CONGREGATION LUBAVITCH



בס"ד

* PARSHA FUN * נר לאפרים

Interesting items from around the Web

Tezaveh תצוה

Parsha Questions (from ohr.edu)

1. What two precautions were taken to assure the purity of oil for the menorah?

1. How was Aharon commanded to kindle the menorah?

1. What does tamid mean in reference to the menorah?

1. What does kehuna mean?

1. Name the eight garments worn by the kohen gadol.

1. To what does Rashi compare the ephod?

1. In which order were the names of the Tribes inscribed on the ephod?

1. The stones of the ephod bore the inscription of the names of the sons of Yaakov. Why?

1. For what sins did the choshen mishpat atone?

1. What are three meanings of the word mishpat?

1. What was lacking in the bigdei kehuna in the second Beis Hamikdash?

1. Which garment’s fabric was woven of only one material?

1. When the kohen gadol wore all his priestly garments, where on his head was the tefillin situated?

1. What does the word tamid mean in reference to the tzitz? (two answers)

1. Which garments were worn by a kohen hediot?

1. During the inauguration of the kohanim, a bullock was brought as a sin offering. For what sin did this offering atone?

1. Moshe was commanded to wash Aharon and his sons to prepare them to serve as kohanim (29:4). How were they washed?

1. What was unique about the bull sin-offering brought during the inauguration of the kohanim?

1. How did the oil used for the meal-offering differ from the oil used for the menorah?

1. What does the crown on the mizbach haketores symbolize?

I insure a restful day;

I am generally of no use;

I prevent you from “carrying on”;

I am a touchy subject

Thought for the Week:

You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe()

Grab the Clothing

The words and the stories, these are but the outer garb of the Torah. The message, the halacha, the guidance, is the body inside those clothes. The body has a soul that gives it life. And within the soul breathes a deeper, transcendental soul.

Grasp the clothes alone and you are a fool. Grasp straight for the body and the soul - you will come up with nothing, for they are not graspable, they are G-dly wisdom and you are a created being.

Rather, examine the clothing well and see how they bring out the deepest beauty of the body and soul within, just as clothes and jewelry bring out the beauty of the one for whom they are designed.

Thanks for contributing to the Parsha Fun page: ohr.edu; The Kosher Net; Torah Tidbits; L’chaim Weekly; Eishes Chayil Newsletter, Aram Soba Foundation, Rabbi Shimeon Raichik;

Answer: Muktzeh

I Did Not Know That!

“And its sound will be heard (v’nishma) when he enters the sanctuary...” (28:35)

The word “v’nishma” occurs only three times throughout Tanach:

• Here, regarding the Temple service

• In the verse “naaseh v’nishma — we will do and we will hear” regarding Torah study (Shemos 7:7)

• In the verse from Megillas Esther “v’nishma pisgam hamelech...ki raba — and the word of the king will be heard...for it is great.” (Esther 1:20). This alludes to the Talmudic statement that the Megillah reading supersedes both Talmud Torah and the Temple service. That is, the Megillah reading, alluded to by the above verse “and the word of the king will be heard...” supersedes the other two, “for it is great — ki raba,” greater than even Temple service and Torah study.

|Item |Atones For |Preventative Measure |

|חשן משפט |עוות דין |שרודף צדקה |

|Breastplate |Distortion of justice |That Pursues Justice |

|429 + 358 (+2) = 789 | |199+590 = 789 |

|אפוד |עבודה זרה |Angel מלאך |

|Ephod - (apron) |idol worship |91 |

|91 | |Amen אמן |

| | |Faith |

|מעיל |לשון הרע |פה הגון |

|robe |Derogatory / slanderous speech|Proper Speech |

|150 | |64+85 (+1) = 150 |

|כתנת |שפיכת דמים |ממנה לב שקט בארץ |

|Tunic |bloodshed |from it a quiet heart in the land |

|870 | |293+409+32+135 (+1) = 870 |

| | |(outside of Israel the tendency for murder is greater) |

|מצנפת |גאוה |רוחו יהי' שפל |

|Turban |haughtiness |he will have a humble spirit |

|660 | |410+30+220 = 660 |

|אבנט |הרהור הלב |contemplate themהוגה בם (words of Torah) |

|Sash |improper thoughts |42+19 (+2) = 62 |

|62 | |and speak in them (words of Torah) |

| | |and contemplate it (Torah) day and night |

|מכנסים |גילוי עריות |טהרה |

|pants |forbidden relations |Spiritual Purity |

|220 | |219 (+1) = 220 |

|ציץ |עזות מצח |מכבד כלל אדם |

|Forehead-plate |chutzpah |honoring every person |

|190 (+1) = 191 | |45+80+66 = 191 |

חידון

By Rebbe Chaim Steinhart

1. “Always” which is not always __________________________________

2. The first drop __________________________________

3. Eight and four __________________________________

4. An ornament __________________________________

5. It lights up – without electricity! __________________________________

6. Two upon which are six (on each) __________________________________

7. A worm in our Parsha __________________________________

8. Egg shaped __________________________________

9. A judge but not human __________________________________

10. A fruit like this is eaten on Rosh HaShonoh as a sign _____________________

11. Atones but its not a person __________________________________

12. Adorns the one who ties it round himself _____________________________

13. Oil which is neither for food or lighting _________________________________

14. Connected to the third Parsha of the third Sefer _________________________

15. Connected to the death of the two sons of Ahron ____________________

16. The interior one had only two but the exterior had four ____________________

17. Two times twice __________________________________

18. Connected to Yetzias Mitzrayim __________________________________

19. Becomes holy through touching __________________________________

20. Two cups with holes in it! __________________________________

[pic]

[pic]TM

Parshas Tetzaveh by O. Werner © 1998 Yossi & Co. is brought to you by Ohr Somayach

|[pic] |[pic] |

|[pic] |[pic] |

|[pic] |[pic] |

PRAYER

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.  The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to G-d.

However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.

The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife would leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive G-d's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

What's in a Jewish Name? by Rabbi Meir Salasnik, Bushey Synagogue

MAYBE YOU ARE NOT ASHKENAZI

The definition of who is Ashkenazi and who Sephardi is not clear-cut. Many Eastern European Jews were descended from families who had left Spain or Portugal at the time of the expulsions at the end of the 15th century. This article relates to two such families, the Epsteins and Horowitzes. Two brothers who lived in 13th century Barcelona were Aharon HaLevi and Pinchas Halevi. They were grandchildren of the Razah, Rabbi Zerachiah Halevi, known, by the name of his book, as the Maor. He, in turn, was descended in direct male line from Samuel the prophet.

A descendant of Pinchas in the 15th and 16th centuries, Yeshaya, took the name Horowitz from a town in Bohemia. Possibly his most famous Rabbinical descendant was Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz (1565-1630), known as the Shelah from his work, Shnei Luchot HaBrit. Other Rabbinical Horowitzes included Eliezer, the Noam Megadim (d.1806), Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Horowitz, the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin (d.1815), Pinchas Horowitz, author of the Hafla'ah, Naftali, the Rebbe of Ropshitz and the Rebbes of Boston. Some Horowitzes are called Ish-Horowitz, literally a person from Horowitz. Dependent on location, the name has gone through various pronunciations and spellings, Horwitz, Horowicz, Hurwitz and Gurwitz among them.

Aharon HaLevi used to be credited as the author of a book explaining the mitzvot, called Sefer HaChinuch. A descendant of his took on the surname of Epstein or Eppenstein from the town Eppenstein in Germany.

Among the most famous Rabbis of the family were Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, author of the Aruch HaShulchan, and his son, Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein (1860-1941), author of Torah Temimah. I am told that the sculptor Jacob Epstein was also a Levi and of the same Spanish origins. But not all Epsteins are of this family.

Many non-Levites, on being expected by the civil authorities to take a surname, chose Epstein, because it was a well-known Jewish name, making it one of the most popular of Jewish surnames.

DVAR HALACHA

Toothpaste on Shabbos

The Debreciner Rav zt”l [1:36] reconciles an apparent contradiction between two statements of the Mordechai. The discussion surrounds the prohibition against rubbing one’s hands with tallow on Shabbos. In one place, the Mordechai states that smearing fat is prohibited based on Mimareach, a Toladah of Mimachek. Mimareach refers to the act of spreading a smooth layer of a viscous material over a surface. Mimachek is the Melachah of "scraping" a hide to form a smooth surface. The two Melachos are related because Mimachek smooths a surface by removing material, while Mimareach creates a smooth surface on an applied material.

In another place, the Mordechai lists the prohibition of rubbing the hands with tallow as Nolad, citing the fact that the solid tallow changes form when it is rubbed into the hands. Here the Mordechai describes changing the form of the material from solid to liquid as being the concern, as opposed to the issue of smoothing the surface of a material. The Debreciner Rav resolves the seemingly disparate reasons by explaining that it depends on what happens to the tallow as it is rubbed into the hands. If the tallow turns into a thick waxy layer on the hands, then Mimareach is the appropriate Melachah on which to base the prohibition. On the other hand, if the tallow turns to liquid when it is rubbed, then Nolad is applicable.

When the Rama (O.C. 326:10) discusses this issue, he explains the case of rubbing the hands with tallow as a situation where the tallow melts in the hand, and cites the Mordechai’s reason for the prohibition as being Nolad. The Magen Avraham likens this case to the rubbing of snow or ice to form water, which is prohibited by virtue of Molid (the creation of a new state). According to one opinion, it is forbidden to melt ice lest one come to squeeze grapes on Shabbos. The Magen Avraham notes that according to this opinion, the use of tallow is permitted, since the concern about squeezing grapes is not applicable. Whereas ice, like grapes, is destined for the creation of liquid, the same cannot be said about tallow. As such, the rubbing of tallow is so dissimilar to the squeezing of grapes that the Rabbis would not have prohibited it. According to this reasoning, the rubbing of tallow in the hands would be permitted on Shabbos as long as a thick layer is not deposited on the hands.

Based on what we have learned, we can explore the permissibility of using toothpaste on Shabbos. One would assume that there should be no issue of Mimareach when using toothpaste, since no smooth surface is created by the toothpaste over the surface of the teeth. [However, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l does forbid the use of toothpaste on Shabbos due to Mimareach.] Since toothpaste does convert to liquid when brushing teeth, one might consider whether there is an issue of Molid in its use. Nevertheless, using the argument of the Magen Avraham, since the purpose of toothpaste is not the generation of liquid (the real purpose is the cleaning of teeth), we should not be concerned with Molid that may lead to the squeezing of grapes. We have seen that according to some, there can be a concern for Nolad independent of a concern for squeezing grapes, whenever a solid is converted to a liquid. Toothpaste, however, is not a very stiff solid, and bears more resemblance to a very thick liquid. As such, converting toothpaste to liquid may not involve Nolad at all [Ktzos HaShulchan]. Also, we know that ice may be placed into a drink even though it melts. Some opinions permit melting the ice even manually, if done in a cup of water. According to that opinion, since people usually brush their teeth in conjunction with some liquid, even if we consider toothpaste a solid, Molid may not apply.

[pic]

|כ |מ |כ |ם |

|חשן |תמיד |קטרת |אורים |

|מעיל |כתנת |מזבח | ציץ |

Name of person obviously missing from this Parsha

13th Century Gedolim

Ramban

Rav Moshe the son of Nachman was born in Gerona, Spain in 1194. He is perhaps best known for his two major commentaries - his commentary on the Chumash, which both interprets the verses and discusses the topic in a broader spectrum, and his commentary on the Talmud, written in the style of the Tosafists. In addition, he wrote two works defending Rif, namely his Milchamot Hashem, which answered the charges of the Ba'al HaMaor, and the Sefer Ha-Zechut, which defended Rif from Ra'avad. He also wrote several smaller works on specialized topics. In 1263 he was ordered by the king of Aragon to participate in a religious disputation with Pablo Christiani, a Jewish apostate. Ramban won the debate, and published an account of the proceedings. However, the Dominicans showed the king several passages that were deemed to be blasphemies against Christianity, and the work was burned. Ramban ultimately moved to Israel, settling in Acco until his death in 1270. His students included both Ra'ah and Rashba.

Yad Rama

Rav Meir HaLevi Abulafia was a Kabbalist who was born in Spain in 1180. He served as a religious judge in Toledo and later became Rabbi of that town. He was opposed to the study of philosophy, and tried unsuccessfully to prohibit the study of Rambam's writings before a certain age. His main extant work is Yad Rama, a Talmudic commentary of which only the sections on Sanhedrin and Bava Batra still survive.

Semag

Rav Moshe of Coucy lived in France in the early 13th century. This work, an acronym for Sefer Mitzvot Gadol, was a halachic text that defined and explained the 613 commandments and their halachic implications. It draws heavily on the Mishne Torah, and it is referenced in the Ein Mishpat, which appears on every page of the Talmud. He also wrote a commentary on the Chumash and had a hand in authoring some of the Tosafot on the Talmud. His teacher was Rav Yehuda HaChassid.

Or Zarua

Rav Yitzchak the son of Moshe (Riaz) was born in Bohemia in 1180, but attained his fame in Vienna, where he lived until his death in 1250. His work was a halachic guide arranged according to the Talmudic tractates, and was very popular among Ashkenazic Jewry. He studied under many people, including Ra'avyah and the author of the Rokeiach, and he was among the teachers of Maharam MiRutenberg.

Rabbeinu Yona of Gerona

Born in the late 12th century in Gerona, Spain, Rabbeinu Yonah is best known for his Sha'arei Teshuva, a work on ethics and repentance. He also wrote a commentary on Rif's Sefer HaHalchot, although only the section on tractate Berachot survives. He wrote several smaller works, including a commentary on Avot. He studied under Rav Shlomo Montpelier, and he taught, among others, Rashba.

Ritzba

Rav Yitzchak the son of Avraham was one of the Tosafists, and died in France around the year 1210. He was the older brother of Rav Shimon of Sens. In addition to his work on the Tosafot, he also wrote a guide to the Pesach seder. His students included his younger brother and Rav Yechiel of Paris, known for his involvement in the debates surrounding the burning of the Talmud in 1242.

Maharam MiRutenberg

Rav Meir of Rothenburg was born in Worms, Germany in 1220. He studied in the French Tosafist schools under Rav Yechiel of Paris and Rav Shmuel of Evreux. He served as Rabbi of Worms and Rothenburg, and wrote many halachic responsa while in those positions. In addition, he wrote commentaries to Zera'im and Taharot, and authored the Tosafot that appear in our editions of tractate Yoma. He wrote several smaller works, and his responsa are frequently cited by Or Zarua and Mordechai. His students included Mordechai and Rosh.

Ra'ah

Rav Aharon Halevi was born in Gerona in 1235, and studied under his father and brother, as well as Ramban. He published critical notes on Rashba's Torat HaBayit, which he entitled Bedek HaBayit. He also wrote a commentary on the Talmud, select parts of which have been published. There are those who believe that he is the author of the Sefer HaChinuch, although this claim has been rejected by many. Ritva was one of his students.

Rashba

A former financier, Rav Shlomo the son of Aderet rose up to become the leader of Spanish Jewry in his time. He was born in Barcelona in 1235, and lived there until his death in 1310. His responsa, covering the entire gamut of Jewish life, are concise and widely quoted by many halachic authorities. While he defended Rambam during the debates over his works, he was opposed to the philosophic-rationalistic approach to Judaism, and was part of the Beit Din in Barcelona that banned the study of philosophy before the age of twenty-five. A collection of the bans and counter-bans put forth in this period are collected in the work Minchat Kena'ot. Rashba also wrote an extensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as Torat HaBayit, a work on dietary laws, Mishmeret HaBayit, a defense against the critique of Ra'ah, Sha'ar HaMayim, a work on mikveh, and several other specialized works. He was taught by Ramban and Rabbeinu Yona, and his numerous students included Ritva and Rabbeinu Bechaye.

Mordechai

Mordechai the son of Hillel, the son-in-law of Rav Yechiel of Paris, lived in Germany in the latter half of the 13th century. He main work is known simply as Mordechai, a halachic compendium arranged according to the order of the Talmud that cites many of the French and German Rishonim. He, along with his entire family, perished in the Rindfleish massacres around the turn of the century.

Hagahot Maimoniyot

Written by Rav Meir the son of Yekutiel HaKohein, these glosses on the Mishne Torah of Rambam stress the views of the Tosafists and other Ashkenazic scholars. Rav Meir lived in Rothenburg, Germany, and passed away during the Rindfleish massacres in 1298. He was the student of Maharam MiRutenberg.

Shibbolei HaLeket

Rav Tzidkiyah HaRofei, from Italy's Anav family, described this halachic work as being not a original composition, but rather being a compilation of laws taken from the major works of Rishonim available at that time. The author based his decisions on what seemed to be the most halachically correct to him. He lived from 1230 until 1300, and studied under Rav Yaakov or Wurzburg, Rav Avigdor Katz, and Rav Daniel of Rome.

Meiri

One of the most monumental works written on the Talmud is the Beit HaBechirah of Rav Menachem Meiri, born in Provence in 1249. This work is less a commentary and more of a digest of all of the comments in the gemara, arranged in a manner similar to the gemara - presenting first the mishna and then laying out the discussions that are raised concerning it. This commentary cites many of the major Rishonim, referring to them not by name but rather by distinguished titles. He also wrote several minor works, including a commentary to Avot whose introduction includes a recording of the chain of tradition from Moshe through the Tana'im. He was the student of Rav Reuven the son of Chaim of Narbonne, and passed away early in the 14th century.

Ritva

Rav Yom Tov the son of Avraham Asevilli was born in Seville in 1250, and lived there until his death in 1330. He was the student of Ra'ah and Rashba, and was the author of a major commentary on the Talmud. His commentary is extremely concise and as such is one of the most frequently referred to Talmudic works until today. Many sections of the commentary have been subject to debate regarding their actual authorship, but a large majority of the work has remained free from controversy. He was the teacher of Rav Yitzchak the son of Manor.

 

[pic]

|Parsha Pizzazz - Tetsaveh |

|[pic] |

|In last week’s parsha we learned all about how the beautiful Mishkan (sanctuary) was built. But what about the people who would do the special jobs |

|that needed to be done in the Mishkan? This week’s parsha talks about Aharon, who became the Kohein Gadol (High Priest), and his children, the regular|

|Kohanim – the clothes they wore, and the services they provided for the rest of the Jewish people. |

|[pic] |

|Pure Olive Oil |

|The very first thing the Kohanim were told to do was to always keep the Menorah lit in the Mishkan. They had to use only the purest, clearest oil, and|

|HaShem told Moshe to be in charge of collecting the best olive oil. |

|  |

|“My fellow Jews!” said Moshe. “We need oil for lighting the Menorah. But only the very best oil will do. The finest oil comes from the first pressing |

|of the olive – only the very first drop is pure enough. If anyone has such excellent oil, please bring it to me.” |

|  |

|Once the pure olive oil was collected, it was the job of the Kohanim to prepare the Menorah and light it. Every morning, a Kohein entered the Kadosh |

|(“Holy”) chamber of the Mishkan, where the Menorah stood, and climbed the steps in front of it. He cleaned out the oil cups from the previous day, put|

|in new wicks, and poured in the new oil. And in the afternoon, the Kohein lit the Menorah. |

|  |

|A miracle happened: When the Kohein would go to the Menorah in the morning, he would find the flame in the middle still burning! So he would clean the|

|other six oil cups, and leave the middle one alone. In the afternoon, when the next Kohein would enter, he would find the middle flame still lit! He |

|would use that flame to light the others, and only then would he put out the middle light, clean the cup, put in a new wick, and light it again. This |

|miracle took place every single day! |

|[pic] |

|Special Clothes for the Kohanim |

|Have you ever noticed that people who have certain jobs often wear uniforms that help you recognize them? Think about the clothes worn by police |

|officers, firefighters, or doctors. Their clothes show that they have a special status, knowledge, and responsibility. For the same reasons, the |

|Kohanim wore special clothes, too -- so that the rest of the people would treat them with great respect, and also so that the Kohanim themselves would|

|feel how important their jobs were. |

| |

|[pic] |

|The Kohein wore four special garments: |

|  1)      Ketonet – a long, floor-length shirt made of white linen. |

|2)      Avnet – a very long, multicolored belt, which was wound many times around the waist. |

|3)      Michnasayim – short, white, linen pants, worn under the Kutonet. |

|4)      Migba’at – a turban made of a long piece of white linen wrapped many times around the head, forming a point at the top. |

|[pic] |

|Extra-Special Clothes for the Kohein Gadol |

|[pic] |

| |

|The Kohein Gadol had the privilege of wearing a special uniform made of eight beautiful and holy garments. He wore the Ketonet, Avnet, and Michnasayim|

|worn by the “ordinary” Kohanim, plus five more: |

|  |

|1)      Mitznefet – the Kohein Gadol’s turban was made of white linen and wrapped around the head, like the other Kohanim’s Migba’at, but it was flat |

|on top rather than pointed. |

|2)      Eifod – a colorful, woven apron, which draped down the back and tied around the waist in front. It had shoulder straps, each of which had an |

|onyx stone attached to it. The names of six tribes were engraved on each stone. |

|3)      Choshen Mishpat – a beautiful, woven breastplate. It was a square piece of material folded over to make a pocket, and inside it was the Urim |

|V’tumim, a piece of parchment with HaShem’s holy 72-letter name. On the front of the Choshen Mishpat were twelve gemstones, one for each tribe. |

|4)      Me’il – a coat woven of blue wool. Hanging from the bottom hem, there were little golden bells and woolen decorations shaped like |

|pomegranates. The bells would jingle when the Kohein Gadol walked. This ringing reminded the Kohein Gadol how important his work was, so that he would|

|take extra care to do everything the right way. Also, when the rest of the Jews heard the bells, they knew that the Kohein Gadol was in the Mishkan, |

|and this gave them an awareness of the important work he was doing there, on their behalf. |

|5)      Tzitz – a golden headband, which had the words “Kodesh L’HaShem” – Holy to HaShem – engraved on it. (The name used for HaShem was the holy, |

|four-letter name, Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey.) |

|  |

|Did you notice that there seems to be something missing from this list of clothing? What about special shoes for the Kohanim? There weren’t any. |

|HaShem wanted the Kohanim to feel the holy stones of the Mishkan floor – so they kept their feet bare! |

|  |

|(It’s interesting that the clothes of the Kohanim and the Kohein Gadol are described in chapter number 28. The Hebrew letters for the number 28 are |

|kaf-chet, which together spell the word koach, meaning strength. This hints to us that it was through these special garments that the Kohanim had the |

|spiritual strength to perform their difficult service in the Mishkan!). |

|  |

|  |

|[pic] |

| |

|  |

|The Incense Altar |

|  |

|There was one more important piece of equipment needed in the Mishkan – the Mizbach HaKetoret, an altar for burning incense. HaShem told Moshe to make|

|it out of wood covered with pure gold, and put it near the Menorah in the Kodesh section of the Mishkan. |

|  |

|Every morning and afternoon, a Kohein burned incense on the altar, and the fragrant smoke of the spices went straight up to HaShem! |

|  |

|You might think that the description of the Mizbach HaKetoret should have been in last week’s parsha, Terumah, when all of the other objects for the |

|Mishkan were described. But the Torah doesn’t always give information in chronological order. Sometimes certain things are told at unusual times, just|

|for the purpose of setting them apart and showing how important they are. The incense offering was a special sign of the love between HaShem and the |

|Jews! |

|  |

|  |

| |

|Miracles in the Mishkan |

|HaShem performed miracles with each of the five important things in the Mishkan: |

|  |

|1)      Even though the Aron should have taken up all of the space in the Kodesh Kodashim, it miraculously took up no space at all! There was room for|

|the Kohein Gadol to walk all around. |

|2)      The Lechem HaPanim that was removed from the Shulchan after a whole week of sitting there never got stale; it was just as warm as fresh as the|

|day it was baked. In fact, this “old” bread was fit for the Kohanim to eat – and they did! |

|3)      The middle lamp of the menorah, called the Ner Ma’arivi, burned continuously, even though, each evening, it had only enough oil to last until |

|morning. |

|4)      A fire came straight down from heaven to the Mizbeyach, where the animal sacrifices were made. |

|5)      The Mizbach HaKetoret had only a thin layer of gold, but the wood underneath never got scorched or damaged by the fire on the altar. |

|  |

|These miracles – and others – showed that HaShem’s presence was always in the Mishkan. |

|[pic] |

|Behind the Scenes with Rashi |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|One day, the great Torah commentator, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, who lived a thousand years ago in France), noticed a noblewoman riding by on |

|horseback. She was elegantly dressed, and Rashi was struck by something about her. He watched as she rode by. Later, he wondered why he had paid so |

|much attention to the lady. He couldn’t figure it out! |

|  |

|When Rashi came home that day, he was busy writing his commentary on Parshat Tetzaveh. He got to the part about the special clothes of the Kohein |

|Gadol. When he tried to explain about the Eifod – the apron – he got stuck. He wrote: “I have not heard any explanation of its form…” |

