Vayakhel – Should Taxes Be Optional?

In a recent presidential debate, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee argued that taxes were way too high. He announced that he had set up an optional tax account and welcomed anyone in his state to pay more taxes than required into that special account.

Not very surprisingly, after many months, only two people actually gave more than necessary. After all, why would someone give more than they were obligated?

However, in our Torah portion this week, where we read about the various donations of raw material that were given for the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, we see a completely different response. Tune in to this week's Parshah Cast to find out the rest of the story and discover one of the deepest secrets of Jewish fundamentals.