Points of Reference
Often we better appreciate the power of something when reflecting on its opposite: the sunny day seems brighter after a spate of rain; the warmth of spring offers more promise after a frosty winter; a simple act of goodness feels transformative within the context of an evil society. So too in this week’s Torah portion, Vayak’heil. The Israelites finally embark on the construction of the Mishkan, the portable worship space that accompanies their wilderness wanderings. But prior to the start of the project, they are reminded of the sanctity of Shabbat, with a focus on the command against work. In our tradition, the 39 categories of work prohibited on the Sabbath derive from the actions needed to build the Mishkan. The lesson is clear: Even toward the sacred goal of building a place to meet God, the command of a Sabbath cessation from work still compels. And it is in the very details of that effort that we find the structure and substance of our liberation from labor. In essence, it is only in our experience of working that we can truly understand the gifts of repose.