Torah Portion Summary
The twenty-second reading from the Torah and the second-to-last reading from the book of Exodus is called Vayak’hel, which means “and he assembled.” The name comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which could be literally translated to read, “And Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel” (Exodus 35:1). This portion from the Torah describes how the assembly of Israel worked together to build the Tabernacle. In most years, synagogues read Vayak'hel together with the following portion, Pekudei.
Haftarh Portion Summary
The Haftarah of Parashat Vayakhel is about the first temple (bet hamikdash) that Solomon constructed. In particular, details about the temple furnishings made by King Hiram (of Tyre) on behalf of Solomon are detailed in this reading.
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
The Brit Chadashah reading first repeats the idea of "cheerful giving" that the children of Israel depicted when they gave their freewill offering for the construction of the mishkan. Next, the second reading (from 1 Corinthians) reminds us that Yeshua the Mashiach is the true foundation of the Temple, and we are "living stones" of which it is made up.