Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

The first part of this week's double Parsha is called Vayakhel. Moses "gathered" all of the children of Israel for the purposes of celebrating the gift of Shabbat and the establishment of the portable Tabernacle.

Interestingly, the same Hebrew root as Vayakhel describes the people in advance of the golden calf. Back in Parshat Ki -Tisa, the people "gathered against Aaron . . . "

In each narrative, the people of Israel shared a collective voluntary unity of purpose. In one, they gathered for bad, and in the other, they gathered for good. In the case of the golden calf, they gathered against Aaron and were not governed by effective leadership. In the case of Shabbat and the Tabernacle, Moses gathered them together and had them prepared to do that which was right.

In our own day, let us contemplate about the purpose of gatherings, large or small, virtual or safely in person. Are the gatherings you have in mind constructive or destructive? Are they governed by effective or ineffective leadership?

We can learn a lot from the contrast in the nature of gathering from the story of the golden calf to the story of sanctifying Shabbat and public worship in the life of the community.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison