Vayakhel

In this portion we return to the account of the building of the Mishkan. It is significant that the original instructions call for building the furnishings before the structure, and the list begins with the Ark. This is meant to highlight the symbolic nature of the Mishkan: its purpose is to focus the people’s attention constantly on the covenant with God Here, however, we are told that Bezalel and the artisans built the structure before the furnishings in the proper practical order. Accordingly, we find that the tent, itself, was constructed with two chambers-the inner Holy of Holies and the outer Holy Place. Outside the tent was a courtyard constituting the third area of the Mishkan. The building of the furnishings is described in descending order of holiness. First came the Ark, to be put in the Holy of Holies. Next came the table, the menorah and the altar of incense, to be put in the Holy Place. Finally the altar of burnt offering and the laver are built, to be placed in the outer court. The descriptions of the actual building repeat exactly the instructions given in previous portions to indicate that the final product emerged precisely as God had designed it.