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This week’s Torah portion (Vayakhel-Pekudei) starts off with a verse (Ex. 35:5) that contradicts itself. It says, “Collect from among yourselves a tax for G-d; everyone whose heart inspires him should bring a contribution to G-d of silver, gold or copper.” The verse starts off as a command to make a “collection,” meaning that if a particular individual did not want to pay, it was collected from him even against his will, as a tax. However, the conclusion of the verse says “anyone whose heart inspires him,” which indicates one who gives willingly, as in a donation. Which is it?

This same command first appeared a couple weeks ago, in parshat Terumah. But there, it’s worded differently. The command there (Ex. 25:2) was addressed to Moshe, to “Speak to the Jews and have them dedicate a contributionŔ However, in our pasha Moses is commanded to “Gather the congregation of JewsŔ The difference might be explained as follows: Perhaps in Terumah, the intention was for Moshe to speak to the “gabbaim,” or treasurers of the congregation, and tell them to make a collection. However in Vayakhel, Moshe is to speak to all the Jews, explaining to them how to make the “mishkan,” or tabernacle. The tabernacle involved the efforts of all of the Jews. If so, it would be understood that here in “Vayakhel,” the emphasis is upon what each person should bring of his own will (to make the tabernacle), while in parsha “Terumah” the emphasis is upon what the treasurers should “take.” In other words, even though both verses (in Terumah and in Vayahkel) mention “collecting” and “giving,” in “Terumah” the emphasis is upon collecting alone whereas in “Vayakhel” the emphasis is on giving alone.

The problem with this attempted explanation is that “giving” does not appear at all as a concept in “Terumah.” Even though the verse there (Ex 25:2) reads, “Take my offering from every person whose heart inspires himŔ it continues by saying that even from such a person the treasurer should “take” his contribution. That is, even if he wants to give, it is still an obligatory tax. Moshe in our parsha is only repeating what he was commanded in parshat “Terumah,” and he wouldn’t have repeated something that he didn’t hear from G-d. The question therefore remains; why does our verse in Vayakhel begin as a “tax” and then conclude as a “donation?”

The explanation must be subtly different. By way of introduction, the entire purpose of the mishkan, or tabernacle was to provide atonement for the sin of the golden calf. In place of the gold that the Jews brought in order to make the calf, they were now to bring gold in order to create the vessels of the tabernacle. But, the atonement came in two stages. First of all, in parshat Terumah, it came from Above. It came as a command to take the three “terumot,” two of them equally obligatory to all of the Jews, and the third was up to each individual Jew to determine the amount. The two that were equal to every Jew were the half-shekel that went to the building fund of the tabernacle, financing foundation of the building, and a second for the purpose of buying public sacrificial offerings during the course of the year. The third, about which parshat Terumah also says to “take it” was determined by each individual, and went for the rest of the materials of the tabernacle.

The second stage comes in our parsha, “Vayakhel.” Here, the Jews themselves got involved not just because they were commanded, but because they wanted to take part in the building. They brought the materials of the tabernacle, and they got so involved that they brought more than enough. But, why should the command and story of building the tabernacle come in two stages? Why not just state that there was a command from G-d and the Jews fulfilled it by bringing the offerings? The answer; only when something comes from both Above and below, does it “stick.” As we saw in the giving of the Torah itself, when it was strictly from G-d to the Jewish people, we weren’t proper receptacles for it and the result was the golden calf. So as well regarding the atonement; if it were to come only from G-d in the form of a command to take the three “terumot,” or contributions, then it wouldn’t have provided a true atonement. It had to come from “below” as well, from the Jews themselves, in order to “stick.” We had to demonstrate that we meant business, not just because there was a command from Above, but because we wanted to throw ourselves into the connection with G-d, establish a relationship with Him, and build the tabernacle through our efforts. Then, with our initiative and involvement, the atonement (“at one-ment”) “stuck.” That’s why in our parsha, the emphasis is upon the “giving” of our own will. Even though the verse starts out with what Moshe was commanded to take (against our will, if necessary), it concludes with what we contribute and donate. Because, when it comes from our hearts, it sticks.

That explains another subtle difference between our parsha and “Terumah.” In our parsha, the command to Moshe included all of the Jews – men, women and children. However, parshat Terumah states only, “From every man whose heart inspires himŔ implying only the males, and not the rest of the congregation. In general, the genders – men and women – are an allegory for “giver and receiver.” The ultimate Giver is G-d; He alone creates, puts a soul in a body, and determines our course of life. We are receivers in relation to Him, just as the woman is a receiver in relation to man. Therefore, in the section of the Torah in which the atonement for the golden calf is “given” (parshat “Terumah”), only man (the allegorical “giver”) is mentioned. However, in our parsha, where the role of the Jews in accepting and “receiving” atonement is emphasized, all segments of the Jewish population are mentioned – men, women, and children.

As a general rule, women don’t need as much command from Above as do men. Therefore, the Torah is addressed to women in softer terms, as we see that it was “said” to women (“tomar l’beit Yakov”) but “told” to men (“v’tagaid l’benei Yisrael”). Similarly, women are not commanded to “be fruitful and multiply” because their very nature is to form a family and give birth. It is the men, whose nature is not necessarily to marry and create families, that need the command of “p’ru u’revu.” Women tend to accept and take the initiative without needing direction from Above, while men need a command to give them structure and definition. That’s why our parsha is addressed not only to the men, but the Jewish women. They don’t need a command, so our parsha which discusses what the Jewish people took upon themselves to contribute, of their own volition, to the building of the tabernacle, mentions and emphasizes all of the Jews, including the women.

There’s a practical lesson in all of this. A Jewish man who enters a community that includes all kinds of Jews – both religious and not - might think that he only needs to speak to the heads of the households – the men. He might think that he needn’t consider the women in his community, because if he speaks to the men, they themselves will communicate the message to their wives and daughters. However, what we learn from our parsha is that in order to influence a community, we must deal with all of its members – men, women and children. Classes and events for all of them must be arranged. Only by so doing will our efforts succeed. We cannot take into consideration only certain segments of the population and ignore the rest. In order for atonement and return to G-d to succeed, it must come from the initiative of all segments of the Jewish people, excluding noone.

Adopted from Likutei Sichot of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz’l, vol. 26, pp. 262-271 Rabbi David Sterne, Jerusalem Connection in the Old City of Jerusalem