March 25, 2006
25 Adar 5766
P
Selected Insights Into Vayakhel and Pekudei
Rabbi Eliyahu W. Ferrell
arshas Vayakhel opens (Shemos
35:1), "These are the things
that G-d has commanded be done."
Moshe Rabbeinu then lists two
things: Shabbos shall be Kodesh to
the Jews and no flame shall be kin-
dled on Shabbos. This is puzzling:
Moshe Rabbenu said that he would
tell us the "things" that we should
do, yet we are only told one thing,
viz., that Shabbos should be
Kodesh; Refraining from kindling
(Hav'ara) isn't "a thing to do."
The Gemara in Shabbos 70a deals
with why the prohibition of kin-
dling is mentioned explicitly when
we have just been told not to do any
of the 39 melachos (Forbidden
actions). One opinion is that we are
being taught that Hav'ara is not a
Chiyuv Misas Beis Din; it is rather a
mere Lahv, punishable by Malkus.
The other opinion is that we are
being taught Chiluk Melachos: each
Melachah generates its own Chiyuv
Chatas. Since there are verses telling
A
T abl e Torah
t the beginning of Parshas Vayakhel,
Daniel Solomon
Hashem commands B’nai Yisrael not to
“Kindle fire in any of your dwellings on the
Shabbos day” (Shemos 25:3). Commentators
have expounded this verse to show that resting
on Shabbos is a universal notion for all Jews at
all times.
The Rambam utilizes this pasuk as the source
Candles Dawn Sunrise
5:54 P.M. 4:39 A.M. 5:51 A.M.
Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei
Volume 20, Number 22
Hashkafic
Thought
The Melacha of
us not to do Melachah (e.g., Shemos opinion, Moshe Rabbenu is saying,
Zoreah (Part 3)
20:10), we might otherwise have "These are the things--38 Chiyuvei
thought that there is only one Misas Beis Din and 1 Chiyuv
L
Chiyuv Chatas for general Chillul Malkus--that G-d has command- Joshua S. Weinberg
ed." According to the second opin- ast week we discussed the
The Bigdei ion, the things being commanded intention to facilitate plant
are the 39 Melachos: each one is growth as the primary determi-
Kehunah are commanded independently, and
nant in the melacha of zoreah.
required only each one generates an independent
Chiyuv Chatas. Now we will discuss in detail the
when there [The Jews were told that Shabbos
issues of zoreah regarding flow-
erpots. Shabbos 81b states that it
was Hashra'as
should be Kodesh to them, and
is forbidden to move a flowerpot
then they were told that doing
HaShechinah
without holes (atzitz she-aino
Melachah on Shabbos is a Chiyuv
nakuv) from the ground to any
Misah. It's worth noting that
at the place of Kedushah and a Melachah-prohibi-
other spot and vice versa.
Avodah. tion go hand-in-hand, as seen at the Rashi and Tosfos comment that
beginning of Arachin 10b.] the action of moving the un-
holed flowerpot is merely similar
Shabbos (when one is aware that to zoreah or toleish (uprooting)
Shabbos exists and knows which #2] In a previous article [Parshas
because there is no direct point
day is Shabbos). Tetzaveh 5756], this author dis-
of contact between the flower-
cussed the relationship among
I would like to suggest that these pot and the ground. Therefore,
Bigdei Shabbos, the Bigdei
two explanations for Hav'ara being the prohibition stated by the
Kehunah, and clothes set aside for
singled out may answer our original Talmud is merely of a rabbinic
Tefillah. [Vide Chinuch, Mitzvah
question. According to the first nature. In contrast, one is possi-
continued on page 3
bly transgressing zoreah on a
biblical level when he moves a
Shabbos: A Day of Rest for All
for Beis-Din’s prohibition to carry out the vah shows that even criminals deserve to rest
continued on page 2
death penalty on Shabbos (Hilchos Shabbos on Shabbos. In fact, from this verse, the Shlah
24:7). His reasoning is as follows: just as the Hakodesh believes that those residing in hell
Beis-Din may not kindle a fire to put someone rest on Shabbos, as well.
to death by sereifa (burning) on Shabbos, it is One theme ties together all the aforemen-
also not allowed to perform any of the other tioned comments: no matter how far a Jew may
death penalties on Shabbos. The Sefer stray from Torah and Mitzvos, he will always
HaChinuch (Mitzvah 114) says that this mitz- find respite on the Shabbos.
