Parshat Vayakhel
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

At the beginning of Parshas Terumah, Hashem commanded Moshe to instruct Bnei Yisroel to donate materials for the Mishkan and to build it. Parshas Vayakhel presents Moshe's instruction to the Jews to bring the materials and a general order to construct the Mishkan, yet the details do not follow those of Parshas Terumah. Rather, in Parshas Vayakhel, Bnei Yisroel first bring the materials to Moshe, without building the Mishkan. After this, Moshe gives further directives regarding constructing the Mishkan.

Why did the Jews not build the Mishkan right away after they gathered the materials? Why was it necessary to first bring all of the materials to Moshe and then await further instruction from Moshe?

Many of the divrei Torah in this series focus on the relationship between the Chet Ha-Egel (Sin of the Calf) and the Mishkan, describing how the Mishkan served to atone for the Chet Ha-Egel. It seems that the issue at hand illustrates this concept in a different vein.

Aside from the structure of the Mishkan serving as an atonement for the Chet, the construction process itself served as an atonement. In order to be sure that they were doing everything right and not going beyond what Hashem ordered, the Jews brought the materials to Moshe and sought his input. Since the directive to build the Mishkan was delivered in very general terms, Bnei Yisroel had to verify whether or not there were details yet to be presented by Moshe. They wanted to be certain that they were not deviating from what was ordered, and they therefore sought Moshe's counsel, rather than taking matters into their own hands, as they did with Egel.

The construction of the Mishkan was thus a test for Bnei Yisroel. They were once more placed in a position when a tough choice had to be made. Would they again make baseless assumptions about how to proceed and do as they saw fit, being religiously creative in an unacceptable sense? Or would they seek out Moshe and determine exactly what God's will was? The Jews' attitude in constructing the Mishkan demonstrated that they were doing their best to not again stray from God or Moshe, and they thus avoided taking action unless they were certain that it was proper.

After the Chet Ha-Egel, the Jewish People arose to a state of extreme submissiveness to God. That is why the pesukim (verses) in these parshiyos repeat the phrase "ka-asher tzivah Hashem es Moshe" - "as God commanded Moshe", in order to depict that the Bnei Yisroel were contrite and followed God's every word and command with utmost precision, after having strayed from Him and from Moshe during the Chet.

May we, too, be as exacting in our mitzvos as our ancestors, and may we merit to again bask in the presence of the Shechinah as they did.

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