|  |

|Suddenly, he remembered the noblewoman riding the horse. Aha! Now he knew. He had a feeling, deep down in his heart, that the Eifod of the Kohein |

|Gadol looked something like the riding apron worn by ladies on horseback! |

|  |

|He wrote: “My heart tells me that it was something tied behind him… like a sort of apron… which the ladies of the nobility ties on when riding |

|horses.” (See the Rashi for chapter 28, verse 4 of this week’s parsha.) |

|  |

|So that’s why he had noticed the noblewoman –- so that he could explain to the world exactly how the Kohein Gadol’s clothes were supposed to look. |

|There’s a reason for everything! |

|  |

|[pic] |

| The Jewish people now had everything they needed to serve HaShem – a special, holy place -- the Mishkan -- and special, holy people – Kohanim, who |

|wore special, holy clothes. But soon, Moshe will again go up to the top of Har Sinai to get the two luchot (tablets with the Ten Commandments engraved|

|on them), and the people will start getting impatient. They’ll forget about holiness and start worshipping… a golden calf?? What will happen when |

|Moshe finally comes down from the mountain? |

|[pic] |by Zvi Akiva Fleisher |

Where is Moshe? "V'ATO t'za'veh" (27:20) - Rather than mentioning Moshe by name, the pronoun YOU is used. From parshas Shmos, where Moshe was first introduced, until the end of the Torah, Moshe's name is mentioned in every parsha, save T'za'veh. (Although Moshe's name is not mentioned in Parshas N'tzovim, it is usually joined with Parshas Va'yeilech, where Moshe's name is mentioned.)

1) The Tosfos Hasholeim says that since Moshe said (32:32), "m'cheini noh misif'r'cho asher kosavto," his words had the effect of having his name erased from a parsha in which it would have otherwise appeared. The reason that parshas T'za'veh was chosen is that Moshe says, "asher kosavto," which You have WRITTEN," so it must be before parshas Ki Siso. T'za'veh is the last parsha which had already been written.

2) Because of "m'cheini" as above. T'za'veh was chosen so as to delay erasing Moshe's name as long as possible, a full circle around the calendar until our parsha.

3) The GR"A says that Hashem foresaw that Moshe would die on the 7th of Ador. This date almost always falls out during the week of Parshas T'za'veh. Since Moshe left this world during parshas T'za'veh, his name is left out.

4) The GR"A also says that although Moshe's name doesn't appear overtly in our parsha, it is present covertly. The total number of verses in our parsha is 101. The hidden portion of the letters of Moshe's name (milluy), indicating his hidden presence, adds up to 101. Mem is spelled Mem-Mem. The hidden letter equals 40. Shin is spelled Shin-Yud-Nun. The hidden letters equal 60. Hei is spelled Hei-Alef. The hidden letter equals 1. The hidden part equals 101.

5) The Rebbe R' Heshel points out that the "mesorres siman" of 101 verses in our parsha is "Michoel." Moshe prayed that Hashem personally should lead the bnei Yisroel (33:15,16). The medrash on Yehoshua 5:14 says that Moshe's prayer helped to push off Hashem's statement that an angel would lead them (23:20) until the Angel Michoel appeared to Yehoshua (5:14) saying, "Now I have come." We see that Moshe kept the Angel Michoel from directly guiding the bnei Yisroel. Since Moshe's name is not mentioned in our parsha, Michoel found an opportunity to have his presence in this parsha in a shadow form, by being the "mesorres siman" of the total number of its verses. The above medrash on sefer Yehoshua disagrees with the Tikunei Zohar brought in Rashi 23:20 that the angel was M-T-T-R-N. However, the Baal Haturim also says that the angel was Michoel, pointing out that when Hashem said that He would send an intermediary (32:34), "hinei MALOCHI yeileich l'fo'necho," the letters of the word "MALOCHI" spell "MICHOEL."

Me’il The cloak (or cape according to the Ramban) atoned for loshon ho'ra, as the Gemoro explains in Erchin (16a). Maybe that is why it is called Me'il (because loshon ho'ra is described as 'me'Ilah be'KodshIm', as if he was abusing something that was holy (his mouth - which was created in order to learn Torah and daven ... ).

The Ba'al ha'Turim explains that the bells and the pomeganates at the hem of the Me'il totalled seventy-two, the equivalent of the seventy-two possible appearances of nego'im that could appear on one's house, clothes or body, and that came mainly as a result of one's having spoken loshon ho'ra. Perhaps that in turn, is connected to the seventy-two letter Name of G-d, of whose sanctity loshon ho'ra is the very antithesis.

The Chofetz Chayim explains how the bells at the hem of the cloak represent the sound of the Torah that one should be speaking, whilst the pomegranates respresented the silence that should prevail when one is not learning Torah.

The No'am ha'Mitzvos puts it like this: The rim around the mouth, he says, hints clearly at those things that one is forbidden to speak (loshon ho'ra, lies, unclean speech ... ), whereas the bells hinted at those things that one should be speaking - Torah, tefilah, kind words ... And perhaps their specified location is an indication of their respective qualities: the rim around the mouth was on the top edge of the garment, because it is pride and conceit that lead a person to speak loshon ho'ra, which render this sin, more than any other, so terribly lethal.

The bells on the other hand, appear on the lowest part of the Me'il; because it is the Torah and tefilah that are based in humility that characterize the Torah student.

Choshen Mishpot

"V'ho'avonim t'h'yenoh al shmos bnei Yisroel ...... pituchei chosom" (28:21)- The Mahari"l Diskin says that the names of the bnei Yisroel were etched in reverse on the undersides of the stones. They shone through the stones, which were either transparent or translucent. This explains how the words of our verse can be understood literally. Firstly, the stones were ON the names of the bnei Yisroel since the etching was from the underside. Secondly, the etching was like that of a seal, "pituchei chosom," in reverse when viewed from the underside. Compare this with the words of the Daas Z'keinim on 28:9 mentioned above.

"V'osiso al hachoshen sharsh'ros gavlus ...... zohov tohore" (28:22) - The Holy Admor of Modzitz interprets: "V'osiso," and you should make, "choshen," for your pursuit of money matters, (Choshen Mishpot is a term used for the section in the Shulchan Oruch dealing with halochos of money matters), "sharsh'ros," two basic rules, as in the word "shoroshim." One is to be in control and create limits to the time spent in this pursuit, "gavlus," as in the word "g'vul." The second rule is "zohov tohore," that all money made is to be pure, totally honest, according to the laws of the Shulchan Oruch.

