Parsha Ki Sisa Part 2
Ok folks, I left you in suspense what was going to happen with the golden calf, Moshe coming down from the mountain and repentance. But the Halachos this year for Shabbos being Erev Pesach was and is top priority.
11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said: 'LORD, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, that Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people.
L-RD if you destroy this renegade people you will be making a Chillul HASHEM in your anger no matter how justified.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear by Thine own self, and said unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.' 14 And the LORD repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.
Moshe banked on the merits of the Avos and saved the nation.
15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' 18 And he said: 'It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.'
Listen carefully it is not the shouting of war and people screaming at each other and winning or losing but singing.
19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
When it was theory, he managed to calm down the ALL-MERCIFUL but he did not have anybody to control his temper and he lost it to a total rage. In the hotness of his anger, he broke the Luchos.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
If you ever put metal in your mouth as a child to lick it there is not a nice taste. I can imagine a horrible tasting gold drink.
21 And Moses said unto Aaron: 'What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?' 22 And Aaron said: 'Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou know the people, that they are set on evil.
They have fallen completely under the Yetzer HaRa. These three thousand men out of 600,000 or half a percent were the ones that took place in the riot. But the silent majority paid the price for there was nobody to rally them “Whom is in favor of HASHEM come to me!” This is why they were punished. I assume that either Pinchas had not been born or was a small child at this time without the ability to take up the fight.
23 So they said unto me: Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 24 And I said unto them: Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off; so they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.' 25 And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose--for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies--
It is not written but implied that he must have indicate to Moshe that they murdered Hur who tried to stop them. An uncontrolled riotous mob.
26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: 'Whoso is on the LORD'S side, let him come unto me.' And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
Only Moshe was able to rally them and the tribe of Levi at that and not all the tribes or first born.
27 And he said unto them: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.' 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
Brother or brother-in-law and neighbor for the encampment was the Leviim in each section of the camp. Moshe and Aaron in the north but the other sides were close to the tribes. That is why Kohath that was in the south had Reuven and Gad as neighbors and Datan and Amiram when Korach rebelled so it was the with subtribe of Gershon and Merari and their neighbors and in-laws.
29 And Moses said: 'Consecrate yourselves to-day to the LORD, for every man hath been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.' 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people: 'Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto the LORD, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin.' 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold. 32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'
For this reason, Moshe’s name is missing from one Parsha in Shemos
33 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. 34 And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.' 35 And the LORD smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
33:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: Unto thy seed will I give it-- 2 and I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-- 3 unto a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee in the way.' 4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto the children of Israel: Ye are a stiffnecked people; if I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.' 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb onward. 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought the LORD went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp. 8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the Tent. 9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent; and [the LORD] spoke with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door. 11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent. {P}
12 And Moses said unto the LORD: 'See, Thou sayest unto me: Bring up this people; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy ways, that I may know Thee, to the end that I may find grace in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.' 14 And He said: 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.' 15 And he said unto Him: 'If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein now shall it be known that I have found grace in Thy sight, I and Thy people? is it not in that Thou goest with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?' {P}
17 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.' 18 And he said: 'Show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory.' 19 And He said: 'I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' 20 And He said: 'Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.' 21 And the LORD said: 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock. 22 And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand until I have passed by. 23 And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.'
34:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: Unto thy seed will I give it-- 2 and I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-- 3 unto a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee in the way.' 4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto the children of Israel: Ye are a stiffnecked people; if I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.' 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb onward. 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought the LORD went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp. 8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the Tent. 9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent; and [the LORD] spoke with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door. 11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent. {P}
12 And Moses said unto the LORD: 'See, Thou sayest unto me: Bring up this people; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy ways, that I may know Thee, to the end that I may find grace in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.' 14 And He said: 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.' 15 And he said unto Him: 'If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein now shall it be known that I have found grace in Thy sight, I and Thy people? is it not in that Thou go with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?' 17 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.' 18 And he said: 'Show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory.' 19 And He said: 'I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' 20 And He said: 'Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.' 21 And the LORD said: 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock. 22 And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand until I have passed by. 23 And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.'
