Divrei Mav

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Pekudei. After assembling the parts of the Mishkan (tabernacle) the Moshe (Moses) is commanded to construct the Mishkan. There were many parts of the Mishkan. Such as, curtains, planks, partitions, screens, hooks, sockets, foundation blocks, etc. When the base of the Mishkan was set up, there were, as the passuk says, “a hundred sockets for a hundred talents, a talent per socket…” Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter zt”l, (or the Chiddushei HaRim,) makes a comparison between the one hundred sockets and the one hundred B’rachos (blessings) that we are required to recite every day (did you realize we are supposed to make 100 blessings everyday?). He says just like their are one hundred sockets needed as the foundation of the Mishkan there are also one hundred B’rachos needed to be recited for the foundation of one’s soul. Later in the Parsha Hashem commands Moshe to anoint the children of Ahron as Kohanim (priests). When Hashem instructed Moshe He didn’t j

This week’s Parsha is called, Parsha Vayakhel. Moshe teaches the B’nai Yisroel about Shabbos. It says regarding Shabbos, ”Shashes Yamim Taseh M’lachah U’Vayom HaSh’vei Y’heyea Kodesh ….” On six days work may be done but the seventh day shall be holy for you. Shabbos begins sundown Friday night and ends after sundown Saturday night. The importance of observing the Shabbos cannot be over stated. The Torah teaches us that Hashem created everything and He did so on the first six days of the week but on the seventh day He rested from his work. When we say that He rested from His “work” we are not necessarily talking about work as we typically think of work. Instead, we are talking about the “thirty nine avos m’lachah” or categories of work prohibited on Shabbos. The Thirty Nine Avos M’lachah are: 1 . Sowing (seeding) 2 . Plowing 3 . Reaping (cutting) 4 . Gathering (bundling sheaves) 5 .Threshing 6 . Winnowing 7 . Sorting (selecting, separating) 8 . Grinding 9 . Sifting 10 . Kneading 11 .

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Ki Sisa. Moshe goes up Har Sinai (the mountain of Sinai) and receives the Luchos (tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them). Before Moshe ascended the mountain he told the B’nai Yisroel (children of Israel) that he would return “at the end of forty days” (as Rashi points out). But the B’nai Yisroel miscalculated when he would return and thought that Moshe died on the mountain and they panicked. The B’nai Yisroel wanted a new leader. So they (except for the tribe of Laivi) went to Ahron & told him to make for them a molten image to fill the void left by Moshe's absence. Ahron told them to collect the gold from their wives and bring it to him. The women were opposed to building this structue they are credited very much so for their actions against it. But still the men still collected the gold. Ahron took the gold and formed a calf. The Jews began dancing and singing, they were so happy. While this was going on Hashem told Moshe t

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Tetzaveh. We learn in this week’s Parsha about the Bigdey Kahunah (the priests’ garments). There are two different types of Kohanim (priests), the Kohen (priest) and Kohan Gadol (head priest). The Kohen wore, Kutoness (tunic/long shirt), Michnasayim (pants), Mitznefes (hat), and the Ahvnait (belt). The Kohen Gadol wore a total of eight garments, (four extra). They were the Ephod (a form of apron), M’eel (robe), Choshen Mishpat (breastplate), and the Tzitz (head plate). When the craftsmen made these Bigdey Kahunah (priests’ garment) the materials needed were given from the B’nai Yisroel (Jewish people) to them. Unlike previous donations which were given to Moshe (Moses) first. The question here is why were these donations different? Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l answers by saying that these donations were given to the craftsmen first was because there was a concern that these holy materials would be mixed with the other donated materials and that t

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Trumah. Hashem commands Moshe (Moses) to construct a “dwelling place” for His presence. This dwelling place is in Hebrew called the Mishkan. There were also some very important Kaylim or vessels that needed to be constructed and placed in the Mishkan. We learn about some of those . They are: the Aron (ark) containing the luchos (tablets), the Shulchan (table) which the Lechem HaPanim (show bread) was put on, the Menorah (candelabra), the Mizbayach (alter) where animals were offered, and the copper Mizbayach (alter) where spices were offered. There is a passuk where Hashem commands Moshe how to construct the Mishkan. It says, “from every man whose heart will motivate him you shall take my portion.” Rabbi Moshe Sofer zt”l (a.k.a. the Chasam Sofer) says on this passuk that Hashem didn’t need the gold and silver from the B’nai Yisroel because it would seem ridiculous that Hashem, the Creator of the Universe, would need some gold and silver in his dwe