"V'yir'k'su es hachoshen" (28:28) - The Mahari"l Diskin says that the fold of the Choshen Mishpot is on the bottom and it is held closed on top by chains. If it were to be the reverse, the script of the Urim V'tumim would fall out. In some booklets that have diagrams of the priestly garments this is shown incorrectly.

"V'lo yizach hachoshen mei'al ho'eifode" (28:28) - One of the 613 mitzvos of the Torah is not to have the choshen breastplate separate from the eifode garment (gemara Yoma 72a). Four symbolic interpretations are offered:

1) The gemara Arochin 16a says that the Kohein's wearing of the choshen atones for improper judgements of money matters, and the wearing of the eifode atones for the sin of idol worship. These two sins are associated with each other as stated in the gemara Sanhedrin 7b, "Whoever appoints an inappropriate judge is considered to have planted a tree of idol worship near the altar. Therefore the Torah says that these two items which the Kohein Godol wears should not be separated one from the other, to give us a constant reminder that these two sins are of equal paramount importance. (Chasam Sofer)

2) The choshen is to be placed on the HEART of the Kohein Godol. The word eifode in our verse is spelled lacking the letter Vov, leaving us with Alef-Fei-Dalet which equals 85, also the numeric value of "Peh," a MOUTH, spelled Pei-Hei. The prohibition to separate the two teaches us that one should not speak words from his mouth which are not the true feelings of his heart, "ein piv v'libo shovim," but rather have the two always joined, "piv v'libo shovim". (Degel Macha'neh Efrayim)

3) Worshipping false gods comes from distortion of straight thinking as explained by Rabbeinu Nisim Gaon in his preface to his commentary on Shas, that the main aspect of the sin of idol worship is mental. Similarly, improper ruling of money matters is a form of mental distortion. They are the same types of sin, only that one is a sin against Hashem and the other against one's fellow man. The Torah wants to stress the similarity of these two sins, thus requiring that they not be separated. (MVRHRH"G Rabbi Yaakov Kamenecki in Emes L'Yaakov)

4) When one distorts the halochos of money matters in his favour, it is a lack of full faith in Hashem. Full trust in Hashem's deciding the set income for each person would not allow a person to act in such a manner. This sin is rooted in denial of Hashem's powers, feeling that one has the ability to gain through his own cunning, in essence a form of avodoh zoroh. The coupling of the sin of distortion of judgement of money matters with the sin of idol worship teaches us that when one seeks atonement for the former, he also needs atonement for the latter. (Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in Dorash Moshe)

The Engraved Seal ("Pituchei chosom") holy for Hashem" (30:12).

The Gemoro tells us in Ta'anis (2a) that three keys remain forever in G-d's jurisdiction, and that they are never handed over to a sh'liach: the key of birth, as the Torah writes "And G-d opened her womb" (Bereishis 30:22); the key of rain, as it is written "And G-d will open for you His good storehouse" (Devorim 28:12),; and the key of bringing the dead back to life, as the Novi writes in Yechezkel (37:13) "When I open your graves".

It is well-known that there is nothing that is not hinted in the Torah; and indeed, the above is no exception, because all three are hinted in this posuk: "Pituchei (Miftei'ach - a key) chosom" - which forms the first letters of chayah t'chiyoh and mottor (a woman giving birth, life and rain), and the posuk concludes "Kodesh la'Hashem" - they are holy for Hashem, and nobody else has access to them.

© 1996-2005 Torah Tots, Inc.

|[pic] |

|[pic] |

|The Kohain Gadol communicated with Hashem through a secret device called the Urim V'tumim. The Urim V'tumim, a parchment enscribed with the 72-letter holy |

|name of Hashem, was placed in the pocket of the fold of the Chosen. This breast plate contained twelve stones, one for each shevet (tribe) of Bnei Yisroel. |

|Each stone was carefully chosen to represent the essence of that particular shevet. |

|Reuven - It's a ruby for the shevet of Reuven. The ruby, or "odem", as it is called in Hebrew, has a special power. When a woman who has no children swallows|

|the powder of a ruby (don't try this at home, kids!), she will have a child. It's the same idea as the mandrake, the flower that Reuven brought his mother |

|from the field. Thanks to Reuven, Yissaschar was born. Yissaschar became a great tzadik. To remember the great act of kindness that produced a tzadik, rubies|

|became Reuven's jewel. |

|Shimon - The pitdah, or emerald, is the jewel of the shevet of Shimon. An emerald has special powers to protect people from immorality. What's the connection|

|between Shimon and immorality? There is none, that's why Hashem chose the emerald for Shimon. Don't understand? Okay, here's the scoop: During Bnei Yisroel's|

|travels through the midbar, a man named Zimri caused Bnei Yisroel to sin with the immoral daughters of Midyan. Everybody knew that Zimri was from the shevet |

|of Shimon so, naturally, they would assume that Shimon, himself, had been an immoral man. In fact, Shimon was a very moral person! So Hashem assigned the |

|emerald to Shimon as a sign that Zimri's immorality was a one-shot deal and not the result of bad genes. |

|Levi - The shevet of Levi was a shevet of teachers. When it came to settling in Eretz Yisroel, Levi had no portion. They settled among the rest of the tribes|

|and taught Torah. Their job was to "enlighten" Bnei Yisroel. What better jewel to represent this teaching shevet than a crystal, or "bareket". Bareket means |

|lightning. Believe it or not, a crystal can make you more intelligent. With all that Torah teaching going on, the shevet of Levi needed all the boosts of |

|intelligence it could get! |

|Yehuda - The nofech or carbuncle is the jewel that represents the shevet of Yehuda. The nofech has special powers that come in handy during war. Whoever |

|wears this nofech around his neck during a war is guaranteed to defeat all his enemies. Since the shevet of Yehuda produced the kings of Bnei Yisroel who |

|would fight for their people, Hashem blessed Yehuda with this powerful jewel. |

|Yissachar - The shevet of Yissachar was most worthy to receive the Torah. They became great scholars and teachers. Their stone is the safir or sapphire. The |

|sapphire has the color of a clear blue sky. It represents peace and protects the eyes. This shevet of Yissachar was known for their peace and harmony that |

|goes hand-in-hand with Torah scholarship. |

|Zevulun - The shevet of Zevulun was very successful in business. They had to be because they were supporting two shevatim, themselves and Yissachar. Their |