Parshiyos Vayekhel –Pekudei
Last week we had the laws of Shabbos between HASHEM and the Bnei Yisrael. This week we continue but this time with when we violate the Shabbos for Sofek Pekeuach Nefesh.
35:1 And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them: 'These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
We start off with the observance of Shabbos. But I have never ever spoken in all the recent years of Pekeuach Nefesh and Sofek Pekeuach Nefesh for violating Shabbos in an emergency.
2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of solemn rest to the LORD; whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death.
My Yeshuv is one of the many completely religious areas where driving and work on Shabbos is only done in an emergency. Some of the children of people living here have strayed from the religion and they park their cars outside of the Yeshuv of they visit.
3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.'
This is the only Melacha of the 39 Melachos mentioned in the Torah. The question and dispute among the Rabbis is electricity a division of fire or completing an electronic signal part of building a circuit. In Israel there are switches or clocks that run refrigerators. Sometimes clocks that will turn off a crockpot, oven or even a clock for a gas range.
Last week, our Yeshuv experienced two examples of Sofek Pekeuach Nefesh. The first a power failure three blocks up the hill from me in a transformer fire that shut off all the electricity to the Yeshuv. Since some people need electricity to run Oxygen Generation, CPAP machines, heating a home for an infant, etc. it was a no-brainer that I would call the electric company a few minutes to Shabbos.
At this point a question arose. I have hot water in an electric 60 cup unit and Chutney in a pot how could I depend on the cooking if the electricity was off long enough for it to cool. Rabbi Mimran Shlita said that the electrical company was busy with Sofek Pekeuach Nefesh and therefore once they relit the electricity whether or not the food cooled it was not you will that it would be cooled or it would be reheated as you wanted it heated all the time.
I wanted to add one point about calling the electric company. My call was Erev Shabbos that perhaps sped up their coming to my area for repair. However, the electric company has sensors that tell them where the power is out. The electric company might take more time if it occurs on Shabbos without being called. The difference is saving work on Shabbos done by Druze and perhaps Pekeuach Nefesh Jews. (As I did patrolling the Lebanese, Syria borders and standing guard duty on the Egyptian Border during ‘peace-time’, my son in Lebanon, Gaza and the Shomron.) ONCE SHABBOS HAS OCCURRED, IT IS FORBIDDEN TO CALL ANYBODY EXCEPT SOME EMERGENCY LINE FOR THE POWER SUPPLY OF AN OXYGEN GENERATOR IF THE SPARE OXYGEN TANK IS LOW.
The next morning, the neighbor opposite me, a pediatrician, had is wife call the ambulance for me. During the week, he stood on a chair to change a light. He fell and ended up with screws in his ankle and a fracture in at least one of his calf bones. On Shabbos the bone broke through the skin and started bleeding. His wife took a purse and went to the hospital with him. I told her that there was food for guests in the hospital Synagogue. The Charedim worry about the Orthodox being driven or taken to the hospital and then released with no food or place to travel on Shabbos. Although, one can return after Pekeuach or Sofek Pekeuach Nefesh on Shabbos one might want to be with the patient and remain.
4 And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying:
We now go to the mundane of taking care of the donations of items for the Mishkan and the building of the Mishkan.
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD, whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the LORD'S offering: gold, and silver, and brass;
As the wicked ones did with the golden calf, the righteous did with the Mishkan and more so.
6 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair; 7 and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood; 8 and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; 9 and onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate. 10 And let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded:
Carpenters, metal workers and Jewelers came and volunteered their services and some materials.
11 the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark, and the staves thereof, the ark-cover, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the showbread; 14 the candlestick also for the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt-offering, with its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base;
The brass laver and the taps on it came from the mirrors of the righteous women. For when they heard that Pharaoh put the Gezaira on the boy babies, the men wanted to refrain from reproduction. The woman found red for rouge for their cheeks, blue or green for eye make-up and beautified themselves in front of the mirrors acted enticing and produced more children both male and female.
