Torah Stories By Hannah Parasha Vayakhel Pekhudei

Vayakhel

Moshe then invoked the whole Israelite community and said to them:

These are the things that HaShem has commanded you to do: On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to HaShem; whoever does any work on it, shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in your houses on the Sabbath day.

Moshe said further to the whole community of Israelites:

This is what HaShem has commanded: Take from among you gifts to HaShem; everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them – gifts for HaShem: gold, silver, and copper; blue, purple and crimson yarns, fine linen and goats’ hair; tanned ram skins, dolphin skins and acacia wood; oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and the breast piece.

And let all among you who are skilled come and make all that HaShem has commanded: The tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its planks, its bars, its posts and its sockets; the ark and its poles, the cover, and the curtain for the screen; the table, and its poles and all its utensils; and the bread of display; the lampstand for lighting, its furnishings and its lamps, and the oil for lighting; the altar of incense and its poles; the anointing oil and the aromatic incense; and the entrance screen for the entrance of the Tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, its copper grating, its poles, and all its furnishings; the laver and its stand, the hangings of the enclosure, its posts and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs for the Tabernacle, the pegs for the enclosure, and their cords, the service vestments for officiating in the sanctuary, the sacral vestments for Aharon the priest and the vestments of his sons for priestly service.

So the whole community of the Israelites left Moshe’s presence. And Every man whose heart lifted him up came, and every one whose generous spirit inspired him brought a terumah-offering to HaShem, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all that was needed for its service, and for the sacred garments.

And they came; both men and women - all who were generous of heart brought bracelets, nose rings, finger rings, and buckles; all kinds of golden vessels, and every man that offered a wave-offering of gold unto HaShem.

Every man who had with him turquoise wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, fine linen, goat's hair, red dyed rams' skins, or dolphin skins brought them. Everyone who did lift up a terumah-offering of silver or copper, brought the terumah-offering to HaShem; and everyone who had with him acacia wood for use in the work of the service, brought it. And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands; and they brought the spun yarn of greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool and fine linen. And all the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom, spun the goat's hair.

And the leaders of the tribes brought onyx stones, and stones for setting into the ephod and breastplate. And the spices, and the oil for the light, and the anointing oil, and the incense of aromatic spices.

Every man and woman whose generous heart inspired them to bring something for all the work that HaShem had commanded to be done through Moshe did so. The Children of Israel brought a free-will gift to HaShem.

Moshe said to the Children of Israel, "See, HaShem has designated by name, Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah. And He endowed him with Divine spirit, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with the skill to perform all types of crafting.

And to devise plans with ingenuity, to execute those plans in gold, in silver and in copper. And in masonry for settings, and in carpentry, to execute all kinds of clever tasks. And the ability to instruct he instilled in his heart, he (Betzalel) and Oholiov, the son of Achisomoch of the tribe of Dan.

He filled them with wisdom of the heart, to execute all the tasks of the engraver, the craftsman, and the embroiderer of greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, fine linen, and the [the tasks of] weaver, [also] that of labourers and planners.

And they shall execute; Betzalel and Oholiov, and every wise-hearted man whom HaShem had endowed with wisdom and insight to know how to execute in all of the holy work; all that HaShem had commanded.

Moshe called Betzalel and to Oholiov, and to every wise-hearted man whom HaShem had endowed with wisdom in his heart, everyone whose heart moved him to approach the task,to execute it. And they took from before Moshe, all the terumah-offering which the children of Israel brought for the tasks of the holy work, to execute it. And they continued to bring gifts each and every morning.

All the wise men came, who were executing all the holy tasks, each and every man from the task in which he was engaged. They said the following to Moshe: the people are bringing too much; more than is needed for the tasks which HaShem has commanded to execute. Moshe commanded, and they proclaimed throughout the encampment saying, "Let no man or woman bring any more material for the sacred offering." And the people stopped bringing. The material was enough for all the work that had to be done, and some was left over.

