VayakhelArtscroll p.516 | Maftir p.484 | Haftarah p.1213Hertz p.373 | Maftir p.352 | Haftarah p.993Soncino p.573 | Maftir p.540 | Haftarah p.1191

Shabbat UK Parashat Shekalim Shabbat MevarechimRosh Chodesh Adar II is on Thursday and Friday

Volume 31No. 26

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In loving memory of Chaim ben Moshe Bentzion

2 March 2019 25 Adar 1 5779

Shabbat ends London 6.29pmJerusalem 6.14pm

Sidrah Summary: Vayakhel

United Synagogue Daf HashavuaProduced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United SynagogueEditor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Sharon RadleyAvailable also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United SynagogueTo sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261, or dfox@theus.org.ukIf you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Shemot 35:1-20

Moshe gathers the nation. He instructs them tokeep Shabbat, mentioning specifically theprohibition to kindle a fire. He then asks them tovolunteer the materials needed for theconstruction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and thepriestly garments. These materials are gold,silver, copper; turquoise, purple and scarletwool; linen, goat hair; dyed ram skins, skins ofthe tachash animal, acacia wood, oil, specificspices and particular precious stones (forplacing in the Kohen Gadol’s garments).

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 35:21-29

The people respond positively to Moshe’srequest and “every man and woman whoseheart motivated them” brings the variousmaterials requested.

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 35:30-36:7

Moshe announces the appointment of the wise-hearted Betzalel and Aholiav to oversee theconstruction, assisted by able craftsmen. Whenthey collect the materials volunteered, they findthat there is a surplus. Moshe asks that amessage be sent throughout the camp not tobring any more materials

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 36:8-19

The work starts with the ten yeriyot (curtains)and the golden hooks joining them together. This is followed by the ohel (tent), draped overthe Mishkan, with a further double michse (cover)on top.

5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 36:20-37:16

Next the craftsmen make the parochet (partition)to cordon off the Holy of Holies area. Betzalelmakes the aron (ark) from acacia wood, platedwith gold and with a gold zer (crown). Thekaporet (cover) of the aron is made from puregold, with two keruvim (cherubs) moulded on

top. The shulchan (table) is made from gold-plated acacia wood, with a gold zer (crown) onits misgeret (rim).

Point to Consider: Why is only Betzalelmentioned as constructing the ark if othercraftsmen were also involved? (see Rashi to 37:1)

6th Aliya (Shishi) – 37:17-29

The menorah is hammered from one piece ofpure gold, with seven lamps. The gold-platedsmall wooden mizbeach (altar) is constructed forthe twice-daily incense offering.

7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 38:1-20

The special anointing oil and the incense spicesare prepared. The workers then construct acopper kiyor (washstand) for the Kohanim,followed by the chatzer (courtyard) whichsurrounds the Mishkan, making its outer ‘fence’of linen yeriyot (curtains), attached to woodenpillars.

Question: How long was the screen of the gateof the courtyard? (38:18) Answer on bottom ofp.6.

Maftir (Shemot 30:11-16)

The special reading for Shekalim is from thebeginning of parashat Ki Tisa, instructing theIsraelites to bring a compulsory annual halfshekel contribution for the offerings brought inthe Mishkan. This also acted as the means ofconducting the national census in the desert.

Haftarah

King Yehoash ascended the throne aged onlyseven. Guided by the Kohen Gadol Yehoyada,he successfully organised a national fundraisinginitiative to repair and maintain the Temple.

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3In memory of Malka bat Peretz

A Double-decker Shabbatby Rabbi David Lister, Edgware United Synagogue

“Then Moshe assembled allof the congregation of Israel,and said to them, ‘… For six days creativework may be done, but onthe seventh day there willbe a sanctuary for you as aSabbath to the Lord…

Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings onthe Sabbath day’” (Shemot 35:1-2).

You might have thought that Moshe had otherthings on his mind. The people had just sinnedby worshipping the Golden Calf, as described in last week’s sidrah. There was a Temple to be built, as detailed in this week’s reading. Yet between these two, Moshe digresses for yetanother, albeit brief, iteration of the laws ofShabbat.

Furthermore, Moshe approaches his subjectmatter from two very different angles. He beginswith the lofty symbolism of Shabbat - it is a“sanctuary” in time, a blessed refuge from theurgency of direct debits and Twitter feeds. In thisisland of calm, it is as if we are strolling with Godin the Garden of Eden.

Yet he continues with the nitty gritty of Shabbatobservance. The Talmud (Shabbat 97b)understands from these verses that there are 39forms of labour that are prohibited. Moshefocuses on the prohibition of fire. We may notstrike a match. We may not turn the key in a carignition. We may not press and turn the knob onthe gas hob. Even a yahrzeit light, even Shabbatcandles, must be lit before Shabbat.

