B"H

Thursday, 30 Adar 1, 5776 / March 10, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

Today is the first day Rosh Chodesh Adar 2.

Our sages tell us that the month of Adar is a very happy month for our people. As mentioned previously, this year is a leap year, in which we have two months of Adar, thus, we should have and enjoy a double measure of simcha – happiness.

This week’s Parsha, Pekudei, is about the finishing of the Mishkan and its contents. The Torah tells us in great detail, how the people, after they finished the Mishkan, brought all the items to Moshe and how he assembled the Mishkan and put it up.

The weight of the walls of the Mishkan was beyond the ability for one person to hold up, yet, Moshe himself put up the Mishkan.

Why did G-d want Moshe to put it up by himself? Because Moshe didn’t take part in any of the construction of the Mishkan. Thus, G-d gave him the opportunity to be part of this mitzvah and to perform the task of putting up the Mishkan.

But Moshe said to G-d, “How can one person attempt to accomplish this?” G-d replied, “You do what you are told to do. You put your hands to it and I will do the rest.” When Moshe finished putting up the Mishkan, a cloud covered the Mishkan and G-d’s presence filled the Mishkan.

There is a lesson in this for all of us. When facing a challenge. G-d wants us to do what we can. The rest He will accomplish.

Every Jew had a part in the Mishkan because everyone contributed toward the building of the Mishkan. In addition, the craftsmen and women who were artistic were involved in the workings of the Mshkan. Moshe only put it all together at the very end.

Q.Why didn’t Moshe contribute toward the Mishkan like everyone else?

A.The Mishkan, through which G-d rested amongst the Jewish people, was proof that He forgave them the sin of the Golden Calf. The contributions for the Mishkan were an atonement for that sin. Every person there at the time was affected by this sin. Even those who didn’t actually worship the Golden Calf themselves, were responsible for not protesting against the actions of those who did. Aaron had a hand in the making of the Golden Calf, despite his good intentions, in order to slow the process so that in the meantime Moshe would be back, still, it was through his actions that the Golden Calf came about.

Moshe was the only onewho had no connection whatsoever to the Golden Calf, as he was on Mount Sinai, while all this took place down below. This is why Moshe, who didn’t need atonment for this sin, was told to take contributions from the people, but not to give himself. Yet, G-d wanted to give Moshe a share in this great mitzvah. He gave him the honor of putting it all together.        

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & CHODESH-MONTH

B"H

Tuesday, 28 Adar 1, 5776 / March 8, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

This week's Parsha, Pekudei, is the last Parsha in the book of Shmot.  

In Pekudei, Moshe accounts for the gold, silver and copper that the Jewish people donated for building the Mishkan. Moshe made sure to give a public accounting for everything donated.

According to the Talmud, one who collects for charity funds must be very careful, both in the way he handles public funds and in the way he handles his own money, so that people won't think he is using charity funds for personal use.

For example, if he finds money in the street, which he may rightfully keep for himself, or if someone pays him back a personal loan in public, he may not put it into his own wallet.  For people might not realize that it is his personal money and think he is taking charity funds for himself.  Instead, he must put the money he found or the loan payment into the charity wallet. Only when he gets home, may he take out the money for himself.  When counting charity money, one must count each coin individually and not two at a time because people might think that he is only counting one while taking one for himself.  Our sages teach us that, "A person must be very careful in all their acts to come clean in the eyes of people."

The Talmud tells the following story about Rabbi Eliezer of Bartusa.  Rabbi Eliezer was very generous.  Once, he went out to shop for his daughter's wedding.  When the charity collectors saw him, they said to each other, "Let's leave before Rabbi Eliezer sees us!  He will give away his last coin for charity."   When Rabbi Eliezer noticed that the collectors were turning away from him, he ran after them and insisted that they tell him about their cause.   "A boy and girl who are orphans want to get married. We are collecting for their wedding."  When Rabbi Eliezer heard this, he said, "The orphans who have no one to care for them are more important now than my daughter who has parents to care for her."  He immediately took all he had, except for one small coin, and gave it to them.     

With his last coin, he bought some wheat.  He put the wheat in the shed outside his house and went to the synagogue to pray.  When his wife came home, she asked the daughter, "Where are the things your father bought?"  The daughter answered, "In the shed."  Rabbi Eliezer's wife went to the shed but she couldn't open the door.  After much effort, she managed to push the door slightly.  The shed was full of wheat from floor to ceiling.

His daughter ran to tell Rabbi Eliezer about the miracle that just occurred.  "Now we will have more than enough to make the wedding," she said.  Rabbi Eliezer replied, "This is a miracle from G-d and we don't deserve to enjoy it more than others who are in need."  Rabbi Eliezer called the poor people of the town and told them that the wheat belonged to them as much as to him.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

******************

In memory of Maragret Schwartz Zoldan, Mother and Grandmother. A warm friend to all who knew her. Dearly missed by her family, even now,  9 years later. May her soul rest in Gan Eden.

Andre, Esther, Zachary, Benjamin, Jonah

B"H

Monday, 27 Adar 1, 5776 / March 7, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

This week’s Parsha, Pekudei, which concludes the second Book of the Torah, the Book of Exodus, is a detailed summary of all the articles which went into the construction of the Tabernacle (Mishkan).

The Parsha begins, “These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony which were counted at Moshe’s command...”

In the Parsha, Moshe gives an exact account of the weight of all the gold; the weight of all the silver and copper which was collected from the people for the construction of the Mishkan.  It also describes the articles which were made from each of these items.

When everything was ready, all the articles were brought to Moshe. When Moshe saw all that the craftsmen and women completed, he was very pleased and blessed them that G-d’s presence should rest in the works of their hands.

Then G-d told Moshe to put up the Mishkan.  G-d gave Moshe the special mitzvah of assembling and erecting the Mishkan.  Although the Mishkan was very heavy and it was impossible for one person to lift and assemble,  a miracle occurred and Moshe put it together all by himself.

Q.  G-d didn’t ask Moshe to give an accounting of all the articles. In fact, the Torah tells us that G-d attests about Moshe, “In all My house he is trustworthy.” So, why did Moshe give an accounting? 

A. The Torah commentator “Ohr Hachayim” says, “No one asked Moshe for an accounting. But Moshe himself wanted to have an exact accounting, because our sages say, “One should always come clean before G-d and before people.”

The Code of Jewish law says, “Even though charity collectors whom we know to be honest do not have to be scrutinized, yet, it is a good idea that collectors for charity and those who distribute charity funds should come clean and give an accounting of all their activities.”

Q.   Why does the Torah write the word Tabernacle twice; “These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony.”  It should have said Tabernacle only once, “These are the accounts of the Tabernacle of Testimony”?   

A.   In this Parsha, when the Torah tells us about the completion of the Tabernacle in the desert, the Torah also hints to the two Holy Temples, which were built in Jerusalem many years later.  Thus, the Torah writes “Mishkan” (Tabernacle) twice to allude to the Two Temples which were built in Jerusalem.         

The numerical value of the word Mishkan (Tabernacle) is 410 which is the number of years the First Temple stood in Jerusalem.  

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY