Vayakhel

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. When we fall down, as we talked about
last week, it can be hard to get back up–not only because we might feel defeated, but
because we feel ourselves fundamentally unworthy of standing tall.
I have an 8 year old son named Nadiv, meaning ‘generous.’ He was conceived after a
struggle with infertility and repeat miscarriages. During those years of pain, I often felt
that I could not try again, lose again, hope again. My body couldn’t do it. My heart
couldn’t take it. I was mired in feelings of inadequacy. When Nadiv finally came along,
with help of modern medicine, I was flooded with love and awe and a surprising feeling
of sufficiency. He was enough. And I was enough. The universe had showered its
generosity upon me and I, in turn, could open my heart and be generous to it. The more
I gave of myself, the more solid I began to feel.
This week’s portion, Vayakhel, asks us to reflect on the relationship between generosity
and adequacy. It suggests that sometimes we need to give in order to receive.

***

The Sefat Emet takes up this topic in 1889:

‫ דאיתא במדרש מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות‬.'‫בפסוק כל נדיב לבו יביאה את תרומת ה' כו‬
‫ והענין הוא כי האהבה‬.'‫כו' האהבה כו' בני עשו לי יריעות עזים ושכנתי בתוכם כו‬
‫ אבל ע"י החטא אינם יכולין‬.‫והדביקות אשר קיבלו בנ"י בהר סיני הוא חי וקיים לעולם‬
‫ שבכח‬.‫ ולכן אחר החטא הוצרכו לזו הנדבה‬.‫להוציא מכח אל הפועל אהבה הגנוזה‬
‫התרומה הזו הוציאו הנדיבות והתשוקה והדביקות מכח אל הפועל עד שהמשיכו את‬
‫ומלאכת‬.. .‫ ולכן נק' משכן העדות שהוא עדות שהשכינה שורה בישראל‬.‫השכינה למטה‬
‫המשכן הי' עדות על כל הדורות להודיע שאעפ"י שהחטא מבדיל מ"מ לא יוכל לכבות‬
(‫ ויקהל תרמ"ט‬,‫)שפת אמת‬:‫האהבה כנ"ל‬
On the verse "every generous-hearted person shall bring gifts for the Lord"
[Exodus 35:4], the midrash [in Exodus Rabbah 49] quotes: "Vast floods cannot
quench love, nor rivers drown it" [Song of Songs 8:7], commenting, "My children
made me a sanctuary of mere skins, and I came down and dwelt among them."
The point is that the love and attachment to God that the children of Israel
received at Mount Sinai is live and extant for eternity. But on account of the sin

