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After Moshe summoned his beloved brother Aharon to take his place as the Kohen Gadol in the daily functioning of the Mishkan there was a slight setback. Aharon was still cognizant of his role in the incident of the Golden Calf and therefore he felt a great amount of shame in assuming this pivotal role.…

Anyone who is forced to do a task can always excuse their poor performance on the fact that they weren’t really given a choice. That is how the Gemara (Shabbos 88a) rationalizes our shortcomings in performance of mitzvos – after all we were coerced into it. That was the state of affairs from Sinai for…

Betzalel, Ohaliav and their team of wise-hearted workers complete one of the greatest building projects of all time – The Mishkan, it’s sacred contents and the priestly garments. This fact, that they were appointed and carried out the work, is reiterated over and over again. So why then, at the end of the parasha, are…

This week we will bring out an extra Sefer Torah in honor of Parshas Shekalim. Parshas Shekalim is the first of the four special parshios we start reading from the Shabbos before Adar until the month of Nissan. The simple meaning of this special reading is because the Parsha speaks about each person donating a…

In the parsha, G-d reveals His 13 Attributes of Mercy. Somewhat surprisingly, one of those attributes is Truth. Though admirable, what is its connection to mercy?  The Rambam reveals another dimension to the concept of Truth.  He explains that at the end of Shema, when we say “Hashem your G-D is True,” we don’t simply…

Chazal teach us that each one of the articles of clothing that adorned the kohein gadol were there to atone for a specific sin committed by klal yisrael. If we take a look at these clothing, we notice that two seemingly unrelated sins are surprisingly linked together on the kohein’s body. The gemorah states that…

There are many lessons that can be learnt from the symbolism in the physical design of the Menorah. Rav Hirsch explains that the number six is usually symbolic of Olam ha-Zeh, while the number seven is symbolic of Hashem or Olam ha-Ba. The Menorah was constructed in a manner in which the six branches begin…

As we come off the great revelation at Har Sinai in Parshas Yisro, we wait with anticipation about where things will go next. Chazal teach us that the 40 years in the desert were spent studying and reviewing the mitzvos of the Torah, and so we would expect an exciting beginning. However, many are disappointed…

The Jewish People journey towards Mount Sinai; it is time to receive the Torah. Their travels are described in the following passage: “In the third month after the departure of the Jewish People from Egypt, on this very day they came to the Sinai Desert” “They traveled from Refidim, arrived at the Sinai Desert and…

The Torah describes that at Marah, the place of bitter waters, Hashem commanded the nation in some of the mitzvos, even before reaching Har Sinai. שם שם לו חק ומשפט – “There, He gave them laws and ordinances”. What mitzvos does this refer to? Rashi brings a list that includes Kibbud Av V’Em. Why is this referred…