The Slonimer Rebbe (Rabbi Shalom NoachBerezovsky d. 1981) explains why Moshe choseto once again engage the people about Shabbatat this particular point. He answers that somepeople approach Shabbat with a sensitive heart.In the quiet of Shabbat, they renew their vision oftheir surroundings as a divine masterpiece, and,after Shabbat, their reengagement with the

world is transformed. Others may see Shabbatprimarily as a series of rules. Make Kiddush. Donot turn lights on or off. Ignore your phone. Doyour cooking before Shabbat.

Moshe was aware of these different approaches,and combined them in an address to the entirepeople. The sin of the Golden Calf was on anational scale, so the people had to effect anational reconnection with God. Moshe toldthem that their Shabbat observance wouldindeed work nationally. Some would seeShabbat as a set of rules. Others would see it asa chance to bond with God. In truth, neitherattitude is complete. Yet by some excelling inone and others excelling in another, betweenthem all the Israelites would create the perfectdouble-decker Shabbat offering to God andwould reunite with Him.

Then Moshe asked the people to donatematerials to build a Temple. The Temple in spacewould be what Shabbat is in time: a sanctuaryfashioned from our individual gifts for God toreside among us.

On this Shabbat UK, many people are making anextra effort to keep Shabbat. Maybe noteveryone is able to do everything required. But we are all working together to build abeautiful Shabbat across the UK. Through ourjoint focus on this unique day, we will createsomething very special, ensuring that our ownshuls and homes are fitting places for the Divinepresence to dwell.

4In memory of Avraham ben Yehoshua

Vayakhel: The Road to Character by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

In his bestselling book The Road to Character(Random House, 2015),renowned political andsocial commentator David Brooks distinguishesbetween what he terms‘resume virtues’ and

‘eulogy virtues’. ‘Resume virtues’ are thosequalities people might list on a job application,such as the particular talents they possess ortheir academic qualifications. ‘Eulogy virtues’ arequalities of morality and character which developover the course of a lifetime. They are theaspects of personality that people would mostlike to be remembered for when they are nolonger here.

Brooks argues that people now spend everincreasing amounts of time focusing on their‘resume virtues’ or pushing what he calls ‘the BigMe’. In contrast, they spend less and less timedeveloping the qualities of humility and patience,which are often born out of life’s more difficultexperiences, as well as the received wisdomfrom previous generations. Yet these qualities areessential to develop the enduring virtues of agood character. “To live a decent life”, Brooksargues, “to build up the soul, it’s probablynecessary to declare that the forces thatencourage the Big Me, while necessary andliberating in many ways, have gone too far. Weare out of balance”.

In this week’s sidrah, Moshe informs the peoplethat God Himself had selected Betzalel to leadthe project of the construction of the Tabernacleand all of its implements. At first glance, he doesnot appear to provide the Divine grounds forBetzalel’s appointment. Instead, he lists the giftsthat God had endowed Betzalel with to allow himto fulfil his vital upcoming role: “He filled him withGodly spirit, with wisdom, insight, knowledgeand with every craft…” (Shemot 35:31). Yet,according to the Meshech Chochmah (Rabbi

Meir Simcha of Dvinsk d. 1926), the qualitiesembedded in Betzalel’s personality which led tohis selection in the first place are also provided,albeit in a coded form, in the previous verse.

Betzalel’s genealogy is listed as follows:“Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur, to the tribe ofYehuda”. Two of Betzalel’s ancestors performedsupreme acts of self-sacrifice on behalf of others.Chur, son of Miriam, was killed when he bravelyattempted to stop the people worshipping theGolden Calf (see Rashi to Shemot 32:5).Nachshon, prince of the tribe of Yehuda, had thecourage and faith to jump into the Sea of Reedsfirst, leading the people to follow his example andfor the Sea to miraculously split on their behalf(see Talmud Sotah 37b).

David Brooks argues that the road to character“often involves moments of moral crisis,confrontation and recovery”. In a similar vein, asunderstood by the Meshech Chochmah, it wasthe merit of the actions of Betzalel’s ancestors,experienced in moments of intense trials of faith,which provided him with the character he neededto be worthy of being imbued with “wisdom,insight and knowledge”. Without question, thoseancestral examples were true ‘eulogy’, ratherthan ‘resume’ virtues.

5In memory of Harav Binyamin ben Harav Shalom

The 7 Wonders of Shabbat, Part 1: Timeless Messagesby Rabbi Ben Kurzer, Assistant Rabbi, Edgware United Synagogue

A Google search for“timeless things” producesmany lists of well-loveditems and activities. Scrollingthrough the lists on thescreen, I found all sorts ofthings that I grew up with,from The Beatles to Harry

Potter, from popping bubble wrap to handwrittenletters. However, if I were to make my own list,Shabbat would undoubtedly be at the very top.

The Zohar, the foundational text of Jewishmysticism, writes that the Torah is timeless and was God’s blueprint for the creation of the world. Therefore all of its mitzvot transcendtime. From our perspective, this aspect oftranscending time stands out particularly when it comes to Shabbat.

