This week’s Parsha, Vayakhel, appears to repeat everything that was instructed three weeks ago in Parshas Trumah. The only real distinction is that three weeks ago the Parsha told us of HaShem’s instructions to His people in building the Mishkan and in this week’s Parsha the Torah tells us how they actually built it. It is therefore natural that it is an exact duplicate. The only difference is that Trumah is future tense “and they shall build….” and this week’s Parsha is in past tense “and they built…”
The question that begs an answer is why did the Torah write an additional Parsha when in one verse she could have said “And the people did exactly as they were told.” This verse appears in many places where instructions are given the later executed.
There was however a much greater distinction between the two accounts of the Mishkon. The order in which the Torah presents the events leading up to the building indicate that in the duration between the instructions to build the Mishkan and the actual building of the Mishkon we encountered the worst event that our people have ever experienced. The event I refer to is the national crime – the sin of the Golden Calf.
There were two aspects that made this sin so overwhelming. The first aspect was the timing of the sin. The second aspect was the consequence of the sin. Let us appreciate the timing factor. It was only 40 days earlier that HaShem opened the heavens and demonstrated in the most graphic manner to every person and to all of their senses that there is no other Power other than He. He equally demonstrated that there is no one else to turn for support and sustenance. And after a mere 40 days the people created a Golden Calf to whom they attributed power and turned to for sustenance! OUTRAGEOUS! The second aspect was the consequence. The gravity of this crime was so great that HaShem deemed it appropriate that His people be decimated. Had Moshe not interceded HaShem would have in fact destroyed His people!
It would be correct to say that in the short time of 40 days we went from being HaShem’s most cherished people to HaShem’s most rejected people.
Immediately following the creation and worship of the Golden Calf the people recognized how severely they wronged HaShem as well as the gravity of the crime. They demonstrated in the most unambiguous way how remorseful they felt for rejecting HaShem. During the following 80 days Moshe returned up Mount Sinai and pleaded, prayed and beseeched HaShem to please come back to His people and accept them as He had before the sin. His request was granted and after 80 days HaShem gave Moshe another set of Tablets and told him to return to the people and instruct them to build the Mishkan that they were told to build before they created the Golden Calf in the very same way. There would be no change in the plans!
This remarkable request was granted only because the people recognized how they wronged HaShem. They recognized their wrong and acted with complete remorse.
Perhaps the reason the Torah repeats the details of the Mishan is because they built something entirely different than they were originally told. When they were instructed to build the Mishkan they were a perfect people who deserved to have HaShem’s Presence rest in their midst. It was in that context that the instructions were given. However, by the time the people were ready to build it the relationship had altered greatly. From HaShem’s side, He was offering a remarkable gift that really did not deserve but He offered to them out of His commitment to them. And from the people’s side, they recognized that they were no longer a people that deserved His Presence. They recognized that it was only HaShem’s great Grace that allowed them to be the resting place for His Presence. Their sense of humility had grown so much than what it was before.
The reason for the repetition was because this was a totally different Mishkan than the original plan. Perhaps the concrete details did not change but it was a totally different expression. A verse stating “And the people did exactly as they were told” would have been inaccurate.
How fortunate we are that the Torah dedicates an entire Parsha to demonstrate to us that no matter how far we drop in our commitment to Him He will take us back to our original standing if we will only recognize where we went wrong.
In Judaism the non-Jewish notion of guilt does not exist. No matter what a person does he can always come back. He need not carry the weight of previous mistakes. The moment he recognizes his mistake and makes good on them he can build the very same Mishkan as the original.
This has a very practical application as well. The Torah instructs us to emulate HaShem. We are to use the lessons we learn from HaShem’s conduct and conduct ourselves in the same fashion. So often we encounter people who treat us unjustly or who may abuse their relationship with us. Once those perpetrators recognize their wrongdoing and demonstrate their remorse we must embrace them and accept them in same way we had done before.