|jewel is a pearl, a Yahalom. Pearls have the power of success in business. This round jewel reminds Zevulun that money comes and goes in cycles. While you've|

|got it, use it for a good purpose. This could only help to preserve the deal between Yissachar and Zevulun. |

|Dan - The Topaz or "leshem" is the gem of the shevet of Dan. The Topaz has an unusual feature that looks like the upsidown face of a man. Dan was known for |

|turning out judges. As the "judging shevet", Dan had to look away from the face of those being judged. Rich, poor, ugly, bad fashion sense - none of it |

|mattered to Dan. The judge just turned these features upside down and judged everyone alike. This is the bracha of the Topaz gem. |

|Naftali - The turquoise, or shevo, is the gem of the shevet of Naftali. This jewel brings success to those who travel on the back of an animal. This stone is|

|a hint of the greatness of Naftali. When the brothers brought Yaakov to be buried in the machpelah cave, the descendants of Esav claimed the right of burial |

|for their own. Naftali ran back to Mitzrayim using his own two feet to retreive the bill of sale. |

|Gad - Crystal, or ach'lama, is the jewel of the shevet of Gad. This gem has the power of courage. In war it dispels fear and anxiety. The warriors of Gad |

|were known to have a complete faith in Hashem while waging war. This stone was a tribute to this trust. |

|Asher - The tarshish, a gem that resembles perfectly clear oil, is the stone of the shevet of Asher. Shevet Asher planted olive trees throughout their |

|portion of land in Eretz Yisroel. Their olives were pressed into the finest olive oil used in the Bait Hamikdosh and in the menorah. |

|Yosef - The onyx or shoham is the stone of the shvatim (tribes) of Efrayim and Menashe, the sons of Yosef. The onyx causes everyone to like its wearer. This |

|stone was chosen to represent Yosef to remind us of his greatness: In Mitzrayim, Yosef was all alone. He was liked by everyone he met and this could have led|

|him to mischeivous and sinful behavior. He remained strong and ignored the influences of Potifar's wife and others. |

|Binyamin - Jasper or Yashpheh, is the stone of the shevet of Binyamin. Yeshpeh can be interpreted to mean "there is a mouth" (yesh peh). Binyamin was aware |

|that his brothers had sold Yosef. But he remained silent about the incident. Even after Yosef revealed himself, Binyamin preserved the kinship of the |

|brothers by never telling this secret to Yaakov. |

P L E A S E   T E L L   M E   W H A T   T H E   R E B B E   S A I D

Shimon is a nice boy. He likes to study, help around the house and share with his friends. But Shimon is only a young boy, and there are things he still has to learn. Like the proper way to daven.

Of course Shimon davens; he says every word loud and clear. But often he looks up from the siddur to make sure someone is watching.

Shimon knows that when a Jew davens, he should think about the words and imagine himself standing before HaShem. He knows that davening is between him and HaShem, and that it's not to impress people around him. Still, Shimon's eyes wander about looking to see who is watching and listening to his davening.

Perhaps we can help Shimon learn a lesson from this week's Torah reading. Parshas Tetzaveh speaks mostly about the bigdei kehunah - garments worn by the kohanim while they served in the Mishkan. Yet in this parshah, we also read about one of the holy objects in the Mishkan - the mizbeach haketores, or incense altar.

Isn't this strange? Shouldn't this altar have been mentioned with all the other keilim in Parshas Terumah? Why is the mizbeach haketores singled out? How is it different? Didn't it stand along with the menorah and the shulchan in the kodesh - the holy area of the Mishkan?

It did. But there is a difference between the avodah carried out upon the mizbeach haketores and the avodah of the other holy vessels. When the menorah was lit or the show bread was put on the golden table, other kohanim could be present. But when the kohain offered the ketores (incense) on the mizbeach, no one else was allowed to be in the holy area. Twice every day, in the morning and evening, the kohain would offer the incense standing alone - only him and HaShem.

The word ketores comes from the root ktar - a bond. A Jew creates a very special closeness between himself and HaShem when he is alone. There are many mitzvos which we do in public or which other people take part in, but there must also be a closeness with HaShem that comes only when a Jew is alone with Him. (Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. I, Parshas Tetzaveh)

PARASHAT TETZAVEH (HAFTARA)

|(G-d says to Ezekiel) 'Tell… Israel about the Temple (of the future)… but let them be ashamed of their iniquities… When they are ashamed of all they have done, |

|make known to them the plan of the Temple'. (Ezekiel 43:9-10) |

|Guided Tour... Written by Jacob Solomon |

|The prophet Ezekiel himself was a Kohen - a priest who spent his earlier life in the Holy Land. His period of recorded prophecy, however, took place after his |

|enforced exile to Babylon - during the period before and after the Destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. His Divine communications were addressed to both |

|those Jews already exiled in Babylonia, and to the people of Jerusalem. |

|The Book of Ezekiel begins in drama, and climaxes to crescendo. It is a long message with powerful, vivid, and ultra-brilliant images. It starts with the |

|excitement of storms, lightening and fire - the heavens open, and Ezekiel dramatically experiences G-d's words and power. The Almighty calls on him to be a prophet|

|to carry His message to the people through communications emanating from the celestial mobile angelic composition of His throne. The prophecy continues to warn the|

|Jews in the darkest terms of His judgment on them, as a consequence of their having abandoned Torah teachings and basic morality, preferring false prophets, and an|

|idolatrous and grossly self-indulgent lifestyle. It then leaves the Israelites, removing its focus to the doom of the various nations that misled them. By the time|

|the prophecies of Ezekiel return to the Jews, they become warmer and more kindly. Words of threat are replaced with words of comfort and hope: promising a brighter|

|future for the Israelites and their revival and unification within the Holy Land, with, after the defeat of the nation of Gog, a fully restored Temple and nation. |

|The Haftara itself continues Ezekiel's vision of the Temple. It opens with a general exhortation for the Israelites to be 'ashamed for all they have done' in the |

|past, and only then 'make known to them the plan of the Temple (Ez. 43:11). From then on, the Haftara focuses on two main items - the large altar (with its |

|parallel in the previous Parasha), and the details of the consecration ceremony, which were to take a total of eight days - as with the Tabernacle (Ex. 29:37, Lev.|

|8:33 and 9:1). The description of the altar in Ezekiel's vision appears to be twice the size of that of the Tabernacle, and layered, instead of straight-edged. |

