Vayakhel #3- Menora

יד וְאֶת־מְנֹרַ֧ת הַמָּא֛וֹר וְאֶת־כֵּלֶ֖יהָ וְאֶת־נֵֽרֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאֵ֖ת שֶׁ֥מֶן הַמָּאֽוֹר: (Exodus 35)

“and the menorah for lighting and its implements and its lamps, and the oil for lighting”

Question:

Why does the pasuk say that the menorah was used for lighting but then repeats itself by saying the oil was used for lighting?

Rashi says that the pasuk specifies oil because the oil used for the menorah was different from other oils. The olives used for this oil were olives that were picked from the top of the olive trees and were pure.

What are other things we can learn from the way the Menora was built and used in the Mishkan?

Vayakhel #2-Mishkan + Shabbos?

In פרק לה, פסוק ב it says,

שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַיהוָ֑ה כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת׃

On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

Question: 

Why does the Torah mention that they cannot work on shabbos when that law was already given to them? Why does the Torah add an extra level of harshness and say that anyone who does the work on shabbos will be put to death?

According to Rashi, Moshe conveyed the message this way to show that nothing should supersede shabbos, even building the משכן   

What are other reasons for Issur Melacha on Shabbos? What is so significant about Shabbos and it's relationship to the Jewish people?

Vayakhel #1- Leimor x2?

"ויאמר משה אל כל עדת בני ישראל לאמר זה הדבר אשר צוה ה' לאמר"

(35:4)

 “Leimor” means to tell others a message, but "leimor" is written 2 times. Why?

The Rambam says, when you give tzedakah it is one of the biggest mitzvot. When you give tzedakah to a person, you are supposed to keep it annonymous. However, if you give tzedakah to a public chessed like a yeshiva or shul you should make it public. So with the Mishkan it says "leimor" 2 times to show that Hashem and Moshe wanted to recognize everyone who donated to the Mishkan.

What are other reasons for keeping mitzvos private? What else can we learn from the donations to the Mishkan?

Ki Tisa #3- Ki Tisa

30:11- כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַיהוָ֖ה בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥דאֹתָֽם׃

What are other meanings of Ki Tisa and what other ways do Mepharshim say we can count people?

Rashi says that when you count people, you should not take polls but you should have everyone give half a shekel and you will count the amount of shekels.

Ki Tisa #2- Why 1/2 a shekel?

In כי תשא, Hashem says to Moshe  in pasukim 12 and 13: 

יבכִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ לִפְקֻֽדֵיהֶם֒ וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כפר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם:יגזֶ֣ה | יִתְּנ֗וּ כָּל־הָֽעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַֽחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים גֵּרָה֙ הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל מַֽחֲצִ֣ית הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל תְּרוּמָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה:

12"When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted. 13This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of [such] a shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.

Question: Why does Hashem specifically say to give a Half Shekel ? Is there any significance or symbol for the specific amount ? Also, why is the Shekel given versus any other type of object? Is there any significance or symbol for the Shekel itself?

One Answer: a reason given by Chabad. Org for the  use of a Half Shekel is that the Half Shekel was also the amount given in the time of Bais Hamikdash.  Therefore, the Half Shekel can be seen as a symbol for the past, present, and future relationship between Hashem and His people

Ki Tisa #1- Aharon

ויקהל העם על אהרן ויאמרו אליו קום עשה לנו אלהים"

“The people gathered around Aharon and said to him, ‘Get up and make us a god.’” (לב:א)

Question: Avodah zarah is one of the three transgressions for which there is a rule that you should be killed rather than commit the sin. 

Why didn’t Aharon let himself be killed rather than make the golden calf?

Tetzaveh #3- Burn or Bake?

Perek 27  -  Passuk 20

כוְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה | אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַֽעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד:

Question and source:

Rashi explains that the first drop of oil pressed is the finest, and this oil was used for lighting the Menorah. The remaining oil which was not as pure, was then used for menachot (meal offerings). 

Normally, one would use the best oil for baking and the not so great oil for burning or lighting so why in the Mishkan, was it the opposite?

Tetzaveh #2- Commanded?

In שמות, Perek כז, Pasuk כ, it says ואתה תצוה את בני ישראל ויקחו אליך שמן זית זך כתית למאור להעלת נר תמיד. 

Why did the Pasuk have to say ואתה תצוה-that you had to order them (when talking about taking the olive oil)? In every case Moshe instructed the people to do something, so why did it have to specifically say in this case that he commanded them? 

The רמבן explains that Moshe had to inspect the olive oil to make sure that it was pure and good enough to be used for the נר תמיד. 

I think this opinion really makes sense because it shows how important this specific case was for Moshe and the נר תמיד. If it didn’t specifically say ואתה תצוה, it would be like any other case. 

Tetzaveh #1- Pomegranates?

Perek 28 Pasoke 33:

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃

On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:

The Me'il which was worn by the Kohen Gadol had 72 bells and 72 pomegranate trinkets attached to it in alternating order. Their purpose was to announce Kohen Gadol's arrival in the Mishkan and his departure from it. So what can we learn from this? 

The fact that his presence was announced tells us that a person should not enter his house unexpectedly teaching us the lesson of being sensitive and respectful of other people. 

This idea came from Rabbi Eli Scheller at aish.com 

http://www.aish.com/tp/b/1-min-vort/243216511.html

Do the pomegranates and bells have another purpose and what can we learn from them/ what might they signify? What else can we learn from the details of the Kohen Gadol’s clothing? 

Teruma #3- Pure Gold

In Shemot, perek כ׳״ה, pasuk ל״א, it’s says:

“And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.”

Why does Hashem want Moshe to make the menorah out of one piece of gold? Why cant he just assemble it using different pieces like with the other Keilim?

It says in Torat Moshe that the reason for this was for Aaron to understand that his job was to create a sense of unity that parallels the unity in Shamayim

Teruma #2- for ME?

In parshat teruma perek כה pasuk ב it says:

 דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו לי תרומה. 

Why does it say ויקחו לי? 

It can just say ויקחו תרומה instead of adding the extra word of לי. 

Rashi says the “extra” word is there for a reason. He says the word לי is adding that Bnei yisrael should do this act of teruma “in my name” or in other words in honor of Hashem.

I really agree with this opinion because I feel every word in the Torah has a reason and purpose for being there. Here the word that seems extra is actually a beautiful way of honoring Hashem. 

Teruma #1- Keruvim

In parshat truma Perek כה pasuk יח it says ועשית שנים כרביםזהב מקשה תעשה אתם משני קצות הכפרות make 2 Kruvim of gold and you shall hammer them to the 2 ends of the cover. Many commentaries don’t understand the meaning of כרובים. What are these? What do they look like? Rashi explains the look of the kruvim which apparently “resembled the form of a child’s face”.