The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Vayakheil-Pekudei – Priorities! Priorities!

A story is told of a nobleman who was traveling through the forest when he noticed a large number of trees that had been used for target practice. To his amazement, every arrow was nestled perfectly in the bull’s-eye.

He could not help but marvel over the perfect marksmanship. “Who might possess such extraordinary talent,” he mused?

As he stood there marveling, he beheld a young man off in the distance shooting arrows. He immediately ran towards the boy. “Are you the sharpshooter who has landed all those bull’s-eyes?” he asked. “That is correct sir,” replied the young fellow with a sheepish grin. “You are an awfully talented individual. Where have you acquired such remarkable skill?” “To be honest,” said the lad, “I have developed my own foolproof technique.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayakhel Pekudei

The Rebbe says:

1. This year the Parshas (Torah portions) of Vayakhel and Pekudei are read together on one Shabbos.

2. We know that generally the name of something hints at what the thing is all about. This is especially so with regards to the name of a Parshah (Torah portion) because everything in the Torah is perfectly exact.

Let us examine our two portions of this Shabbos and see if their names fit with their content:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) to tell the Jewish people that they should atone for sinning horribly with the golden calf (see Chapter 32, Verses 1 through 6 which deals with the sin). Hashem tells the Jewish people that they can atone by giving a Ma’cha’tzis Hashekel (a half of a coin called a “shekel”) to the Mishkan (the Tabernacle).

The sage Rebbi Meir tells us that when Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that the Jews can atone by giving a half of a shekel Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand. To help Moshe Rabbeinu understand, Hashem took out a coin of fire from under His throne of honor (His Kisay Hakovod) and showed it to Moshe Rabbeinu. (See Jerusalemite Talmud, Tractate Shekalim, Chapter 1, Halachah 4).

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa – Do Jews Have Horns?

In the Torah portion that we read this Shabbos, Parshas Ki Sisa, the Torah relates that when Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of Tablets, the skin of his face was radiant. When Aaron and the people of Israel saw that his face was shining with a brilliant light, they were afraid to approach him.

Moshe summoned them and related to them everything that G-d had relayed to him on Mount Sinai. When Moshe finished speaking with them, he placed a mask upon his face.

The Torah further relates that whenever Moshe came before G-d to speak with Him, he would remove the mask. He would then go out and convey all that he had been instructed to the people of Israel. Moshe would then replace the mask upon is face until he would come to speak with G-d once again.

A Sichah for Purim

The Rebbe says:

1. The Megillah (the scroll which we read the “Book of Esther” from) describes the wicked haman as “haman the agagite”. Agag was a King of the amelekites and the wicked haman descended from this King.

Question: Why is the wicked haman described as “haman the agagite”, and what does this have to do with Purim?

2. The Rebbe now builds the foundation for the explanation:

The Haftorah (a text selected from “The Prophets” which is read on Shabbat after the Torah reading) which we always read on the Shabbos before Purim tells us the story of king agag:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Tetzaveh

The Rebbe says:

1. At the conclusion of this week’s Torah portion, the Torah tells us about the Mizbe’ach Ha’za’hav (the Altar covered in gold).

2. Our Sages tell us that the Altar covered in gold, and the Altar covered in copper which the Torah told us about in last week’s Torah portion, cannot become impure (Tamei) no matter what touches it.

There are 2 reasons given as to why the Altars cannot become impure:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Terumah

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells the Yidin (Jewish people) to make a dwelling place for Him; the Jewish people are to take 13 different types of supplies and donate them to the Tabernacle (Mishkan). Hashem then promises the Yidin that He will rest in the Tabernacle that they will make for Him (Chapter 25, Verse 8).

Hashem was saying that even though the Tabernacle would be very limited to an exact size and specific materials, He would rest there. Even though the Tabernacle would go with the Yidin on their journeys throughout the desert and be moved from place to place, Hashem promises to rest there.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Terumah – To Give Or To Get?

Irving and Seymour were good friends. They enjoyed their retirement years fishing and boating together. One day as the two were out on the water, a storm blew in out of nowhere. Before they knew it, they were in the water gazing at their capsized boat.

Irving, who was a good swimmer, knew that his friend could not swim. He immediately spotted him and tried to help. But it was to no avail. As much as he begged Seymour to give him his hand, he would ignore him. He, in fact turned away defiantly.

When Irving finally returned to shore without Seymour, he found himself standing face to face with Seymour wife who demanded an explanation.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Mishpatim – Church and State

The highlight of last week’s Torah portion was the Ten Commandments. Our portion – Mishpatim – opens with the statement: And these are the ordinances.”

