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 rai...

~ 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 b...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayakhel-Pikudei Life’s but a Journey By: Daniel Listhaus כִּי עֲנַן ה' עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יוֹמָם וְאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לַיְלָה בּוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל מַסְעֵיהֶם “For the cloud of Hashem would be on the  Mishkan  by day, and fire would be on it at night, before the eyes of all the House of Yisroel in all their journeys.”  - Shemos   40:38             Throughout the  B’nei Yisroel’s  travels through the  midbar  (desert), we as a nation were far from alone. Hashem protected us through the wilderness and provided us with miraculous accommodations. One of the most comforting gifts that Hashem gave us at that time was the clearly visible constant protection of the cloud guiding and guarding the  mishkan  during the day and the pillar of fire filling that role at night. The  passukim  (verses) [1]   desc...

פרשת ויקהל - פקודי Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Where is there a  remez  in the  parsha  to the 39  malachos  ? The Gemara Berachos relates that Hashem told Moshe to tell Betzalel to make “A  mishkan, an aron, and the keilim”.  However when Moshe said this to Betzalel he reversed the order and said to make “An aron, keilim, and Mishkan”. Betzalel responded that he must have misunderstood what Hashem said because the way of the world is to first build a house (mishkan) and then the furniture (aron/keilim). Moshe saw from this conversation that Betzalel was seaking with Ruach Hakodesh. How did he see that from this? Betzalel merely said something that was obvious!?

~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 ...