Parashat Vayakhel

God names Bezalel, giving him inspiration to lead.

Why should we care so much about the details of the Tabernacle?

Shabbat is important, yet our behavior during the other six days is no less a part of religious life.

Shabbat gives us an opportunity to stop trying to control the world.

It is easy to feel disconnected from those who are most unlike us.

God met the Israelites' need to relate to God on their own terms — we must do the same.

The mirrors used to create the basin in the Tabernacle teach us that sanctified sexuality means seeing ourselves in relation to others.

The clothing of our religious leaders communicates our perceptions of our relationships to God and each other.

The image of Israelites, whose hearts moved them, donating gifts to the Tabernacle, inspires us to consider the meaning of having a heart that is moved.

Our tables, symbolic altars, become tools in our quest for sacredness when we share them with the poor and marginalized.

The connections between building the Tabernacle and Yom Kippur reminds us that all aspects of our spirituality are connected.

The many interpretations of the tachash remind us to look beyond surface appearances for spiritual intensity.

Holiness is not limited to one sphere.

Everyone's contribution, and occasionally sacrifice, is necessary.

Vayakhel: A resource for parents.

Details of the Temple's construction.

Learn more about the weekly Torah portion.

The Israelites bring so many materials for the construction of the Tabernacle that Moses tells them to stop; Bezalel and Oholiab, gifted craftspeople, construct the elements of the Tabernacle.