This week’s Torah portion is Vayakhel, which is often read together with the following portion, Pekudei. These two portions share a unique connection, as they both recount the building of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Previously, in Parshiyot Terumah and Tetzaveh, Hashem commanded the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels. Now, in Vayakhel and Pekudei, we see the actual execution of those instructions.
The Mishkan was built under the leadership of two great individuals: Betzalel ben Uri from the tribe of Yehuda and Oholiav ben Achisamach from the tribe of Dan. Rashi explains that Hashem specifically chose leaders from both the highest-ranking tribe (Yehuda) and the lowest-ranking tribe (Dan) to emphasize that the Mishkan belonged to everyone.
