Vayakhel/Parah - Come Together

The eruv is down, reminding us how vital it is for our unity.

The eruv is down this week—a decision that was not made lightly. But perhaps it offers us a moment to reflect and appreciate just how much we value when the eruv is up. Each week, when we cheer “The eruv is up!”—woo!—we might not stop to consider how lucky we are. So this week, Rabbi Gotlib and I decided to dedicate our thoughts to appreciating the eruv, something many of us take for granted.

Many commentators ask: why does Parshat Vayakhel repeat all the details of the Mishkan when those details were already laid out in Terumah and Tetzaveh? I always joke that the Torah could’ve just said, “Everything we were commanded, we did,” and then we could all get to kiddush a little earlier! Instead, we read through an entire parsha (thankfully split over two weeks this year) that goes through all the same details again—why?

The answer lies in the difference between theory and action. In Terumah and Tetzaveh, we were given the command in theory. In Vayakhel and Pekudei, we see the actual execution, but it's not the same. The key difference is in the opening word: Vayakhel—“he gathered.”

The Mishkan was meant to counteract the sin of the Golden Calf, which was an act of selfishness and desire. The Mishkan, by contrast, was a space for selflessness and togetherness. As the verse says, “V’asu li mikdash v’shachanti b’tocham”—“Make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” Even in exile, as we journeyed through the desert, the Mishkan was a central, unifying presence. The Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem would later serve that role, but the Mishkan was the first step: a portable center of divine presence and communal gathering.

We are often scattered and separated in exile—like in the Purim story. But in the end, the Jewish people came together. That’s why the mitzvot of Purim—megillah, matanot la’evyonim, mishloach manot, and seudah—are all about connection with the community, with the less fortunate, with our friends, and around the Shabbat/Purim table. It’s not just celebration—it’s unity.

That’s also why Vayakhel, the parsha that recounts the actual construction of the Mishkan, begins with the idea of gathering. The whole purpose of the Mishkan was to bring us together under the presence of God. And that’s exactly what Shabbat is about. We say Shabbat Shalom, because Shabbat is meant to bring peace—not just inner peace, but communal peace, shared time, and shared space.

That’s why the laws of Shabbat are learned from the work of the Mishkan—both are centered on building connections.

And this, too, is the meaning of the eruv. The word eruv literally means “mixing”—as in mixing people and places together. The eruv allows us to connect homes into a single shared space. It is essential not just because it’s convenient to carry on Shabbat—but because it builds community. The eruv helps unite our shuls—our little Mishkans—and our Center City community as a whole.

So yes, the eruv is down this week—but let it remind us how vital it is for our unity. Let's support it—not only so we can carry our bags or push our strollers, but because it keeps us connected.

Shabbat Shalom—with an emphasis on shalom.