A Long Game of Telephone

We’ve been reading about the Tabernacle for a while now. You can probably list off many of the instructions for building the Tent of Meeting with your eyes closed. This week, we’ll hear them again. Why? Moses is down from Mount Sinai, among the people, relating G!d’s messages to them. Moses is fulfilling his position as the intermediary – the communicator – for the divine.

While now in Parashat Vayaqhel Moses communicates effectively and the people respond with offerings and enthusiasm, Moses’ skills as the middle-man haven’t always panned out so well. In last week’s parsha, he got so angry that he broke the tablets G!d wrote and had to rewrite the commandments. The actual relaying of G!d’s message seems to be a second chance both for the people and for Moses. G!d allows him to take the time he needs to communicate effectively.

Once G!d’s words are told to the people, the Israelites join Moses in completing the work of building the Tabernacle as G!d instructed. Moses is ready to work with them again, and they are ready to join in the work assigned, contributing skills, time, and materials.

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Komps kaos is a bit kooled down this week. My bibliographies are ready to go, and my test formats are set in a much better way. Now I need to really focus on languages and keep reading!