17 the hangings of the court, the pillars thereof, and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords; 19 the plaited garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.' 20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and brought the LORD'S offering, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all the service thereof, and for the holy garments. 22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and girdles, all jewels of gold; even every man that brought an offering of gold unto the LORD. 23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and giraffe skins, brought them. 24 Every one that did set apart an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering; and every man, with whom was found acacia-wood for any work of the service, brought it.
I can understand getting gold, silver, brass, giraffe skins, red ram skins, scarlet and blue dyed material from Egypt. But where did the acacia wood come from? A board one-meter in width for 20Amos in height that is somewhere between 9 and 10 meters high based on an Amah being what we call a cubit or 18inches = 45centimeters or the Chazon Ish holding it a half-meter in length?
25 And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, and the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair. 27 And the rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28 and the spice, and the oil, for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a freewill-offering unto the LORD; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses to be made.
All this was done by the people who volunteered their services.
30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel: 'See, the LORD hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. 32 And to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33 and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of skillful workmanship. 34 And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiav, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the craftsman, and of the skillful workman, and of the weaver in colors, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any workmanship, and of those that devise skillful works.
These men not only worked but they were the project managers in their area of ingenuity.
36:1 And Bezalel and Oholiav shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the LORD hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD hath commanded.'
…38:1 And he made the altar of burnt-offering of acacia-wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof, four-square, and three cubits the height thereof.
All this section is either Betzalel or Oholiav made this or that as we see in the sentences here and this applied to the cloth of the Sanctuary and the clothing of the Cohanim. Or the Ark, Table and other items needed for conducting the Avoda of the Mishkan.
8 And he made the laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.
This is the source of the story of the righteous women that I mentioned above donating their mirrors.
…9 And he made the court; for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits. 10 Their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. … 20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass. 21 These are the accounts of the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were rendered according to the commandment of Moses, through the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.—
Public use of funds by officials have to be scrutinized by the people and one must give an accounting for their use of public funds that nobody is syphoning off funds for their own personal gain.
22 And Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Oholiav, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman, and a skillful workman, and a weaver in colors, in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.-- {S} 24 All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and three-score and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that passed over to them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men. 27 And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil: a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them. 29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels. 30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tent of meeting, and the brazen altar, and the brazen grating for it, and all the vessels of the altar, 31 and the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.
This is the accounting given over to the public to see and interact.
39:1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made plaited garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD commanded Moses. 2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into threads, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the skilful workman. 4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, joined together; at the two ends was it joined together. 5 And the skilfully woven band, that was upon it, wherewith to gird it on, was of the same piece and like the work thereof: of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses. 6 And they wrought the onyx stones, inclosed in settings of gold, graven with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel. 7 And he put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Although G-D commanded and was watching, the people were able to see an honest accounting and books before them.
… 43 And Moses saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it. And Moses blessed them.
Moshe oversaw everything and as the project ended as HASHEM had placed the picture in his mind on Mt. Sinai but it overwhelmed him. Betzalel and Oholiav received the same prophecy and knew immediately what had to be done.
40:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
Rosh Chodesh Nissan or the first new month in the Spring.
3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and thou shalt screen the ark with the veil. 4 And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the bread that is upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5 And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle. 6 And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water therein. 8 And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court. 9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof; and it shall be holy. 10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar; and the altar shall be most holy. 11 And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it. 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
This theme and the consecration of Aaron and sons will continue in Sefer Vayikra.
13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office. 14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and put tunics upon them. 15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office; and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.' 16 Thus did Moses; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
As HASHEM commanded.
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month.
The date of the establishment of the Mishkan.
…33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
Moshe physically took an active part with the pulling up of the boards of the Mishkan.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
While the camp rested.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
For the L-RD, HIMSELF, had compacted (Tzumtzum) into the area between the Cheruvim. While we say Holy, Holy, Holy is HASHEM ZAVAKOS the whole earth is filled with HIS glory is not a contradiction as nothing can exist without HASHEM but the main manifestation in the whole universe or theoretical universes as cosmologist postulate was in the small space between the Cheruvim.
36 And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
They traveled or rested by the guidance of HASHEM.
