Parshat Vayakhel - Working Together
In the parashah we read a few weeks back, parashat Terumah, Hashem gives Moshe the blueprints for the Mishkan, the desert sanctuary, where we could gather to feel HaShem's presence more directly.
In this week's parashah, Vayakhel, the Torah describes the actual building of the Mishkan. HaShem picks Betzalel to be the main builder. Betzalel recognizes that a place where everybody would gather together needs to be built by the whole community. He looks to the entire nation and tells everybody to participate however they are able. Some people who are skilled builders and artists work on the actual structure of the mishkan. Others contribute money, gold, silver, brass, precious stones, and special dyes and fabrics to make sure that everything is available to complete the project. The Torah tells us that so many people contributed to the building that Betalel had to tell people to stop bringing so much as they already had much more than they would need.
It is only through coming together that we are able to create a space where HaShem can be among us and where we can feel HaShem's presence in our lives. We should all always remember that it is by working together that we can achieve so much more in this world.
Discussion Questions:
1. Describe a time when you needed help to accoplish a goal. Why was the help so important?
2. Why does working together build community?
3. What is it about working together that makes it easier to recognize HaShem in our lives?
Discussion & Answers from last week:
1. Why do you think HaShem wanted to start over after the Israelites made the mistake of the Golden Calf?
I think HaShem wanted Moshe to challenge him and that he didn't really want to start over. I think HaShem was more frustrated with Am Yisrael. Just like parents will sometimes threaten children with a really really major punishment for bad behaviour - even if they aren't going to punish the kids in the end, HaShem threatened us with destruction, though it waas more to illustrate how bad and damaging our behaviour was, both to ourselves and to our relationship with HaShem.
2. If HaShem told you that everyone else had made a huge mistake and everyone would be destroyed except you, how do you think you would react?
I hope I would act like Moshe and challenge HaShem. I think I would also be honoured by the thought, and would then either challenge HaShem or go tell everyone to behave better.
3. Have you every made a mistake and tried again? Why did you try again?
Yes, of course - probably 10 times a day (or more) I have to try again. We all make mistakes, but it is the ability to learn and grow from those mistakes that makes them worthwhile learning experiences. If I didn't try again, then I wouldn't have learned anything and that, in itself, would be a big mistake.