All craftsmen with the spirit of wisdom made the Tabernacle out of ten drapes, consisting of twisted fine linen, turquoise wool, crimson wool, figures of Cherubim, the work of a craftsman. The length of each drape was twenty eight cubits, and each drape was four cubits wide. All drapes had the same measure. He joined five of these drapes together, and the other five drapes he joined together.

He made loops of turquoise wool on the edge of the drape which was at the innermost end of the first group. He did the same on the edge of the drape which was the innermost end of the second group. He made fifty loops on the edge of one drape and he made fifty loops on the edge of the drape which was on the second group. The loops were opposite one another. He made fifty golden clasps and he joined the drapes of each group together with the clasps. The Tabernacle was therefore one unit.

He made drapes of goats' hair for a covering over the Tabernacle. He made eleven such drapes. The length of each drape was thirty cubits, and the width of each drape was four cubits. The eleven drapes were of the same measure. And he joined together five drapes by themselves, and six drapes by themselves. He made fifty loops on the edge of one drape which was the innermost end of the first group and he made fifty loops on the edge of the drape which was on the second group.

He made fifty copper clasps to join the tent together making it one. He made a covering for the tent out of red dyed rams' skins, and a covering of dolphin skins above that.

He made planks for the tabernacle out of acacia wood; these planks stood upright. Each plank was ten cubits long, and one and one half cubits was the width of each plank. Each plank had two square pegs, exactly parallel to each other. In this manner he made all the planks of the Tabernacle. He made these planks for the Tabernacle, twenty planks for the southern side.

He made forty silver sockets, and placed them under the twenty planks. There were two sockets under one plank, one for each of the two pegs, and two sockets under the other plank, one for each of the two pegs.

For the second wall of the Tabernacle, to the northern side, he made twenty planks. He made their forty silver sockets, two sockets under each plank, two sockets under each plank. For the western end of the Tabernacle he made six planks. He made two planks for the corners of the Tabernacle at the rear side. They were coupled together on the bottom, and they were coupled together evenly on the top with one square ring. In this manner he made the two planks which were at the two corners. There were eight planks, and their silver sockets, totaling sixteen sockets, two sockets, two sockets under each plank.

He made bars out of acacia wood, five for the planks of one wall, and five bars for the planks of the second wall of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the planks of the western wall of the Tabernacle. He made the middle bar to go through the planks, reinforcing the planks from one end to the other. He overlaid the planks with gold, and made their rings out of gold to hold the bars. He also overlaid the bars with gold.

He made the partition out of turquoise wool, crimson wool, and fine, twisted linen, the work of a craftsman, with figures of Cherubim woven into it. He made for it four acacia-wood pillars and he overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were also of gold. He cast for them four silver sockets.

He made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of turquoise wool, crimson wool, and fine twisted linen. It was the work of an embroiderer. He made five pillars to hold the screen, along with their hooks and he overlaid their caps and bands with gold. Their five sockets he made of copper.

Betzalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and one-half cubits long, one and one-half cubits wide, and one and one-half cubits high. He covered it with pure gold from inside and out. He made for it a golden crown-like rim around its top. He cast four gold rings on its four corners, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. He made two poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. He placed the poles in the rings on the sides of the ark, so that the ark can be carried with them.

He made a cover for the ark of pure gold, two and one-half cubits long, and one and one-half cubits wide. He made two golden Cherubim. He hammered them out of the two ends of the ark cover. One Cherub out of one end, and one Cherub out of the other end. From the same piece of gold as the cover itself, he made the Cherubim on its two ends.

The Cherubim had their wings spread upward, sheltering the cover with their wings, and they faced one another, the Cherubim's faces were inclined toward the cover.

He made a table out of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and one-half cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a crown-like rim around it. He made a rim around the table, and he made a gold crown-like rim around the ledge. He cast for it the table four gold rings, and placed the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs. The rings were against the ledge as receptacles for the poles with which to carry the table. He made the poles out of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold with which to carry the table.

He made the vessels that were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its supports, and its half-hollow tubes by which the breads are covered, out of pure gold.

He made the menorah out of pure gold. The menorah was made by hammering its form out of a solid piece of gold. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece of gold. Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the menorah from one of its sides, and three branches of the menorah from the second side.

