R’ Hirsch connects the first 5 Commandments to the last 5 in a general sense, but I think there’s a 1-to-1 parallel we can draw between them, with an important (and scary) lesson that comes out of it.
Category: Sefer Shmot
Trumah- Giving and Taking
“And take for me Truma” The parsha opens by God asking the Jewish People to donate materials for the building of the Mishkan. It occured to me that unlike modern day projects which often is funded by grants or a single donor or perhaps the government, the Mishkan was actually donated (mostly) by the Jewish… Continue reading Trumah- Giving and Taking
Mishpatim- An Eye for an Eye
“An Eye for an eye…” Rashi explains that if one impales another person’s eye, one must pay that person the worth of his eye. [The worth one must pay depends on the worth of the injured person (with his eye) if he were sold in the marketplace.] So why does the Torah employ the literal… Continue reading Mishpatim- An Eye for an Eye
Yisro- To Warn the Parents About the Children
Decided to explore a Halachik topic from the Parsha this week…From the Sefer KMotze Shalal Rav Do not do Melacha/”work” (on Shabbos) : You, your son, your daughter, etc. Rashi comments: The simple explination is that this verse refers to minors being warned not to do work on Shabbos. Or [you might claim that it… Continue reading Yisro- To Warn the Parents About the Children
Va’era- Separate, but Equal
There is much written regarding the Four references to Redemption used by God in our Parsha- And I will take you out, And I will save you, I will redeem you, and I will take you as a nation. There is also a fifth reference to God bringing us to the Land of Israel. I… Continue reading Va’era- Separate, but Equal
Shemos- Where You Want to Be
23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His… Continue reading Shemos- Where You Want to Be
Thinking of Sacrifice
In this week’s Parsha we come across the interesting halacha of Piggul. This halacha basically says that when bringing a Korban, if the Kohen or person bringing the sacrifice had a thought about eating the Korban at an invalid time or in an invalid place, the entire sacrifice must be discarded and if someone proceeds… Continue reading Thinking of Sacrifice
I am, therefore I must think.
Descartes was wrong. He said “I think, therefore I am,” but in this week’s Parsha we see otherwise. This week, we have a double Parsha of Vayakhel and Pekudei. In Vayakhel, it talks about how Hashem filled Betzalel, Oholiav and all of their helpers with the wisdom necessary to construct the Mishkan and its vessels.… Continue reading I am, therefore I must think.
Shimon and Levi
The Talmud tells us in three places “All is in the hands of Heaven, except the fear of Heaven” (Brachot 33b, Megilla 25a, Niddah 16b). One frequent interpretation of this is that while a person’s characteristics, aptitudes, skills, etc are predestined, one can choose to use this for good or for ill. An agile person… Continue reading Shimon and Levi
Ki Sisa- Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, and Get Back in the Ring known as Life
The parsha commences with the counting of Bnei Yisrael and continues with the sin of the Golden Calf (The Jewish People worship a golden calf, which is considered idolatry.) A question I just thought of was even if the Jewish People thought that Moshe was not returning, why would that prompt them to start serving… Continue reading Ki Sisa- Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, and Get Back in the Ring known as Life