B"H

Friday, Adar1 17, 5779 / February 22, 2019

In this week’s Parsha, Ki Tisa, we read about Moshe’s breaking of the Tablets, as he came down Mount Sinai when he saw the Golden Calf.  We also read that after Moshe prayed for their forgiveness, G-d gave him a second set of Tablets.

Q.   What happened to the broken Tablets?

A.  They were kept together with the Second Tablets inside the Ark.

Q.  Why were the first Tablets so special that they were preserved after getting the second Tablets?

A.  The first Tablets were completely the work of G-d.  The Tablets were Divine made and the writing in them was divinely engraved.  In the second Tablets only the writing was engraved by G-d, but the Tablets themselves were brought up to Mount Sinai by Moshe. They were man made.

Q.    The Parsha tells us that, after the people worshipped the Golden Calf, G-d told Moshe, who was on the mountain, “Go down because your people have sinned, they made a molten Calf.” Yet, only after Moshe saw the Golden Calf did he break the Tablets. Why didn't he break them immediately? After all, G-d told him that they made the Golden Calf?

A.  Even though G-d told him that the people sinned; Moshe didn't judge them until he saw it for himself. Our sages tell us that this is a lesson never to judge anyone based on hearsay.

Q.   How long after he broke the first Tablets did Moshe receive the second Tablets?

A.   Eighty days later. It was on Yom Kippur that he came down with the second Tablets.

Q.   What happened to the Golden Calf?

A.  The Torah tells us that Moshe took the calf and burned it in fire, he then ground it to fine powder and scattered it upon the surface of the water and gave it to the people of Israel to drink.  Whoever sinned perished after drinking the water.

Q.   Where did Michelangelo get the idea to put horns on his sculpture of Moshe?

A.  In the Parsha it says that when Moshe came down with the Tablets his face “shone.” The Torah used the word “Koran” which means to shine.  “Horn” in Hebrew is “Keren.”  Michelangelo's Bible was a Latin translation and it was mistranslated to “horns” instead of “shine.”  Moshe definitely didn't have horns!  It teaches us that when studying Torah one must be very careful to study from an authentic and proper translation.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 5:13 / Shabbat ends: 6:17

B"H

Thursday, Adar1 23, 5779 / February 28, 2019

Parshat Vayakhel, which is read this Shabbat, will in some years be combined with next week’s Parsha, Pekudei.  But in other years, as this year, which is a leap year, they are read separately.

Parshat Vayakhel begins with the words, “Vayakhel Moshe,” And Moshe assembled the entire congregation.” This assembly took place the day after Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the Second Tablets. He came down with the Tablets on Yom Kippur and the next day, Moshe gathered the entire congregation and told them about the mitzvah of building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Q.  Why are Vayakhel and Pekudei sometimes combined and sometimes read separately?

A.  The Hebrew calendar has seven leap years in every 19 year cycle.  A Hebrew leap year consists of 13 months. Every Shabbat we read another Parsha of the Torah, thus concluding the entire Torah on Simchat Torah. In a regular year some of the Parshiot are combined in order to finish the Torah on Simchat Torah.  But in a leap year, we need to separate the Parshiot for the extra weeks in the year.

Q.  Throughout the Torah we find that Moshe speaks to the Jewish people relating to them G-d’s laws.  Yet, we don’t find the Torah stating that Moshe gathered the entire congregation. Why is it so important here to tell us that, “Moshe gathered the entire congregation”?

A.  This Parsha is about the building of the Mishkan and subsequently the Holy Temple. The Two Temples were destroyed for two different sins. The First Temple was destroyed because of Idol worship. The Second Temple was destroyed due to hatred and division among the Jewish people.

Although idol worshiping is one of the gravest sins, yet the destruction of the First Temple lasted only seventy years, after which G-d forgave the sin and the Second Temple was built.  However, the Second Temple, which was destroyed two thousand years ago, has not yet been rebuilt.  This shows us how grave is the sin of strife and lack of unity amongst our people.

When Moshe wanted to tell the people about the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), he “assembled the entire congregation.” This was to show them that for the existence of the Temple, in which G-d’s glory rested, it is important to betogether – to be united through peace and harmony.

Q.  The Mishkan and many of its items were made from “Atzei Shitim” – “Acacia wood.” Where did they get the wood in the desert? 

A.  The Midrash tells us that Yaakov (Jacob), through Divine inspiration, knew that G-d was going to command the Jewish people to build the Mishkan. Thus, when he moved to Egypt, 210 years earlier, he planted acacia trees in Egypt and told his descendants to cut them down and take the wood with them when they leave Egypt.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY 

B"H

Tuesday, Adar1 28, 5779 / March 5, 2019

This week's Parsha, Pekudei, concludes the second book of the Torah, the Book of Exodus (Shemot).  In most years, the two Parshiot, Vayakhel and Pekudei are read together.  But this year, being a leap year, they are read seperately.

In the previous Parsha, Vayakhel, we read that the Jewish people donated so generously for the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and it’s contents, that Moshe had to make an announcement not to bring any more contributions. 

In this week’s Parsha, Pekudei, we read how Moshe gives the Jewish people an exact accounting for all the gold, silver, and copper that was donated and for what these precious metals were used. Moshe did this to eliminate any doubt among the people that he personally gained from the contributions.

A Jew is commanded to be very careful in his dealings, so that people should not doubt his honesty. 

According to Jewish law, when one collects for charity and at the same time receives payment for a personal loan, he should not put the personal money given to him in his own pocket, as someone who sees him putting the money in his pocket may suspect that he is taking charity money for his personal use. Instead, the money paid to him should be put in the wallet where he puts the charity money. Only when he returns home and is out of sight, is he allowed to take out whatever is his.

In Europe, Rabbis would travel from place to place to deliver Torah sermons. They were called magidim. They would be paid for their efforts by the villagers who collected money for them. 

Once, a Magid came to the city of Premishlan, where Rabbi Meir was Rabbi.  The Magid delivered a brilliant sermon on Shabbat. After Shabbat, he was presented with the amount of money that the villagers collected.  However, he wasn't pleased with the amount.

Before leaving town, he visited Rabbi Meir's home. He noticed that people came to Rabbi Meir to ask his advice and receive his blessings. In return, they left generous contributions so that Rabbi Meir could help the poor and needy .

"I don't understand," remarked the Magid to Rabbi Meir, "Why do people reward you so generously, while for my sermon, they gave very little?"

"It's simple," replied Rabbi Meir with a smile. "When a person learns from a Rabbi or Magid, he becomes the role model and the person strives to be like the Rabbi or Magid. The townspeople know that I have no desire for money and that I give it all away to the poor.  As a result, they too are willing to give their money away. But you give sermons so you can make money. When the townspeople see that you want money for yourself, they imitate you and they too desire the money for themselves!"

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY