Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

If the Golden Calf was an abomination, why is the Tabernacle okay?

The presence of the broken tablets in the Ark reminds us of the value of objects that may not be functional but signify important relationships.

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.

Building global community, like the construction of the mishkan, requires everyone to participate.

The Torah teaches us to think globally and act locally.

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.

Is the Tabernacle a sacred center of intense love or an outgrowth of our sins?

Moses' account of all of the materials of the Tabernacle is a model for the honesty and transparency with which we should run our businesses.

We should strive to feel the presence of God in our lives, just as the presence of God filled the Tabernacle.

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.

Bezalel's wise-heartedness was his ability to merge the practical with the contemplative.

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.

The messages of hope and togetherness in Vayakhel and Pekudei prepare us for Passover.

Moses exemplifies a lesson in business ethics.

Holiness is not limited to one sphere.

Sometimes in the act of giving, you end up receiving even more.

What does it look like to think of one day as helping us to balance our lives?

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

Pekudei: A resource for families.

The cloud.

The cherubim.

Vayakhel: A resource for parents.

Learn more about the weekly Torah portion.

Learn more about the weekly Torah portion.

The work of constructing the Tabernacle is completed; Moses receives the command to anoint its vessels and to anoint Aaron and the priests.

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.