Inspiring Our Institutions
Mar 17, 2007 By Steven Brown | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel
The detailed description of the completion of the Mishkan in all its splendor can overwhelm us with a plethora of information, blinding us to the power and importance of this week’s double parashah concluding the book of Exodus.
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Between the Fire and the Cloud
Mar 2, 2008 By Marc Wolf | Commentary | Pekudei | Shabbat Shekalim
As we conclude the book of Exodus and wander further into the wilderness, I cannot help but wonder how different the children of Israel’s lives would have been if they had been equipped with GPS.
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Consumption with Humility
Mar 17, 2012 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Text Study | Pekudei | Vayak-hel
“You are what you eat,” as the old adage goes—but according to this midrash, you are also what you build, or more precisely, you are how you build.
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The Power of Partnership and Positive Thinking
Feb 26, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Pekudei
The raising of the Tabernacle was a daunting task for the Israelites.
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Strengthening Ourselves
Mar 5, 2011 By David Marcus | Commentary | Pekudei | Shabbat Shekalim
This Shabbat is one of beginnings and endings. It is a Shabbat of beginnings because it is the first of the four special Shabbatot preceding Pesah, and it is called Shabbat Shekalim. But this Shabbat is also a Shabbat of endings. The parashah for the week, Parashat Pekudei, describes the concluding stages of the construction of the Mishkan by the craftsman Bezalel and the entire band of Israelite workers.
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Of Leadership and Investment: A People Engage
Mar 6, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel
Parashat Vayak-hel-Pekudei continues the building of the Tabernacle—detailing the materials, craftsmanship, appurtenances, and its completion.
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How Now, Brown Cow?
Mar 17, 2012 By Leonard A. Sharzer | Commentary | Pekudei | Shabbat Parah | Vayak-hel
I would like to review several components of the Red Heifer ritual that I find most challenging and ask two questions: (1) Is there any way to understand this arcane ritual that has resonance in modern times?; and (2) Why do we read this passage shortly before Pesah?
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Meaning in Métier
Mar 6, 2013 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel
The midrash suggests that the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was given not because God needed such a thing, but to show the world—Israelites included—that the Israelites had been forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf. It is curious, though, that such a gesture would be given as a do-it-yourself assignment.
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