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“A gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate on the hem of the robe all around.” (28:34)

Peninim Yekarim suggests that the golden bells were symbolic of wealth, while the pomegranates represented mitzvos and good deeds. Indeed, Chazal in the Talmud Berachos 57 state that every Jew is as full of mitzvos as a pomegranate has seeds. The bells were alternated with the pomegranates all around the hem of the Kohen Gadol’s tunic. We derive from this pasuk that only when wealth is integrated with mitzvos and good deeds does it serve a purpose and benefit the world. In Shir Ha’Shirim 6:7, Shlomo Ha’Melech says, “As many as a pomegranate’s seeds are the merits of your unworthiest.”…

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“And the Choshen shall not be loosened from the Eiphod. ” (28:28)

Every one of Hashem’s mitzvos is eternal in nature. They are applicable forever. If so, how do we reconcile the mitzvah of not loosening/separating the Choshen from the Eiphod? After all, we have neither a Bais Ha’Mikdash nor Kohanim who serve with their priestly vestments. Degel Machne Efraim responds that the mitzvah serves as an analogy for the middah of emes, attribute of truth. The Torah adjures everyone to speak the truth. At no time shall the Choshen, which alludes to the heart, since it is placed directly over it, be separated from the Eiphod, which signifies the mouth, as…

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“And these are the garments they shall make.” (28:4)

Horav A. Henach Leibowitz, Shlita, cites a story from the Talmud Shabbos 31a from which we can glean a significant lesson regarding the impact of Torah study on one’s life. A gentile was once passing by a classroom where a rebbe was teaching Parashas Tetzaveh to a group of young students. The rebbe was describing the beauty and splendor manifested by the vestments of the Kohen Gadol. The students and the eavesdropper were totally captivated with the detailed descriptions of the impressive garments. The gentile thought to himself, “I will convert to Judaism, so that I can become a Kohen…

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“And you will command Bnei Yisrael and they shall take for you pure olive oil, beaten for light, to fuel the eternal light.” (27:20)

Upon reading the text, one understands this pasuk to be commanding Moshe to instruct Bnei Yisrael in the preparation of oil for the Menorah. The word vum, however, has a different grammatical connotation. It means that Moshe will command Bnei Yisrael concerning the oil at some future point. In order to convey to Moshe that a command would be issued immediately, the Torah should have said, um, command, which, indeed, it does in Sefer Vayikra. In Vayikra 24:1, Hashem instructs Moshe to command Bnei Yisrael to prepare olive oil. The advanced notice of a command is unusual. Why does Hashem…

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