Ki Sisa – Page 10 – Peninim on the Torah

“When He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moshe the two Tablets of Testimony.” (31:18)

Rashi notes that the words “k’chaloso,” when he finished, is spelled defectively, without the letter “vov” between the “lamed” and the “saf,” as if it were vocalized “k’kalaso,” which means like his bride. This implies that the Torah was given to Moshe as a gift, as a bride to a groom. Moshe was not able to grasp the entire Torah in such a short time. Indeed, as the Midrash comments, throughout the forty days that Moshe Rabbeinu was on Har Sinai, Hashem taught him the Torah, but he constantly forgot what he had learned. Moshe turned to Hashem and said,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, Ki Sisa

“And he (Moshe) saw the calf and the dances, and Moshe’s anger flared up. He threw down the Tablets from his hands.” (32:19)

The sin of the Golden Calf is viewed as the worst, most reprehensible transgression against the Almighty. Indeed, Chazal compare it to a bride who proves herself unfaithful on her wedding night. It is such a difficult sin to understand. Klal Yisrael had reached the zenith of holiness, the apex of spirituality. They were privy to an incredible Revelation. Yet, they fell; they quickly descended to the nadir of depravity. How did a nation that had experienced the miracles of the exodus from Egypt and had stood at Har Sinai to receive the Torah amidst an unprecedented revelation of Hashem’s glory,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Ki Sisa

“The wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease from half a shekel to give Hashem’s offering.” (30:15)

Everyone was to contribute the same amount, so that no Jew could say that his contribution was greater – or more significant – than that of someone else. Horav David Feinstein, Shlita, elaborates on this idea. One who is blessed with great wealth or has a brilliant mind, such that he has amassed great Torah scholarship, cannot claim that he serves Hashem more completely than the ordinary person who serves Hashem humbly and obediently – conducting himself scrupulously in accordance with the Code of Jewish Law. Likewise, the worker who assembles a computer module is no different than the one who…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Ki Sisa

“The entire people removed the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aharon.” (32:3)

Is this not the way it usually is? – the nouveau riche take their money and throw it around. In a public display of their insecurity, those who have suddenly come into wealth – or even those who have been raised in opulence – will sometimes use their wealth to make a statement, to impress their opinion upon others, or simply to extract honor and respect. Wealth can and should be used to attain positive goals. There are so many who do so. For some reason, those who lack the astuteness and self-esteem to use their money wisely seem to overshadow…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Ki Sisa

“Hashem relented regarding the evil that He declared He would do to His people. Moshe turned and descended from the mountain, with the two Tablets of Testimony in his hand, Tablets inscribed on both their sides; they were inscribed on one side and the other.” (32:14-15)

Prior to the chet ha’egel, sin of the Golden Calf, when the Torah mentions that Hashem gave Moshe the Luchos, the Torah describes that they were made of stone written with the Etzba Elokim, finger of G-d. Now, after the sin, and after mentioning that Hashem relented from the punishment He was prepared to mete out, the Torah records an added detail about the Luchos – “inscribed on both their sides; inscribed on one side and the other.” Why not mention the complete description right away? Is there some reason that the Torah waited until after the tragic rebellion with the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Ki Sisa

“See I have called by the name — Betzalel son of Uri… I have filled him with a G-dly spirit.” (31:2-3)

We note that referring to Betzalel, Hashem says, “See, I have called by name – Betzalel.” Should it not simply have said, “I have called Betzalel”? What does the word “by name” add to this pasuk? Moreover, when Moshe Rabbeinu repeats Hashem’s statement, he also says the word “b’shem,” by name. Furthermore, the taam, sound/cantillation note, beneath the word, b’shem, is an “esnachta,” which separates this word from the next. In other words, the word b’shem and the name Betzalel are distanced from one another. This implies an element of significance to the word b’shem, as if calling Betzalel…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Ki Sisa

“The Bnei Yisrael shall observe the Shabbos.” (31:16)

Shabbos observance is a foundation of our faith. It is a sign of our commitment to the Almighty and His Torah. In his sefer, M’loh Ha’omer, the Aruch L’ner notes an intriguing phenomenon. Those years that the first day of Rosh Hashanah was on Shabbos, Klal Yisrael either experienced its most wonderful years or its most tragic years. Indeed, our greatest national tragedies, the destruction of the two Batei Mikdash and the most devastating pogroms against our People, occurred during years when Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos. Why is this? The answer given by the Aruch L’ner, based upon a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Ki Sisa

“When He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moshe the two Tablets of Testimony.” (31:18)

Rashi notes that the words “k’chaloso,” when he finished, is spelled defectively, without the letter “vov” between the “lamed” and the “saf,” as if it were vocalized “k’kalaso,” which means like his bride. This implies that the Torah was given to Moshe as a gift, as a bride to a groom. Moshe was not able to grasp the entire Torah in such a short time. Indeed, as the Midrash comments, throughout the forty days that Moshe Rabbeinu was on Har Sinai, Hashem taught him the Torah, but he constantly forgot what he had learned. Moshe turned to Hashem and said,…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5761

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, Ki Sisa

“And he (Moshe) saw the calf and the dances, and Moshe’s anger flared up. He threw down the Tablets from his hands.” (32:19)

The sin of the Golden Calf is viewed as the worst, most reprehensible transgression against the Almighty. Indeed, Chazal compare it to a bride who proves herself unfaithful on her wedding night. It is such a difficult sin to understand. Klal Yisrael had reached the zenith of holiness, the apex of spirituality. They were privy to an incredible Revelation. Yet, they fell; they quickly descended to the nadir of depravity. How did a nation that had experienced the miracles of the exodus from Egypt and had stood at Har Sinai to receive the Torah amidst an unprecedented revelation of Hashem’s glory,…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5760

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Ki Sisa

“See I have called by the name — Betzalel son of Uri… I have filled him with a G-dly spirit.” (31:2-3)

We note that referring to Betzalel, Hashem says, “See, I have called by name – Betzalel.” Should it not simply have said, “I have called Betzalel”? What does the word “by name” add to this pasuk? Moreover, when Moshe Rabbeinu repeats Hashem’s statement, he also says the word “b’shem,” by name. Furthermore, the taam, sound/cantillation note, beneath the word, b’shem, is an “esnachta,” which separates this word from the next. In other words, the word b’shem and the name Betzalel are distanced from one another. This implies an element of significance to the word b’shem, as if calling Betzalel…

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“When He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moshe the two Tablets of Testimony.” (31:18)

“And he (Moshe) saw the calf and the dances, and Moshe’s anger flared up. He threw down the Tablets from his hands.” (32:19)

“The wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease from half a shekel to give Hashem’s offering.” (30:15)

“The entire people removed the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aharon.” (32:3)

“Hashem relented regarding the evil that He declared He would do to His people. Moshe turned and descended from the mountain, with the two Tablets of Testimony in his hand, Tablets inscribed on both their sides; they were inscribed on one side and the other.” (32:14-15)

“See I have called by the name — Betzalel son of Uri… I have filled him with a G-dly spirit.” (31:2-3)

“The Bnei Yisrael shall observe the Shabbos.” (31:16)

“When He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moshe the two Tablets of Testimony.” (31:18)

“And he (Moshe) saw the calf and the dances, and Moshe’s anger flared up. He threw down the Tablets from his hands.” (32:19)

“See I have called by the name — Betzalel son of Uri… I have filled him with a G-dly spirit.” (31:2-3)

YEARS

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