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Haftarah Parashat Va-yakhel

1 Kings 7:40-50

7:40 וַיַּ֣עַשׂ חִיר֔וֹם אֶת־הַ֨כִּיֹּר֔וֹת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָק֑וֹת וַיְכַ֣ל חִירָ֗ם לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֛ה לַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

7:41 עַמֻּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם וְגֻלֹּ֧ת הַכֹּתָרֹ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָֽעַמֻּדִ֖ים שְׁתָּ֑יִם וְהַשְּׂבָכ֣וֹת שְׁתַּ֔יִם לְכַסּ֗וֹת אֶת־שְׁתֵּי֙ גֻּלֹּ֣ת הַכֹּֽתָרֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃

7:42 וְאֶת־הָרִמֹּנִ֛ים אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת לִשְׁתֵּ֣י הַשְּׂבָכ֑וֹת שְׁנֵֽי־טוּרִ֤ים רִמֹּנִים֙ לַשְּׂבָכָ֣ה הָֽאֶחָ֔ת לְכַסּ֗וֹת אֶת־שְׁתֵּי֙ גֻּלֹּ֣ת הַכֹּֽתָרֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃

7:43 וְאֶת־הַמְּכֹנ֖וֹת עָ֑שֶׂר וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּרֹ֥ת עֲשָׂרָ֖ה עַל־הַמְּכֹנֽוֹת׃

7:44 וְאֶת־הַיָּ֖ם הָאֶחָ֑ד וְאֶת־הַבָּקָ֥ר שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֖ר תַּ֥חַת הַיָּֽם׃

7:45 וְאֶת־הַסִּיר֨וֹת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִ֜ים וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָק֗וֹת וְאֵת֙ כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֣ים האהל [הָאֵ֔לֶּה] אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה חִירָ֛ם לַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה נְחֹ֖שֶׁת מְמֹרָֽט׃

7:46 בְּכִכַּ֤ר הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ יְצָקָ֣ם הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ בְּמַעֲבֵ֖ה הָאֲדָמָ֑ה בֵּ֥ין סֻכּ֖וֹת וּבֵ֥ין צָרְתָֽן׃

7:47 וַיַּנַּ֤ח שְׁלֹמֹה֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים מֵרֹ֖ב מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד לֹ֥א נֶחְקַ֖ר מִשְׁקַ֥ל הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃

7:48 וַיַּ֣עַשׂ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֵ֚ת מִזְבַּ֣ח הַזָּהָ֔ב וְאֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָ֛יו לֶ֥חֶם הַפָּנִ֖ים זָהָֽב׃

7:49 וְאֶת־הַ֠מְּנֹרוֹת חָמֵ֨שׁ מִיָּמִ֜ין וְחָמֵ֧שׁ מִשְּׂמֹ֛אול לִפְנֵ֥י הַדְּבִ֖יר זָהָ֣ב סָג֑וּר וְהַפֶּ֧רַח וְהַנֵּרֹ֛ת וְהַמֶּלְקַחַ֖יִם זָהָֽב׃

7:50 וְ֠הַסִּפּוֹת וְהַֽמְזַמְּר֧וֹת וְהַמִּזְרָק֛וֹת וְהַכַּפּ֥וֹת וְהַמַּחְתּ֖וֹת זָהָ֣ב סָג֑וּר וְהַפֹּת֡וֹת לְדַלְתוֹת֩ הַבַּ֨יִת הַפְּנִימִ֜י לְקֹ֣דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים לְדַלְתֵ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת לַהֵיכָ֖ל זָהָֽב׃

The commentary about the connection between the Haftarah and Torah reading was written by

Tables and lampstands, hinges and tongs. The accoutrements of holy space - the Mishkan in the parasha and the Temple in the haftarah — are made of precious materials by the most skilled craftspeople. The Mishkan seems to have been built in a spirit of ecstatic creativity. The people donate of their most valuable possessions in overabundance: “Moses thereupon had this proclamation made thought the camp: ‘Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the sanctuary!’ So the people stopped bring: their efforts had been more than enough for all the tasks to be done” (Ex.36:6-7). The chief architects of the two holy spaces, Bezalel and Hiram, are described with the same characteristics: skill (hokhmah); ability (t’vunah); and knowledge (da’at). The Temple is constructed according to a detailed plan as conceived by Solomon, reminiscent of the creation in Genesis. “On the seventh day God finished (va-y’khal) the work (m’lakhto) He had been doing (asher asah) (Gen. 2:2). “Hiram finished (va-y’khal la’asot) all the work (et kol ha-m’lakhah) he had been doing (asher asah) for King Solomon (I Kings 7:40). We can know longer focus our spritually creative energy toward a centralized holy space. It is up to each and everyone one to make his own home, and find in his daily activities a place where the holy is present.

Natalie Barkan

Natalie was the first girl to celebrate a Shabbat morning bat mitzvah at Emmanuel Synagogue in Oklahoma City and the first woman to read Torah at the “upstairs” adult service. She supported herself through graduate school by teaching bar/bat mitzvah students and today still enjoys chanting Torah and serving as shlichat hatzibur at Hod Ve-Hadar congregation in Kfar Saba. Natalie has lived in Israel for over 30 years studying and teaching Judaica in various frameworks. She serves on the executive board of The Abraham Fund Initiatives, working to promote equality and co-existence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. She is married to Dani and the mother of three sons. Natalie has known Susie Dvoskin for 20 years, celebrating Rosh Hodesh together and praying at Hod Ve-Hadar. Five years ago, Natalie took the big plunge and did her first women’s triathlon. Susie is her inspiration and mentor, not only in sport, but in the art of positive thinking! She has participated in this project out of a deep love and affection for Susie.

Recorded by

Livna Yavnin

I was born a year after WW2, a year after my parents arrived in Eretz Yisrael, which was still under the British mandate…And yes, I'm a 'baby boomer', the eldest of three children, and the only girl. We grew up in a very secular and Zionistic home, filled with books, music, science and art. I loved reading, often going to the library and reading a third of the book on the way home. I loved drawing, and playing the recorder and I taught myself how to read music with some help from my father. But, I was also extremely active in a variety of sports such as track and field (high and broad jump), and I climbed trees for fun. When I was 17 I started feeling the need for spiritual experiences, which after exploring many cultures, led me back to Judaism, but not to the models I disliked so much in Israel. I traveled to the US to study industrial design and slowly found my way (back) to Judaism. I started with lighting Shabbat candles and reading the Siddur. A few years later, in Las Vegas, I began attending services at "Beit Shalom", a Conservative Synagogue. The children went to Hebrew school and the congregation's Torah reader gave me a Jewish liturgical book which I photocopied and used to learn the Trope for Torah, Haftarah, Megilot, and Yamim Nora'im. It took me about a year before I had the opportunity and nerve to read in the synagogue. By then we were already living in Herndon, Virginia where I joined the "Beth Emeth" congregation. I read Torah at my daughter Helen's Bat-Mitzvah, taught her to read Haftarah, and became the main Torah reader for a few years. I continue to read Torah and Haftarah at Hod ve-Hadar in Kfar Sabah, Israel, have taught for the Masorti Movement’s Bar/ Bat Mitzvah program for children with special needs and enjoy sharing both of these with Susie. I have 7 children (no twins) 1 boy and 6 girls, and am a grandmother of 9. I'm the traveling savta, always going to visit and help one of the 'kids'. Of course I still love reading, listening to music, sports, bird watching and gardening.

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