Torah Ohr · Sefer Shemos · Shabbos March 6
פרשת ויקהל
Parshas Vayakhel
2 maamarim of the Alter Rebbe on the parsha, in the Hebrew of the Kehot edition, with every marei makom opened right where it appears. Each small section with a faithful English translation and a short explanation.
Begin with maamar 1 ContinueThe parsha as a PDFPDF · 1.3 MBText onlyThe Hebrew and the translation · PDF · 518 KBThe parsha as an EPUBEPUB · 229 KB
Your progress in Parshas Vayakhel
The maamarim 2
- ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל ויאמר אליהם וגו׳ “And Moshe assembled the whole congregation of the children of Israel” G‑d dwells within Israel through Torah and mitzvos, which are the Mishkan’s vessels (inner light) and curtains (encompassing light). But a person below can draw that light down only after first rising, through Shabbos, when the will above the intellect is revealed, and through prayer, which carries it into the week. So Moshe told the people about Shabbos first, while G‑d, who was describing how light comes down from above, put Shabbos last.
- קחו מאתכם תרומה להוי׳ כל נדיב לבו יביאה… “Take from among you an offering to Havayah; whoever is generous of heart” The verse’s two offerings are two directions: “an offering to Havayah” is self-nullification rising from below, which draws G‑d’s essence into the exaltation of kingship (sovev kol almin); “the offering of Havayah” is the drawing down from above, through the Patriarchs’ love and awe, of the Torah.
Learn it in seven days Sunday to Shabbos
The Rebbe asked that all the maamarim of the week’s parsha be learned in that week, spread over its seven days. Here is the parsha in seven portions of about equal length.