Sedra: Vayakhel
With Rabbi Alex Chapper.
IT IS hard to believe but, so enthusiastic were the people in donating to the construction of the Mishkan – the portable Tabernacle – they had to be told to stop.
Informed by the wise-hearted people who were overseeing the project that they had sufficient supplies, Moses had to direct the nation to desist from doing any more work or bringing any more materials because they had amassed more than enough.
The Torah records this incredible situation: “And the work was sufficient for them for all the work, to do it and to leave over. “Then all the wise- hearted people of the per- formers of the work made the Mishkan…” (Shemot 36:7-8).
To understand the significance of this, we must note two recurring themes in Pekudei: Melacha – creative activity and chacham lev – wise- hearted people. Both of these were necessary for the construction of the Mishkan as the work was carried out by those imbued with the wisdom necessary to produce the desired end result.
Interestingly, melacha is also mentioned at the beginning of the sedra and relates to the prohibition of creative activity on Shabbat and, from the connection to the Mishkan, our sages derive that the types of work employed in the latter are forbidden on the former. However, it is the second theme of chacham lev that provides us with a deeper link.
It took a degree of wisdom for those involved in the Mishkan to know when enough was enough, to recognise that sometimes less is more and that you can spoil the pudding if you overegg it. Surely that is also the message of Shabbat, although working seven days may appear to be more productive that working only six, those who are wise-hearted understand that is not the case.
The success of any project, be it a temporary desert structure or life itself, depends as much on putting in the hard work as it does on knowing when to say enough. Sometimes, having too much does not enhance what we are trying to achieve, but endangers it and so being conscious of that subtlety is the true hallmark of wisdom.
• Rabbi Alex Chapper is minister of Ilford Federation Synagogue and is the Children’s Rabbi www.childrensrabbi.com
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
