Three weeks ago, Parshat Terumah gave us a detailed
description of the Tabernacle and all the materials needed to build it. In Vayak’heil, this week, we are presented
with the same list of goods. Now,
however, the weavers weave, the carvers carve, and the Taberacle rises. How splendid it must have been: blue, purple, and crimson against the desert sand. Former slaves, who had toiled so long to
build temples for other peoples’ gods, had finally built one for their own.
Going from plan to action can be tricky. I know scores of people with brilliant
inventions, projects, companies, and scripts … all unrealized. They exist in the mind but not in the
physical world. Oceans of ink have
described best practices to bring an idea to fruition; certain approaches are
more or less effective depending on our personalities and the project we
envision. Some people need to research,
some to sketch. Some want to understand
the context of their idea. Some require
teamwork and some solitude. All of these
are important. But successful projects
all have one thing in common: at some
point, their inventors got started.
If you’ve identified a problem in the world or in your life,
if you have an idea or a vision, get started making it happen. Set aside 15 minutes to begin. Open a document and type a few words. Make a phone call and set up a coffee. Sketch it – on paper or screen, not in your
mind. This week, in the spirit of
Parshat Vayk’heil, take the first step.
Be sure to dream. And
then, be sure to build.
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