Parashat Vayak’hel

This week’s parashat is the 10th parashat in the book of Shemot also called Exodus, and is called Vayak’hel which means ‘And Assembled’.

Bullet Point Summary

– Moshe gathers Yisra’el and repeats the sabbath command and teaches them not to kindle fire on the sabbath
– Moshe repeats the command of the freewill offering to build all the tabernacle
– The people brought forth and gave freely materials and work for the tabernacle
– Betzal’el and Oholi’av were given wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to teach and build the tabernacle
– The people brought so many freewill offerings Moshe had to tell them to stop because they had enough
– The wise-hearted made the curtains and covering of the tent
– The wise-hearted also made all the boards for the frame of the tabernacle
– The wise-hearted also made the veils and pillars for the holy and most holy parts of the tent
– Betzal’el made the Ark, Mercy Seat and two Keruvim
– Betzal’el also made the Showbread Table and all its instruments
– Betzal’el also made the golden Menorah
– Betzal’el also made the Altar of Incense
– Betzal’el also made the Anointing Oil and Incense
– Betzal’el also made the Altar of Copper
– Betzal’el also made the Laver of Copper
– Betzal’el also made the pillars and hangings of the court
– Betzal’el also made the pillars and hangings of the gate of the court
Haftarah – Shlomo send for Chiram to work on the Temple

Parashat Text with Readers and Daily Portions (Reader 1 Starts on Saturday Evening)

Vayak’hel “And Assembled”
Ex 35:1 – 38:20 , 1 Kings 7:13 – 26

Reader 1 (Saturday Evening Portion)

Exo 35:1 And Moshe gathered * all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el together, and
said unto them, These are the words which YHWH has commanded, that you should do
them.
Exo 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy
day, a sabbath of rest to YHWH: whosoever does work therein shall be put to death.
Exo 35:3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

(Sunday Morning Portion)

Exo 35:4 And Moshe spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, saying, This
is the thing which YHWH commanded, saying,
Exo 35:5 Take you from among you an offering unto YHWH: whosoever is of a willing heart,
let him bring * it, an offering of YHWH; gold, and silver, and copper,
Exo 35:6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
Exo 35:7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and takh’ash skins, and shittim wood,
Exo 35:8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
Exo 35:9 And shoham stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
Exo 35:10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make * all that YHWH has
commanded;
Exo 35:11 * The tabernacle, * his tent, and his covering, * his tacks, and his boards, * his
bars, * his pillars, and his sockets,
Exo 35:12 * The ark, and the staves * thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the
covering,
Exo 35:13 * The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the showbread,
Exo 35:14 The menorah also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for
the light,
Exo 35:15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense,
and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
Exo 35:16 * The altar of burnt offering, with his copper grate, * his staves, and all his vessels,

the laver and his foot,
Exo 35:17 * The hangings of the court, * his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for
the door of the court,
Exo 35:18 * The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
Exo 35:19 * The clothes of service, to do service in the holy * place, the holy garments for
Aharon the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
Exo 35:20 And all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el departed from the presence of
Moshe.

Reader 2 (Sunday Evening Portion)

Exo 35:21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom * his
spirit made willing, and they brought * YHWH’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the
congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
Exo 35:22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and
brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that
offered offered an offering of gold unto YHWH.
Exo 35:23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and takh’ash skins, brought them.
Exo 35:24 Everyone that did offer an offering of silver and copper brought * YHWH’S
offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service,
brought it.

(Monday Morning Portion)

Exo 35:25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought
that which they had spun, * both of blue, and of purple, * and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
Exo 35:26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up * in wisdom spun * goats’ hair.
Exo 35:27 And the rulers brought * shoham stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and
for the breastplate;
Exo 35:28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet
incense.
Exo 35:29 The children of Yisra’el brought a willing offering unto YHWH, every man and
woman, whose heart made them willing * to bring for all manner of work, which YHWH had
commanded to be made by the hand of Moshe.

Reader 3 (Monday Evening Portion)

Exo 35:30 And Moshe said unto the children of Yisra’el, See, YHWH has called by name
Betzal’el the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yahudah;
Exo 35:31 And He has filled him with the spirit of Elohim, in wisdom, in understanding, and
in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in copper,
Exo 35:33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any
manner of cunning work.
Exo 35:34 And He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholi’av, the son of
Achi’samakh, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35 Them has He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the
engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in
scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, of them that do any work, and of those that
devise cunning work.
Exo 36:1 Then wrought Betzal’el and Oholi’av, and every wise hearted man, in whom YHWH
put wisdom and understanding to know * how to work all manner of work for the service of
the sanctuary, according to all that YHWH had commanded.
Exo 36:2 And Moshe called Betzal’el and Oholi’av, and every wise hearted man, in whose
heart YHWH had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the
work to do it:
Exo 36:3 And they received of Moshe * all the offering, which the children of Yisra’el had
brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it. And they brought yet unto
him free offerings every morning.

(Tuesday Morning Portion)

Exo 36:4 And all the wise men, that wrought * all the work of the sanctuary, came every man
from his work which they made;
Exo 36:5 And they spoke unto Moshe, saying, The people bring much more than enough for
the service of the work, which * YHWH commanded to make.
Exo 36:6 And Moshe gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout
the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the
sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
Exo 36:7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

Reader 4 (Tuesday Evening Portion)

Exo 36:8 And every wise-hearted man among them that wrought the work * of the
tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with
keruvim of cunning work made he them.
Exo 36:9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one
curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
Exo 36:10 And he coupled * the five curtains one unto another: and five curtains he coupled
one unto another.
Exo 36:11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the
coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the
second.
Exo 36:12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the
curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
Exo 36:13 And he made fifty tacks of gold, and coupled * the curtains one unto another with
the tacks: so it became one tabernacle.