38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Their travels were miraculous by a cloud and pillar of fire.
Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak
Parsha HaChodesh Shemos 12:1 - 20
This section deals with HASHEM telling Moshe how to establish the Calendar according to the sighting of a new moon as shown to Moshe. Nissan starts the year for the reign of kings and holidays. Moshe was shown how to accept the witnesses in the Sanhedrin and question them. Also taught to Moshe was how to calculate the months and to add 7 times in 19 years a leap month making the Hebrew Calendar more precise than the standard Solar Calendar of the Nations. Mohammed took Zin the Moon god of Mecca and made him into Allah but when he took the Calendar from the Jews, he did not learn the intercalculation of a leap month.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Rabbi by Rabbi Y. Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5781/pdf/s1212RebbeDworkin.pdf
A little over twenty years ago a family in Tsfat had a new baby boy. The father of the baby decided to hold the bris Mila [circumcision ceremony] in the town of the person who had facilitated his teshuva [return to traditional Judaism] process, a certain chasid, Rabbi F.S. from northern Israel, whom he would honor to be the sandak [the one holds on his knees the infant being circumcised].
The night before the bris, still in Tsfat, the father and some friends gathered for a farbrengen, where the following story about F.S. was told.
In 1976 the Lubavitcher Rebbe launched a campaign that the Tanya should be printed wherever Jews live. The idea was to spread through the entire world the teachings of Chasidus. Chasidim began printing editions of the Tanya in cities and towns and remote outposts all around the globe.1
F.S. considered how he could get involved. He came up with the idea of printing the Tanya in pocket-sized format so it could be easily carried anywhere. This would surely add to the purification of the atmosphere of the world through the study of Tanya on trips and on the road.
F.S. decided to dedicate this edition to the Rebbe as a gift.
He first asked the Rebbe permission to follow through on his idea and he also offered to include notations on the pages following the daily study calendar. The Rebbe gave his approval to the printing but did not agree to have the notations inside the body of the work, saying it was not yet the time for this.2
The main problem was preparing an edition that would fulfill opposing requirements; that it should be pocket-size while also having a large, clear print. After many attempts, he was successful. He sent the edition to the Rebbe and hoped to receive the Rebbe’s blessing and encouragement, but he received no response at all. This distressed him greatly.
During this same time period, F.S., who had already committed himself to various penitential practices, decided also to begin a schedule of regular fast days. At first, he fasted on Mondays and Thursdays, but then he extended his fasting throughout the week. He ate only at night. This he did for ninety days!
That year, F.S. planned on traveling to the Rebbe. When he arrived at 770, he submitted a letter about his arrival and mentioned his fasting. Not even two hours went by and already Rabbi L. Groner [one of the Rebbe’s secretariat] was looking for him. He had a response from the Rebbe:
“The directive of the ‘Alter Rebbe 'in Igeres HaT’shuva [Book 3 of Tanya] is known, that in our generations one should not fast etc., aside from the fasts we are obligated in, and especially as this is actually the practice of Chabad chasidim --to conduct themselves this way. Therefore, you should immediately annul the aforementioned practice --being that you have done it more than three times [and thus it has the binding power of a vow] -with a Lubavitcher Rav [rabbinical authority] and do as all Chabad chasidim do, and may Hashem [G-d Al-mighty] grant you success to serve him with joy, as per the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov [that the verse] “assist, you shall assist him” [Ex. 23:5] refers to the soul aiding the body.3
F.S. asked R’ Groner what he should do. R’ Groner advised him to go to Rabbi Zalman-Shimon Dworkin’s home, as he was the official Rav of Crown Heights, and he would be able to annul the vow aspect of his fasting.
F.S. went to R. Dworkin straightaway and told him what happened. R. Dworkin examined the Rebbe’s answer and said that he thought the Rebbe did not want him to cancel his vow retroactively but only henceforth. The fasts that he did until that point should remain in force.
R’ Dworkin called in two other men and in their presence asked him whether he would have fasted had he known that the Rebbe would be displeased. When F.S. responded ‘No,’ the Rav said his vow was annulled from then on.
