Sacred Gifts and the Holiness of Diversity
Parashat Vayak-hel demands that we notice the details, recounting with exquisite specificity the ornamentation and beautification of the Miskhan and the sacred vestments. Among all of the parshiyot detailing the construction of the Mishkan, Vayak-hel is particularly notable in lifting up the sacred contributions of women and of the artists and artisans. It also expands our vocabulary of generosity and the traits essential to creating holy spaces. Because sacred texts often omit the voices of women and favor narrative and laws over aesthetic descriptions, when the latter appears we must not skim over the details but rather challenge ourselves to wonder why this focus. Indeed, at a time of great challenge for the Jewish people and for democracy, when scarcity and suffering threaten to diminish our world, it is especially significant to encounter a text that focuses on the contributions of underrepresented and marginalized members of our communities and a culture of sacred generosity.
Our parashah characterizes the people contributing their gifts to the Mishkan using some language that has become familiar to us and some that is new.
职讞讜旨 诪值讗执转职旨讻侄诐 转职旨专讜旨诪指讛 诇址讛壮 讻止旨诇 谞职讚执讬讘 诇执讘旨讜止 讬职讘执讬讗侄讛指 讗值转 转职旨专讜旨诪址转 讛壮 讝指讛指讘 讜指讻侄住侄祝 讜旨谞职讞止砖侄讈转變
Take from among you gifts to 讛壮; everyone whose heart is so moved shall bring them鈥攇ifts for 讛壮: gold, silver, and copper; (Exod. 35:5)
This formulation is similar to what we encountered a few weeks ago in Parashat Teruma, introducing the idea of generosity stemming from the heart.
And let all among you who are skilled come and make all that 讛壮 has commanded: (Exod. 35:10)
:讜职讻讎诇志讞植讻址诐志诇值讘 讘指旨讻侄诐 讬指讘止讗讜旨 讜职讬址注植砖讉讜旨 讗值转 讻讎旨诇志讗植砖侄讈专 爪执讜指旨讛 讛壮
This passage introduces a new term, 状讞讻诐 诇讘状 (literally, 鈥渨ise of heart鈥�), which appears only one other time in the Torah, in Parashat Ki Tissa in a slightly different form. Most translations, including JPS and Etz Hayim, opt for 鈥渟killed.鈥� This reading is bolstered by Ibn Ezra鈥檚 explanation that the artisans who came forward to volunteer their gifts were 状讘拽讬讗讬诐 讘讗诪谞讜转诐状, 鈥渆xpert in their craft.鈥� So why the use of 状诇讘状 ? Is this simply for the sake of symmetry with the previous phrase?
The focus on the heart demands our attention. Pure wisdom, or reason, might build a highly functional and efficient Mishkan, but it might not be beautiful. It might not awaken the spirit or welcome the indwelling of God. The Mishkan requires not only artisans with technical skill. 鈥淲isdom of the heart鈥� communicates the spiritual aspect of art and artists. We can also read this as emotional intelligence, a more profound and more nuanced understanding of what, and who, is needed to create deeper holiness.
As the narrative continues, it introduces two new descriptors for those who answered the call to contribute to the Mishkan:
讜址讬指旨讘止讗讜旨 讻讎旨诇志讗执讬砖讈 讗植砖侄讈专志谞职砖指讉讗讜止 诇执讘旨讜止 讜职讻止诇 讗植砖侄讈专 谞指讚职讘指讛 专讜旨讞讜止 讗止转讜止 讛值讘执讬讗讜旨: 讗侄转志转职旨专讜旨诪址转 讛壮 诇执诪职诇侄讗讻侄转 讗止讛侄诇 诪讜止注值讚 讜旨诇职讻讎诇志注植讘止讚指转讜止 讜旨诇职讘执讙职讚值讬 讛址拽止旨讚侄砖讈變
And everyone who excelled in ability and everyone whose spirit was moved came, bringing to 讛壮 an offering for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all its service and for the sacral vestments. (Exod. 35:21)
状谞职砖指讉讗讜止 诇执讘旨讜止状, which is commonly translated in terms of technical skill, 鈥渆xcelled in ability,鈥� can be more literally translated as 鈥渁nyone whose heart was lifted or carried.鈥� This is reinforced by the next descriptor, 谞指讚职讘指讛 专讜旨讞讜止, whose 鈥渟pirit was moved.鈥� Ramban explains that none of the people who stepped forward to volunteer had actually been formally taught these skills. Rather their hearts were lifted鈥搕hey felt in their hearts that they were drawn to this work and were inspired to excel in it.
These phrases remind us to take care to articulate the value of different kinds of wisdom and different kinds of skill鈥揺motional intelligence, inspiration, and dedication.
As citizens engaged in our Jewish and civic communities, we need to enlist not only our minds and our technical skills, but also our hearts and our spirits to become empathic and creative teachers and leaders. Like the Mishkan, which was constructed with a myriad of materials, colors, and techniques, brought by many contributors, men and women (Exod. 35:22), we must open ourselves to recognize the gifts we bring and those we need others to bring. Being called to do sacred work takes many forms. With dedication, divine inspiration, and recognizing the holiness of all of humanity, we can rise to create tremendous beauty and meaning.
The publication and distribution of the 91快播 Commentary are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee (z鈥漧) and Harold Hassenfeld (z鈥漧).
