The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayakhel Pekudei

The Rebbe says:

1. This year the Parshas (Torah portions) of Vayakhel and Pekudei are read together on one Shabbos.

2. We know that generally the name of something hints at what the thing is all about. This is especially so with regards to the name of a Parshah (Torah portion) because everything in the Torah is perfectly exact.

Let us examine our two portions of this Shabbos and see if their names fit with their content:

Parshas Vayakhel: The word “Vayakhel” means to gather together as one unit. The content of the Parshah however is all about individual utensils which Hashem (G-d) was instructing to be made. How does this make sense? Not only does the name of the Parshah not fit with its content, the content is actually the total opposite idea of the name!?

Parshas Pekudei: The word “Pekudei” means to count. Obviously when can only count if there are individual things, otherwise there would be no need to count. But the content of Parshas Pekudei is about the culmination of the making of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Parshas Pekudei tells us the final amount of all the individual materials (gold, silver, copper…) donated by the Jewish people to the Tabernacle and how the utensils (the Menorah, the Altar…) were finished and brought together as one to make up one big Tabernacle. Again, how does this fit with the name of the Parshah which stresses individuality (to count)?

Basically, how does each Portion’s name fit with its content?

Also, how do the two Portions fit with each other? How can we read them together if they each stress a different theme? Parshas Vayakhel’s content stresses individuality while Parshas Pekudei’s content stresses community?

3. In the following paragraph the Rebbe builds the foundation for the answer:

There are three ways we can understand what a unit made up of individual things is:

1) Each one of the parts on its own is nothing. They are only there to make up one unit. In other words, the making of each part is only a preparation for the unit.

In our case of the Tabernacle this would mean that each one of the utensils (made for the Tabernacle) on its own is not Holy, only when they come together to make up one big Tabernacle is there a general Holiness.

2) Even before the parts come together to make one big unit they are special. The accomplishment of the parts coming together to make one unit is that there is now one big entity of special parts. This can be understood clearly by taking a look at a Jewish person; each Jewish person on their own is Holy, however when ten Jews come together (which forms a “Minyan”) an even greater amount of Holiness resides there.

In our case of the Tabernacle this would mean that each utensil on its own is Holy and when we bring all the utensils together this forms one big Holy entity- the Tabernacle.

3) (This 3rd way is a mixture of 1 and 2). Before all the parts are brought together to make one unit they are not special (like the 1st way). However after the unit is made each part has a uniqueness (like the 2nd way).

In our case of the Tabernacle this would mean that before the utensils were brought together to make a Tabernacle they were not Holy, however after the Tabernacle is made each utensil has its unique way of expressing G-dliness.

4. The Rebbe now answers our questions:

The Rambam (an acronym for his name Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon) teaches us that the (abovementioned) 3rd way of understanding is the true meaning of what a unit really is. (See Sefer Hamitzvos L’Harambam, Mitzvahs Asay Chuf).

And this is exactly what the Torah portions Vayakhel and Pekudei are telling us:

In Parshas Vayakhel Hashem tells the Jewish people to make each of the utensils, this screams individuality. However the name of the Parshah (“Vayakhel – gathering together as one”) tells us that the making of the utensils was with the mindset that they are only being built to make one big Tabernacle.

Then comes Parshas Pekudei. Parshas Pekudei is about the Tabernacle being finished as one big unit. And the name “Pekudei – counting (individuality)” tells us that since the Tabernacle is now complete, each one of the utensils has its own unique Holiness.

We have therefore explained how each Parshah’s name fits with its content, and how the two portions fit together.

5. The Rebbe now tells us the lesson we can learn from this to incorporate into our daily lives:

When Hashem said that He will rest in the Tabernacle, He said “I will rest in them”. Why did Hashem say that He will rest in “them” plural if He was talking about one thing (the Tabernacle)!? The answer is that Hashem was saying that He will rest in every single Jew if they only make themselves a proper dwelling place for Hm.

Now since every Jew is a “mini-Tabernacle”, every Jew must be made like a Tabernacle. Therefore the lesson we just learnt from Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei regarding the Tabernacle must also apply to every single Jew (in addition to the fact that in general the Torah and its lessons are everlasting).

The lesson:

A Jew must know that firstly he is part of a unit. Just like we said with regards to the utensils in the Tabernacle that their whole being was that they made up on Tabernacle, a Jew is a part of the whole family of Jews. And only when he includes himself in the community of Jews as one, then he becomes something unique.

Therefore before we pray to Hashem for our specific needs we should include ourselves in the big unit of Jews by accepting the commandment “to love your fellow Jew as yourself”.

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Likutei Sichos Chelek Chuf Beis, 3rd Sicha.