Parashat Vayakhel
וַיַּקְהֵל · Exodus 35:1 to 38:20, portion 10 of 11 in the book of Exodus.
Next reading
Saturday 6 March 2027
27 Adar I 5787
In Israel and abroad
The year after
What happens in Vayakhel
Moses gathers the people, repeats the command of Shabbat and asks for gifts for the Tabernacle. The people bring so much that they have to be told to stop. Bezalel and Oholiab lead the craftsmen, and the portion tells how the curtains, boards, ark, table, menorah, incense altar, bronze altar and washing basin were made, each as it was commanded.
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה׳ לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם
“And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them: ‘These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.”
The portion, in your inbox
A short weekly email with the coming Shabbat's reading and times. Free, one-click unsubscribe.
One list, unsubscribe in a click. See our privacy policy.
Reading this Shabbat?
Candle-lighting and havdalah times for every major city in Israel are on the Shabbat times pages, and the festival calendar lives under Jewish holidays.
Frequently asked questions
When is Parashat Vayakhel read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 6 March 2027 (27 Adar I 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 25 March 2028.
What is Parashat Vayakhel about?+
Moses gathers the people, repeats the command of Shabbat and asks for gifts for the Tabernacle. The people bring so much that they have to be told to stop. Bezalel and Oholiab lead the craftsmen, and the portion tells how the curtains, boards, ark, table, menorah, incense altar, bronze altar and washing basin were made, each as it was commanded.
Why is Vayakhel sometimes read together with Pekudei?+
Most years have fewer free Shabbatot than portions: a festival that falls on Shabbat takes that Shabbat's reading, and a year without a second month of Adar is about four weeks shorter. So some neighbouring portions are read together, and Vayakhel with Pekudei is one of those pairs.