|Ezekiel's vision contained a triple layered structure - each story stepping inward from the next by one cubit (Ez. 43:16-17). |

|To which Temple does the passage refer to? It cannot refer to the First Temple that was consecrated some four centuries before Ezekiel's lifetime. It cannot refer |

|to the Second Temple, because its consecration sin offering involved the male goat (Ezra 6:17), not the bull stated here (43:19). Thus R. Samson Raphael Hirsch |

|expounds the view that the Haftara details the permanent Third Temple, which will be built in future Messianic times. Hirsch, in his commentary on Tetzaveh's |

|sister Haftara, read on Parashat Hachodesh, explains why Ezekiel describes the construction and working of the Third Temple in such great detail. He states that it|

|is 'to ban even the slightest doubt as to the reality of that future (of redemption), and to make our confidence as firm as a rock in the absolute certainty that |

|the Almighty Director of the history of the world will ultimately bring about the attainment. Thus every year on the Sabbath before Nissan, (we read) the word of |

|the prophet Ezekiel, and (it) gives us Divine instruction of the service of the consecration of the Temple on that day. Even if there is much in those words that |

|is beyond our present understanding and, according to the Sages, must wait for the arrival of Elijah, what is most important is that these words are given. The |

|thought of it revives our courage and gives us fresh strength to make our efforts even more energetic to bring that distant day nearer.' May that day approach |

|soon, and in our times |

|D'var Torah (G-d says to Ezekiel) 'Tell… Israel about the Temple (of the future)… but let them be ashamed of their iniquities… When they are ashamed of all they |

|have done, make known to them the plan of the Temple'. (Ezekiel 43:9-10) Several commentators puzzle over this part of G-d's communication to Ezekiel. What, |

|indeed, is the connection between the sins of the Israelites, and the plans of the Temple of the future? The Radak explains that the Temple plan would serve as a |

|reminder of their former sinful lifestyle (described most graphically in Ez., Chapters 16 and 23) that was the spiritual cause of the Destruction of the First |

|Temple. Moreover, it would reassure the Israelites that the future Temple would be permanent if they lived up to the standards it stood for. Indeed Hirsch expounds|

|on Ezekiel's vision of the Temple serving as a sign and concrete expression of holiness and purity in contrast to human weakness and sin. It brings home to the |

|Israelites the gulf between the reality of what they are, and what they ought to be. The Temple represents an ideal after which humanity should strive. |

|However (following Rashi to Ex. 32:1) the plans for the Tabernacle that form the subject of the Parasha came absolutely - without conditions. Although the |

|Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf, and displayed lack of faith and ugly ingratitude in the Desert of Zin (16:3), and Refidim (17:3,7), they received the |

|Tabernacle unconditionally - with 'no strings attached'. They are not recorded to have shown mass remorse for their former conduct. G-d put these matters into the |

|past, and let the Israelites get on with their future spiritual lives that would focus around the Tabernacle. |

|As the Parasha records: G-d states 'I shall sanctify the Tent of Meeting… and I will dwell amongst the Israelites' (Ex. 29:44-5) - it would appear, |

|unconditionally. Yet the Haftara, in stating: 'When they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the plan of the Temple' (Ez. 43:9-10) makes the |

|Temple of the Future contingent on good behavior. Why do the conditions for the building of the Temple of the Future seem more stringent than those for the Temple |

|of the Past? |

|A possible reason would be as follows. Not having a Temple is not merely a punishment for not keeping onto the Torah path. It is because the Temple houses the |

|Divine Presence, and a person today, even more than in the time of Ezekiel, is further away from being able to receive the intense Presence of G-d. The Israelites |

|sinned in the Exodus, but, comparatively speaking, they had G-d at their shoulder - exemplified by the Crossing of the Red Sea ('They believed in G-d and in Moses |

|His Servant': Ex. 14:34), and in the Revelation at Mount Sinai ('Let G-d not speak to us, lest we will die': Ex. 20:19). They sinned as people on a very high |

|spiritual level; but with that same high degree of spirituality they obtained from their recent experiences, they were able to relate to the Intense Divine |

|Presence in the Tabernacle. By contrast, the Jews in the time of Ezekiel (and a fortiori, today) were not on the same spiritual plane: in their sinful state, they |

|would not appreciate holiness, even if it was standing right in front of them. In Ezekiel's day, the appropriate frame of mind would be achieved by being 'ashamed |

|of all they have done'. That was sufficient - as they were historically much closer to Mount Sinai that we are to day, and in addition they still had indirect |

|access to G-d Himself through the Prophets. Today, mere shame and regret for the past is not sufficient. Deep Torah learning, commitment to its precepts, and |

|genuine efforts to come close to Him form the route for G-d to 'restore His Presence to Zion' though His sanctioning the building of the Temple, currently in the |

|future. |

|In short, in the past, the Temple came to the people. Now the people must go to the Temple. And the path today is not an easy one… |

|CLOTHING OF THE COHEN GADOL |

|Points debated by Rashi & Rambam |

|RASHI |RAMBAM |

|If Urim v’Tumim is lacking, the Choshen is not invalidated |If Urim v’Tumim is lacking, the Choshen is invalidated |

|When asking a question from the Choshen, the Cohen Gadol looks at the Urim v’Tumim |When asking a question from the Choshen, the Cohen Gadol looks at the Holy Ark |

|Cohen Gadol puts on the Aifod and ties its Sash before attaching the Choshen |Cohen Gadol puts on the Aifod without tying its Sash, attaches the Choshen, and |

| |then ties the Sash |

|Top of Aifod does not reach the Cohen Gadol’s elbows |Top of Aifod does reach the Cohen Gadol’s elbows |

|Names of tribes on Shoham stones according to the order of their birth |Names of tribes on Shoham stones according to their mothers |

|Precise wording of the Torah defines whether the item is a “garment” or an “ornament”|Using logic as to the function of the item, defines whether it is a “garment” or|

| |an “ornament” |

[pic]

-----------------------

CONTENTS

Parsha Questions & Answers

Torah Riddles

Daily Dose of the Rebbe

Atonement of Begdei Cohanim

Parsha Chidon

Yossi & Company

Prayer

What’s in a Jewish name

Halacha – Toothpaste on Shabbos

Parsha Wordsearch

13th Century Gedolim

Parsha Pizzazz

Sedra Selections

Medrash Mavin

Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Says

The Weekly Haftorah

Clothing of the Cohen Gadol

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

BONUS

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download