Shabbat Shalom!
This week’s Torah portion, Vayakel, brings us a powerful message of unity, transformation, and redemption. After the Israelites’ grievous sin with the Golden Calf, Moses gathers the people once again, guiding them to rebuild and redirect their hearts toward a shared purpose: the creation of the Tabernacle. This portion shows us how even in the aftermath of failure, unity and a collective vision can lead to restoration and closeness with God.
Why does Moses emphasize unity after such a profound betrayal? How does the Tabernacle symbolize God’s desire for connection with His people? What lessons can we draw from the Israelites’ journey from sin to redemption?
Join us as we explore the deeper meaning of Vayakel and how it teaches us about the importance of unity, repentance, and finding purpose in our relationship with God.
Watch now and deepen your understanding of this timeless message!
Shalom Shmuel! My husband and I enjoyed your midrash on the Torah Parasha ‘Vayakel’ ‘To gather’. Question why did you refer to the Tribe of Dan as the lowest and Yudah as the highest.
I am aware that Yudah was named because his mother gave praise to Father God Lord God Almighty. And I thought Dan means to judge?
Reply from Shmuel:
“Thank you for the question, there are a lot of small mentioning in our books that give the notion about the tribe of Dan.
This Midrash presents the tribe of Dan as the underdog of Israel—on one hand, it’s seen as a lowly and marginalized tribe, but on the other, it carries a unique spiritual strength expressed through its hope for redemption.
Dan is described as the tribe that gathers those left behind—the “lost” or “fallen” ones among the people of Israel. It symbolizes the border, the threshold between holiness and impurity, as reflected in the Jordan River, which “descends from Dan.” (in Hebrew YARAD + DAN) The Jordan marks the boundary between the Holy Land and the lands outside of it. This position at the edge reflects Dan’s role—standing on the border between belonging and not belonging, between holiness and defilement.
In a way, this is the essence of Dan—a tribe living “on the edge,” experiencing the greatest distance from the center, from holiness. This is also evident in the story of the idol of Micah in the Book of Judges, where the tribe of Dan falls into idol worship.
Yet, from this place of distance and struggle, Dan has a unique power: the power to hope, to long for salvation. Jacob’s blessing to Dan, “I wait for your salvation, O Lord” (Genesis 49:18), highlights this tension between deep descent and profound hope. From a place of humility and separation, the tribe of Dan has a burning desire to return to holiness.”