“Moshe gathered the entire congregation of Israel and said to them” (Shemot 35:1). It is extremely rare that the Torah records Moshe speaking to the…
Vayakhel-Pekudei: What's In a Name?
"Moshe said to the Jewish people: See that G-d called in the name of Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Judah" (Shemot 35:30…
Vayakhel: Talking Torah
"There is no man on earth of such righteousness that does good and is free from sin" (Kohelet 7:20). Being human means to sin, and since G-d created…
Vayakhel: Building the Shabbat
“The laws of Shabbat…are like a mountain being held up by a thread” (Chagigah 10a). Shabbat is the pivot around which Jewish life…
Vayakhel: Gather the People
“When Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moshe’s face was shining with a brilliant light they were afraid to come close to…
Vayakhel: Voluntary Obligations
How important is intent in the performance of mitzvoth? Is it enough to mechanically perform the mitzvah, or is the intent to fulfill one’s…
Vayakhel/Pekudei: ReCreation
The Netziv, in his introduction to Sefer Shemot, notes that there is Gaonic tradition that refers to Shemot as chumash sheni, the second chumash.…
VaYakhel: Seven Days a Week
The primacy of Shabbat as the foundation stone of Judaism is self-evident. Shabbat is the culmination of the creation process; two distinct…