Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

  • Reset
Category

Back to Home -> 5785 ->


Home -> Pekudei -> 5785

ומשחת אותם כאשר משחת את אביהם

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Pekudei

You shall anoint them as you had anointed their father. (40:15)

The present anointment of the Kohanim prepared them to transmit the Kehunah to their children as well. The Kehunah now was to remain in the family eternally. We have studied the previous meshichos, anointments, in which the Mishkan, its vessels, the Mizbayach, Aharon HaKohen, and now his sons were anointed. It never mentioned kaasher moshachta es avihem. Why did Hashem instruct Moshe to anoint Aharon’s sons in a manner similar to the way he anointed Aharon? Why should this anointment be different? The Meshech Chochmah explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was considered to be a Kohen; thus, he had the power…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5785

ויעשו על שולי המעיל רמוני תכלת... ויעשו פעמוני זהב טהור ויתנו את הפעמונים בתוך הרימונים על שולי המעיל סביב בתוך הרימונם פעמון ורימון פעמון ורימון על שולי המעיל סביב

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Pekudei

On the robe’s hem, they made pomegranates and of turquoise… They made bells of pure gold, and they placed the bells amidst the pomegranates on the hem of the robe… A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate on the hem of the robe all around. (39:24-26)

Rashi explains that the rimonim were colored wool, shaped as a ball and hollow within. Between each two rimonim hung a gold paamon which served as the sound-maker to inform people that the Kohen Gadol was approaching. Ramban disagrees, contending that rimonim were not present to “hang around” between the paamonim. He feels that the rimonim were hollow for one purpose: so that the paamonim would be placed inside of them. Clearly, the Bigdei Kehunah, Priestly vestments, and indeed all of the klei, vessels, of the Mishkan were there for a lofty purpose, with concealed esoteric secrets to be derived…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5785

עשה את כל אשר צוה ד' את משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Pekudei

Did everything as Hashem commanded Moshe. (38:22)

A king commissioned a master craftsman to build a summer mansion. The king gave him the approved architectural drawings and instructed him to build the mansion in accordance with the drawings. The craftsman was a brilliant builder who had ideas of his own which he incorporated into the edifice. When it was completed, he felt that the mansion was far more beautiful than what he would have constructed based upon the architect’s drawings. He was beyond proud of himself. It, therefore, came as a surprise when the king frowned upon seeing and entering the mansion. “What did you do?” asked…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5785

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

Simply, the Mishkan was the abode of the Aron HaKodesh which contained within it the Luchos HaEidus, Tablets of Testimony. Noticeably, the word Mishkan is repeated, alluding to the two Mishkanos. Chazal teach that this refers to the two Batei Mikdash which were taken from us. Mishkan is a resting place. It can also be transformed (changing the vowels) to mashkon, collateral. Thus, the dual Mishkan in our pasuk alludes to the two mashkanos, collaterals (Batei Mikdash), that were taken from us, to be returned only when the collective nation repents and, consequently, is restored to its original glory. We…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

והלבשת את אהרן את בגדי הקדש ומשחת אתו... ומשחת אתם כאשר משחת את אביהם

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

You shall dress Aharon in the sacred vestments and anoint him… You shall anoint them as you anointed their father. (40:13,14)

Was something unique about the process of Aharon HaKohen’s anointing that compelled the Torah to emphasize “as you anointed their father”? The meshichah, anointing, was the same for the Kohen Gadol, High Priest (Aharon HaKohen), as it was for the Kohen Hedyot, common Kohen (Aharon’s sons). What might have catalyzed changing the process of the anointing? In his Meshech Chochmah, Horav Meir Simchah, zl (Dvinsk), offers a novel insight. When Moshe Rabbeinu anointed his brother, Aharon, as Kohen Gadol, he felt no jealousy. After all, Moshe was undeniably the Navi, Prophet, manhig, leader, Melech, king, Kohen Gadol, High Priest. (He…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

ככל אשר צהו ד' את משה כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העבודה. וירא משה את כל המלאכה והנה עשו אותה כאשר צוה ד'... ויברך אותם משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

Like everything that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did Bnei Yisrael perform all the labor… Moshe saw the entire work; and behold! They had done it as Hashem had commanded… And Moshe blessed them. (39:42,43)

Noticeably, the first pasuk which relates Bnei Yisrael following instructions and building the Mishkan uses the word avodah to describe the work performed. When Moshe Rabbeinu looks at the finished results, the Torah refers to it as melachah. While, on the surface, melachah and avodah are synonyms, a marked difference exists between them. Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, explains that the word melachah has a close tie with melech, king, royalty. Avodah, on the other hand, is derived from eved, slave – clearly a salient difference. The fact that avodah, labor/work is connected to eved, slave, is quite understandable. A…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

ובצלאל בן אורי בן חור למטה יהודה עשה את כל אשר צוה ד' את משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur of the tribe of Yehudah, did everything as Hashem commanded Moshe. (38:22)

In a well-known exposition, Sforno comments that, in addition to Betzalel, all the men who occupied themselves with the construction of the Mishkan were men of stature, sincerity and piety. This is in contrast to the workmen who built the First and Second Batei Mikdash; those work forces included people from various strata of society. Basically, they did not possess the appropriate spiritual and moral characteristics that would have imbued the project with eternal values. Furthermore, the First Bais Hamikdash built under the leadership of Shlomo Hamelech, was not the same as the Mishkan, built by Moshe Rabbeinu. They were…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan – the Mishkan Ha’Edus (Testimony). (38:21)

Rashi comments that, since Hashem’s Presence was upon the Mishkan, it attested to the fact that He had forgiven the sin of the Golden Calf. (Otherwise, why would the Divine Presence be connected with the Mishkan?) It would appear from Rashi that the purpose of the Mishkan was as testimony to the world that Hashem had forgiven Klal Yisrael’s sin. In Parashas Terumah, however, the stated reason for the Mishkan is hashroas HaShechinah, the Divine Presence resting among us. We sinned – repented and were (to an extent) forgiven. The fact that the Mishkan is among us is proof that…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5783

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

Horav Tzadok, zl, m’Lublin indicates that the name of the structure where the Shechinah reposed changed from the wilderness, where it was the Mishkan, to Bais Hamikdash, the permanent Temple in Yerushalayim. The varied names are indicative of their individual roles vis-à-vis the people. The Mishkan was a temporary structure, since it accompanied the nation on its journey through the wilderness. It was as temporary as the encampment. When they moved, it moved. The Mishkan was referred to as Mishkan Ha’Eidus, the Testimony, referring to the Torah. The Mishkan was notably the receptacle that received the Torah, for which it…

Continue Reading

Home -> Pekudei -> 5782

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד... ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד כי שכן עליו הענן וכבוד ד' מלא את המשכן

Sruly Schnair
In 5782, Pekudei

And the cloud covered the Ohel Moed… and Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Moed because the cloud resided there, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. (40:34,35)

Sefer Shemos concludes with a description of Hashem’s Shechinah, Divine Presence, entering the Mishkan. All of the work of Klal Yisrael in planning, gathering the materials and building the Mishkan achieved fruition at that moment. They had succeeded in building a “home/Sanctuary” for Hashem in this world. The first pasuk of Sefer Vayikra begins with Hashem calling/summoning Moshe Rabbeinu from within the Ohel Moed. Our quintessential leader, who was involved in every aspect of the creation of the Mishkan, remained outside its environs. He would not yet enter. Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15) explain that juxtaposition of the closing words of…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!