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Unlocking the The Melacha of Zoreah
holed flowerpot from the ground, this is only halachically permissi-
continued from page 1

I
Giver Inside due to the fact that it is consid- ble when returning items to
Leib Zalesch ered to be in direct contact with water; the placement of stalks in
n Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei translates “nidiv libo” as one the ground. One can infer from water for the first time is forbid-
Moshe relates to B’nei Yisroel whose generosity lies at the heart the Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos den. Furthermore, pouring addi-
the details of the construction of of his personality. Not only is it 8:4) that he disagrees with Rashi tional water into vases and com-
the Mishkan, the making of the unclear what compelled Rashi to and Tosfos and understands that pletely exchanging vase water is
priestly garments, and finally, the make this apparently unneces- one violates a Torah obligation in also forbidden. He then quotes a
dedication of the Mishkan. The sary comment, but given that this this case. differing opinion of those who
passages that discuss the con- subject is discussed in almost The Iglei Tal (Melacha of Zoreah are lenient to place stems and
struction of the Mishkan and the identical language in the earlier 23:9) asks why moving an un- other items in the water on
making of the priestly garments account in Parshas Terumah, holed flowerpot should be any Shabbos even for the first time.
basically reiterate, in Moshe’s why does Rashi not make this different than the Torah prohibit- The Sha’ar Ha-Tzion (footnote
ed case of soaking wheat in a 48) says that one can rely on the
words, the instructions given to comment there?
bucket of water with the inten- lenient poskim regarding things
him by Hashem, which can be To answer these questions, we
tion that it sprout and then be that do not normally sprout (with
found earlier in Parshas Terumah must first note a subtle, but
planted in another locale. He the exclusion of flowers) if one
and Tetzaveh. In the beginning important, distinction between
answers along the lines of Rashi forgot to place them in water
of Parshas Vayakhel (Shemos the language found in Parshas before Shabbos.
35:4-29), Moshe calls for (Shabbos 108a) that one is
Terumah and the language found exempt on a Torah level for The Shmiras Shabbos Ki-
t e r u m a h in Parshas actions that are done abnormally. Hilchasa (26:27) writes that on
(donations to Vayakhel. In
Invariably, one
If one intends to let the seed Sukkos it is permitted to add
be used for the the initial sprout in the bucket and then water to a vase that contains a
swayed by
building of the account of plant it elsewhere, that is consid- lulav and return hadassim, aravos,
Mishkan) from Parshas
a solitary
ered a normal method, and there- and lulavos to a wet cloth;
Bnei Yisrael. Te r u m a h , fore one is obligated on a Torah although on shabbos one must be
impulse to give
This event is Moshe’s call level. However, it would be con- concerned with adding water
also recorded for dona- sidered an abnormal method if even when the item does not nec-
at the begin- experiences a tions was one never intended to plant the essarily sprout, on Yom Tov there
transformation
ning of directed to sprouted seed anywhere outside is no injunction against adding
P a r s h a s anyone “asher the bucket, and one would only water to a vase. It is interesting to
Ter umah, and turns into yidvenu libo,” transgress a rabbinic injunction. note that the Shmiras Shabbos

a nidiv leiv, a
when Hashem
instructs
Moshe as to giver in total.
how the giving
of the
terumah should take place
(Shemos 25:1-9); Parshas
Vayakhel expands and records
the donations that actually
occurred.
Having already commented on
the earlier telling of this event in
Parshas Terumah, it is not sur-
prising that Rashi is mostly silent
in his commentary on Vayakhel.
Rashi here does comment, how-
ever, on the Torah’s statement
that the terumah is to come from
“kol nidiv libo,” [anyone who is
generous at heart] (Shemos
35:5). In his explanation, Rashi
[whose heart
swayed him
to be gener-
ous.] In con-
trast, the call
in Parshas Vayakhel that was
actually made by Moshe was
directed to “kol nidiv libo,” anyone
who is generous. Parshas
Terumah speaks of a noteworthy
action on the part of any type of
person, while Parshas Vayakhel
speaks specifically of one who is,
fundamentally and in his totality,
a person of generosity, one who
can be explicitly defined as a
“nidiv libo,” [a giver at heart.] This
is why Rashi describes the totali-
ty of the giver in his commentary
on Parshas Vayakhel while in
Parshas Terumah he defines the
continued on page 3
Similarly, one who moves an un-
holed flowerpot has no intention
of planting the seed elsewhere;
rather, it remains in the flower-
pot. Therefore, the method is
considered abnormal and the
obligation is rabbinic in nature.
There are many practical cases
that can be classified under zore-
ah yet have little to do with plant-
ing things in the ground. The
Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 336:11)
and the Rambam (Hilchos
Shabbos 8:2) are of the opinion
that soaking items and causing
them to sprout is forbidden on a
Torah level under the injunction
of zoreah. The Mishnah Berurah
adds that when your intention is
merely to soften the item, not to
cause it to sprout, it is completely
permitted. However, the
Mishnah Berurah also writes that
Ki-Hilchasa could have employed
a different logic, namely, that
hadassim and aravos have the
same status as branches of trees
that do not blossom (anfei ilanos)
and therefore, as enumerated by
the Sha’ar Ha-Tzion, one is
allowed to return them to water
on Yom Tov or on Shabbos.
The Rema (O.C. 201) says that
there is no problem of squeezing
(sechita) when one doesn’t care
that the item he is dealing with
will get wet. Therefore, one
would be allowed to handle the
wet cloth. However adding water
to the cloth on Yom Tov itself
might pose a problem.