R’ Dworkin immediately got up and left the room. He soon returned with a plate of cake and a bottle of wine, and announced to F.S. to eat something and also drink some of the wine and say l’chaim.
After that, they got to talking and F.S. told him about printing the pocket-size edition of the Tanya and his tremendous disappointment about not receiving feedback from the Rebbe. R’ Dworkin smiled and said he had a story to tell:
A Jewish student in an American medical school became involved in Judaism and started living his life according to Torah. He exerted himself for four years and did well on his tests. He was then told that the last thing he had to do was an autopsy. If he did that successfully, he would receive his medical degree.
The student was a Kohen and remembered that Kohanim cannot come in contact with a dead body, so he did not know what to do about this final requirement; to refuse to do it would be for him a tremendous challenge. He didn’t know if he could stand up to it.
After making inquiries, he was told that the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Brooklyn was the one to consult. He sent the Rebbe a letter and the answer was to speak to R’ Dworkin. The student went to R’ Dworkin’s house and told him the situation. R’ Dworkin said, “You cannot dissect cadavers since you are a Kohen and Jewish Law forbids this. Perhaps you should study dentistry instead. That way, you can receive your degree without having to perform a dissection.”
This was a tough decision for the student since it would entail another two years of study and tests. His parents did not understand his dilemma and were quite upset. “Are you crazy? After so many years of study, you won’t get your degree because you are a Kohen?”
The student eventually decided to do as R’ Dworkin suggested and switched to dental school at the same university. His father was wealthy and paid the tuition, even though he was still angry.
He spent the next two years studying and passed all the tests. However, shortly before receiving his degree, his professor told him that in order to graduate he had to perform a procedure on the mouth and jaw of a cadaver.
Once again, it was a cadaver and his career versus his Kohen status. The student wrote to the Rebbe again and again the Rebbe referred him to R’ Dworkin. He went to the Rav and updated him on the return of this problem.
R’ Dworkin said, “You can’t handle the dead because Jewish Law forbids it. However, I have an idea for you. On the day that the graduation certificates are given, go to the dean’s office and even though he is not Jewish, tell him, ‘Out of all of the mass of humanity there is one special nation, the Jewish people. Among the Jewish people, there is one special tribe, the Kohen-priests. Jewish priests are not permitted to have contact with the dead. I am a member of the Jewish people and I am also a member of this special tribe of priests. Therefore, I cannot operate on the cadaver.’
“Tell him you studied medicine for six years and your test marks prove that you did well in both medical school and dental school. What you are missing is the procedure on the cadaver, which you cannot do. If he wishes to give you your degree without operating, fine; if not, not. Then turn around as though you are leaving.”
The student did what R’ Dworkin told him. He went to the dean and repeated the script. The dean said he could not give him his degree without the operation. When the student heard this, he turned around and began walking out.
A moment later, the dean called him back and said, “Okay, I’ll approve it,” and on the spot he signed both degrees, medical and dental. The student received two distinguished degrees instead of just the one he had hoped for! About a month later, the new doctor called R’ Dworkin and said he was about to get married and he wanted R’ Dworkin to be the officiating rabbi at his wedding, as a sign of appreciation for his help and advice.
R ’Dworkin only officiated at weddings in Crown Heights but since he knew this young man, had guided him at major crises in his life and was impressed by his mesirus nefesh, his preparedness to give up his career and six invested years of hard study, he agreed to officiate.
The driver brought him to the exclusive Manhattan hotel, where everyone was waiting for his arrival. As soon as he arrived, the final arrangements for the marriage ceremony were made. Suddenly a phone call came in from the Rebbe’s secretary!
He told the chassan(groom) that the Rebbe asked that they delay the ceremony a bit. He wanted to deliver a gift to the bride and groom, and the messenger already was on his way.
Out of respect for the Rebbe, everyone waited. The messenger arrived shortly and presented the groom with a pocket-sized Tanya, which he said the Rebbe requested that he hold the entire time while under the Chuppah.
This Tanya, emphasized the messenger, in order to underscore its importance, was always kept in a drawer in the Rebbe’s desk. Yet the Rebbe wished to give it to the chassan who had risked so much for his Kohen status.