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 [of the Golden Calf], they could not actualize this hidden love. Therefore, after
the sin, they needed this form of generosity. For through the power of giving,
generosity and longing and cleaving went from potential to actual, and they
drew the Shekhinah down. This is why the mishkan is called the "Tabernacle of
witness," for it testifies that the Shekhinah dwells with Israel. . . This testimony
lasts for all generations to show that even though sin might alienate, "nothing
can quench love" [Song of Songs 8:7]. (Sefat Emet, Vayakhel 1889)
In the aftermath of all of the dramatic events at Sinai detailed in last week's parsha--the
Golden Calf, the Tablets broken and renewed, the people condemned then saved--
Vayakhel returns us to the narrative flow that preceded them, namely the construction
of the mishkan. Moshe instructs the people briefly regarding Shabbat observance and
then launches into a detailed call for donations to the communal building project:
‫מר׃ ְק ֨חוּ ֵ ֽמ ִא ְתּכֶ ֤ם‬
ֹ ֽ ‫מר זֶ ֣ה הַ ָדּ ֔ ָבר אֲ ֶשׁר־צִ וָּ ֥ה ה' לֵ א‬
ֹ ֑ ‫֣וַיּ ֹאמֶ ר מ ֶֹ֔שׁה אֶ ל־כׇּל־ﬠ ַ ֲ֥דת ְבּ ֵנֽי־י ְִשׂ ָר ֵ ֖אל לֵ א‬
(‫ ד–ה‬:‫רוּמת יְהֹ וָ ֑ה ז ָ ָ֥הב וָכֶ ֖סֶ ף וּ ְנחֹֽ ֶשׁת׃ )שמות לה‬ ֣ ַ ‫רוּמה֙ ַ ֽלה' ֚ ֹכּל ְנ ִ ֣דיב לִ בּ֔ וֹ י ְִביאֶ֕ הָ ֵ ֖את ְתּ‬
ָ ‫ְתּ‬
Moses said further to the whole community of Israelites: "This is what the Divine
has commanded: Take from among you gifts to the Lord; every generous-
hearted person [nediv libo] shall bring them--gifts for the Lord: gold, silver, and
copper." (Exodus 35:4-5)
The list of potential gifts continues for quite a few verses. What stands out from Moses’
call is not only its specificity regarding objects for donation, but its specificity regarding
the correct spirit of donation. He invites only those who feel moved to give, presumably
out of love and devotion and not mere obligation. Indeed, the phrase "kol nediv libo"
(“every generous-hearted person”) foregrounds the heart above all. Only those whose
inner stirrings compel them to give of themselves to house the Divine Presence ought to
do so. The foundation of the mishkan should be established only through voluntary acts.
Moses’ call is heeded.
֙‫רוּמת ה' ִל ְמלֶ֨ אכֶת ֹ֤אהֶ ל מוֹﬠֵ ד‬ ַ ֨ ‫ת־תּ‬ ְ ֶ‫אֹתוֹ ֠הֵ ִ֠ביאוּ א‬֗ ‫רוּחוֹ‬ ֜ ‫ׇל־אישׁ אֲ ֶשׁר־נְ ָשׂ ֣אוֹ ִל ֑בּוֹ ְו ֡ ֹכל אֲ ֶשׁ ֩ר נ ְָד ֨ ָבה‬ ֖ ִ ‫ַו ָיּ ֹ֕באוּ כּ‬
֙‫ְכוּמז‬
ָ ‫וּל ִבגְ ֵ ֖די הַ קֹּֽ ֶדשׁ׃ ַו ָיּ ֥ ֹבאוּ הָ אֲ נ ִ ָ֖שׁים ﬠַ ל־הַ נּ ִ ָ֑שׁים ֣ ֹכּל ׀ ְנ ִ ֣דיב לֵ֗ ב ֠הֵ ִ֠ביאוּ ָ ֣חח ָו ֶ֜נזֶם וְטַ ַ ֤בּﬠַ ת ו‬
ְ ‫וּלְ כׇל־ ֲﬠ ֣ ֹב ָד ֔תוֹ‬
֙‫ם לְ הָ ִביא‬
֒ ‫אֹת‬
ָ ֮‫ׇל־אישׁ ו ְִא ָ֗שּׁה אֲ ֶ֨שׁר נ ַ ָ֣דב ִלבָּ ם‬ ֣ ִ ‫נוּפת ז ָ ָ֖הב לַ ה'׃…כּ‬ ֥ ַ ‫ׇל־אישׁ אֲ ֶ ֥שׁר הֵ ִנ֛יף ְתּ‬ ִ ֕ ‫כׇּל־כְּ ִ ֣לי ז ֔ ָָהב ְוכ‬
,‫כב‬-‫כא‬:‫ֹשׁה הֵ ִ ֧ביאוּ ְב ֵני־י ְִשׂ ָר ֵ ֛אל נְ ָד ָ ֖בה לַ ה'׃ )שמות לה‬ ֑ ֶ ‫ֲשׂוֹת ְבּיַד־מ‬ ֖ ‫לְ כׇל־הַ ְמּלָ א ָ֔כה אֲ ֶ֨שׁר צִ וָּ ֧ה ה' לַ ﬠ‬
(‫כט‬
Every man whose heart uplifted him came, and everyone whose spirit inspired
him to generosity brought the offering of the Holy One for the work of the Tent
of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. The men came with the
women; every generous-hearted person brought bracelets and earrings and
rings and buckles, all kinds of golden objects, and every man who waved a
waving of gold to the Creator. . . Every man and woman whose heart inspired
them to generosity to bring for all the work that the Ineffable had commanded

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 to make, through Moses, the children of Israel brought a gift (or freewill offering)
for the Divine. (Exodus 35: 21-22, 29)
Moses’ call works: The generous ones step forward to give and to build. The Mishkan is
laid on a foundation of open hearts.
Beautiful as this gush of voluntarism is, its meaning as the anchor of the mishkan (as
suggested by the repetition of the notion) bears exploration. Why must donations be
animated by a certain kind of a heart? What is the significance of in the construction of
this structure?
The Sefat Emet offers a compelling perspective on the essential role of "generous-
heartedness" at the center of the mishkan. Recognizing the juxtaposition of our mishkan
narrative with that of the Golden Calf, the Sefat Emet suggests that we read the two
stories together. The idolatrous catastrophe at the foot of Sinai was not erased with
pronouncements of divine forgiveness or Moses’ emergence with two new tablets. The
relationship between God and the Jewish people, so new and precarious even without
this drama, suffered a tremendous rupture in its wake. But it was not God who needed
coaxing back into the relationship, says the Sefat Emet. It was the people of Israel.
Though God never ceased to love them, even in the face of grave sin, they ceased to
believe that they could be loved.
‫אבל ע"י החטא אינם יכולין להוציא מכח אל הפועל אהבה הגנוזה‬
On account of the sin, they could not actualize this hidden love.
A deep feeling of unworthiness was the lasting effect of their initial betrayal.
In a counter-intuitive yet empirically effective move, the Divine addresses the people's
sense of their inadequacy by inviting them, through Moses, to experience their
adequacy. It does so through a call to service in the mishkan. Give of yourself. Get out of
your own way, your own narrative of shame and insufficiency. Open yourself to
something larger than yourself. Be a nadiv lev. Offer your heart generously to someone
else or something else. Give out love and you will find within yourself a new way to
receive love. For in the words of the Orchot Tzadikim (Anonymous, c. 1400-1500),
.‫אין דבר בעולם המביא את האדם לידי אהבת העולם כמו הנדיבות‬
(‫ שער א‬,‫ שער הנדיבות‬,‫)אורחות צדיקים‬
There is nothing in this world that brings a person to love of (or from) from the
world like generosity. (Orchot Tzadikim, The Gate of Generosity, Gate 1)
Nothing renders a person more available to love from God. The centrality of nedivut in
the mishkan--that meeting place of God and human beings-- stands as enduring
testimony that generosity of the heart has the power to heal the heart. When we give,
we receive.

