Rav Zachariash’s weekly blog on the parsha
“And Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehuda, made all that the Lord commanded Moshe.” (Shemos 38:22) Both the Gemara (Berachos 55a) and the Midrash relate a fascinating conversation, though there are differences between the versions (see the commentary of the Tzeda Lederech). The Midrash (cited by Rashi) [...]
“You must not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the day of Shabbos.” (Shemos 35:3) Perhaps the most trying time of the week is Friday afternoon close to sunset, especially close to Shabbos candle lighting time. People are anxious and tense, for Shabbos is coming and everything must be completed – OR [...]
“Another matter, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Why are You angry at them? Not that they engaged in idol worship, for You did not command them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Did I not say in the second commandment: “You shall not have [other gods before Me]”?’ [...]
“Speak to all who are wise in heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, and have them make Aharon’s garments, to sanctify him to serve Me [as kohein].” (Shemos 28:3) There are two aspects to doing mitzvos - the actual performance of the mitzvah, and the preparations. From a halachic perspective, the [...]
“They shall make a Sanctuary for Me, and I will [then] dwell in their midst.” (Shemos 25:8) Where did the cedar beams (for the Mishkan) come from? Yaakov our patriarch planted them at the time he descended to Egypt. He told his children: My sons, ultimately you will be redeemed from this place, and the [...]
If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and then slaughters or sells it, he must pay five oxen for each ox, and four sheep for each sheep. (Shemos 21:37) The Torah teaches us that if one steals and is caught, he pays at least double. If one went another step and either slaughtered [...]
When Moses ascended on High to receive the Torah, the ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He, “Master of the Universe, what is one born of a woman doing here among us?” The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them, “He came to receive the Torah.” The angels said before Him, [...]
When the sixth day came, what they had gathered [was a] double [portion of] bread, two omers for each individual. (Shemos 16:22) RASHI: THEY COLLECTED DOUBLE BREAD…A Midrashic explanation is that משנה in לחם משנה signifies מְשֻׁנָּה (meaning) different, changed — that day it was changed for the better as regards to its smell and its [...]
“You must be vigilant regarding the matzos” (Shemos 12:17) RASHI: AND You SHALL WATCH THE UNLEAVENED BREAD …Rabbi Josiah said: Do not read “את המַּצּוֹת”, the unleavened bread, but את הַמִּצְוֹת “[you shall watch] the commandments” — just as we may not cause the unleavened bread to become leavened by letting the dough remain in [...]
“…I will bring you out…, and I will save you…, I will redeem you…, I will take you…” (Shemos 6:6-8) The Passover Seder has many things which come in sets of four: Four questions, four sons, four cups of wine, etc. These four cups correspond to the four expressions of redemption cited above from this [...]
