The book of VaYikra begins with a mystery. The verse reads “And He called to Moses, and HaShem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, (Leviticus 1:1). The word VaYikra (and He called) ends with the letter “Aleph “that is shrunken in size.
Our sages explain that small “Aleph” with a Midrash that points to Moshe’s trait of humility.
Parshat Vayikra ( Leviticus 1:1-5:26) – What does Leviticus teach us about the power of sacrifices and what secrets can we glean regarding standing before Hashem in prayer?
Parshat Pekudei (Exodus 38:21-40:38) – The previous Torah portion of VaYakhel is usually read together with this one.What does that teach us. What is the secret of the hooks that held the Tabernacle together. How does understanding relate to mitzvoth of the Torah?
The Ananei haKavod, the clouds of glory, conveyed a message. Their arrival and their departure clearly imparted a lesson and deep instruction. We read the following after the beginning of the building of the Mishkan:
And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan. . Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud rested upon it and the glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan. ( Exodus 40 :34-35 )
Why did that cloud fill the tent specifically at this time? What did it signify? What was it about this Anan of HaShem’ , Glory that caused Moshe to stand outside of the tent of Meeting.
By Moshe Arens
The people who have gone ballistic over student heritage trips to Hebron seem to have forgotten the very foundation of Zionism.
Who are the people, including the editorial writers of this newspaper, who have gone ballistic over the education minister’s announcement that students should be taken on heritage trips to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron? Are they Zionists, non-Zionists, post-Zionists or anti-Zionists?
The people of Israel are told the following in the Parsha of vayakhel:
Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the Lord; whoever performs work thereon [on this day] shall be put to death. You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”(Exodus 35:2-3)
Vayak’hel ( Exodus 35:1-38:20)
Moshe has returned from his last visit to the top of Mount Sinai with new tablets.The people are now assured that G-d has forgiven them and this event occurred on the tenth day of Tishrei, which will be declared as Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement.
How do we know this is the right date?
Moshe assembles the people of Israel and reiterates to them the commandments regarding the Shabbat followed by a repetition of the commandments regarding the building of the tabernacle.
Aaron took an active role in the making of the Golden Calf. Was that done out of weakness? Was it done out of fear? What motivated the man that was clearly Moshe’s partner in leadership?
When Moshe descends from Mount Sinai after G-d tells him; “Go, descend, for your people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly . . . they have made themselves a molten calf!”( Exodus ,32:7–8). Moshe then asks Aaron the following question (ibid 32:21), “What did this people do to you that you brought a grave sin upon them?”
