"With G-d And A Willing Heart"
Parashat HaShavua VaYakhel-Pekudei / And He Assembled-Accounting
This Week's Reading List:
Shemot / Exodus 35:1-40:38
Yechezekiel / Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
Korintim Bet / 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Although this is a double reading this week, two Parashot, I have limited my comments to Parasha Vayachel.
Shemot {35:10} "Let every wise-hearted among you come, and make all that HaShem has commanded: {35:11} the tent, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; {35:12} the Aron (Ark), and its poles, the Capret (covering) seat, the Prochet (veil) of the screen; {35:13} the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Show Bread; {35:14} the Menorah also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light; {35:15} and the mitzbeach (altar) of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tent; {35:16} the mitzbeach of olah (ascending [burnt]) offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base; {35:17} the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; {35:18} the pins of the tent, the pins of the court, and their cords; {35:19} the finely worked garments, for ministering BaKodesh (in the Holy place [sanctuary]) , HaKodesh (the holy) garments for Aharon (Aaron) the cohen (priest), and the garments of his sons, to minister in the cohen's office. '"
After reading this Parasha I can understand what HaShem meant when He said that He made man in His image. Besides all our other similarities we can see that makes us like our heavenly Father, we are creators. The only difference between us and God, in respect to creating, is that HaShem can create something out of nothing, where as we can only take of what HaShem has already created and create something from that.
HaShem, in this Parasha, instructed Moshe (Moses) to assemble the raw material needed to build Him a house that He might dwell in the midst of His people. Gods intention, then and even now, was to dwell among His people. His heart is so strong in this matter that some day soon He will be returning to do exactly that in the form of His Son Yeshua HaMashiach.
It interested me to think that HaShem, the creator of something out of nothing, could have, with ease, snapped His fingers, so-to-speak, or with a simply spoken word created a house for Himself out of nothing, just as He created the universe. He could have just willed a house into existence that He could have lived in, yet He did not do this. Instead He chose to have bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) do it for Him. I find two principles at work here and I will discuss them as part of my drash (commentary) for this Parasha. Both principles refer to why HaShem chose to have bnei Yisrael build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) instead of speaking it into existence Himself.
The first principle:
Mishlei (Proverbs) {13:11} Wealth through vanity (lit. vapour) dwindles, but the one who gathers by labour increases it.
This proverb, as we can see, concerns acquiring money. In our modern culture money without working for it is often called easy money, and what this proverb is saying is that money gained without work goes as easily as it comes. Therefore, the same principle can be applied to anything we do not work hard to obtain or acquire. Let us face it, this is part of our human nature. We appreciate and care for things that we had to work hard for more than the things that were just given to us, without us having to do anything for them. Sadly for some this even includes their salvation. That is why there are so many works oriented religions and cults out there. This aspect of our nature, I believe, is a result of the fall of man (Adam and Eve).
Bereshit (Genesis) {3:17} To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it, ' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. {3:18} Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. {3:19} By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The second principle:
Korintim Alef (1 Corinthians) {3:7} So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but G-d that gives the increase. {3:8} Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. {3:9} For we are labourers together with G-d: you are G-d's fellow workers, you are G-d's building.
G-d wants us to partner with Him. Certainly He can do all things without us. But the whole reason behind Him creating us is for us to partner with Him on the earth that He created for us. Eventually after the resurrection and His return to the earth we reign together with Him in the universe.
Hitgalut (Revelation) {20:6} Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of G-d and of Mashiach (Messiah) and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
It is, therefore, for those two reasons that I believe that HaShem had bnei Yisrael participate in the construction of the Mishkan.
Shemot {35:4} Moshe spoke to all the adat (congregation) of bnei Yisrael, saying, "This is the thing which HaShem commanded, saying, {35:5} 'Take from among you an offering to HaShem. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it,...
We, that are believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, are now the Temple of G-d. The Spirit of G-d dwells inside of us. Therefore, it is still the responsibility of every believer in Yeshua HaMashiach to build G-ds Kingdom -- one person at a time -- through witnessing and sharing the gospel of salvation. I trust that HaShem will find in you a willing heart.
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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber
Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
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