Parsha Inspired Menus - Vayakhel

If you've been reading along in the Torah or my #parshainspiredmenus blog, you might notice that the details of this week's parsha feels very familiar. Just two weeks ago we were reading Parshat Terumah that first detailed the building of the Mishkan and all the vessels that were part of the ritual observances. Whenever there seems to be repetition in the Torah, the commentators look

for meaning in the repetition. Ramban says "In general, then, all this repetition in the account of the Tabernacle is a sign of love and distinction, showing that G-d desires the work, and He mentions it in His Torah many times in order to increase the reward of those who engage themselves in its study." It is also noted that though the information is the same, there are a few key differences between the account in Parshat Terumah and Parshat Vayakhel. One I found interesting is the order. Parshat Terumah first tells the instructions of how to make the vessels and then discusses the Mishkan and Parshat Vayakhel describes the actual construction in reverse – first the Mishkan and then the vessels.

The Gemara (Berachot 55A) explains this reversal with the following midrash:

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonasan: Betzalel’s name was a reflection of his wisdom. When the Holy One, blessed is He, told Moshe to instruct Betzalel, “Make Me a Mishkan, (and then an) Aron and Keilim”, Moshe went and reversed the order, instructing Betzalel, “Make an Aron, Keilim, and (then) the Mishkan.” Betzalel replied, “Moshe Rabbeinu: The way of the world is that a person first builds a house and afterwards places objects in the house, but you are telling me to first make an Aron, Keilim and (then) a Mishkan. According to your directive, where will I place the Keilim? Perhaps the Holy One, blessed is He, actually told you to construct a Mishkan, and (then) an Aron and Keilim?”

I think there's a really important learning from this for organizations and even families. Before

you get too deep into the details of how something will run, you have to set out the basic structure and foundation. In honor of this inside-out, outside-in learning, I am going to make a dish that's "inside-out." This could be something as simple as buying sushi with the rice on the outside, but I am choosing to make Inside-Out Stuff Bell Peppers as a side dish for this week's Shabbat dinner.

For the other dish in this week's Shabbat menu, I searched my brain and bugged the people around me for a way to connect to Hur. Who is Hur, you might ask. The Torah tells us a few things about Hur - he is of the tribe of Judah, he is one of the two men (Aaron and Hur) who held up Moshe's arms during the battle with the Amalakites, and he is the grandfather of Betzalel, the artisan in charge of the creation of the mishkan. There are also traditions and midrash that Hur is either the husband or son of Miriam. And then there is the midrash that builds off the possible ambiguity of what Aaron saw in this verse:

וַיַּ֣רְא אַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לְפָנָ֑יו וַיִּקְרָ֤א אַֽהֲרֹן֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר חַ֥ג לַיהֹוָ֖ה מָחָֽר׃

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: “Tomorrow shall be a festival of יהוה!”

What did Aaron see?

As Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai says: This verse was stated only with regard to the incident of the Golden Calf, as it is stated: “And Aaron saw this, and he built [vayyiven] an altar [mizbe’aḥ] before it…and said: Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” (Exodus 32:5). What did Aaron see? Rabbi Binyamin bar Yefet says that Rabbi Elazar says: He saw Hur, who had been appointed together with Aaron by Moses to lead the people during Moses’ absence (see Exodus 24:14), slaughtered before him, as he had protested the plan to fashion a calf and had been murdered by the people as a result. The verse is therefore interpreted not as: Aaron built an altar before the calf, but rather: He understood [vayyaven] from the slaughter [mizavuaḥ] before his own eyes; and he then called for a feast.

Aaron said to himself: If I do not listen to them now, they will do to me as they did to Hur, and the verse: “Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?” (Lamentations 2:20), will be fulfilled through me, and they will never have a remedy for such a sin. It is better for them to worship the calf, as it is possible they will have a remedy through repentance.

Talmud Sanhedrin 7a

Aaron saw that Hur tried to stop the people from going to idol worship and he was killed. There is

some special meaning then to have the grandson of Hur be the person responsible for creating the appropriate place and vessels for people to worship God in the right format.

So, it's all about the grandfather, the Saba. So, you can make something that's a specialty or a favorite of your grandfather or do a place on words with Saba. Saba > Baba > Babaganoush (which is something the Saba in our family happens to really like!)

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!