Parshas Vayakhel: Snowballs and Sacred Moments

This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20), begins with a familiar theme—one that echoes a powerful moment we just read about on Purim. Last week, we saw Queen Esther faced with a daunting request from Mordechai: to personally intervene with King Achashverosh on behalf of the Jewish people. At first, she hesitated. But then, with unwavering determination, she declared:

“Go, and gather all the Jews found in Shushan and have them fast on my behalf, neither eating nor drinking for three days, day and night. I too and my entourage, will likewise fast…!” (Esther 4:16)

With these words, she accomplished something remarkable—she united an entire people. A nation that Haman slandered as “dispersed and disunited” came together in complete unity.

But Esther wasn’t the first to achieve this. Centuries earlier, Moshe Rabbenu did the same. As our parsha begins, we read:

“And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel and addressed them…”

Two great leaders, two very different moments—one in the face of destruction, the other in the joy of building the Mishkan. Yet both moments share the same core message: the power of unity, of coming together for a higher purpose.

Moshe’s first message to the gathered nation was about Shabbos, emphasizing the sanctity of time before detailing the construction of the Mishkan. And when he finally called upon the people to contribute, it wasn’t just the wealthy or the powerful who responded. It was everyone—“all whose hearts moved them, and all the generous of spirit,” as the Torah describes. And their enthusiasm was overwhelming! So much so that Moshe had to tell them to stop—they had given beyond what was needed.

The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, the great 18th-century commentator, marvels at one particular phrase in the parsha:

“And all the Congregation of the Children of Israel departed from Moshe’s presence.”

Why did they rush away without even asking permission to leave? The answer, he explains, is beautiful. Their hearts were so ignited with passion for this holy task that they couldn’t wait a second longer. Their spiritual enthusiasm completely overtook them!

But here’s the most amazing part: their enthusiasm didn’t fade. It didn’t fizzle out like a momentary spark. Instead, it grew stronger—like a snowball rolling down a hill, gathering momentum as it moves. They gave more and more until they had to be told to hold back.

This is what I like to call “the sacred moment.” Sometimes, a single experience—a moment of true unity, of connection, of inspiration—has the power to ignite something much greater.

Rav Chaim Zeitchik, of blessed memory, explains this idea beautifully. He draws on a teaching from our sages: “If one sanctifies himself even a little in this world, he will be sanctified so much more in the next.” Or another well-known saying: “If one opens up even the smallest space, like the eye of a needle, Hashem will open for him the gates of the Temple.”

This is the snowball effect of spirituality. A small spark of holiness, if nurtured, can grow into something vast and powerful.

We see this same concept in Pirkei Avot: Mitzvah Moreres Mitzvah—one mitzvah leads to another. A single act of goodness, of faith, of inspiration, can set off a chain reaction, making us stronger, more connected, and more whole.

And sacred moments like these? They’re everywhere. We find them in Torah study, in tefillah, in the laughter of children, in the beauty of nature, in a song that moves our hearts, in a shared moment of grief, in a joyful dance.

But perhaps the greatest sacred moments are those of togetherness. Just as Moshe gathered the people, just as Esther united them in prayer, we, too, have the power to create and embrace these moments of unity. And if we hold onto them, if we let them grow like rolling snowballs, they can transform us—individually and as a people.

May we all learn to recognize and cherish these sacred moments. And may we allow them to expand, to flourish, and to make us a true am Kadosh—a holy and united people.