The Torah designates this mitzvah for the eighth day after the birth of a male child. And regarding the necessity to enumerate separately the prohibition of lighting a fire on Shabbat, our Sages taught that either it is to teach that it is just a regular prohibition as opposed to other types of labor on Shabbat, for which one gets capital punishment, or it was singled out to divide the various labors, i.e., to establish liability for capital punishment for each and every one of them ( Sanhedrin 35b).Įither way, we know that there is no mitzvah that cancels the laws of Shabbat except for mitzvot which must be done at a set time, for example, brit milah (circumcision). First, what is the connection between being careful to keep the laws of Shabbat and the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle)? Second, if it is forbidden to do any work on Shabbat, why did the Torah need to point out that it is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat? Our Sages explained: “He prefaced the construction of the Mishkan with the warning to keep the Sabbath, denoting that it does not override the Sabbath” (Rashi). There are two perplexing things in this parsha. You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:2-3). But before this, he warned them about observing the laws of Shabbat: “Six days work may be done, but the seventh day you shall sanctify, a day of complete rest to the L-rd whoever performs work thereon shall be put to death. In the parsha, Moses gathers the people to teach them about the trumah (contribution to) and the construction of the Mishkan.

This week’s Torah portion is parshat Vayakhel. Every person is obligated to bring others closer to the Creator, but how do we know who to bring close and who not? This is the subject of this week’s parsha lesson.

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