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and Rav Kook wrote a touching 
letter in support of its creation. 
He saw the renaissance of art in 
the Holy Land as a symbol of the 
regeneration of the Jewish people 
in their own land, landscape 
and birthplace. Judaism in 
the diaspora, removed from 
a natural connection with its 
own historic environment, was 
inevitably cerebral and spiritual, 
“alienated.
” Only in Israel would 
an authentic Jewish aesthetic 
emerge, strengthened by and 
strengthening Jewish spirituality.
Perhaps the most moving 
of all remarks Rav Kook made 
about art came in the course 
of a conversation he had with 
a Jewish sculptor: “When I 
lived in London, I used to visit 
the National Gallery, and my 
favorite pictures were those 
of Rembrandt. I really think 
that Rembrandt was a tzaddik. 
Do you know that when I first 
saw Rembrandt’s works, they 
reminded me of the rabbinic 
statement about the creation of 
light?
“We are told that when God 
created light [on the first day 
of Creation, as opposed to the 
natural light of the sun on the 
fourth day], it was so strong 
and pellucid that one could see 
from one end of the world to 
the other, but God was afraid 
that the wicked might abuse it. 
What did He do? He reserved 
that light for the righteous in the 
World to Come. But now and 
then there are great men who 
are blessed and privileged to see 
it. I think that Rembrandt was 
one of them, and the light in 
his pictures is the very light that 
God created on Genesis day.
”
I have often wondered what 
it was about Rembrandt’s 
paintings that so enthralled the 
Rav. Rembrandt lived in the 
Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, 
knew Jews and painted them, as 
well as painting many biblical 
scenes, though the closeness 
or otherwise of his connection 
with Jews has been the subject 

of controversy. Rav Kook’s 
admiration for the artist had, 
I suspect, nothing to do with 
this and everything to do with 
the light Rembrandt saw in 
the faces of ordinary people, 
without any attempt to beautify 
them. His work let us see the 
transcendental quality of the 
human, the only thing in the 
universe on which God set His 
image.
Art in Hebrew — omanut — 
has a semantic connection 
with emunah, “faith” or 
“faithfulness.
” A true artist is 
faithful both to his materials and 
to the task, teaching us:
To see a world in a grain of 

 sand, 
 And a heaven in a wild flower, 
 Hold infinity in the palm of 
 your hand, 
 And eternity in an hour. 
(From Auguries of Innocence by 
William Blake)
The name Betzalel means, “in 
the shadow of God.
” Art is the 
shadow cast by the radiance of 
God that suffuses all things:
The world is charged with the 
 grandeur of God. 
 It will flame out, like shining 
 from shook foil. 
 (From God’s Grandeur by 
Gerard Manley Hopkins)
And as Goethe said: “Where 
there is much light, the shadow 
is deep.
” When art lets us see 
the wonder of creation as God’s 
work and the human person 
as God’s image, it becomes a 
powerful part of the religious 
life, with one proviso. The 
Greeks believed in the holiness 
of beauty. Jews believe in hadrat 
kodesh, the beauty of holiness: 
not art for art’s sake but art as 
a disclosure of the ultimate 
artistry of the Creator. That is 
how omanut enhances emunah, 
how art adds wonder to faith. 

The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan 

Sacks served as the chief rabbi of 

the United Hebrew Congregations of 

the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His 

teachings have been made available 

to all at rabbisacks.org. 

The Effectiveness of 
Unity Toward a Goal
P

arshat Vayakhel teaches 
us the profound sig-
nificance of collective 
action and communal unity 
as the Israelites embark on the 
construction of the Mishkan 
(Tabernacle), a tangible sym-
bol of their covenant with the 
Divine. Following the 
revelation at Mount 
Sinai, the community 
rallies together, tran-
scending individual 
differences to contrib-
ute generously toward 
this sacred endeavor.
At the heart of 
Vayakhel lies the metic-
ulous account of how 
the Israelites gener-
ously contribute their 
resources and skills 
toward the construc-
tion. Every member 
of the community, regardless of 
social status or material wealth, 
is invited to participate in this 
sacred undertaking. The egal-
itarian ethos underlying this 
collective endeavor underscores 
the inherent value of every indi-
vidual within the community, 
emphasizing the importance of 
inclusivity and mutual support. 
Furthermore, the narrative 
highlights the necessity of 
organization and coordination 
in communal projects. Moses 
appoints skilled artisans, such 
as Bezalel and Oholiab, to over-
see the construction, ensuring 
that each task is executed with 
precision and excellence. This 
demonstrates the importance of 
leadership and expertise in guid-
ing collective efforts toward a 
common goal. It underscores the 
principle that unity is not merely 
about coming together but also 
about working together effective-
ly toward a shared vision.
The Mishkan itself serves as a 

tangible symbol of the covenant 
between the Israelites and the 
Divine. Through its construc-
tion, the community forges 
a collective identity centered 
around their relationship with 
God. The Mishkan becomes a 
focal point for communal wor-
ship, embodying the presence 
of the Divine among God’s 
people and reminding them 
of their shared covenantal 
obligations.
We, as contemporary read-
ers, are challenged to con-
sider the relevance of these 
principles in our own lives. 
In an era marked by indi-
vidualism, the imperative to 
cultivate unity and solidarity 
within our communities res-
onates deeply. The narrative 
of the Mishkan inspires us to 
harness the transformative 
power of collective action and to 
work toward common goals with 
shared purpose. 
Moreover, we are invited to 
contemplate the role of leader-
ship and expertise in guiding 
communal endeavors. Just as 
Moses appointed artisans to 
oversee the construction of the 
Mishkan, so must contemporary 
leaders cultivate and harness 
the talents of individuals within 
their communities for the greater 
good. By fostering an environ-
ment of collaboration and mutu-
al respect, leaders can inspire 
collective action and empower 
others to contribute their unique 
gifts toward shared goals. 
By embracing unity, purpose 
and collective action, we can 
aspire to build sacred spaces in 
our midst, where the presence 
of the Divine dwells among us 
and where the aspirations of our 
communities find expression. 

Rabbi Robert Gamer is the rabbi at 

Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. 

SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Robert 
Gamer

Parshat 

Vayakhel: 

Exodus 

35:1-38:20, 

30:11-16; 

II Kings 

12:1-17.

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