05 Mar PARASHAT VAYAKHEL: THE PRECIOUS VALUE OF A TORAH HOME

Upon reading
Parashat Vayakhel,
we cannot help but
be struck – and
perplexed – by the
Torah’s verbosity. The Torah laboriously
repeats all the details regarding the
construction of the Mishkan which were
already presented earlier, in Parashat
Teruma. There, we read of G-d presenting
the commands for how to build the
Mishkan and its furnishings, and here
in Parashat Vayakhel, we read of how
Beneh Yisrael fully complied with these
commands. But why did all the details
need to be repeated? Why did the Torah
not simply relate that Beneh Yisrael built
everything as G-d had commanded? Why
was it necessary for the Torah to specify
each and every detail of the construction
a second time?
The Or Ha’hayim Ha’kadosh (Rav Haim
Ben-Attar, 1696-1743), in his commentary
to this Parasha (36:11), explains that G-d
repeated all the details of the construction
of the Mishkan “Ki Habib Alav” – because
this information is especially “beloved” to
G-d. When we feel excited over something,
we want to talk about it repeatedly. The
Torah, too, is repetitive when it comes
to particularly precious information. The
Or Ha’hayim draws a comparison to
the story of Eliezer, Abraham’s servant,
who went to Aram Naharayim to find a
wife for Yishak, and met Ribka, as we
read in Parashat Hayeh-Sara. There, too,
the Torah seems to be repetitive. After
telling us of Eliezer’s experiences at the
well outside the city, where he met Ribka,
the Torah then records Eliezer lengthy
account of his experiences when he spoke
to Ribka’s family. The Midrash, as the Or
Ha’hayim cites, comments that all this is
repeated because “Habiba Alav” – this
section is precious and beloved to G-d.
Similarly, the Or Ha’hayim explains, the
details of the Mishkan’s construction are
repeated because this subject is especially
beloved to G-d.
It is noteworthy that the Or Ha’hayim
draws a comparison between the building
of the Mishkan and Eliezer’s successful
efforts to find a wife for Yishak – the
story of the building of a Jewish home.
The Or Ha’hayim here is teaching us that
building a Jewish home is as precious
and beloved to G-d as the building of a
Mishkan. After all, when a husband and
wife conduct themselves the right way,
and run their home on the foundations

of Torah values and Torah observance,
then their home becomes worthy of the
Shechina (divine presence). In essence,
such a home becomes a Bet Ha’mikdash,
a sanctuary, where G-d is present. We are

to ensure to build our homes properly, the
way the Torah instructs, so that our homes
will be beautiful and sublime like the Bet
Ha’mikdash, worthy of G-d’s presence
Rabbi Eli Mansour and of His unlimited blessings.