Growing up in Brazil and as the son of a steel trader, I got firsthand exposure to iron ore mines and steel processing. I got to accompany my father to the port where rolled steel was loaded onto cargo ships headed to Japan to make Toyotas, Hondas, Mazdas and Nissans.

As a teenager in a parts warehouse in New York, I handled the brake pads, the filters, the belts, the spark plugs, the batteries, the exhaust pipes and all the many other parts that were replaced in the maintenance and repair of vehicles.

As a sales engineer for a welding company, I travelled throughout the American “rust belt,” as well as European manufacturers, where I saw cars and car components manufactured and assembled. Through experience I have received a visceral understanding of the global supply chain in general and the automotive one in particular.

From digging up the raw materials, to primary, secondary and tertiary processing, production and assembly, there are an insane number of steps to fabricate the car you’re driving, the phone you’re holding and most other manufactured products.

Behind the supply chain are millions upon millions of people. The manpower required to sustain the supply chain is equally mindboggling. The item that you so casually ordered with one click on Amazon has actually been decades in the making.

The infrastructure that was required for the manufacturing plant. All the companies and suppliers that have their own manufacturing activities to support and feed and supply the final manufacturer. The design, the engineering, the construction, the raw materials, the energy, the fuel for the energy plant, the transmission lines, the labor, the transport, housing, and care of the labor. The list goes on and on.

A lot of pieces, a lot of material and a lot of people. And that is exactly what I think about when I read about the construction and assembly of the Tabernacle, the final narrative in the Book of Exodus.

The final two readings of the Book of Exodus are named Vayakhel and Pekudai (Exodus 35-40).

Note for calendar geeks: these two portions are commonly read together on one Sabbath, except sometimes on leap years, which in the Hebrew calendar adds an extra month, when several “double” readings are then split up.

The reading of Vayakhel starts by reintroducing us to the concept of the Sabbath, the prohibition of working on it, including making a fire.

God then calls upon the children of Israel to contribute gifts for the construction of the Tabernacle. There is a call for gold, silver, copper, all types of fabrics and yarns, wood, oil and spices. There is also a call for skilled labor, goldsmiths, silversmiths, tailors, weavers and woodworkers. The people of Israel give generously, to the point that the artisans need to tell Moses to announce that they’ve received more than enough and they should stop the contributions.

Everyone gets to work to construct all the elements of the Tabernacle, exactly as it was described in the preceding readings of Terumah (Exodus 25-27) with a focus on the architecture and components of the Tabernacle, and Tetzaveh (Exodus 27-30) with a focus on the garments of Aaron, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) and his sons, the Kohens. There is a nice parallel in that the reading of Terumah has the instructions of the Tabernacle while Vayakhel has the implementation. Similarly, the reading of Tetzaveh has the instructions for the priestly garments while Pekudai has their implementation, as well as the final assembly and consecration of the Tabernacle.

Two people in particular are singled out as the key artisans of the Tabernacle endeavor: Betzalel son of Uri son of Hur from the Tribe of Judah, and with him is Oholiav son of Ahisamach from the Tribe of Dan. Together they lead an untold number of artisans in making a long and detailed list of components according to their exact measurements, that include:

• tent and coverings, clasps, planks, bar, posts, sockets;
• the ark, its poles, cover and curtain;
• the shewbread table, poles, utensils (and baking the bread that goes on it);
• the candelabrum (Menorah), furnishings, lamps and oil;
• the Incense Altar, poles, anointing oil, aromatic incense and entrance screen;
• Burnt offering Altar, copper grating, poles and furnishings;
• Laver and its stand;
• Hangings of the enclosure, posts, sockets and screen for gate of the court;
• Pegs for the Tabernacle as well as the enclosure and their cords;
• The vestments for Aaron and his sons.

The tribal chiefs are noted for bringing the precious stones that would form an integral part of the Kohen Gadol’s breastplate.

The reading of Pekudai starts by giving an accounting of some of the material used and for which components:

• Gold: 29 talents (a measure of weight) and 730 shekel (another measure of weight);
• Silver: 100 talents and 1,775 shekel;
• Copper: 70 talents and 2,400 shekel.

After all the work is complete, God instructs Moses to assemble the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month (which we understand to be the first day of the month of Nissan of the second year, meaning this is about one year after the Exodus). Coincidentally, this year, the 1^st of Nissan falls next Thursday, March 19.

Moses puts it all together. He assembles the structure of the Tabernacle:

• Places the Ark of the Covenant inside it;
• Placed the Table of the Shewbread, with the bread;
• Places the Menorah and lights it;
• Places the Golden Altar and burns its incense;
• Places the Burnt offering Altar and burns its offerings;
• Places the laver and puts water in it for washing;
• Puts up the enclosure around the Tabernacle and Altar and the screen at the entrance.

When Moses completes the construction, the cloud that had been accompanying them covered the Tent of Meeting and the presence of God filled the Tabernacle. Moses himself wasn’t able to enter at that moment.

The end of the reading and of the entire Book of Exodus tells us that when the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, it was a sign for Israel to continue their journey, but when the cloud stayed put, they did so as well.

A cloud would be over the Tabernacle by day, while fire would be over it by night, throughout Israel’s journey.

So ends the Book of Exodus. It starts off with the growth of the family of Jacob into the nation of Israel. It tells of their subjugation and slavery at the hands of the Egyptians and our miraculous Exodus. It introduces us to the story of Moses, his birth, early years and his selection by God as Israel’s redeemer. We read about the Ten Plagues, the Splitting of the Sea, the Revelation of God and the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Then the Book of Exodus pivots from a mostly narrative form to an introduction to God’s laws. Following that, we focus on the design and construction of the Tabernacle, which houses the Tablets of the Law. In a sense the Tabernacle is meant to be a “portable Mount Sinai,” holding within it a concentrated and tangible communication from God to the people of Israel, for them to take with them during all their journeys.

Next week we start the Book of Leviticus, which deals primarily with the sacrificial services in the Tabernacle. It may be unfamiliar and even alien for people who haven’t come across it before, but I will do my best to present it and as always, find some connection to the automotive world.