One can be generous to a fault. We were so very generous contributing to the golden calf! So, G-d gave us the opportunity to make amends by contributing to the construction of the Mishkan. A lesson for all of us – don’t make the mistake of supporting golden calves. The donations to the construction of…
The two parshiot this week are contrasts in emphasis – do we work on the whole, or strengthen the component parts? One wonders which of the two is more significant – a strong individual input, or a major collective effort? The answer encompasses both: personal integrity coupled with a sense of community mission.
Not long ago I was lecturing in Europe and happened to visit the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. I entered the Rembrandt Room and was confronted by the giant canvass named ‘The Night Watchman’. Close up I could recognise Rembrandt’s characteristic paintwork and splendid realism that he displayed in his art. But in observing the minutiae I…
The name of this week’s Parsha, Vayakhel, means to gather together disparate elements of a potential whole. It’s like an artisan, artist, or researcher tackling their tasks, but first needing to collect the project elements/items/information needed for the project’s successful completion. Should a basic element of the project not be secured, this will jeopardize the…
You are an intricate collection of body parts. But what makes you whole is the breath of life that courses through you connecting you to the greater whole of creation.
What is more important – teamwork or individual skills i.e. Kehilla (wholeness) or Pekudim (parts -itemization)? What is needed is harmony of both. Individual excellence and mastery and mutual love and Oneness.
Moses gathers the people together – Vayakhel Nuclear fission means that a point is reached where power is harnessed exponentially Likewise with the Jewish people – when we stand firm, of one mind and heart, our strength grows far beyond the laws of nature