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Bifnim/Personal Reflections
1. Is there someone in your life who embodies the quality of nedivut lev, generosity
of spirit or a giving heart? If so, what are some things you notice about them that
contribute to their capacity for generosity? If not, is there a figure from literature
or film who comes to mind? In mindfulness practice we often speak of “quieting
the mind” as a prerequisite for deeper listening. What, if anything, do you find
helps you quiet your mind? What prevents it? In your own experience, do you
find that quieting the mind does in fact help you to hear more deeply? If so,
why? If not, why not?
2. The Sefat Emet teaches that giving is a means of healing a broken heart.
Consider a moment in your own life when you have experienced heartbreak.
Was giving or generosity part of your response? If so, how, if at all, did it help
you to heal? If not, how do you imagine it might have helped?
3. Parker Palmer has taught about the difference between a heart that breaks
“apart into a thousand pieces” and one that “breaks open into greater capacity
to hold the complexities and contradictions of human experience.” Where the
former can lead us into increasingly constricted spiritual places, the latter may
yield, in Palmer’s words, “new life.” Yet opening up, activating nedivut lev, may
be easier said than done. In your own experience, who or what has helped you
to respond to heartbreak in life-giving ways? What, if anything, has prevented
that from happening?
B’Avodah-Practice – Rabbi Myriam Klotz
“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place,” writes author Zora Neale
Hurston. This week’s teaching invites us into a study of how being generous, giving
open-heartedly, can enable us to receive the redemptive return to right relationship
with our own loving nature. Through actions that embody the middah or attribute of
nedivut lev, generosity, the soul within us can crawl out of its hiding place if it has
withdrawn underneath shame, regret, fear, remorse, or other emotions that can
destroy our belief in our intrinsic goodness if we have acted unskillfully and hurt
ourselves or others, or been hurt by others or circumstances over which we did not
have agency.

Writing about the cultivation of nedivut lev, teacher Alan Morinis offers, in the spirit of
the Sefat Emet’s insights: “Gifts given with the express purpose of thawing a frozen
heart will, in time, cause fear to melt away and trust to grow. Each act of generosity
works to pry open the heart a little, like clearing a blocked stream one pebble at a
time. The flow of spontaneity is then freed to follow.” (Everyday Holiness: the Jewish
Spiritual Path of Mussar, p.160)

For this week’s practice, we draw from the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar, or
Tikkun Middot to help us cultivate this quality of nedivut lev. Your invitation is to find

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three situations each day in which to act with generosity. This might be giving someone
your undivided attention as you ask them how they are doing today. It might be offering
someone an outlet if they need to charge an electronic device, or giving them the place
in front of you in the grocery checkout line or on the road. It might be calling or visiting
someone who is sick, or writing a note expressing your gratitude to someone. It could
also be giving financially. Try to move beyond your comfort zone of planned giving,
though, and stretch yourself to open your heart, to embody nedivut lev, in unexpected
ways as situations or ideas arise, or, as your heart moves you.

At the end of each day, give some time to your own reflections and journal about the
three instances of your nedivut lev practice. If helpful you can use these prompts for
each of the acts of giving you engaged:

1. Today I gave ___ to ____ when ___.

2. Before I gave, I was experiencing _____.
3. While I gave, I felt and noticed _______.
4. After I gave, I received or noticed _______.

This practice is not intended to be a “quick fix” for the ways that your loving heart is
hiding and covered by hurt, shame, guilt, anger, regret or traumas that may have
resulted in a spiritual state of timtum ha’lev, a blocked or stopped up heart. But rather,
as you practice engaging in acts of giving, of extending generosity and kindness, you can
pay attention to any inner movements of thought, feeling, or flow, that do occur. Over
time, this practice can be like water washing over a stone—softening its hard edges and
revealing the essence of it that may have been covered over by silt, dirt, mud. A heart
can heal. Your own adequacy, worthiness, and availability for the flow of love into and
from your heart, can be revealed. That is the invitation of our teaching this week, and
the promise that our practice invites us to investigate in the truth of our own
experience.

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