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Why does the Torah (תורה) repeat "kol adas Bnei Yisrael" three times in Parshas Vayakhel—once when Moshe gathers the people, again when he teaches about the Mishkan, and finally when they depart? The shiur develops the yesod that both Shabbos (שבת) and the Mishkan require the Jewish people to function as a unified tzibur. Communal unity itself serves as the ultimate testimony to maaseh bereishis—proof that one Creator made us all—which is precisely what Shabbos affirms and what the Mishkan's Divine presence depends upon.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a textual question from Parshas Vayakhel. In pasuk 1, the Torah (תורה) states "Vayakhel Moshe es kol adas Bnei Yisrael"—Moshe gathered all the congregation of Israel. Then in pasuk 4, when beginning the discussion of the Mishkan, it says again "Vayomer Moshe kol adas Bnei Yisrael"—Moshe spoke to all the congregation of Israel. Finally, in pasuk 20, after completing his instructions about the Mishkan, it states "Vayeitzu kol adas Bnei Yisrael milifnei Moshe"—all the congregation departed from before Moshe. The question is straightforward: if pasuk 1 already told us Moshe gathered everyone together, and pasuk 20 tells us they all left at the end, we know they were there the entire time. Why then does pasuk 4 need to repeat "Vayomer Moshe kol adas Bnei Yisrael" when introducing the Mishkan discussion? It seems completely superfluous. Rabbi Zweig connects this to a principle he had recently taught: that Shabbos (שבת) requires not only individual observance of the melachos but also the creation of a communal atmosphere and communal functioning—tzibur. The Baal HaTurim on this parasha identifies "Vayakhel Moshe" as the source for the practice of the community gathering together to hear a drashah on Shabbos. The Yalkut Shimoni similarly teaches that Moshe instituted the practice of communal Torah study on Shabbos. Rabbi Zweig notes that in Halab (Aleppo), the entire community—men, women, everyone—would come together to learn on Shabbos. This demonstrates that there is an inyan, a fundamental requirement, to have a sense of community on Shabbos.
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Parshas Vayakhel, Shemos 35:1-20
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