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The 28th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky (ben Yochanon) of Chernoby...
The 29th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Chananya Yom Tov Lipa (ben Yekusiel Yehuda) Teitel...
Human prayer is the service of the spirit. Although people do not realize it, it involves the...
Thoughts that disturb your prayers can be an atonement for your sins. When you are not suspic...
The 1st of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meir (ben Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel) of Zinko...
The question was raised as to why there are different customs regarding the order of prayer, ...
Listening to a musical melody on instruments played by a pious musician for the sake of heave...
The 1st of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meir of Zinkov, son of the Apta Rav (1855). ...
It is written, “These are the histories of the heaven and the earth when they were created - ...
The 14th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchok (ben Nosson) Sternhartz of Tulchin of Bresl...
When we see the element of corporeality in something or, heaven forbid, of evil, then we are ...
The divine soul of man is transmitted and descends to this world to be clothed in a human bod...
The 12th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shmuel (ben Yeshaya) Halevi Horowitz (1972). Born in...
One should make strenuous efforts to attain joy in any way possible, searching within himself...
The 29th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Reuven (ben Yaakov Chaim) Horowitz of Zamotzva (18...
Our Sages teach us that God constricted His Divine Presence between the two staves that were ...
This paragraph is sung by Mordechai and Esther as they reflect on the Purim story: “Give ...
I suspect that the Jews who heard of Haman’s decree did not celebrate God’s kindness, or perc...
The “Servant of God” who is singing the Hallel sees life as a series of challenges to grow as...
The Chasid Ya’avetz introduces this paragraph by explaining it as the praise of Israel when t...
The Chasid Ya’avetz continues his commentary on Hallel by pointing out that the Children of I...
According to the Chasid Ya’avetz, the key verse of the Adar Hallel is, “The heavens are God’s...
Table Talk: Terumah |
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![]() for God. (Alshich HaKodesh) The Zohar teaches that this refers to the Divine Soul that resides inside our body. (Quoted by the Pardes Yosef) This resonates with another Midrash (Torah Sheleimah #76) that describes the Ministering Angels challenging God: “Why do You desire to dwell in the Lower worlds when You fill the Upper worlds?” God responded by referring to Aharon HaKohen, who is described as, “He will see you (Moshe) and will rejoice in his heart.” (Exodus 4:14) Rashi explains that contrary to your assumption that Aaron will be wounded at your appointment to greatness, he will sincerely rejoice for you.” What was it about Aaron’s response that convinced God to dwell in the Lower Worlds? How can we emulate Aaron so that we too can stir God, so to speak, to dwell among us?
The Mishkan and Gan Eden The Midrash Tanchuma (Bechukotai #5) teaches that, “God desired to dwell among the Lower Worlds as He does in the Upper Worlds. God asked Adam to tend to the Garden in Eden so that God could have a place on this world as He does in the heavens above. Adam failed and God still desired to dwell amongst us. The Mishkan is the recreation of the Garden as God’s dwelling place.” There are many opinions as to when God gave the Mitzvah to construct the Mishkan. The Da’at Zekainim MiBa’alei Tosafot (Exodus 25) taught that the Mitzvah was given during the forty days immediately following the Revelation at Sinai. The Seder Eliyahu Rabba (Chapter 17) teaches that the Mitzvah was given as a response to “We will do and we will hear.” Nachmanides (Vayakhel) teaches that Moses taught the laws of the Mishkan the day after Yom Kippur, the day on which he descended from Sinai from the third set of forty days. The Mishkan was given together with the Second Tablets. Rashi (33:11) teaches that Moshe was not given the commandment until after Yom Kippur. The Midrash Tanchuma (Terumah #8) teaches that the Mitzvah was given on Yom Kippur itself. The Rabbeinu Obadiah Seforno (Exodus 24:18) teaches that the Mitzvah was only given to Israel after they had been forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf. How will the different opinions explain the comparison between the Mishkan and the Garden in Eden? Smells So Good In Chronicles 2 (2:3-5) King Solomon describes the Temple he is building to Hiram the king of Tzur as the place to offer the Incense. Why is the incense offering considered the most important of the services in the Mishkan, especially in light of the comparison between the Mishkan and the Garden in Eden? Hint: Which one of the five senses was not used in the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? |