Torah Parallels

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Vayakhel Take the First Step By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא ה ' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה : וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחָכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכָל מְלָאכָה “ Moshe said to the Children of Israel, 'See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, from the tribe of Yehuda. He filled him with G-dly spirit, with wisdom, and with understanding, and with knowledge, and with every craft.” -Vayakhel 35:30-31 The passukim (verses) describe the involvement of Betzalel and the chachomim (sages) in the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its keilim (vessels). Betzalel actually received a few personal shout-outs among the passukim because, as Rashi 1 explains, Betzalel was even more devoted to the building of the Mishkan than the others. Why was Betzalel one of the few individuals who were so heavily involved in the building of the Mishkan ? Rash...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Ki Sisa The Power of Potential By: Daniel Listhaus וַיַּרְא הָעָם כִּי בשֵׁשׁ משֶׁה לָרֶדֶת מִן הָהָר וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי זֶה משֶׁה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה הָיָה לוֹ : וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַהֲרֹן פָּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵי נְשֵׁיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶם וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלָי : וַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל אַהֲרֹן : וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם : וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמַר חַג לַה ' מָחָר : וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ מִמָּחֳרָת וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם לֶאֱכֹל וְשָׁתוֹ וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק “ The people saw that Moshe delayed in descending the mountain, and the people gathered around A...

פרשת כי תשא Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About (30:12) Why must B'nei Yisroel be only counted indirectly by using an object? (30:13) When the Torah uses an expression of “zeh” (“this”), it means Hashem showed something to Moshe. What was so complicated about the shekel that Moshe needed a prop to visualize it? (30:18) Why is the kiyur listed in this week's parsha and not in Terumah or Tetzaveh with the other keilim in the mishkan? (30:19) Why was it necessary for the Kohanim to be mekadeish their feet with the kiyur? (31:3-4) Once the Torah already tells us that Betzalel had ruach Elokim, why was it necessary that he have wisdom, understanding, and knowledge? Furthermore, Rashi explains that “da'as” (knowledge) refers to ruach hakodesh. What is the difference between ruach Elokim, which is mentioned explicitly in the passuk, and ruach hakodesh which is hinted to in “da'as”? (31:18) The passuk and Rashi tell us that Moshe learned the Torah fro...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Tetzaveh Passing the Torch By: Daniel Listhaus וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד “ And you will command the Children of Israel that they shall take for you clear olive oil, crushed, for illumination, to light a lamp continually.” - Tetzaveh 27:20 The Torah tells us that Aharon Ha'Kohen was commanded to light the menorah every single night. The verb that the Torah chooses to describe this task of Aharon is, “ l'ha'alos ” (to light; literally – to cause to go up) as opposed to the more common way of expressing the verb “to light” in hebrew, which is “ l'hadlik ” (to light). What is the reason for the Torah's usage of “ l'ha'alos ” instead of “ l'hadlik ”? Rashi 1 is seemingly bothered by this question and explains that the Torah is teaching that Aharon's job was not merely to light the Menorah, but rather to ensure that it would remain ...

פרשת תצוה Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About The Rosh and Ba'al Ha'Turim along with others point out that this is the only parsha which does not contain Moshe's rabbeinu name (since his birth in parshas shemos). Why is this? And why was this parsha chosen to be the one to leave out Moshe's name (especially considering the fact that the reason Moshe's name was erased has to do with an episode in next week's parsha)? The passuk tells us (28:12) that the avnei shoham were placed on the shoulder straps so that Hashem would remember the B'nei Yisroel as a zechus for us. Why does Hashem need us to remind Him of the greatness of the shevatim ? Rashi (29:24) tells us that the “wavings” were to hold back the harmful winds and the harmful dews. What does waving back and forth, up and down have anything to do with chasing away harmful winds and dews? If the Urim V'tumim had incredible powers to let the Kohen Gadol know answers to di...

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