Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Tzav Change of Clothes By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל הַלַּיְלָה עַד הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּו: וְלָבַשׁ הַכֹּהֵן מִדּוֹ בַד וּמִכְנְסֵי בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל בְּשָׂרוֹ וְהֵרִים אֶת הַדֶּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכַל הָאֵשׁ אֶת הָעֹלָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְשָׂמוֹ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַֹ: וּפָשַׁט אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים וְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַדֶּשֶׁן אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה אֶל מָקוֹם טָהוֹר: “Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Command Aharon and his sons, saying: This is the law of the olah -offering: It is the olah -offering [that stays] on the flame, on the Mizbe’ach , all night until morning, and the fire of the Mizbe’ach shall be kept aflame on it. The Kohen shall don his fitted linen Tunic, and he shall don linen Michnasaim on his flesh; he shall raise the ashes which the fire will consume of the olah -offering o

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת ויקרא Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (1:1) The Baal Haturim writes that the small aleph in “ Vayikra ” was a compromise between Moshe and Hashem. Moshe only wanted the Torah to say “ Vayakar ” to express that Hashem only happened to appear to Moshe as the Torah expresses when Hashem went to Billam. So, the compromise was to have the aleph but in smaller font. The question is though: Granted Moshe was the humblest man who ever lived, however, humility does not mean sinking to a low-life level of Billam. The middah of anavah sometimes requires one to utilize his full self esteem and specifically do things to show that he represents the will of Hashem. So, how could Moshe suggest that The Torah recall his encounters with Hashem in the same way it does for Billam? Besides for in this week's parsha by Hashem talking to Moshe by the Ohel Moed , there are two other times in the Torah whe

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayikra The Art of Listening By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר : דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה' מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם “He [Hashem] called to Moshe and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: Speak to the B'nei Yisroel and say to them: When a person from among you will bring an offering to Hashem: from the animals – from the cattle and from the flocks you shall bring your offering.” -Vayikra 1:1-2             Rashi [1] on this passuk (verse) comments that throughout the Torah there are many breaks. [2] The purpose of these breaks was to give Moshe time to digest and understand what he had been taught by Hashem. Rashi then ends by saying a kal v'chomer: If Moshe, who learned from Hashem, needed breaks for contemplation, then certainly ordinary people such as ourselv

~Thoughts on The Parsha~ Parshas Vayakhel-Pikudei Years to Make, Seconds to Break By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה “Moshe said to the Children of Israel,' See Hashem, has proclaimed by name, Bezalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehuda.” - Vayakhel 35:30             After being commanded to construct the Mishkan and getting over the catastrophe of the eigel ha'zahav , it was time to start building the Mishkan . Moshe told B'nei Yisroel that Hashem has proclaimed by name: Bezalel son of Uri son of Chur as the person in charge of building the Mishkan and its keilim . [1]             The Medrash [2] comments on this passuk (verse) that the passuk is telling us how great a good reputation is. Shlomo Ha'melech tells us in Koheles , [3] “ Tov shem m'shemen tov ”, a [good] name is better than good oil. As Rashi [4] points out, good oil could be poured on