VaYakheil-Pekudei: A Crown for the King

A Gift for the King

The royal palace sent word: The king would be visiting a certain town in his kingdom. Naturally, the townspeople were both excited and a bit nervous. They wanted to present the king with a suitable gift, but what do you give the man who already has everything? Even more pressing, what do you give him when your income is barely enough for bread and cheese?

Fortunately, the town had one affluent resident—a local businessman. He could have presented the king with an appropriate gift of his own, but he decided it would be far better if the entire community contributed. After all, an individual gift might impress the king for a moment, but what would truly leave a lasting impression? A gift from the whole town!

The businessman gathered the townsfolk and proposed his idea. “Let’s create a magnificent ornament for the king, made of gold, silver, gems, and the finest cloth. I will find the best craftsman for each section—one for the gold, another for the silver, one for the gems—and so on.”

Under his supervision, the ornament began to take shape, bit by bit, like a grand patchwork quilt of talent, sweat, and inspiration.

When the day finally arrived, and the king came to visit, the gift was ready. It was so intricate, so brilliantly crafted, it almost seemed too good to be true. The king, thoroughly impressed, immediately beckoned the businessman.

“Tell me,” the king said, inspecting the ornament with genuine curiosity, “who has made this? Who are the clever minds behind such a fine creation?”

With a wide smile, the businessman gestured grandly toward the crowd of townspeople who had gathered to watch. “Your Majesty, it was the whole town that contributed to this gift. The craftsmen, the cloth makers, the goldsmiths, and the jewelers—all had a hand in it. It is not I alone who deserves the credit. It is the entire community that has given you this wonderful gift.”

“Well, well,” said the king, clearly impressed. “Let me meet the people who worked so hard to create it.”

And so, what could have been a simple exchange of a gift and a bow, became an event that would be remembered for years. The townspeople, many of whom had never before seen the king up close, were filled with pride. Almost everyone in the town had the unique privilege of standing before the king, shaking his hand, and basking in the glory of their collective accomplishment. 

The Tabernacle—the King's Crown

When Moses oversaw the construction of the Mishkan, he behaved much like the businessman who organized the king’s gift. Moses invited every member of the nation to contribute to this sacred project. Once the work was complete, he gathered the entire nation before God and declared, “The entire Jewish people—they are the craftsmen of Your Mishkan.”

In Shir HaShirim (3:11), we read: “Go out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon and the crown with which his mother crowned him.”

Who are these "daughters of Zion"? And what was this crown?

The Midrash explains that the “daughters of Zion” are God's distinguished (metzuyanim) children—the Jewish people. 

And the crown placed upon the King’s head? That was the Mishkan that they had constructed.

The Tabernacle was thus a royal crown that distinguished the Jewish people, a testament to their generosity and devotion—a collective gift that enabled the entire nation to draw close to God.

(Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, p. 184)