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Tazria/Metzzora 5785

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Famous fowl fidelity[1]

ובמלאת ימי טהרה לבן או לבת תביא כבש בן-שנתו לעלה ובן-יונה או תר לחטאת אל-פתח אהל מועד אל-הכהן
At the completion of her days of purity for a boy or a girl, she shall bring to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to the Kohen, a year-old sheep for an Olah, and a dove or a turtledove for a Chatas[2]

A mitzvah unique to women is the offerings brought after giving birth. A woman must bring a year-old sheep for an Olah offering, and a bird for a Chatas offering. The Torah only allows two types of birds for offerings: turtledoves or doves. In the entire Torah, turtledoves are always mentioned before doves, except in this one instance. The Torah says she can bring a dove or a turtledove. Why here is the usual order switched?

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Shemini 5785

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Attorneys, prosecutors, and Golden Calves[1]

ויאמר משה אל-אהרן קרב אל-המזבח…‏
Moshe said to Aharon: “Come close to the Altar…”[2]

After the Mishkan was built, there was a weeklong inauguration festival. The entire service was performed by Moshe. On the eighth day, it was Aharon’s turn. He would bring a few offerings, and then the Mishkan would be ready for its regular service. The nation eagerly awaited to see the Divine Presence rest upon the Mishkan. However, Aharon was hesitant. He was embarrassed to inaugurate the Mishkan. Moshe had to encourage him and inform him that it was for this very reason that he was chosen[3]. How can we understand why Aharon was hesitant, and what was Moshe’s consolation?

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Shevii shel Pesach 5785

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Unshakeable faith[1]

ויושע יקוק ביום ההוא את-ישראל מיד מצרים וירא ישראל את-מצרים מת על-שפת הים: וירא ישראל את-היד הגדלה אשר עשה יקוק במצרים וייראו העם את-יקוק ויאמינו ביקוק ובמשה עבדו
Hashem saved the [nation of] Israel on that day from the hand of Egypt. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great hand that Hashem utilized against Egypt, and the nation saw Hashem. They believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant[2]

This verse, recited daily as part of the morning prayers, is a bit astounding. It says that after the sea split, the Egyptians went into it, and then the sea collapsed onto them, the Jews believed in Hashem and in Moshe. Our Sages ask[3], that after seeing the amazing ten plagues in Egypt, they didn’t believe in Hashem? Only now? What changed? Furthermore, our Sages tell us[4] that the Jews were small in faith. They were afraid that just like they emerged unscathed from the sea on this side, so too the Egyptians emerged unscathed on the other side. It was only after they saw them dead that they believed. This lack of faith is very hard to understand.

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Vayikra 5785

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The left out Kohen[1]

ושחט את-בן הבקר לפני יקוק והקריבו בני אהרן הכהנים וגו’ ונתנו בני אהרן הכהן אש על-המזבח וערכו עצים על-האש
He will slaughter the cow before Hashem, and the Kohen sons of Aharon will offer it…and the sons of Aharon the Kohen will place a fire on the altar, arranging the wood on the fire[2]

As we begin the book of the Torah focused on the Temple service, it behooves us to pay attention to the many details listed. One nuance to pick up on is that all of the Temple service is described as being done by the Kohen sons of Aharon. However, one part of the service stands out. Regarding the arrangement of the wood on the altar pyre, the sons of Aharon are again described as the ones who perform this service. However, it doesn’t say that they are the Kohen sons of Aharon. Rather, it simply says they are the sons of Aharon, who himself was a Kohen. What are we to make of this inconsistency[3]?

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Pekudei 5785

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Bells, whistles, and pomegranates[1]

ויעשו על-שולי המעיל רמוני תכלת וארגמן ותולעת שני משזר: ויעשו פעמני זהב טהור ויתנו בתוך הרמנים על-שולי המעיל סביב בתוך הרמנים: פעמן ורמן פעמן ורמן על-שולי המעיל סביב לשרת כאשר צוה יקוק את-משה
They shall make pomegranates of spun blue, crimson, and red wool on the bottom of the cloak. You shall also make pure gold bells, and place them within the pomegranates, on the bottom of the cloak, going around, within the pomegranates. A bell, a pomegranate, a bell, a pomegranate, on the bottom of the cloak, going around. It’s for Divine service, as Hashem commanded Moshe[2]

There’s a dispute between Rashi and the Ramban[3] how the pomegranates and bells were oriented on the bottom of the Kohen Gadol’s cloak. Rashi says they were alternating, whereas the Ramban says the bells were within the pomegranates. Ramban has support from a verse in our parsha, where it says the bells were בתוך the pomegranates. While this could be translated as “amongst” the pomegranates, the more standard way to translate this would be “within” the pomegranates. However, the subsequent verse supports Rashi, as the verse seems to stress that they were alternating.

