construction – Road to Zion

Vayak’hel (He Assembled) Exodus/Sh’mot 35:1-38:20

Vayak’hel(He Assembled)Exodus/Sh’mot 35:1-38:20

Haftorah Reading: I Kings 7:13-26

Today I want to urge you to be in prayer concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, going on now. We as G-d’s people have a responsibility to hold this situation before the Father. Many people have already died and sadly many more will likely die. However, we know the Ruler of the universe and we must seek His answer to this tragic conflict.

In some ways our Torah portion this week should encourage us. In this portion we read one of the two times the details of the construction of the Mishkan is laid out. We read the details of the construction already in Exodus 25:1-31:17. Now, again in Exodus 35:1-38:20 we read another account of the instructions to build this structure. However, there is one marked difference in these two accounts. In Ki Tisa, Exodus 25, the command of the Sabbath appears at the end of the details of construction while here today we read of the command of the Sabbath at the very beginning of Moshe speaking to the people Why the difference? On a simple level we might say that when G-d created man he, Adam, experienced Shabbat as his first day living on this earth but as G-d’s saw it, it was the last day of creation or the seventh day.

P’kudei(Accounts) Exodus(Sh’mot) 38:21-40:38

Torah Portion: P’kudei(Accounts) Exodus(Sh’mot) 38:21-40:38

Haftorah Reading: I Kings 7:40-8:38

Tonight, we finish the book of Sh’mot/Exodus as we read of the listing of all the material used in the construction of the Mishkan or Tabernacle and of the setting up of the structure. As we come to the end of this Torah portion we read of the glory of G-d settling on the Mishkan. In Exodus 38:34-35 we read where even Moshe could not enter the Mishkan because of the cloud that covered it and the glory of the L-rd filled it. In II Chronicles7:1-3 we again read of the Spirit of G-d falling when the first Temple was dedicated on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Vayak’hel (He Assembled) Sh’mot Exodus 35-38

Torah Portion: Vayak’hel (He Assembled)(Sh’mot) Exodus 35-38

Haftorah Reading: I Kings 7:13-26; I Kings 7:40-50

In this Torah portion we cover the giving of the offering by the people for the building of the Mishkan or Tabernacle as well as the picking of the man chosen by G-d to oversee the construction of the Mishkan as well as the art work.

Vayak’hel & P’kudei Ex 35-40

Torah Portion: Vayak’hel (He Assembled) P’kudei (Accounts) Exodus 35-40

HafTorah: I Kings 7:13-26; 7:40-8:21

Tonight we read the last two Torah portions of Shemot. They cover the setting up of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the accounting of the materials used in its construction. It is interesting in that just a few chapters back we covered the materials used and the gathering of those items. In our earlier reading the words are, “And you shall make,” was used in each item to become part of the Mishkan, while here in our present Torah portion the wording is changed to, “And he made.” If we take a moment I think by this change we are told of more than just the passage of time, but we are told of completion of a task set out by G-d for His people. We see follow through. I think this is really important for each of us to contemplate. G-d has a task for each of us in this world. What ever that task is, our job or mission is to carry it out to completion. It is easy to become tired or discouraged along the way. That is when we refresh ourselves by going back and recalling the original call of G-d and be encouraged to carry it through. This also applies to a group as well as an individual. Road to Zion has as one of its major tasks the reclamation of our roots to our faith, to get back to what we see as essential in being who we are as a people – grafted into the House of Israel. For 2,000 years we have drifted away. Now it is time to return. So here Torah shows us the beginning and the end of this mission to build the Mishkan. May it be with us in our day.