Exodus 35:1-38:20 – 1 Kings 7:40-50 – Luke 9:18-36

This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

Questions and Commentary on Vayyaqhel
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
In Summary
Looking Ahead

Questions & Commentary on Parashat Vayyaqhel

1. Why were the leaders of the children of Israel the last to bring their donations for the Mishkan? Is there anything in the text that would imply this was a good or bad thing? What lessons in leadership can we learn from this episode?

Rabbi Jason Sobel

That leaders were last to bring their gifts for the construction of the tabernacle seems a bit conspicuous since they are the first to donate at it's inauguration (Numbers 7). The Midrash takes note of this fact and offers some interesting insights that teach us a lot about the nature of leadership.

Initially according to Exodus Rabba, the nesi'im, the leaders of the Tribes of Israel, wanted to donate all the materials necessary to build the entire Mishkan (tabernacle). They presumptuously assumed that the Lord would prefer to dwell in a place made completely from their offerings, since they perceived themselves as being more spiritual then the majority of congregation (Exodus Rabba 12, 19). Moses however made it abundantly clear that God wanted the materials to come from the free will offerings of the entire congregation (Exodus 35:4-5). The people gave so generously in response to the Lord's command that Moses requested that people stop bringing their donations after just two days (Exodus 36:7). This greatly grieved the tribal leaders, for it became apparent to them that their gifts were no longer necessary for the building of the actual tabernacle. Commenting on this point Sifre writes:

At the construction of the tabernacle, the leaders smugly said: Let the assembly of the people give whatever they will donate, and whatever is lacking we will give to complete the necessary amount. But when the people donated everything that was necessary, as it says, "The materials were more then enough:, the leaders said, "What is there left for us to contribute?" So "they brought the shoham stones..." Therefore, at the dedication of the altar, they were the first to donate. And because they were tardy at the building of the tabernacle, a letter yud is missing from their title; for in this passage the word nesi'im, "leaders," is written without the first yud, as a sign of disapproval.

From a rabbinic perspective, it is clear that the tribal leaders erred in the sight of God by waiting to donate their gifts. This view is based upon on the defective spelling of the word "leaders" which never occurs in this form elsewhere in Scripture and because Numbers 7 devotes a seemingly disproportionate amount of attention on the tribal leaders' offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle (seventy-nine verses to be exact). The repetitive nature of Numbers 7 makes more sense when viewed as trying to demonstrate that Israel's leaders were making amends for their previous mistake. 

The first lesson we learn about leadership from this passage and the tradition that surrounds it, is that true leaders seek to empower people to serve the Lord. Great leaders do not seek to do all the work alone but rather see themselves as equippers who teach and empower others to do the work of the Kingdom. Shaul underscores this point in Ephesians 4:11-13:

And he gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the Kehila, the body of Messiah, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Messiah.

A second important leadership lesson that we learn is that true leaders lead by example. It was a big failure on the part of the tribal leaders to stand idly, not being the first to bring their gifts joyfully. Rather they should have demonstrated their zeal for the Lord and his commandments. The mark of a great leader is his or her ability to influence, inspire, and develop the people around them into being better people and leaders. This however can only be achieved when one leads by example. Like Messiah Yeshua, we must lives that people want to emulate (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Third, leaders should be quick to admit to and learn from their mistakes. Like the leaders of Israel, we must demonstrate that we have learned from our mistakes by doing the exact opposite when we are put in a similar situation. The leaders of Israel clearly demonstrated they had learned their lesson by being the first to bring lavish gifts at the inauguration of Mishkan.

2. What is the relationship between this week's parasha and last week's? How is the keeping of Shabbat related to the construction of the Mishkan (tabernacle)?

Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan

There is a huge contrast between this week's parasha, Vayyaqhel, and the drama of last week's parasha, Ki Tissa'. The threat of loss of Divine Presence contrasts with the movement, at the end of next week's readings, of the Divine Presence from the mountain, outside the community of Israel, into the midst of the people in the Mishkan, God's residence. In between the threat of loss and the reality of God's presence stands Israel's careful, faithful, and fastidious construction of the tabernacle.

When Moses returns from his most recent trip up the mountain, he calls together the whole Israelite community to give them the renewed covenant. The commandments are three: keep Shabbat, give gifts for the establishment of divine worship in the Mishkan, and for all the skilled (chakham-lev; Exodus 35:10) to "make all that the LORD has commanded." God's relationship with Israel, however gracious, is also dependent on Israel's ongoing hospitality, on Israel's making room for God. Israel's faithfulness begins with keeping Shabbat, "Six days you shall do work, and on the seventh, you will have a Sabbath of complete rest for the LORD; all who do work on it will be killed. You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day" (Exodus 35:2-3).

Keeping Shabbat is not only about not doing work. Shabbat also requires active preparation, intention, of working to make room for God in the midst of our week. One must work in preparation for the Shabbat. Many people I know begin their preparation days in advance. They might set the table on Thursday night, go food shopping on Wednesday, think about inviting guests on Tuesday. Gradually, Shabbat becomes more than day of rest to enable you to do work during the week. Rather, the week itself comes to serve Shabbat enabling you to dedicate a day of complete rest to God. Shabbat, then, reorders Israel's time from the endless insomnia of slavery to Pharaoh to a new cycle of six and one, a full week directed towards the welcoming worship of God.

Israel's faithfulness continues with their giving towards the construction of the Mishkan. The Mishkan is a suitable home for God in the midst of the people. People are to give teruma, gifts, to God for its construction. The list is extensive and opulent (Exodus 35:5-9). Israel's response to God's command through Moses is not what you might expect. They do not give the minimum to construct the Mishkan. They do not grumble about not having enough resources. Rather their giving proceeds out of an awareness of the abundance God has given them. They bring "more" than was needed for the task, so much so that Moses had to order them to stop their giving (Exodus 36:4-7).