Voices of WRJ: Vayak'heil

by Monica Solomon When I read Parashat Vayak’heil I wondered why God wanted to dwell in a house of such magnificence, one that we today would call ostentatious. To me God is not focused on the material, but rather with that which is intangible. I always imagine God being more concerned about what we do, rather than what we have. So why all this gold and silver, skins and jewels, beaten brass for the mirrors? The Israelites had just built the golden calf, so where did all this extra gold come from? Did they carry so much with them from Egypt that they had more to spare? And we then read that Moses told them to stop bringing as there was more than enough. I wondered what this taught us—after all it is not very inspiring reading all the dimensions of the Tabernacle and maybe the most we think about is where they got the dolphin skin and how they were going to transport this enormous structure through the desert. But on contemplation I realized that there are two very important lessons to be learnt from this parashah. Firstly, that women give! For them every good deed is a privilege and source of joy. In Proverbs we read that women wear good deeds like an adornment of grace for their heads and chains for the neck. A precious necklace may be heavy, but never burdensome. Likewise the women in the desert are never burdened by their efforts do the right thing, but cherish the opportunity to do so. This is obvious to all those who are members of sisterhood. The greatest gift you can give to someone is your time, because when you give your time you are giving a portion of your life that you can never get back. If you have a talent, then teach the unemployed and give them the opportunity to learn and use that knowledge to earn money for their families. If your talent lies in something like music or yoga, go to any of the many old age homes and entertain the residents. For those who love interacting with babies, go along to an orphanage and see what you can do to help those who have no one. Whatever your strength, share it. Here in South Africa, we are faced with the reality of incredible poverty. Our sisterhoods around the country feed over 2,000 children daily. We have built an orphanage, we have refurbished kitchens used to feed township children and we support, where possible, families whose homes have been destroyed by fire and flooding, two very frequent occurrences when people are forced to use candles for light, or build shacks on river banks. Our very own Mitzvah School educates many who cannot afford food, let alone school fees, and they rely heavily on the kindheartedness of the women of sisterhood. The second lesson is about how we see ourselves. The women must have brought mirrors for the Tabernacle for a reason, because nothing in the Torah is there without purpose. Rashi explains that when the women first brought the copper mirrors as a contribution, Moses was reluctant to accept them. The reason is because, in Moses’ view, they incited vanity and lust. God, however, told Moses to accept the mirrors and that they were indeed very special in the following way: these very same mirrors had been instrumental in the creation of the Israelite nation. How? God told Moses that, in Egypt, the men had come home exhausted from their backbreaking labour, and the women used mirrors to help present themselves to their husbands in an enticing manner, leading to increased procreation. Thus the Israelites continued to increase in number under the slavery in Egypt. But looking in a mirror is not restricted to presenting ourselves in an enticing manner—some of us indeed are probably past that stage. Looking in a mirror helps us see ourselves for what we really are and can assist us in bettering ourselves, not only as human beings but in our worship of the Eternal. While it is important that we look good for those we wish to please, it is also necessary to look good for ourselves—to really observe ourselves in the mirror and to help reflect the truth around us. We need mirrors to see in ourselves what others see in us: the potential we have as wives, as mothers, as leaders of our community and as worshipers of the Eternal. Let us all hold the mirrors up to ourselves. Let us all use our mirrors to help us see ourselves truthfully, and to help reflect the truth around us. Proverbs 21:21 says, “A person who strives to do good and kind deeds attains life, success, and honor.” Let us all strive to be that person. Vayak’heil describes the building of the Mishkan in detail, but starts off with a verse on the importance of Shabbat. Although the building of the Tabernacle was of great importance, Moses reminded the people that just as much as the work done was holy and important, God instructed us to interrupt our lives in order to have complete rest. Shabbat Shalom—may this Shabbat be one of rest and reflection. Monica Solomon is a WRJ Board Member, a member of Bet David, Sandton, South Africa and is President of the South African Union of Temple Sisterhoods.