Rashi comments that the juxtaposition of this portion- which deals primarily with civil and tort law – and the Ten Commandments discussed last week, teaches us that just as the holy Ten Commandments originated at Sinai and are thus imbued with G-dly meaning, so too the seemingly mundane civil laws discussed in this week’s portion are from Sinai and possess the same spiritual and G-dly eminence.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Mishpatim

The Rebbe says:

1. A big part of this week’s Torah portion discusses judgments/laws that Hashem laid down for us. One of the laws is about lending a poor person interest-free money:

The Torah says “Eem Kesef Talveh Es Ami, Es Heh’ani Ee’mach, Lo See’he’yey loy K’no’sheh, Lo S’see’moon Alav Neshech – If you will lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, do not act towards him as a creditor, do not place interest upon him” (Chapter 22, Verse 24).

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Yisro

The Rebbe says:

1. In this weeks Torah portion Hashem gives the Jewish people his most prized possession- the Torah. Hashem came down on Mount Sinai and gave us the Ten Commandments (Exodus, Chapter 19, verse16 until Chapter 20, Verse 19).

Hashem’s first commandment to the Jewish people is “A’no’chee Ha’va’ya E’lo’kecha asher ho’tzay’sicha may’eretz mitz’rayim me’bais avodim – I am Hashem your G-d Who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves” (Chapter 20, Verse 2).

2. In the following paragraph the Rebbe introduces a teaching which will be the basis for a question:

Myth: Lubavitchers Wear Black Hats

I used to think that Lubavitchers wore black hats.

A year spent in Tzfas and witnessing one of the world’s most lively and cohesive bunches of Lubavitchers changed my mind. It’s become pretty clear to me that Lubavitchers definitely do not wear black hats.

Because a Lubavitcher doesn’t wear a black hat, he doesn’t have to get it cleaned by a professional. Nor does he have to put it in a special place when he comes home everyday. When a Lubavitcher travels, he doesn’t have to bring his hat box. For what hat?

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Beshalach

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion the Torah tells us about two wars the Jewish people had (Exodus, Chapter 14, Verses 5-31 and Chapter 17, Verses 8-16). The Egyptians came to wage war with them at the Reed Sea and then later the nation of Amalek attacked them in the desert.

2. The Rebbe now observes how the two wars were handled:

With regards to the war with the Egyptians the Torah tells us that the Jewish people did not lift a finger to fight the Egyptians, Hashem (G-d) fought the war for them. Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) told the Jewish people “Hashem will do battle for you, and you shall remain silent” (Exodus, Chapter 14, Verse 14).

The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Beshalach – Who Is Your Moshe?

Two harrowing centuries of exile and slavery have come to a happy end, as a battery of devastating plagues – no less than ten in total – broke the resolve of the Egyptian tormenters – compelling them to release the children of Israel from their evil clutches.

With their sights now set on Mount Sinai and their long awaited rendezvous with G-d, the Israelites were free at last – well on their way to a future of promise and reward. Or so they thought.

Yud Shvat

1. The Tenth of Shvat is the day that the Previous Rebbe (the 6th Chabad leader) passed away in the year 1950.

The Tenth of Shvat is also the day that our Rebbe officially accepted the seat of leadership one year later (1951).

2. Some information about the Previous Rebbe:

The Previous Rebbe was named (Rebbe) Yoseph Yitzchak Schneersohn and he was the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe. He was born in 1880 in Lubavitch, Belarus. At the age of fifteen he was appointed as the personal secretary of the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe (his father Rebbe Sholom DovBer). At the age of seventeen he married a distant cousin (Nechama Dina Schneersohn). He was then appointed to be the first dean and head of the new network of Lubavitch Yeshivas (named Tomchei Tmimim) in the Russian empire.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Bo

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Parshah Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher):
“The Jews should take a lamb on the tenth day of Nissan and slaughter it on the fourteenth day of the month of Nissan (Chapter 12, Verses 3 and 6). After the Jews slaughter the lamb they shall take some of the lamb’s blood and smear it on their doorposts (Chapter 12, Verse 7). The blood on their doorposts will serve as a sign (that the house is Jewish) and I will pass over their houses and you will be saved from the plague of the firstborn (Chapter 12, Verse 13)”.

2. The Rebbe now asks a question on this:

Why did Hashem tell the Jews to hold the lamb for four days? If they were supposed to slaughter the lamb on the Fourteenth of Nissan, why were they commanded to take the lamb on the Tenth of Nissan?

The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Bo – Born Free

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. – Exodus 7:3

Come to Pharaoh (and warn him) for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order that I may put my miracles in his midst. – Exodus 10:1

The Mishna states, “If a person says, ‘I will sin, and then I will do Teshuvah (repent),’ then he is not granted the opportunity to do Teshuvah” (Yoma 85a). This appears, at first glance, to suggest that the person is denied the free choice of a later Teshuvah.

However, the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya (Igeres Hateshuvah ch. 11) that it is still possible for this person to do Teshuvah if, “he pushes himself hard and overcomes his evil inclination,” and then, “his Teshuvah is accepted”.

The same could be argued for Pharaoh, G-d did not take away his free choice; rather, through the evil acts of persecuting the Jewish people he numbed his soul, making it more difficult for him to do Teshuvah. – The Rebbe