When R’ Dworkin finished telling F.S. this story, he surprised him by adding, “What do you think--the Rebbe sent you to me just so I could annul your vow about fasting? The Rebbe wanted me to tell you this story I was personally witness to, so that you would know how much he valued the Tanya you published. Not only was it kept in the Rebbe’s drawer but this was the gift that the Rebbe chose to give the bride and groom. Now you can be certain that your printing it gave the Rebbe much nachas.”
1 As of Dec. 31, 2020, more than 7,500 editions of Tanya have been printed, from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe.
2 It was initiated in the 1980’s.
3 See also Deut. 22:2: “Raise up, you shall raise it up”
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from an article in Derher magazine. The biographic note is excerpted from a multipage article on //CrownHeights.info.
Connection: Seasonal –Monday, Adar 17, is the 36th yahrzeit of Rabbi Dworkin.
Biographic note: Rabbi Zalman -Shimon Dworkin [1901 –Saturday night, Adar 17, 1985] received Smicha, rabbinic ordination, the world-famous Rogotchover Gaon, Reb Yosef Rozin. In 1953, Reb Zalman Shimon and his wife arrived in the United States and lived in Pittsburgh, In1960, they moved to Brooklyn, where he subsequently served as the sole official rabbinical authority of the Crown Heights Chabad community for nearly twenty-five years, until his passing. Still today, many Lubavitcher rabbis throughout the world guide themselves with the halachic (Jewish Law) decisions that Reb Zalman Shimon issued. The Lubavitcher Rebbe would refer people with complicated halachic questions, as well as those with personal dilemmas that needed a bright and caring individual to assist them, to Reb Zalman Shimon. The Rebbe once declared in public, “He is my Moro D’Asra” (my Rav). A significant amount of his writings were published in “Kovetz Razash,” including some of his stories of Chabad history in addition to a sampling of his halachic decisions and correspondence.
My Pesach Repentance tips from Rabbi Rachamim Pauli
The year was 5733 or 1973 my oldest son was about to turn two on Chol HaMoed. Yikes I must have mellowed a bit as he is going to turn 50 this year. My wife as expecting our second son and we were going to host for Pesach my old Yeshiva Buddy Zev.
I had been working as an English Teacher and during my pre-Pesach Vacation worked for the Rabbanut getting store keepers to sell their Chametz and looking into their Kosher Certificates as a quality control check.
What I wasn’t doing was planning my own home Kashering. We had at the time basically kept our son eating only in the Living-Room that doubled as a Dining Room and our small kitchen. Rabbi Kram Shlita ran for the Avrechim and families of the Kiriat Ponevez area and I bought my supplies there even special deodorant, shampoo, etc. It would take a number of years until I found out that ‘Right Guard’, ‘Head and Shoulders’, etc. were approved elsewhere or of chemicals that even a dog would not eat. I suggest looking over the OU – Star K and other organizations Kosher L’ Pesach lists.
I had to kosher the stove at just about the last minute and switch dishes. Let me add that Pesach 5733 fell on Monday evening and it was standard time. Zev obligated me by hiding the Chametz and I searched crawling on the floor and looking in most corners of the house. I found at 1:40 A.M 9 out of 10 crumbs hid in aluminum foil.
Zev had hidden the Chametz at a height about 6 feet from the ground and I would never have found it. Annulling the Chametz, I went to sleep at 2 A.M. to rise at 6 A.M. for the Tractate Finish to prevent fasting as a Bechor. I had gotten something in my eye and it turned to an infection that was only finished after the Yom Kippur War.
The lack of a plan and the last minute rush brought about not dealing with the infection on time. The next year, instead of teaching, I became an electro-mechanical Components Engineer. Suddenly, I went back to the 9th grade in school where l had learned foundry, and various tempers for steel and other metals in Industrial Processes. Other things I learned on the job and visited the storage area to physically see them and handle the items in plastic bags to prevent dusting.
