Ki Sisa – Page 12 – Peninim on the Torah

“You shall make a copper laver… and put water there… Now take for yourself choice spices… of it you shall make sacred anointing oil… Take for yourself spices… You shall make it into a spice compound (for the incense)…” (30:18,23,25,34,35)

The section devoted to the Mishkan and its appurtenances closes with a discourse regarding three natural substances which are designated for use in the Mishkan. They are: water, reserved for washing and consecrating the Kohanim; choice spices, which were to be mixed with oil to anoint the Kohanim and various holy objects; and sweet spices, assigned to the offering of incense. Horav Eli Munk, z.l., conjectures that although no obvious thread connects these elements with sanctity, nonetheless, they, each have a distinguishing characteristic that makes them well-suited for holiness. Water’s clarity and simplicity are the traits that symbolize external purity….

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Ki Sisa

“The people saw that Moshe had delayed in descending the mountain, and the people gathered around Aharon and said to him, ‘Rise up, make for us gods… for this man Moshe… we do not know what became of him.'” (32:1)

In the Yalkut Shimoni, Chazal relate a dialogue that transpired between the Satan and Bnei Yisrael on the fortieth day after Moshe went up the mountain. “Where is Moshe your teacher?” asked the Satan of Bnei Yisrael. “He went up the mountain,” they responded. Undaunted by the people’s faith in their leader, the Satan attempted to convince them that he was late in returning and had probably died. After all, could a human being survive forty days without bread or water? Yet, they maintained their devotion to Moshe despite the Satan’s efforts to dissuade them. In a final attempt to…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Ki Sisa

“I have seen this people and behold they are a stiff-necked people.” (32:9)

One of the most difficult incidents which took place in the history of Bnei Yisrael is the chet ha’eigal, sin of the Golden Calf. Moshe Rabbeinu responded to the nation’s sudden iniquity by breaking the Luchos. It is difficult to grasp Hashem Yisborach’s eternal retribution reflected in his statement, h,sepu hsep ouhc, “In the day when I remember (when they will continue to sin) I will remember this sin (also).” Why did Moshe respond in such a fashion? It seems as if he was “giving up,” as if he felt that the people had gone beyond the limits of no…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Ki Sisa

“And Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting and he said to Moshe, ‘The sound of battle is in the camp.’ He said, ‘Not a sound shouting strength, nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress I do hear.'” (32:17,18)

In the Yerushalmi, Taanis 4, Chazal cite the dialogue that ensued between Moshe and Yehoshua. When Yehoshua came to Moshe and related the ambiguous sounds he was hearing from the camp, Moshe replied, “Is not he (Yehoshua) who will one day lead a nation of 600,000 Jews able to discern between the various sounds?” Chazal seem to imply that Moshe was impatient with Yehoshua’s inability to perceive the source of these sounds. Was Moshe criticizing Yehoshua for not accurately distinguishing the “type” of sounds emanating from the camp? After all, the camp was far from the mountain. Horav Shimon Schwab,…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have turned aside quickly from the way… they have made for themselves a molten calf.” (32:7,8)

In its narrative regarding the chet ha’eigel, sin of the Golden Calf, the Torah paints Klal Yisrael’s transgression as a truly dark and bleak picture. Aharon Ha’Kohen yielded to the demands of the people and made the eigel, which was to be used as an avodah zarah, idol. The people responded to this idol as if it were some sort of pagan divinity. They sang and danced with excitement at the prospect of “worshipping” their newly found god. The Talmud, on the other hand, does not seem to indict Bnei Yisrael in such sharp terms. First, Chazal teach us that…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“And he cast out of his hands the tablets and he broke them beneath the mountain.” (32:19)

In the Talmud Shabbos 87 Chazal state that Hashem acquiesced with Moshe’s decision to break the luchos. What is the rationale for breaking the luchos? Was there no other alternative than to destroy Hashem’s handiwork? Horav Mordechai Ilan z.l., explains the spirit behind the breaking of the luchos in the following manner. Man must clear a path in which he can fulfill the lifestyle he chooses to adopt. Differentiating between good and evil, he must select a definite way of life. When one vacillates back and forth in a quasi-darkness between good and evil, it is worse than complete abdication…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“Hew out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.” (34:1)

Upon descending from Har Sinai and witnessing the degradation of Am Yisrael with the Golden Calf, Moshe immediately broke the luchos. After entreating Hashem on behalf of Am Yisrael, Moshe was commanded to hew out a second set of luchos. This time Moshe was to ascend the mountain alone. The Midrash notes the disparity between the aura surrounding the giving of the first luchos and the aura surrounding the giving of the second ones. The first luchos were given amidst great publicity, before the entire nation, accompanied with thunder, lightning and smoke. Chazal point out that the first luchos were…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“And when Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.” (34:33)

Horav Moshe Feinstein z.l., takes note of the fact that Moshe did not wear the veil on his face when he taught Torah to Klal Yisrael. He infers two valuable pedagogical lessons from this fact. First, a rebbe/teacher must be able to make eye contact with his students in order to delve into their hearts and minds. He must attempt to understand every aspect of their lives. He must literally find out what makes them “tick.” A rebbe should not shy away and “hide” his face, remaining aloof from his students. He should always be accessible to them, to guide,…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“See, I have called in the name of Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah.” (31:2)

The Daas Zekeinim explains the reason that the Torah emphasizes Betazlel’s grandfather, Chur, while it does not trace Ahaliav’s lineage to his grandfather. Chur was killed as a consequence of his role in the Golden Calf. The Mishkan served as a source of atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. Therefore, the Torah determined that Betzalel, the unique individual designated as the prime builder of the Mishkan, should have his yichus, ancestry, delineated. His ancestry is traced to the individual whose martyred death is atoned by the Mishkan. This exposition is enigmatic. What relationship is there between Chur’s death…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“And Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos for their generations an eternal covenant.” (31:16)

Horav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor z.l. explains the repetition of the word “Shabbos” in the following manner. How does one ensure that shimiras Shabbos, Shabbos observance, will be an everlasting covenant between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem? The pasuk responds: One must see to it that his children and generations after him will also observe it. It is not sufficient for one to simply concern himself with his own spiritual needs while neglecting his children’s simultaneous spiritual development. If this is the case, he can be certain that mitzvah observance will cease with him! One’s focus in religious observance should be “to…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> 5756 ->

“You shall make a copper laver… and put water there… Now take for yourself choice spices… of it you shall make sacred anointing oil… Take for yourself spices… You shall make it into a spice compound (for the incense)…” (30:18,23,25,34,35)

“The people saw that Moshe had delayed in descending the mountain, and the people gathered around Aharon and said to him, ‘Rise up, make for us gods… for this man Moshe… we do not know what became of him.'” (32:1)

“I have seen this people and behold they are a stiff-necked people.” (32:9)

“And Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting and he said to Moshe, ‘The sound of battle is in the camp.’ He said, ‘Not a sound shouting strength, nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress I do hear.'” (32:17,18)

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have turned aside quickly from the way… they have made for themselves a molten calf.” (32:7,8)

“And he cast out of his hands the tablets and he broke them beneath the mountain.” (32:19)

“Hew out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.” (34:1)

“And when Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.” (34:33)

“See, I have called in the name of Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah.” (31:2)

“And Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos for their generations an eternal covenant.” (31:16)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!