Vayakhel Questions and Answers

Vayakhel - Questions

1. On which day did Moshe assemble the Jewish People?
2. Why is the prohibition against doing work on Shabbat written prior to the instruction for building the Mishkan?
3. Why does the Torah specify the particular prohibition of lighting a fire on Shabbat right after it had already noted the general prohibition of doing work on Shabbat?
4. What function did the "yitdot hamishkan" serve?
5. What function did the "bigdei hasrad" serve?
6. What was unusual about the way the goat's hair was spun?
7. Why were the Nesi'im last to contribute to the building of the Mishkan? How does the Torah show dissatisfaction with their actions?
8. Who does the Torah identify as the primary builders of the Mishkan? From which tribes were they?
9. What time of day did the people bring their daily contributions for the construction of the Mishkan?
10. For what was the woven goat's hair used?
11. What image was woven into the parochet?
12. Why does the Torah attribute the building of the aron to Bezalel?
13. Where were the sculptured cherubim located?
14. How many lamps did the menorah have?
15. Of what materials was the mizbe'ach haketoret composed?
16. Of what material was the mizbe'ach ha'olah composed?
17. The kiyor was made from copper mirrors. What function did these mirrors serve in Egypt?
18. How did the kiyor promote peace?
19. The kiyor was made from the mirrors of the women who were crowding at the entrance to the Ohel Mo'ed. Why were the women crowding there?
20. Of what material were the "yitdot hamishkan" constructed?

Vayakhel – Answers

1. 35:1 - The day after Yom Kippur.
2. 35:2 - To emphasize that building the Mishkan does not supersede the laws of Shabbat.
3. 35:3 - There are two opinions: According to one opinion, this teaches that igniting a fire on Shabbat is punishable only by lashes, unlike the other "melachot" which are punishable by death; according to the other opinion, this teaches that violating several "melachot" at one time requires a separate atonement for each violation.
4. 35:18 - The edges of the curtains were fastened to them; they were then inserted into the ground so the curtains would not blow in the wind.
5. 35:19 - They covered the aron, the shulchan, the menorah, and the mizbachot when these were packed for transport.
6. 35:26 - It was spun directly from off the backs of the goats.
7. 35:27 - The Nesi'im reasoned that they would first let the people contribute materials needed for the Mishkan and then they would contribute whatever was lacking. The Torah shows its dissatisfaction by deleting a letter from their title.
8. 35:30, 35:34 - Bezalel ben Uri from the tribe of Yehuda; Oholiav ben Achisamach from the tribe of Dan.
9. 36:3 - Morning.
10. 36:14 - It was made into curtains to be draped over the Mishkan.
11. 36:35 - Cherubim. (See Rashi 26:31)
12. 37:1 - Because he dedicated himself to its building more than anyone else.
13. 37:7 - On the two extremities of the kaporet (cover of the aron).
14. 37:23 - Seven.
15. 37:25,26 - Wood overlaid with gold.
16. 38:1-2 - Wood overlaid with copper.
17. 38:8 - These mirrors aided in the proliferation of the Jewish People. The Jewish women in Egypt would look in the mirrors so as to awaken the affections of their husbands who were exhausted by their slave labor.
18. 38:8 - Its waters helped a woman accused of adultery to prove her innocence.
19. 38:8 - To donate to the Mishkan.
20. 38:20 - Copper.