Therefore, if one forgot to wet
the cloth before Yom Tov, he
should wrap a clean cloth around
the first cloth and then pour
water on the outer cloth.

EINAYIM L’TORAH • 2
 Unlocking
vhv, ohn, the Giver Inside
nature of the action itself, namely, that a
nedavah is something which is given with
great personal pleasure, like a present.
This answer, however, serves to create
another difficulty. Why did Moshe, in pass-
ing along Hashem’s command, change the
identity of the potential giver from one
whose actions warrant praise (“asher yidvenu
libo”) to one who is deserving of praise by
his very nature (“kol nidiv libo”)?
Parshas Terumah relates Hashem’s exact
command to Moshe; there, only the action
of giving is mentioned and perhaps that was
initially meant to be the nature of the com-
mand. In Parshas Vayakhel, however, Moshe
is projecting what will inevitably occur to
Selected Insights Into Vayakhel and Pekudei
#99; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 98:4 &
262:2 and Mishnah Berurah 262:5]. The ques-
tion becomes, what do these three experiences--
Shabbos, Tefillah, and Avodah--share in com-
mon that they all involve, on some level, desig-
nated clothing?
Our yeshiva's Rav Yonason Saks, shlit"a, once
said in the name of the Rav that in the Rambam
one finds an obligation to attend to one's cloth-
ing in only two places: Tefillah and Shabbos.
The Rav was said to have attributed this to the
fact that these are both experiences of greeting
the Shechinah.
Certainly the Beis HaMikdash is connected to
experience of the Shechinah! It would appear
then that as a function of K'vod HaShechinah,
it is appropriate (and sometimes mandatory) to
wear specially-designated clothes at these junc-
tures. [Sources related to demonstrating Kavod
for the Shechinah were discussed by this author
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continued from page 2
someone who gives. Invariably, one swayed
by a solitary impulse to give experiences a
transformation and turns into a nidiv leiv, a
giver in total. This was the ultimate hope of
the Terumah command, as expressed in
Moshe’s reiteration to the people.
The Kedushas Levi makes a similar, very
beautiful point on Parshas Terumah. Both
one’s intent and action, he says, play a critical
role in Divine service. A person’s intent
serves to awaken and enliven the Divine spir-
it within him, and his actions serve to
improve his personality. Both aspects are
present with regards to terumah – the action
(tikchu, [take]) must be preceded by the intent
(nidiv, [consciousness]) in order for one to
fully connect to the Creator. Merely per-
continued from page 1
in an article in Parshas Yisro 5754] The Torah
Temimah on Shemos 28:43 [#37] explains that
Bigdei Kehunah were required only when there
was Hashra'as HaShechinah at the place of
Avodah, which would seem to be consistent
with this thesis.
#3] In all of parshiyos Vayakhel and Pekudei,
we never find the phrase, "Ka'asher tziva
Hashem es Moshe - as G-d commanded
Moshe" used in reference to the construction of
the Mishkan and its Keilim. The closest we find
are three general references. One is in 35:29:
"...for all of the work that Hashem commanded
through ("b'yad") Moshe to be done..." Another
is in 38:23: "And Betzalel…did everything that
G-d commanded Moshe." The third is in 39:32:
"The work of the Mishkan Ohel Moed was
completed, and the Jews did according to every-
thing that G-d commanded Moshe..." The only
Please email us at
pr@einayim.org
forming actions is not what makes man
great. Rather, the creation of one’s total
Torah personality from constant reflection
on his actions elevates man to the highest
level of Divine service.
continued from page 1
Our purpose is not simply to perform
actions, but to elevate ourselves through the
constant synergy of action with intent; our
purpose is not merely to be people who give,
but to be givers at heart. Indeed, our ultimate
purpose is to create for ourselves a beautiful
quilt, representing the glorious person we
have become as a result of our actions, to
take with us to the next world. The actions
sewed in the quilt will hopefully impart that
we have properly served Hashem.
time we find the phrase, "as G-d commanded
Moshe," in reference to production is in the
making of the Bigdei Kehunah...and there we
find it seven times, each time at the end of either
a parshah sesumah or a parshah pesuchah! [Vide
39:1-31]
[To be sure, that phrase is found several times in
the set-up and use of the Mishkan and the
Keilim, AFTER everything is made!]
Perhaps, on at least a homiletical level, one can
say that this is to compensate for the fact that in
all of Parshas Teztaveh, where Hashem com-
mands the manufacture of the Bigdei Kehunah,
there is not one mention of the name of Moshe
Rabbeinu. Perhaps it is mentioned here to make
absolutely clear that this was not an invention,
G-d forbid, of Moshe Rabbeinu, but the
revealed Divine Will.
This article was taken from the Einayim
L’Torah archives.
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PARSHAS VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI •3
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mishkan’s construction.

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EINAYIM L’TORAH • 4 PARSHAS VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI