In this week’s parsha, Vayakhel, which means “And he assembled," Moshe gathers the People of Israel to tell them about working on 6 days and resting on Shabbat. He also tells them of G-d’s commandment to build the Mishkan, and goes into great detail regarding the types of materials required, which include gold, silver, fabrics like wool, linen and skins, wood, oil, spices, and precious stones. Right away, the people went to bring the materials needed to build the Mishkan. In fact, they brought so much that Moshe had to tell them to stop because they had a surpluss of materials.
One lesson we learn in this parsha is the idea of contributing to a society in which everyone plays a role. It is a mitzvah to give tzedakah, and the word mitzvah often gets misinterpreted as a “good deed” when it is really a commandment. In fact, the word “tzedakah” comes from the word “tzedek”, which means righteous. From this, we learn that giving tzedakah is the right thing to do, not just a good thing to do. Giving tzedakah is an obligation to the Jewish people, and this parsha demonstrates the necessity of everyone participating and giving what they can for a greater purpose.
By doing mitzvot, we are acting as partners of G-d in His creation, and we are fulfilling our obligation as His people to help. Further, nothing in this world truly “belongs” to us; just as we sometimes say “my school” or “my house” when it doesn’t officially or permanently belong to us, this world is not our world, but in the present, it seems as if it is. We live temporarily in this physical world, and G-d is trusting us to take care of everything; therefore, we must do our part to take care of others. So that being said, my hope is that the idea of giving tzedakah becomes one in which all Jewish people see as a beautiful thing to do, but also as an obligation for each and every one of us.
Marissa Finkelman is pictured below.
