פרשת ויקהל-שקלים

Dvar Torah

Doing better... next time

(שמות לה:כז) וְהַנְּשִׂאִם הֵבִיאוּ אֵת אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְאֵת אַבְנֵי הַמִּלֻּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן:

(Shemot 35:27) “and the Nesi’im brought the Shoham stone and the Miluim stones for the Eypgod and for the Choshen.”

In this week’s Parsha we find that the Nesi’im (leaders of the tribes) brought the precious and beautiful stones that were placed into the Choshen, breastplate of the Kohen Gadol as a donation to the Mishkan.  Rashi (35:27) asks; what made the Nesi’em want to give their gift first, but when it came to the actual building of the Mishkan, they waited until the end, and were last?

Rashi explains that when it was time to give to the building of the Mishkan, the Nesi’im said: “let everyone else give first and we will give whatever remaining”.  In the end, there was nothing left for the Nesi’im to give since the rest of the nation gave everything necessary. 

While it is nice to know this background information about the Nesi’im and their gifts, it seems to be irrelevant. Why does Rashi feel that it is important to tell us about the original mistake of the Nesi’im?

The answer is that we see that the Nesi’im learned from their mistake and did not wait this time to try and be the heroes. Often we are faced with the same or similar dilemma (question) that we may have seen before.  If we use our experience from the past when we may have not made the best choice, to help guide us this time, we will become better people just like the Nesi’im did. We too, need to be able to learn from the things that we do and could use perfecting.

The Mishna in Avot tells us; who is a wise man? One who learned from every person - themselves included!

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1)  On which day did משה assemble the בני ישראל? (רש"י שמות לה:א)

2) What important lesson do we learn from the fact that the מצוה of keeping שבת is written in this פרשה next to the construction of the משכן? (רש"י שמות לה:ב)

3) How many major kinds of work are we forbidden to do on שבת?

4) Why do we eat חמין on שבת? (see שמות לה:ג)

5) Why does the תורה single out the prohibition of lighting a fire on שבת? (רש"י שמות לה:ג)

6) Explain כל נדיב לבו. Does the heart give??? (רש"י שמות לה:ה)

7) Who actually made the parts and constructed of the משקן? (שמות לה:ל -לה)

8) List בצלאל‘s family lineage. (רש"י שמות לה:ל)

9) How was he able to do this? (שמות לה:לא)

10) Who helped with the making of the משכן? (שמות לה:לד)

11) What did he specifically do? (שמות לה:לד-לה)

12) Why did Hashem choose אהליאב to help בצלאל? (רש"י שמות לה:לד)

13) How much was collected for the building of the משכן? (שמות לו:ה)

14) What was done to prevent any more from being donated? (רש"י שמות לו:ו)

Virtual Classroom Check-in!

Questions about what we are learning online!

1) What is an Ashera?

2) Why can’t one use a Lulav from an Ashera?

3) What is wrong with using a stolen Lulav?

Click Here http://rpmishnah.blogspot.com/

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

The Brachot that are made once each year in Eretz Yisrael are:  

1) The Bracha on a tree in Nissan  

2) Lighting candles on Yom Kippor 

3) Checking/burning of Chametz 

4) Nachaim Yerushalayim on Tisha B’Av

5) Al Achilat Matza at the Pesach Seder

6) Asher Goalanu at the Pesach Seder

7) Al Achilat Maror at the Pesach Seder 

Question of the week:

What Bracha is only made on a Wednesday or Thursday?

  

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Standing Cheesecake Fruit Cups

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh, large strawberries

8 oz cream cheese, softened

5 tablespoons sugar

½ cup of Riches Whip or any Whip Cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ground nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, Whip and vanilla extract. Bean on high for about 1 minute until combined and fluffy.

Rinse the strawberries with cool water and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.

Use a sharp knife to cut off the green top and the tip of the strawberry so it will stand up on a flat plate.

Use the tip of your knife to carve out the center of the strawberry from the top (where the greens were).

Use a spoon or piping bag to fill the strawberries with the cheesecake filling and sprinkle lightly with ground nutmeg.

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*This recipe is great for Pesach and all year long!

פרשת כי תשא

Dvar Torah

“United we stand, divided we…”

(שמות ל:יב-יג) כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַה' בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה בָהֶם נֶגֶף בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם: זֶה יִתְּנוּ כָּל־הָעֹבֵר עַל־הַפְּקֻדִים מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הַשֶּׁקֶל מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל תְּרוּמָה לַה':

“When you will count the heads of the children of Israel and they should give… a half of a Shekel of the Holy Shekel…”

In this week’s Parasha the Torah tells us about how Moshe should conduct a census of the Jewish people.  Each person should give a half of a Shekel as a means of being counted.  This money would then be used to purchase the Karban Tamid (the offering brought twice daily in the Temple) and the upkeep of the Mishkon and, later, the Bet Hamikdash.  Everyone gave the same size gift so that we all would have an equal part of these special things.  The amount that the Torah tells us we should use is a half of a shekel.

Why only a half of a shekel?  If we would all give a whole shekel, which is not a large sum of money, we would double our donations.  Why did the Torah choose a half?