Three cups were engraved in almond-shaped patterns, on one branch with a knob and a flower, and three cups were engraved in almond-shaped patterns, on one branch with a knob and a flower. So was the form of each of the six branches that extended from the shaft of the menorah. The shaft of the menorah had four cups, engraved in almond shaped patterns, with their knobs and their flowers.

There was a knob under the two branches extending from it, and a second knob under the second two branches extending from it, and a third knob under the third two branches extending from it. This held true for the six branches that extended from it the menorah's shaft. Their knobs and their branches were made out of the menorah itself. It was all made of a single hammered work of pure gold.

He made seven lamps for the menorah, and its tongs and its ash scoops, of pure gold. He made it out of a talent of pure gold, together with all its vessels.

He made the incense altar out of acacia wood, one cubit long and one cubit wide, it was square, and two cubits high. Its horn-like elevations were of one piece with it. He overlaid it with pure gold, on its top, its walls all around, and its horn-like elevations. He made a gold crown-like rim all around it. He made two gold rings for it under its crown-like rim on two of its corners, on its two opposite sides, to house the poles with which to carry it.

He made the poles out of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He made the sacred anointing oil and the pure perfumed incense, according to the work of the perfumer.

He made the burnt-offering altar out of acacia wood. It was five cubits long and five cubits wide, it was square, and three cubits high. He made its raised projections on its four corners. Its raised projections were one piece with it, and he overlaid it with copper.

He made all the vessels of the altar, its pots, its scoops, its basins, its flesh-hooks, and its fire pans. He made all of its vessels out of copper.

He made for the altar a grate of copper netting, under its rim extending downward, so that the grate reached to the middle of the altar.

He cast four rings on the four corners of the copper grating to house the poles. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with copper. He placed the poles into the rings that were on the two sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it a hollow structure constructed from boards.

He made the basin out of copper and its base out of copper, from the mirrors of the women who had gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. He made the enclosure for the Tabernacle. On the south side the curtains for the enclosure were made of fine, twined linen, one hundred cubits long. It had twenty pillars and twenty copper sockets. The hooks and bands of the pillars were of silver.

On the north side, its length was one hundred cubits. It had twenty pillars and twenty copper sockets. The hooks and bands of the pillars were of silver. On the west side, the curtains were of fifty cubits. It had ten pillars and ten sockets. The hooks and bands of the pillars were of silver. The width of the enclosure on the east side was fifty cubits. Curtains fifteen cubits long were on one flank of the entrance. They had three pillars and three sockets. The other flank, on either side of the gate to the enclosure there also were curtains fifteen cubits long. They too had three pillars and three sockets.

All curtains around the enclosure were made of twisted, fine linen. The sockets for the pillars were of copper, the hooks and bands of the pillars were of silver, and the covering of their tops was of silver. All pillars of the enclosure had silver bands.

The screen at the entrance of the enclosure was the work of an embroiderer. It was made of turquoise wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, and twisted, fine linen. It was twenty cubits long and the height in the width was five cubits, corresponding to the curtains of the enclosure.

The screen had four pillars and four copper sockets, silver hooks, and their tops and bands were overlaid with silver. All the stakes of the Tabernacle and the surrounding enclosure were made of copper.

Pekudei

These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which was drawn up at Moshe’s request – the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aharon, the priest. Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Yehudah, had made all that HaShem had commanded Moshe. At his side was Oholiab son of Ahishamach, of the tribe of Dan, carver and designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple and crimson yarns and in fine linen.

All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work for the sanctuary – the elevation offering of gold – came to 29 talents and 730 shekels by the sanctuary weight. The silver of those of the community who were recorded came to 100 talents and 1 775 shekels by the sanctuary weight: a half shekel a head, half a shekel by the sanctuary weight, for each one who was entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, 603 550 men. The 100 talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets for the curtain, 100 sockets to the 100 talents, a talent a socket. And of the 1 775 shekels he made hooks for the posts, overlay for the tops and bands around them.

