Vayakhel | A Defiant Act of Contrition, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The unusually lengthy description of the construction of the Mishkan, which occupies the last 6 chapters of Shemot, has been the subject of inquiry for millenia. By looking at the intensity and zealousness with which Am Yisrael responded to Mosheh's directive to donate and labor for this magnificent Divine abode, we take a view from a different perspective at the seemingly redundant details of the structure and appurtenances of the Mishkan, against the larger threat of God's withholding His immanent presence from among the people; highlighting Moshe Rabbenu's initiative in repairing the relationship between his flock and his Master.

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