Shabbat Commentary - Va-Yak'hel

This week's Torah Portion, Va-Yak'hel, echoes previous Portions. Moses addresses the children of Israel and repeats the instructions which God gave him for building the Mishkan and creating the furnishings and sacred accouterments associated with worship in this Holy Space.
As God instructed, Moses begins by warning the children of Israel that no work is to be done on Shabbat.

God has chosen Bezalel and Oholiab to direct the building and crafting work. Va-Yak'hel tells us that God "...filled them with wisdom of heart..." (Exodus 35:35)* so that they might carry out all the tasks needed to make the many elements of the Mishkan. Bezalel and Oholiab are to be joined in their labors by those among the children of Israel who are "wise of heart."
"And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone who was wise of heart, in whose heart YHWH had put wisdom, everyone whose heart inspired him to come forward for the work, to do it." (Exodus 36:2)*

What does it mean to be "wise of heart," to have a heart filled with wisdom from God? I suggest that one who is "wise of heart" is not only skilled at a craft, but also willing to work honestly and ethically for the good of the community. A person "wise of heart" understands that to accomplish a complex task such as building the Mishkan, the workers must respect one another. They must be creative, but ever mindful of directions. Those "wise of heart" demonstrate cooperation, dedication, and a willingness to put forth their best communal effort.

"Wisdom of the heart" - I believe that I've seen this God-given attribute close-up in a modern context. While teaching in a Jewish day school, I was asked to coach the school's Odyssey of the Mind Creative Problem Solving Team. Odyssey of the Mind or OM was (and may still be) an international organization which promoted creative thinking in children by providing an annual set of problems for seven-member teams to solve and present in regional, state, and "world" competitions.
The problems varied and might require the team to devise a dramatic presentation or to construct devices to carry out specific tasks or to build weight bearing structures of balsa wood.
Through the years, my teams chose problems which required a dramatic solution.
Like the instructions for the Mishkan, the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) problems were detailed and demanded strict adherence to directions. To add to the OM challenge and to ensure fair play, teams were absolutely forbidden to receive "outside assistance" in developing their problem solution. According to the OM rules, solutions had to derive solely from the ideas and efforts of team members.
For over a decade, I watched my OM teams sort through ideas, re-work solutions, grapple with materials, check and re-check the problem instructions. Through it all team members encouraged each other to put forth the best effort each could possibly offer. Team members consistently demonstrated intelligence and integrity. Whether they won or lost in competition, they were proud of the solution they'd achieved.

I can easily imagine Bezalel and Oholiab leading a winning Odyssey of the Mind team. And I can picture my OM team members making outstanding contributions to the building of the Mishkan.

The members of my Odyssey of the Mind teams are grown now, with children of their own. But, like the portable Mishkan which accompanied the children of Israel in ancient times, I hope the "wisdom of the heart" which informed their OM experience has traveled with them.

In Va-Yak'hel it is written:
"Let, then Bezalel and Oholiab and all the skilled persons whom the Eternal has endowed with skill and ability to peform expertly all the tasks connected with the service of the sanctuary carry out all that the Eternal has commanded." (Exodus 36:1)**

In an Odyssey of the Mind newsletter, an article on "What It Takes to Build a Winning OM Team" advises:
"A team works well that has diverse talents - technical, art, music, presentation skills. A diverse team makeup quickly fosters an appreciation for other people's skills. Everyone feels needed and a part of the group."

Coincidence? No.
The timeless relevance of Torah? Yes!

Shabbat Shalom Rest and Renew.

*From: Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman
**From: The Torah - A Modern Commentary edited by W.Gunther Plaut