Those of generous heart came and donated towards the Mishkan. Both men and women donated. They brought gold jewelry such as bracelets, nose rings, rings, Kumaz. Whoever had Techeiles-Turquoise, Argamon-purple, and scarlet wool donated it. Whoever had the ram skins and Techashim skins donated it. People brought silver and copper. Whoever had acacia-shittim wood, brought it. Women spun yarn of the different types of wool mentioned above, and donated it. The leaders donated the precious stones, the Avnei Shoham and Avnei Miluim for the Eiphod and for the Choshen, and the spices and oil for the lighting and for the anointing oil and the Ketores.

[1] So is followed by Sepharadi communities and Chabad. However, Ashkenazi communities read from 7:40-50

Q&A on Rashi – Shemot 35:1–29

  1. Why does the Torah say “וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה” (Moses assembled)?

Because Moses gathered the people by command, not physically. The verb is causative (hif’il). This assembly took place the day after Yom Kippur, when Moses descended from Sinai.

 

  1. Why is the command of Shabbat stated before the Mishkan instructions?

To teach that the construction of the Mishkan does not override Shabbat.

 

 

  1. Why is kindling fire singled out among Shabbat prohibitions?

According to some Sages, to show it is punished by lashes rather than death; according to others, to teach that each category of labor is a separate prohibition.

 

  1. What does “זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳” mean?

This is what God commanded Moses to say to Israel.

 

  1. Why are donors called “נְדִיב לִבּוֹ” (generous of heart)?

Because the heart motivates the donation, therefore generosity is attributed to the heart.

 

  1. Who are the “חַכְמֵי־לֵב” (wise-hearted)?

Those endowed with wisdom to perform the sacred craftsmanship of the Mishkan.

 

  1. What is meant by “הַמִּשְׁכָּן,” “אָהֳלוֹ,” and “מִכְסֵהוּ”?
  • Mishkan: the inner linen tapestries
  • Ohel: the goats’ hair covering
  • Mikhseh: the outer covering of ram and tachash skins

 

  1. What does “פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ” mean?

A curtain that serves as a partition or shield, whether above or at the side.

 

  1. Why is the showbread called “לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים”?

Because it had surfaces on both sides, shaped like an open box with faces in opposite directions.

 

  1. What are the “נֵרֹתֶיהָ” of the Menorah?

The bowls that hold the oil and wicks.

 

  1. Why did making the oil for the Menorah require wisdom?

Its production differed from ordinary oil, yielding oil that was crushed and pure, as described in Menachot.

 

  1. What is “מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח”?

The entrance curtain on the eastern side, where there were no planks.

 

  1. Why is the word “חָצֵר” treated as both masculine and feminine?

Because Scripture sometimes treats the same noun in both grammatical genders.

 

  1. What are “יִתְדֹת” and “מֵיתְרֵיהֶם”?
  • Yetedot: stakes driven into the ground
  • Meitrehem: ropes used to tie the curtains

 

  1. What are “בִּגְדֵי הַשְּׂרָד”?

Cloths used to cover the sacred vessels during travel.

 

 

  1. What does “עַל הַנָּשִׁים” mean?

The men came with and closely following the women.

 

  1. What is a “כּוּמָז”?

A golden ornament worn over a woman’s private parts. The Sages explain the word as an acronym referring to a place of immorality.

 

  1. What was special about the women spinning the goat hair?

They spun the hair directly from the living goats, an exceptional skill.

 

  1. Why is a letter missing from the word “וְהַנְּשִׂאִם” (the princes)?

Because the princes delayed their contribution, intending to complete what was lacking. Since nothing was missing, their title is written defectively as a subtle rebuke.

 

  1. How were the donations given?

Every man and woman brought offerings willingly, for all the work God commanded through Moses.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.