Going through the list of melachot, the 39categories of forbidden actions that form thebasis for the laws of Shabbat, one may at firstfeel that the laws of Shabbat are from a bygoneera and have little applicability to our lives in the21st century. Yet nothing could be further fromthe truth. The many laws of Shabbat, woventogether to form the fabric of an incredible giftfrom God, seem, if anything, only to grow inrelevance with each passing year.

Nearly 25 years ago, a movement began called‘Screen-Free Week’ (formerly known as TVTurnoff Week) which dedicates one week peryear for people to go screen-free. Over theyears, many millions have tried it, yet the vastmajority of people have not, and there have beencritics of the scheme. The most commoncomplaint is that a week is too long and once-a-year is not often enough. One Washington Postarticle from 2012 noted that “many of us can goscreen-free for a week about as easily as wecould endure a juice-diet week”. So what abouttrying it for one day per week? Interestingly, that

is what many people have started to do and,incredibly, they refer to it as “screen sabbath”!

Screens are just one part of our life that benefitsfrom Shabbat. With each passing year, lifemoves seems to move faster and faster, andways to help us take time out and relax becomemore and more relevant. Shabbat, with all itsancient laws and particulars, feels as though itwas built for 2019.

The timelessness of Shabbat is just the first ofmany ‘wonders’ one can associate with thisspecial day. In the coming weeks, we willinvestigate some of the more unique aspects ofShabbat, which will hopefully remind us of whata gift it truly is. In the famous words of AsherGinzburg (d. 1927), better known as AchadHa’am, “more than the Jewish people haspreserved the Shabbat, the Shabbat haspreserved the Jewish people”.

6In memory of Harav Yisrael ben Harav Uriah

Sanctuaries in Space and Time by Rebbetzen Shoshana Landau, Graduate of the Chief Rabbi’s Ma’ayanProgramme

Not for the first time in theTorah, in this week’s sidrah(Shemot 35:1-4) we see thejuxtaposition of the mitzvotof Shabbat and constructingthe Mishkan (Tabernacle).The positioning of these twomitzvot is not just to issue an

order of precedence - that work on the Mishkanmust cease on Shabbat (see Rashi to 35:2).Rather, these mitzvot are natural ‘allies’. Theyhave a common denominator of being called a'Mikdash' – meaning ‘a sacred space’ or'sanctuary'. The Mishkan is a sanctuary in space,Shabbat is a sanctuary in time.

In detailing the Mishkan’s furnishings, we witnessthe significant contribution from the women:“And the men came with the women... bringingbracelets, noserings, rings and body ornaments”(ibid. 35:22). Specifically, “the laver [washbasin]...and its stand of copper” were constructed fromthe mirrors of the women (see Rashi to 38:8). Notonly the material donations but also the skills ofthe women were called upon for the weaving offabrics and curtains.

What was the importance of the women'scontribution to the Mishkan?

A sanctuary necessitates exclusion. For theMishkan, spiritual impurity (tuma’h) must beexcluded in the pursuit of purity (tahara). Thisallows a space for God's presence to dwell in this world. A precursor to the Temple itself, the Mishkan was the central point of service toGod. On Shabbat, the exclusion is work/creativeactivity (melacha) in pursuit of rest (menucha). So linked are the mitzvot of Shabbat and Mishkanthat our definitions of 'work' on the former aregrounded in the activities undertaken to build the latter.

Women are often identified for their leaningtowards exclusivity in relationships. Perhaps this explains why they are so present in each of these mitzvot. It is they who are responsiblefor ushering in the Shabbat through the kindlingof lights. With the mitzvah of challah particularlypertinent to females, Shabbat is celebrated by partaking of fine food, including challot, in the Shabbat meals. By donating their personaljewellery and with the mirrors that, according to Rashi, were used in Egypt to beautifythemselves – thus ensuring the continuation of the Jewish people in the face of disheartenedand discouraged men – the Mishkan was built.

The commentaries (see Pirkei deRebbe Eliezer45:4) tell us that the items of jewellery donatedby the women were the very same items thatthey refused to give up during the call fordonations to create the Golden Calf (Shemot32:1-5). Furthermore, the unassuming coppermirrors, initially rejected by Moshe as vehicles forvanity, were ultimately used to construct thewashbasins. They were used by the priests toremove impurity before they were able to performthe holy tasks in the Mishkan.

Women's involvement in the creation of thesetwo sanctuaries – Shabbat and the Mishkan – isa celebration of femininity and women's naturalability to create exclusive and sacred spaces forthose around them. Is it any wonder that thehome, the place of family space, often crafted byfemale influence, should be the primary domainof the Shabbat experience? And is it any wonderthat the Divine Presence, the Shechina thatdwells in the Mishkan, represents the ‘feminineaspect’ of God?

Answer: 20 cubits