Monthly Archives: March 2023

Ki Sisa 5780

Ki Sisa

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DON’T STAND ALONE

Dovid Hamelech (King David) held a census using a headcount to get the tally of the number of people in our nation. Shortly afterwards a plague befell the people in which many died. Our Sages teach us that Dovid Hamelech failed to learn the lesson from this week’s Parsha, Ki Sisa, in which the Torah teaches us not to use a headcount to count the people, lest they suffer the consequences. Rather, we must take a coin from each individual and then count the coins, thereby reaching the tally. After these coins were collected they were used for the national cause of building a foundation for the Mishkan.

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Ki Sisa 5779

Ki Sisa

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THEIR PURE INSIDES

The Torah requires every Jew, including every 13 year old boy and 12 year old girl, to judge every other Jew favorably. This means that when we see someone doing something questionable we must give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they did nothing wrong or at least they were not aware of what they did. For a bar mitzvah child or, for that matter, anybody who is not trained in mussar and other forms of Torah greatness, it seems almost impossible. There must be an approach or a perspective that can offer us a grasp on this mitzvah.

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Ki Sisa 5778

Ki Sisa

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HALLOW THE HOLLOW

In this week’s Parsha, Ki Sisa, HaShem instructs us to keep the Shabbos by cease from doing any creative activity just as He ceased all of His creation before the seventh day of creation. When articulating this mitzvah the Torah writes the reason as being ‘because Shabbos is a sign that attaches HaShem to His people’.

The question is that all mitzvos attach us to HaShem. In what way is the Shabbos distinct?

To appreciate the beauty and the function of Shabbos let us use the following model as the Maharal explains.

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Ki Sisa 5777

Ki Sisa

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PURITY AND OPACITY

In addition to the weekly Parsha, KiSisa, we read an additional Prasha, Prasha Parah. Par-shas Parah is the portion in the Torah which instructs us how to purify ourselves from the spiritual impurity that occurs when we come in contact with a human corpse. We read this additional Prasha in preparation for the upcoming holiday of Pesach which requires us to achieve a level of purity.

The question is that today in absence of the Basis haMikdosh (Temple) we do not need to purify ourselves so what is the relevance of this Prasha?

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Tetzave 5782

Tetzave

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CHANNELS OF LIFE

In this week’s Parsha there is an important principle found in Ohr Hachaim Haka-dosh’s commentary. HaShem instructs Moshe “And you, you shall bring close to you, your brother Aharon and his sons to serve Me as Kohanim…” How are we to understand the redundancy of the word ‘you’. Furthermore, it would have been more simply stated if it would say “And you shall bring your brother Aharon and his sons closer to the Kehuna…” What is the implication of “bring close to you”?

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Terumah / PuЯim 5781

Tetzave

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A MODERN DAY MEGILLA STORY

This Purim, before reading the Megillah we will recite the bracha that reflects how HaShem did miracles for us in the days of old in this period of the year. The implication is that even today, thousands of years after the miracle of Purim, in this period of year, HaShem continues to perform miracles to protect us and save us from the evil design of our enemies.

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Tetzave 5779

Tetzave

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TOTALLY RELEVANT

In this week’s Parsha, Tetzave, HaShem instructs His people to create the necessary garments for the kohanim as well as the special inaugurating offerings to be offered at the Mishkan’s inauguration. Last week’s Parsha, this week’s Parsha as well as two more Parshios that we will read in two and three weeks have apparently no relevance to any-one else other than our ancestors living in the desert 3,300 years ago.

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Tetzave 5778

Tetzave

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ICE WATER

In addition to the weekly Parsha, Tetzave, we will read Parshas Zachor. The purpose of this reading is to remember what Amalek did to us when we left Egypt, and to wipe out their memory. Since the Torah is eternal and she records Amalek’s attack on us how can we succeed in wiping out their memory? Rather, the intent of wiping out their memory is to erase their mark on society.

So, what was Amalek’s mark on society? Considering they attacked us 3,300 years ago is their mark still relevant?

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Terumah 5783

Terumah

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HOME BASE

In this week’s Parsha HaShem instructs Moshe “They shall build for Me a Mishkan and I will dwell within them”. Our Sages point out how these words indicate that although we are to build a Mishkan for the Shechina (His Presence) will rest within the people themselves.

The implication appears that the Shechinah’s primary residence will not be the Mishkan but rather the people and their homes. The construction of the Mishkan was only a prerequisite to having the Shechina to dwell among them. However, it is clear that the Mishkan contains the Kedusha because it carries HaShem’s Presence. From the laws of tumah it is evident that one who is tamei may not enter the environs of the Mishkan but is permitted to enter the Jewish homes. So was the Shechina dwelling in the Mishkan or in the midst of the people?

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