Being an Engineer had me helping with designs and planning out things to meet production schedules. I decided to make a plan to handle my apartment. Starting with Purim the bedrooms and cleaning off the toys. Spring cleaning of the closets and the next week the upper shelves. The oven and stove was koshered a week before Passover and if there was bread in the house only in a small area on one table.
All this was before we had a microwave and one time plates for the microwave that made life easier. Today, 50 years older I no longer crawl on the floor and we clean and sweep up weeks in advance. Rosh Chodesh or thereabout is rug and carpet cleaning with foam spray and vacuuming. The rugs are turned upside down and then revacuumed. We roll up the rugs.
With the exception of milk, meat and vegetables I have most of my Kosher L’ Pesach food this year.
Milestone Rabbi Chananya Eisenbach, 77. https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/5061062/jewish/Rabbi-Chananya-Eisenbach-77-Renowned-Yeshivah-Head-and-Prolific-Scholar.htm#utm
Milestone Grand Rabbi Yechezkel Roth the Karlsberger Rebbe, 86. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298115
Rabbi Lubar passes in the middle of prayers from blood clot.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298092
Tues. Poll Bennett passes Saar. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298128
Milestone Norton Juster, 91. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298254
Friday Polls. Kan poll Rt. 60. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298384
Yisrael Ha Yom poll 61 seats. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298368
Inyanay Diyoma
Pope meets Grand Ayatollah. https://www.debka.com/the-pope-meets-the-grand-ayatollah-in-iraq-not-iran/
Attempted Stabbing attack. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/idf-thwarts-attempted-stabbing-attack-in-west-bank-661277
Islamist daughter admits lie lead to teacher beheading. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298115
Fake news harming vaccine drive. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/SybloB0zd
Like my suspension on Facebook. TN Principal criticizes big Tech gets suspended. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298033
Ed-Op Bibi is scared he sees the polls. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SyYVZuAGd
Meretz may not make the election Threshold and they support the ICC. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298006
Two Israeli Arabs who stole soldier’s gun arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298063
Israeli technology helps fight cancer. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298037
Saudis down 2 Houthi Drones. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298038
Biden’s staff is saving him from himself. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298058
Israeli jailed in Russia for anti-Putin activities.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298047
Chief Rabbi Reform Conversions are invalid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298060
Aguda took the ‘deal of the century’ off the table. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298135
Iranians behind India Blast. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298072
Threat of the week from Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298066
5,000,000 vaccinated. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SywQ3xVQu
https://www.debka.com/nearly-5-m-israelis-vaccinated-infection-drops-below-1pc-after-two-doses/
Netanyahu could win enough. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/297994
Corona test start singing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/297995
Husbands who refuse to give GET punishment in the UK. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298141
Holocaust studies should be in ME. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1wI1180f00
Millionaire pardoned by Trump back on sanctions. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/Hk7ABFVQu
Need Health Care Iron Dome. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SkpIadXmu
12% of the voters will have Covid Restrictions. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/5DSPQE8RL
A cruise for the vaccinated Israel-Cypress-Greece. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298097
Would the Charedim join Saar-Bennett? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298069
Firebombs two shot by the IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298119
Stabbing thwarted. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298074
Mar. 5 Missile strike in N. Syria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/297977
Civil rights but can’t change Halacha. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298014
Despite 2 doses, teacher gets Covid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298009
Child Safety Alarms in autos by August. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298053
Israel targeting now Iranian Tankers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298355
Crown Prince of UAE to invest billions in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298383
Israel & 3 countries conduct naval exercise. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298385
Piers Morgan quits good morning Britain falling on the sword of free speech and thought. https://www.aol.com/entertainment/piers-morgans-leaves-live-tv-171747551.html
Iran testing Biden Admin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298384
Miracle on live TV. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298351
Montreal Synagogue Vandalism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298367
Asked Shas to unite with Aguda. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298362
Shot for younger teens soon. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/BJhtbJOmu
Iranian aggression increases. https://www.debka.com/iran-piles-on-aggression-emboldened-by-us-saudi-israel-restraint/
A good and healthy upcoming month, a pleasant Shabbos peaceful Shabbos and an easy & kosher Pesach cleaning and purchasing,
Rachamim Pauli