There was once a father who had five sons.  Each of them was strong, smart, and well off.  Toward the end of his life, the father called his sons together.  He told his dear sons that he wanted to teach them a very important lesson that they would need to remember always.  In his hand, he held a bunch of small sticks tied together.  Each son was given a chance to break the bunch of sticks, but none of them could - the sticks were too strong together.  Then their father untied the bunch and gave each of his sons one stick and asked them to try and break his stick.  Of course, all of them had no problem breaking the sticks.  Their father explained that together the sons were a strong group, but if they separated they are all breakable just like the sticks.

The reason that the Torah tells us to use a half of a shekel is to show us that on our own we are nothing, but if we stand as one together we are too strong to break.  We are all part of one nation, but each one of us is nothing alone.  The half shekel needs another half just to be a whole, and we need each other to be complete.

If we keep in mind how important it is for us to stand as one nation… then maybe we will soon see peace in Israel and the world, and the coming of the Mashiach.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) How should the בית ישראל count the number of people each year? What was used? (שמות ל:יב יג -)

2) What age was counted? Why? (רש"י שמות ל:יד)

3) Who was allowed to give more or less than a מחצית השקל? (שמות ל:טו)

4) Why do you think this was? (YOU THINK QUESTION)

5) Describe the כיור. (רש"י שמות ל:יח)

6) Where was the כיור placed? Why? (שמות ל:יח-כא)

7) What was the כיור made of? Where did this material come from?

(שמות ל:יח and רש"י שמות לח:ח)

8) From where did the רבנן learn that the oil that משה made to anoint אהרון was used for all generations? (רש"י שמות ל:לא and תלמוד הוריות יא:)

9) Who was to build and oversee the creation of the משקן? (שמות לא:ב)

10) Explain the difference between חכמה, בינה, and דעת. (רש"י שמות לא:ג)

11) Why does the תורה interrupt the building of the משקן to discuss the מצוה of שבת? (רש"י שמות לא:יג). What do we learn from this?

12) כי אות הוא ביני וביניכם..., what is שבת a sign of? (רש"י שמות לא:יג)  

13) What was the date that Hashem gave משה the לוחת? (רש"י שמות לא:יח)

14) Explain אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה. How do we see this in פרשת כי תשא? (רש"י שמות לא:יח) 

15) How did the בני ישראל miscount the forty days that משה was on הר סיני? (רש"י שמות לב:א)

16) Why did אהרן agree to help make a new god to lead the בני ישראל? (רש"י שמות לב:ב)

17) How did the gold become a golden calf? (רש"י שמות לב:ד)

18) When משה was pleading with Hashem to forgive the בני ישראל, why did he mention אברהם, יצחק, and יעקב? (רש"י שמות לב:יג)

19) Describe the writing on the לוחת. (שמות לב:טו-טז , עיין ברש"י)

20) How did משה punish the בני ישראל for serving the עגל הזהב? (רש"י שמות לב:כ)

21) What did משה ask of Hashem regarding His forgiveness to the בני ישראל? (שמות לב:לב)

22) What big change would there be in the way that the בני ישראל traveled after the חט העגל? (שמות לג:א-ג)

23) How did the בני ישראל react to this news? What did they do? (שמות לג:ד)

24) What did משה do now that Hashem was no longer dwelling amongst the בני ישראל? (שמות לג:ז)

25) Who should get the stones for the second לוחת? Why? (רש"י שמות לד:א)

26) Who wrote the second set of לוחת? (שמות לד:א)

27) List the thirteen attributes of Hashem. (שמות לד:ו-ז)

28) What did משה do when he heard Hashem say these attributes? Explain why.

 (שמות לד:ח ועיין ברש"י)

29) What did משה need to do after spending another forty days in Heaven with Hashem?

 (שמות לד:ל-לג)

30) What did he do when he spoke with Hashem? (שמות לד:ל-מא)

  

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

The 4 Brachot only said once each year (outside of Israel) are (1) on lighting candles for Yom Kippur  (2) on a fruit tree budding in Nissan (3) searching/burning Chametz (4) on Tisha B'Av in Mincha we request redemption and rebuilding of our Bet Hamikdash.

Question of the week:

What B’rachos would be added to the list above inside of Israel?

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

GOLD

BBQ SAUCE

Great for wings!

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups prepared mustard

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups Splenda granular or 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 -2 teaspoon onion powder or 1/2 cup finely minced onion, sauteed

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

OPTIONAL Add for HOT Version of Sauce

1/4-3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2-3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 -3 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1) In saucepan, whisk together all dry ingredients.

2) Add mustard, tomato paste, and molasses.

3) Slowly add vinegar, whisking till blended.

4) Add water and whisk to blend.

5) Heat over medium-low heat till hot; lower to simmer and simmer 30-45 minutes.

6) Cool, then pour into glass bottle or other non-reactive container.

7) Refrigerate, if desired.

8) Our favorite way to use this sauce to baste bone-in chicken when grilling.

9) The sooner you baste, the more browned the chicken gets, and we like it browned and charred (not burned), so we baste early and frequently.