Vayakhel
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Vayakhel, VaYakhel, Va-Yakhel, Vayak’hel, Vayak’heil, or Vayaqhel (ויקהל – Hebrew for "and he assembled,” the first word in the parshah) is the 22nd weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the 10th in the book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus [35:1–38:20.] Jews in the Diaspora read it the 22nd Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in March.
The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years. In years with 54 weeks (for example, 2008), parshah Vayakhel is read separately. In years with fewer than 54 weeks (for example, 2006, 2007, and 2009), parshah Vayakhel is combined with the next parshah, Pekudei, to achieve the number of weekly readings needed.
Summary
Moses convoked the Israelites to build the Tabernacle. Moses started by reminding them of God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath of complete rest. [(Ex. 35:1-3.)] Then Moses told them to collect gifts of materials from those whose heart so moved them — gifts of gold, silver, copper, colored yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair, tanned ram skins, acacia wood, olive oil, spices, lapis lazuli, and other stones. [(Ex. 35:4-9.)] Moses invited all who were skilled to make the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests’ vestments. [(Ex. 35:10-19.)] The Israelites brought the gifts that Moses requested. [(Ex. 35:20-29.)] Moses announced that God had singled out Bezalel and Oholiab to endow them with the skills needed to construct the Tabernacle. [(Ex. 35:30-35.)] And Moses called on them and all skilled persons to undertake the task. [(Ex. 36:1-2.)] The Israelites brought more than was needed, so Moses proclaimed an end to the collection. [(Ex. 36:3-7.)] The skilled workers fashioned the Tabernacle. [(Ex. 36:8-38.)] Bezalel made the ark, cover, table, menorah, incense altar, altar for sacrifices, laver, and enclosure for the Tabernacle. [(Ex. 37:1-38:20.)]
Commandments
According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there is one negative commandment in the parshah:- The court must not inflict punishment on the Sabbath [Ex. 35:3]
Haftarah
The haftarah for the parshah is:- for Ashkenazi Jews: 1 Kings [7:40–50]
- for Sephardi Jews: 1 Kings [7:13–26]
References in classical sources
The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:- Exodus Rabbah 48:1–50:5.
- Zohar [2:194b–220a.]
External links
- [Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation]
- [Hear the parshah chanted]
- [Commentaries] from the Jewish Theological Seminary
- [Commentaries] from the University of Judaism
- [Torah Insights] from the Orthodox Union
- [Commentaries] from the Union for Reform Judaism
- [Commentaries] from Reconstructionist Judaism
- [Commentaries] from Chabad-Lubavitch
- [Commentaries] from [Torah.org]
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