Parashat Vayakhel

by Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

Who were the firsts to donate to the tabernacle- men or women?

There is no explicit answer to our question in the pasukim but we can find a hint to an answer in the beginning of parashat Vayakhel.

“And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and girdles, all jewels of gold; even every man brought an offering of gold to G-d”. (Shemot 35:22)

Rashi explains this pasuke to mean that the men came with the women and supported them. Iben Ezrah explains that the men came after the women.

The Ramban goes a few steps further. He says that the men brought gifts because of the influence of the women! It seems to be that women were more enthusiastic to give gifts. But maybe it was because they didn’t have responsibility for the bank account. This disconnect with reality is what allowed them to volunteer their jewels more quickly. However this is really not the case. We see the very opposite thing happen by the sin of the golden calf.

In Parashat Ki Tisa the Torah says:

“And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.” (Shemot 32:3)

Chazal learn out from here that the women did not have a part in the sin of the golden calf. “And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears”- “their ears” are the ears of the women.

Specifically in this case the men were enthusiastic to bring the jewelry. If this is so, the women wanted to donate their jewelry to the tabernacle not from a superficial or unrealistic place, but rather they had a true want to get closer to G-d.

Chazal believed that the tabernacle was created as atonement for the sin of the golden calf. Here specifically the women, who didn’t sin with the golden calf, brought the special donations to build the tabernacle.

The women’s actions exemplify the way we should try and get closer to G-d. We should give all we have to Him. We should always aspire to get closer to Him, with prayer, good deeds, charity, learning torah and keeping the mitzvot.  By doing these things we will, G-d willing, achieve a reality where G-d is really “resting amongst us.”

Shabbat Shalom!