The copper from the elevation offering came to 70 talents and 2 400 shekels. Of it he made the sockets of the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; the copper altar and its copper grating and all the utensils of the altar; the sockets of the enclosure round about and the sockets of the gate of the enclosure; all the pegs of the Tabernacle and all the pegs of the enclosure.

Of the blue, purple and crimson yarns they also made the service vestments for officiating in the sanctuary; they made Aharon’s sacral vestments – as HaShem had commanded Moshe. The ephod was made of gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen. They hammered out sheets of gold and cut threads to be worked into designs among the blue, the purple and the crimson yarns, and the fine linen. They made for it attaching shoulder-pieces; they were attached at its two ends. The decorated band that was upon it was made like it, of one piece with it, of gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns and fine twisted linen – as HaShem had commanded Moshe. They bordered the lazuli stones with frames of gold, engraved with seal engravings of the names of the sons of Yisrael. They were set on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance of the Yisraelites, - as HaShem had commanded Moshe.

The breast piece was made in the style of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns and fine twisted linen. It was square – they made the breast piece doubled – a span in length and a span in width – doubled. They set in it four rows of stones. The first row was a row of carnelian, chrysolite and emerald. The second row; a turquoise, a sapphire and an amethyst; the third row; a jacinth, an agate and a crystal; and the fourth row; a beryl, a lapis lazuli and a jasper. They were encircled in their mountings with frames of gold. The stones corresponded in number to the names of the sons of Yisrael: twelve, corresponding to their names; engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. On the breast piece they made braided chains of corded work in pure gold. They made two frames of gold and two rings of gold, and fastened the two rings at the two ends of the breast piece, attaching the two golden cords to the two rings at the ends of the breast piece. They then fastened the two ends of the cords to the two frames, attaching them to the two shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. The breast piece was held in place by a cord of blue from its rings to the rings of the ephod so that the breast piece rested on the decorated band and did not come loose from the ephod – as HaShem has commanded Moshe.

The robe for the ephod was made of woven work, of pure blue. The opening for the robe, in the middle of it, was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening, so that it would not tear. On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple and crimson yarns, twisted. They also made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates. A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, as HaShem had commanded Moshe. They made the tunics of fine linen, of woven work, for Aharon and his sons; and the headdress of fine linen, and the decorated turbans of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, and sashes of fine twisted linen, blue, purple and crimson yarns, done in embroidery, as HaShem had commanded Moshe. They made the frontlet for the headdress of pure gold, and incised on it the inscription: “Holy to HaShem”. They attached to it a cord of blue to fix it upon the headdress above – as HaShem had commanded Moshe.

This is then how all the work of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was completed. The Yisraelites did just as HaShem had commanded Moshe. They then brought the Tabernacle to Moshe, with everything inside, and Moshe blessed them.

And then HaShem spoke to Moshe saying: “On the first day of the first month, you shall set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. Place there the Ark of the Covenant, and screen off the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and lay out its setting, bring in the lamp stand and light its lamps, and place the gold altar of incense before the Ark of the Covenant. Then put up the screen for the entrance of the Tabernacle. Place the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the Tabernacle. Place the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Set up the enclosure and put in place the screen for the gate of the enclosure. Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and that is in it to consecrate it and all its furnishings, so that it shall be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils to consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy. And anoint the laver and the stand to consecrate it. You shall bring Aharon and his sons forward to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with the water. Put the sacral vestments on Aharon, and anoint him and consecrate him that he may serve me as priest. Then bring his sons forward, put tunics on them and anoint them as you have anointed their father, that they may serve Me as priests. This anointing shall serve them for everlasting priesthood throughout the ages.”

This Moshe did; just as HaShem had commanded him, so he did.

In the first month of the second year on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up. He did everything just as HaShem had commanded him.

When Moshe had finished the work, the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of HaShem filled the Tabernacle. Moshe could not enter the Tent because of the Presence of HaShem. When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Yisraelites would set out on their journey; but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out. For over the Tabernacle a cloud of HaShem rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Yisrael throughout their journeys.

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