Yehuda Bachana: Shabbat and the Construction of the Tabernacle- Vayakhel [2025]

On this side of the ocean, this week is full of weather extremes. Three weeks ago we had days with 0 degrees celsius and snowflakes, while this week we hiked to see wild spring flowers (irises, lupines, anemones, and cyclamens) in full bloom with nearly 30 degrees. And yet, later on this week, we’re expecting some much-needed rain before the hot summer sets in.

It’s always refreshing to charge up and spend some time in nature, and especially during Israel’s beautiful springtime. This week we hiked at Horvat Midras, which dates to the 10th century BC-4th century AD. Site excavations have revealed a 1500-year old Byzantine church, burial caves, and a large columbarium cave. We also saw what’s believed to be the largest & best preserved burial pyramid in Israel dating to the 2nd Temple period. Of course, the most exciting part was for the kids to crawl through some 2000-year old tunnels that were used by rebels during the Bar Kochba revolt. (If you haven’t visited Israel yet, we can only highly recommend it 😉

Parashat Vayakhel

Personally, we already look forward to next week’s Parashat Pekudei, where God receives Israel’s heartfelt donations and then descends to dwell among the people, and fill the human-made Tabernacle with His glory in an amazing—yet humbling account.

Of course, Parashat Vayakhel is also great for several reasons. Firstly, because of the incredible idea that the People of Israel donated so much, that Moses commanded them to stop giving any more…

Nothing Short of Amazing
What’s actually happening here? Let’s imagine a staff meeting, where Bezalel and the other Tabernacle builders inform Moses about quite a unique problem where,

“The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” (Exodus 36:5)

Moses literally told people to stop giving. Wait, what?!
Could we even imagine the decision to give up part of our (future) budget (voluntarily)? Hmmm… perhaps the leadership just went mad? Couldn’t they use the contributions for anything else, or just save up a buffer for a rainy day? Maybe to pave another courtyard, or to replace some of the fabrics after they’d be exposed to the desert-sun for too long? Asking people to stop donating was indeed quite an unexpected decision.

An Exceptional Solution
Here, we encounter an exceptional solution where the People of Israel contributed wholeheartedly and in a most inspiring way. Their generosity was driven by their desire to build the House of God, in a joint building-project. This generosity also shows a genuine trust that the leadership truly served the greater good. And so, when Moses calls to stop all donations we witness a sense of mutual commitment, that proves that the trust placed in Moses and Bezalel was well-founded.

The Connection Between the Shabbat and the Tabernacle
This week’s description of the construction of the Tabernacle begins with the prohibition to work on Shabbat. Moses gathers the people and explains:

“Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord." (Exodus 35:2)

The Shabbat Equals… Rest
Yeshua says,

“For the Son of Man is lord of the Shabbat.” (Matthew 12:8),

but what does that mean? Here we’re reminded of another verse, where Yeshua says:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Similarly, in Hebrews chapter 4, the Shabbat is mentioned as an expression of freedom and rest. The Shabbat is also a taste of the promised peace that awaits in God’s Kingdom.

The Shabbat, God’s Kingdom and the Tabernacle
The Shabbat foreshadows the Kingdom of Heaven, just as the Tabernacle is a shadow of the Kingdom of Heaven. And so, interestingly enough, the commandment regarding Shabbat immediately precedes the commandment to build the Tabernacle.

The Shabbat reminds us of Yeshua and of creation. When we refrain from physical work on Shabbat, that helps preserve the memory of both Yeshua and creation
in our hearts, and throughout generations. And so, traditionally, we only return to ‘create’ after the Shabbat ends—even if that creativity involves something as holy as the Tabernacle.

Generosity
The topic of generosity takes us 10 chapters back to Parashat Terumah, which is similar to Parashat Vayakhel, as both Torah Portions describe God’s request to build the Tabernacle from holy, voluntary offerings that flow from the heart.

Everyone Has a Task
Traditionally, God’s request to contribute is seen as a call-up for the entire People of Israel to participate and give. This viewpoint is very positive and uplifting. It’s incredibly encouraging, because it shows that unity is possible and everyone can participate. It also shows that each and every person has a place and a task.

Two Skilled Artists
Parashat Vayakhel mentions two people who were chosen by God:

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah (...) both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.” (Exodus 35:30, 34)

These two skilled artists came from opposite tribes. One was from the Tribe of Judah, which was the tribe of the promised Messiah and kingship, and whose name we still bear today: the word ‘Yehudi’ (or: Jewish) comes from the name ‘Yehudah’ (meaning: Judah). While the second artist came from the smaller Tribe of Dan.

Equality and the Army-Experience
It’s precisely this choice of the two artists from different backgrounds that emphasizes that we’re all equal unto God. This sense of equality is perhaps somewhat similar to the army-experience, where people come from different backgrounds. Perhaps at home one’s a manager, another’s a student, and yet a third is unemployed. However, we’re equal as we switch-in our work clothing for the exact same uniform.

Equality and Faith
Our faith-life is somewhat similar. It doesn’t matter what our background is, or how much knowledge we have. It doesn’t matter where we come from, or who our parents were. Before God, and in Yeshua the Messiah, we’re equal. Yeshua sees through our background and our past, as He truly sees the person standing before Him.

And so, the construction of the Tabernacle goes way beyond the list of building-materials, as it sheds light on the important matter of mutual equality, by portraying the Tribe of Dan and the Tribe of Judah, side-by-side. It’s also about each person being personally invited to donate according to their personal ability, regardless of who others are and what they give or do.