29 Adar 5781
March 13, 2021

Parashat Vayachel
“And He Assembled”

Parashat Pekudei
“Accountngs”

Here are the Torah, Haftarah and suggested Brit Chadasha (New Testament) and Tehillim (Psalms) readings for this week.

Vayachel

• Exodus 35:1-38:20
• 1 Kings 7:40-50 (A)
• 1 Kings 7:13-26 (S)
• John 1:1-14
• Hebrews 9:1-10
• Psalm 61

Let me dwell in Your tent forever. Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
For You have heard my vows, O God. You have given the inheritance of those who fear Your Name.
(Psalm 61:5-6 TLV)

Pekudei

• Exodus 38:21-40:38
• 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 (A)
• 1 Kings 7:40-50 (S)
• Hebrews 8:1-13
• Revelation 15:5-8
• Psalm 45

Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and your majesty. In your majesty ride victoriously, on behalf of truth, meekness and justice. Let your right hand display awesome things.
(Psalm 45:4-5 TLV)

The seven aliyot readings from the Torah for the combined portions Vayachel and Pekudei begin at these verses:

1. Exodus 35:1
2. Exodus 35:30
3. Exodus 37:17
4. Exodus 38:1
5. Exodus 39:2
6. Exodus 39:22
7. Exodus 40:1

Maftir: Exodus 40:28

In Vayachel and Pekudei

The Key People include Moshe (Moses), all the congregation, B’tsal’el (Bezalel), Oholi’av (Oholiab), and gifted artisans; the Levites, Itamar (Ithamar), the Israelites, Aharon (Aaron) and sons.

The Scene is the wilderness of Sinai.

The Main Events in Vayachel include Moshe telling the words God has commanded – to keep Shabbat, take offerings, make the dwelling; offerings brought; B’tsal’el and Oholi’av filled with God’s Spirit; offerings stopped, enough collected; artisans make curtains, bars, veil, screen, ark, poles, cherubim, table, rings, poles, lampstand, lamps, incense altar, holy anointing oil, incense, altar of burnt offering with horns, utensils, poles, laver, court, linen hangings, pillars, sockets, screen for gate, etc.

The Main Events in Pekudei include inventory of tabernacle materials; priest’s garments, according to LORD‘s commands; Moshe blessing people; God ordering the tabernacle set-up, arrangement of furnishings, and consecration; instructions for priests to be washed, dressed, and anointed; Moshe raising tabernacle on 1st day 1st month of 2nd year, lamps lit, incense burnt, offerings made for worship; laver set up for washing; all work finished, cloud covering tabernacle, glory of the LORD filling it; and cloud/fire guiding Yisra’el throughout journeys.

He set up the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar and set up the screen at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Adonai filled the Tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud resided there and the glory of Adonai filled the Tabernacle. Now whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael went onward, throughout all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not move out until the day that it was. For the cloud of Adonai was on the Tabernacle by day and a fire was there by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
(Exodus 40:33-38 TLV)

The Haftarah

Now when the kohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the House of Adonai, so that the kohanim could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Adonai filled the House of Adonai. Then Solomon spoke: “Adonai said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.
(1 Kings 8:10-12 TLV)

The Brit Chadasha

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14 TLV)

Torah Portion readings and the associated Haftarah readings generally follow the Stone Edition Chumash and/or the Complete Jewish Bible. Verse numbering generally follows the Hebrew tradition, and where modern Christian traditions differ those verse numbers are shown in parentheses (). Haftarah readings generally follow the Ashkenazi tradition. Where the Sephardic tradition differs, the Haftarah portions are designated as (A) and (S). Suggested New Testament readings are taken from various sources. Suggested Psalm readings are from the Messianic Siddur for Shabbat by Daniel Perek. The Key People, The Scenes, and The Main Events are taken from the Walk! series of Messianic Devotion Commentaries by Dr. Jeffrey Enoch Feinberg. Scripture taken from the Tree of Life Version (TLV) © 2015 by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society. Used by permission of the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.