Divrei Mav

This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Shemini. The two oldest sons of Ahron, Nadav and Avihu decided to bring a Korban to Hashem in the Kodesh HaKadoshim (Holy of Holies) where only the Kohain Gadol (High Priest) can go once a year (on Yom Kippur). Hashem was very angry at them for bringing a fire that wasn’t requested. When they brought this “alien” Korban Hashem took the fire they used and consumed them in the fire. As the passuk says, “a fire came forth …. and consumed them.” Hashem punished Nadav and Avihu in such a severe manner because they were on an exalted level and great people are judged for every minute detail of every action. After their tragic death, the passuk informs us that Ahron was “silent”. Hashem blessed Ahron for not k’vetching (complaining). Ahron was rewarded by having the next segment of this week’s Parsha addressed to him. This segment is the commandment for Ahron to not drink intoxicating wine. Rabbi Bunam (of P’shis’cha) elucidates on that segment in...

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Tzav. We continue to learn about the Korbanos (offerings) and more of their details. This week we learn specifically, where the Korbanos were brought in the Mishkan (tabernacle). By the Korban Chatas we learn only that it was brought near where the Korban Oleh was brought. The Korban Chatas was brought by a person (Jewish) that did an avairah (sin) so, this was the sin offering. HaRav Mordechai Katz Zt”l writes in his sefer, a beautiful explanation for why the Korban Chatas was near the Korban Oleh. He says that Hashem is coming to teach us the tremendous lesson of not embarrassing others. By placing the Korban Chatas the Korban brought by those who sinned, with other korbanos it was very difficult for others to distinguish between those bringing a Korban oleh and Chatas. This way it would not be so embarrassing for the person bringing a Korban to atone for a sin. There is a well -known story about Rabbi Akiva Eiger zt”l how he demonstrated the...

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Vayikra. Hashem commanded Moshe (Moses) to tell the B’nai Yisroel (Jewish people) to bring Korbanos (offerings) to Hashem. The Korbanos mainly consisted of animals (kosher) and a variety of spices. There are many different types of Korbanos such as the Koraban Olah, Chattas, Shlumim, Aushum, and more. Now one might ask, “why did Hashem want the B’nai Yisroel to bring Korbanos?” The mitzvah of bringing Korbanos is really a “choak” – the “CH” is pronounced like the end of the word “Baruch” (choak is a law in the Torah that we can’t comprehend) but the Michatav M’eliyahu gives a beautiful explanation. HaRav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler z”tl (aka, The Michtav M’eliyahu) explains the reason why Hashem wanted us to bring Korabanos was because when we had just left Mitzrayim (Egypt) we were so accustomed to serving idols with animals, spices, and the like that Hashem wanted us to be able to accept the idea of serving a G-d in a somewhat familiar manner. The...

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...

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Mishpatim. The translation of the word “Mishpatim” means ordinances or laws. This title is very appropriate for this week’s Parsha because there are fifty three mitzvos (commandments) taught, twenty three positive and thirty negative. We will only be discussing a few of them. In this week’s Parsha we learn about the mitzvah of keeping Kosher. Kosher is a “category” for food that doesn’t contain Basar V’chaluv (meat and milk) that were mixed together. We learn that a Jewish person cannot eat milk and meat together, cook milk and meat together, and benefit from food that has milk and meat mixed. But the Halachos (laws) of Kashrus (keeping Kosher) go beyond just mixing milk and meat and today we have trustworthy Rabbanim (Rabbis) who watch how the food in many institutions are prepared/cooked/packaged to ensure the Yiddin (Jews) are protected from eating these foods that are harmful to the neshama (soul) of a Jew. If the Rabbi sees that the food prod...

This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Yisro. In this week’s Parsha Moses’ father-in-law named Yisro, (hence the Parsha’s title) leaves his home of Midyan join up with Moses. He told Moses that he heard of all of the wonders that Hashem preformed and Yisro realized that Hashem is the emes (truth). It is said about Yisro that he studied all the different religions and in the end he knew that Hashem had to be the emes. So, when the B’nai Yisroel (Jewish people) were traveling in the desert Moses’ father-in-law traveled with them for a period of time and then went back home to his family in Midyan. While Yisro was traveling with them he observed Moses and felt “it was not good” the way Moses would have lines of yidden (Jews) come be judged all day until very late at night. So Yisro advised Moses that he would become very weary if he continued to do this. He gave him explicit instructions on how to appoint and train judges to reduce the workload for Moses. Moses being the greatest leader i...