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Vayakhel 5785

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Automatic labor[1]

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש שבת שבתון ליקוק כל-העשה בו מלאכה יומת: לא תבערו אש בכל משבתיכם ביום השבת
Six days work will be done, and on the seventh day it will be for you Holy, a sabbath of sabbaths for Hashem. Anyone who does creative activity on it will die. Do not ignite a fire in all of your dwelling places on the sabbath day[2]

There is an opinion that Moshe died on Shabbos. This proves difficult, for we are taught[3] that Moshe wrote thirteen Torah scrolls on the day that he died. One is forbidden from writing on Shabbos, so how did he accomplish such a thing[4]? The common approach is he didn’t write it himself. Instead, he used his powers of prophecy to command the spiritual forces to write the scrolls for him. His quill moved on its own and wrote the Torahs[5]. Therefore, there was no Shabbos prohibition[6].

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Purim 5785

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Past mistakes, future salvation[1]

כי פור המן נהפך לפורנו, צדיק נחלץ מיד רשע, אויב נתן תחת נפשו
For Haman’s lot was flipped to our Purim, a righteous one was saved from the hand of the wicked, and an enemy was substituted for him[2]

It’s clear from the book of Shmuel that the primary sin of king Shaul was that he didn’t listen to the mitzvos of Hashem with temimus, innocent and pure loyalty. Rather, he made all kinds of calculations. He was commanded to annihilate every member of the wicked nation of Amalek, including their animals. Instead, he kept the fatty animals for offerings to Hashem, and he spared the king of Amalek, Agag, to execute him later[3]. The intent seemingly was to publicly disgrace him, to create a great Kiddush Hashem. It would demonstrate the tremendous victory of the Jews over their arch enemy.

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Tetzaveh/Zachor 5785

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The generational battle[1]

ויאמר כי-יד על-כס קה מלחמה ליקוק בעמלק מדר דר
[Hashem] said: “The hand is on the throne of G-d, a war for Hashem against Amalek, for all generations”[2]

Parshas Zachor is our yearly obligation to publicly remember what Amalek did to us. They attacked us as we left Egypt. Still, it begs the question: What was so bad about their sin? G-d Himself declares that there will be a battle for all generations against Amalek. Sure, they hated the Jews. But antisemitism has always been around. Why is Amalek treated differently than any other nation or people who attacked us? We are told that Amalek didn’t fear Hashem[3], but that still requires explanation.

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Va’eira 5785

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Waning warning wellness[1]

ויאמר יקוק אל-משה אמר אל-אהרן נטה את-מטך והך את-עפר הארץ והיה לכנם בכל ארץ-מצרים
Hashem said to Moshe: “Tell Aharon to stretch out your staff and hit the earth, and it will become lice throughout all of Egypt”[2]

This week’s parsha introduces us to the concept of the Ten Plagues. Seven appear in this week’s parsha and the final three in the next. A careful examination will show that the first nine follow a pattern where there are two plagues preceded with a warning to Pharaoh to let the Jews go, and then the third plague comes without warning. This means that the plagues of lice, boils, and darkness all came without warning. Why is this? What’s the reason?

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Shemos 5785

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Fateful forefather fenagling[1]

ויאמר עוד אלקים אל משה כה תאמר אל בני ישראל יקוק אלקי אבותיכם אלקי אברהם אלקי יצחק ואלקי יעקב שלנחי אליכם זה שמי לעולם וזה זכרי לדור דור: לך ואספת את זקני ישראל ואמרת אליהם יקוק אלקי אבותיכם נראה אלי אלקי אברהם יצחק ויעקב לאמר פקד פקדתי אתכם ואת העשוי לכם במצרים
G-d said further to Moshe: “Thus shall you say to the Children of Israel: Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov, sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and My remembrance from generation to generation. Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them: Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers appeared to me, the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, saying, I have surely remembered you and what was done to you in Egypt”[2]

Everyone knows the episode of the burning bush. Hashem appeared to Moshe in a vision and told him that he would be the one to redeem the Jewish people from their bondage in Egypt. What’s interesting is we find back-to-back verses where Hashem describes Himself as the G-d of our forefathers. More interesting is we find an inconsistency. First, Hashem describes Himself as the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov. The second time, however, He simply calls Himself the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, without repetition. Why the inconsistency?

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