B"H

Thursday, Adar1- 20, 5784 / February 29, 2024

This week’s Parsha, Ki Tisa, relates the story of the Golden Calf.  The Torah tells us, "And the people saw that Moshe delayed coming down from the mountain, so the people gathered around Aaron, and they said to him, 'Rise up and make for us gods that shall go before us; because Moshe, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'"

Aaron knew that Moshe would soon descend from the mountain. In order to delay them, he said, "Go and bring the golden rings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and your daughters, and bring to me."  Aaron figured that the women would refuse to give away their jewelry. Instead, the men brought their own jewelry, and they brought it much faster than Aaron imagined.

According to Midrash, Aaron then realized that if the people will build an idol on their own, they will complete it quickly.  Therefore, he took charge of the job and tried to postpone it until Moshe returned.  However, when Aaron took the gold and threw it into the fire, out came the Golden Calf.  This took place only 40 days after receiving the Torah, while Moshe was still on Mount Sinai.

When Moshe came down the mountain carrying the Two Tablets, seeing the Golden Calf and the people dancing in front of it, he immediately threw down the Tablets, breaking them.   The sin of the Golden Calf was so grave that G-d wanted to destroy the entire nation, but Moshe pleaded with G-d for mercy. 

Moshe’s dialogue with G-d is told in the Parsha in great length. G-d forgave the people, withholding his immediate punishment. Our sages tell us that G-d distributes the punishment in small doses over time.

On fast days, when we remember a tragic event in Jewish history, we read the Torah from this Parsha about Moshe's prayer for the Jewish people and G-d's subsequent forgiveness.

After breaking the Tablets, Moshe went up the mountain and prayed for forty days and came down. He went up Mount Sinai again where he stayed another forty days and returned with the second set of Tablets. The day he came down the mountain with the second Tablets and G-d's forgiveness, was Yom Kippur. Thus, Yom Kippur became an everlasting day for forgiveness and atonement.

Q. The commandment to build the Mishkan, which we read in the previous two Parshiot (Terumah and Tetzaveh), came after Yom Kippur, as a result of G-d's forgiveness for this sin. Why did the Torah change the order of events and tell us about the building of the Mishkan and the half- shekel, which was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, before telling us about the actual sin of the Golden Calf?

A.  Our sages tell us that G-d always prepares the remedy before the plague and the cure before the sickness.  The Torah tells us about the building of the Mishkan and about the giving of the half Shekel, which were the remedy for the Golden Calf, to teach us this important lesson: Before we read about the sin, G-d already tells us about the atonement and cure.  

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.

B"H

Tuesday, Adar1- 18, 5784 / February 27, 2024

In this week's Parsha, Ki Tisa, after telling Moshe to appoint Betzalel and Oholiav to take charge over the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), G-d commands the Jewish people about the observance of Shabbat, “But keep My Shabbat for it is a sign between Me and you for all your generations to know that I, G-d, make you holy.” Although they were commanded about the observance of Shabbat before, G-d mentions it here again to stress that Shabbat takes precedence even when building the Mishkan.

Q.   Why does the Shabbat begin Friday night (at sunset)?

A.    In the beginning of the Torah, after describing what was created on each day, the Torah concludes, "Andthere was evening and there was morning, one day... And there was evening and there was morning, a second day... And there was evening and there was morning a third day... etc."  Thus, we see that the day begins from the preceding evening.  The same rule applies to all the holidays, and to the observance of a Yartzeit, which begins the evening before.

Q.   Why is it customary to turn to the back of the synagogue when reciting the final verse of Lecha Dodi during the Friday night prayers?

A.   In the last verse of Lecha Dodi, we greet the "bride" -- a reference to Shabbat.  We turn around as a gesture of welcoming the Shabbat bride, just as we would face a bride as she enters the room.

Q.   Why do we recite/sing the Shalom Aleichem at home, Friday evening, before the Kiddush service?

A.   "Shalom Aleichem" is the traditional greeting for someone we haven't seen for three days.  Our sages tell us that two angels escort us when we walk home from synagogue Friday night.  When they enter the home and see the Shabbat candles lit, the table set and everything in the home prepared properly in honor of Shabbat, they extend their blessings to our home and family. Our reciting/singing Shalom Aleichem is our greeting and welcome to the angels.

Q.   Why do we have two Challot (loaves of bread) for the Shabbat meals?

A.   To remind us of the Manna which the people of Israel ate in the desert.  The Manna came down every day, except Shabbat.  On Friday, G-d gave the Jewish people a double portion - for Friday and Shabbat.  Thus, we use two Challot on Shabbat to recall the double portion of Manna.

Q.   Why do we dip the Challa in salt, after reciting the Hamotzi blessing?

A.  The table in our home on which we eat our meals is compared to the altar in the Temple. The energy derived from the food we eat should be to serve G-d. Being that the sacrifices on the altar had to have salt on them, we use salt on our personal altar, when we begin the meal with the blessing of Hamotzi.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.

B"H

Monday, Adar1- 17, 5784 / February 26, 2024

In this week's Parsha, Ki Tisa, G-d commands Moshe to count the people of Israel.  However, instead of directly counting them, G-d tells Moshe that, "Each man should contribute a half-Shekel, an atonement for his soul…” By counting the half-Shkalim, Moshe knew their exact number.

G-d used the expression, "Zeh Yitnu", "This they shall give". Because the Torah uses the expression “Zeh” – “This,”our sages say, “G-d showed Moshe a "coin of fire" and told him, "This they shall give".

The half-Shkalim coins were used to make sockets as a foundation to support the walls of the Mishkan. 

Q."What is the significance of the "half" shekel?  Why didn't G-d command them to give a "full" Shekel?  Also, what is the meaning of G-d showing Moshe a "coin of fire" and saying, "this they shall give?"

A.   There are two lessons here.  In the Parsha we read about the sin of the Golden Calf.  The purpose of giving the "Half-Shekel" was, as the Torah says, “An atonement for his soul,” that G-d forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. 

The first lesson is:  To atone for this great sin, it was important that Jews stand united.  Thus the "half" shekel was a sign of unity, for it shows that each Jew on his own is only “a half.”  Only through association and unity with another Jew can they be complete.  

The second lesson is: By showing Moshe a "coin of fire" G-d teaches us that, when giving charity one must do it with feeling, warmth, and compassion.    

Q.   The Parsha also tells us that G-d chose Betzalel, of the tribe of Judah (Yehudah) and Ohaliav from the tribe of Dan to be in charge of the work of the Mishkan.  Why did G-d choose these two tribes?

A.   Here, too, the Torah emphasizes the concept of unity.  The tribe of Judah was considered the greatest of the tribes.  During their travels in the desert, the tribe of Judah led the way.  The tribe of Dan, on the other hand, journeyed last.  The Torah teaches us that in order to build a House for G-d there must be unity between the first tribe of Judah, the last tribe of Dan and every tribe (and Jew) in between.

Rabbi Abish of Frankfort would give almost everything he had for Tzedakah to support the needy. He was asked why he didn't follow the recommendation of the sages not to give away more than one fifth (20%) of one's income?  He would answer:  "Our sages tell us that, 'Tzedakah (charity) saves from death'.  Now, according to Jewish law, in matters of life and death one may transgress almost all Torah prohibitions (except idolatry, immorality, and murder).”

“Being that charity is a matter of life and death, I am allowed to transgress this rabbinical decree, and give more than a fifth!”

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.