(Wednesday Morning Portion)

Exo 36:14 And he made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven
curtains he made them.
Exo 36:15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one
curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
Exo 36:16 And he coupled * five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
Exo 36:17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling,
and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which couples the second.
Exo 36:18 And he made fifty tacks of copper to [couple together * the tent,] that it might be
one.
Exo 36:19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of
takh’ash skins above that.

Reader 5 (Wednesday Evening Portion)

Exo 36:20 And he made * boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
Exo 36:21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a
half.
Exo 36:22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make
for all the boards of the tabernacle.
Exo 36:23 And he made * boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side
southward:
Exo 36:24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under
one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
Exo 36:25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he
made twenty boards,
Exo 36:26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets
under another board.
Exo 36:27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
Exo 36:28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
Exo 36:29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one
ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
Exo 36:30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver,
under every board two sockets.
Exo 36:31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the
tabernacle,
Exo 36:32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for
the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
Exo 36:33 And he made * the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to
the other.
Exo 36:34 And he overlaid * the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places
for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
Exo 36:35 And he made * a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with
keruvim made he it of cunning work.
Exo 36:36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold:
their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
Exo 36:37 And he made a hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine twined linen, of needlework;
Exo 36:38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and
their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of copper.

(Thursday Morning Portion)

Exo 37:1 And Betzal’el made * the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length
of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
Exo 37:2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to
it round about.
Exo 37:3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, by the four corners of it; even two rings upon
the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
Exo 37:4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Exo 37:5 And he put * the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear * the ark.
Exo 37:6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length
thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
Exo 37:7 And he made two keruvim of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the
two ends of the mercy seat;
Exo 37:8 One keruv on the end on this side, and another keruv on the other end on that
side: out of the mercy seat made * he the keruvim on the two ends thereof.
Exo 37:9 And the keruvim spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over
the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of
the keruvim.
Exo 37:10 And he made * the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a
cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
Exo 37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round
about.
Exo 37:12 Also he made thereunto a border of a handbreadth round about; and made a
crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
Exo 37:13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put * the rings upon the four corners that
were in the four feet thereof.
Exo 37:14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear * the
table.
Exo 37:15 And he made * the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear *
the table.
Exo 37:16 And he made * the vessels which were upon the table, * his dishes, and his
spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.

Reader 6 (Thursday Evening Portion)

Exo 37:17 And he made * the menorah of pure gold: of beaten work made * he the menorah;
his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
Exo 37:18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the menorah
out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the menorah out of the other side thereof:
Exo 37:19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a
flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so
throughout the six branches going out of the menorah.
Exo 37:20 And in the menorah were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his
flowers:
Exo 37:21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of
the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going
out of it.
Exo 37:22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of
pure gold.
Exo 37:23 And he made * his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure
gold.
Exo 37:24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
Exo 37:25 And he made * the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and
the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns
thereof were of the same.
Exo 37:26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, * both the top of it, and the sides thereof round
about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
Exo 37:27 And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners
of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
Exo 37:28 And he made * the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Exo 37:29 And he made * the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices,
according to the work of the apothecary.

Reader 7 (6th Day Friday Morning Double Portion)

Exo 38:1 And he made * the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the
length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the
height thereof.
Exo 38:2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of
the same: and he overlaid it with copper.
Exo 38:3 And he made * all the vessels of the altar, * the pots, and the shovels, and the
basons, * and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of copper.
Exo 38:4 And he made for the altar a copper grate of network under the compass thereof
beneath unto the midst of it.
Exo 38:5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of copper, to be places for the
staves.
Exo 38:6 And he made * the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with copper.
Exo 38:7 And he put * the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he
made the altar hollow with boards.
Exo 38:8 And he made * the laver of copper, and the foot of it of copper, of the
lookingglasses of assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
Exo 38:9 And he made * the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court
were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits:
Exo 38:10 Their pillars were twenty, and their copper sockets twenty; the hooks of the
pillars and their fillets were of silver.
Exo 38:11 And for the north side a hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their
sockets of copper twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
Exo 38:12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their
sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
Exo 38:13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
Exo 38:14 The hangings of the one side fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets
three.
Exo 38:15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were
hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
Exo 38:16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
Exo 38:17 And the sockets for the pillars were of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their
fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court
were filleted with silver.
Exo 38:18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple,
and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the
breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Exo 38:19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of copper four; their hooks of silver,
and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
Exo 38:20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of copper.

Haftarah (Shabbat Evening Portion)

1Ki 7:13 And king Shlomo sent and fetched * Chiram out of Tzor.
1Ki 7:14 He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naftali, and his father was a man of Tzor, a
worker in copper: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work
all works in copper. And he came to king Shlomo, and wrought * all his work.
1Ki 7:15 For he cast * two pillars of copper, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of
twelve cubits did compass * either of them about.
1Ki 7:16 And he made two chapiters of molten copper, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the
height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five
cubits:
1Ki 7:17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were
upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.
1Ki 7:18 And he made * the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to
cover * the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other
chapiter.
1Ki 7:19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the
porch, four cubits.
1Ki 7:20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars also above, over against the belly which was
by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the
other chapiter.
1Ki 7:21 And he set up * the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right * pillar,
and called * the name thereof Yakhin: and he set up * the left pillar, and called * the name
thereof Bo’az.
1Ki 7:22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
1Ki 7:23 And he made * a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round
all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round
about.
1Ki 7:24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a
cubit, compassing * the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
1Ki 7:25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking
toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and
the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
1Ki 7:26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim
of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
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