SEPHARDIM READ THE HAFTORAH FROM THE BOOK OF MELACHIM ALEPH (KINGS 1), 7:13-26
ASHKENAZIM READ THE HAFTORAH FROM THE BOOK OF MELACHIM ALEPH (KINGS 1), 7:40-50
The Connection of the Haftorah to the Parsha: Parshat Vayakhel deals with the construction of the Mishkan and the Haftorah, with the construction of the Beit HaMikdash.
The storyline of this week’s Haftorah according to the Sephardim: King Solomon spent 7 years building the Beit HaMikdash. Now King Solomon is ready to furnish the temple with its utensils. Shlomo engages Chiram from Tyre whose mother was a widow and his father a master coppersmith from the tribe of Naftali, to produce all the copper articles that were required in the Beit HaMikdash. Chiram’s father had established continuity by transferring his wisdom over to his son. Both the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash, were constructed by the two tribes of Yehudah and Dan: the spiritually strongest and weakest tribes, respectively. This was done deliberately to show ACHDUT, unity, within the Jewish nation.
The Haftorah narrates the description of the two pillars in the hall. Chiram casted the two pillars from copper, named Yachin and Boaz. Yachin was on the right and Boaz on the left. They were 18 cubits (18”-24”) high and 12 cubits in circumference. Atop the Pillars were decorations. The “Crowns” were 5 cubits high and had Lulavim, Rimonim and Shoshanim. Shlomo placed the pillars by the entrance to the Kodesh area. The Sea-Mikveh or water basin was 10 Cubits across with a round top and square bottom. Holding up the basin on each of the 4 sides, were 3 bulls facing outwards. Some say they represented the 12 Mazalot, astrological signs, of the zodiac. It took 16,500 gallons to fill up the Mikveh.
