These Divrei Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my mother Chaya Rochel Bas Dovid Tzvi (Hareini Kaparas Mishkavah), my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,
It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and other tragedies.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
בס”ד
פרשת ויקהל
“Simon’s House”
פַּרְשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל is when the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל finally began to build the מִשְׁכָּן. However, before they could do that, מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ reminded the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל that they should not build the מִשְׁכָּן on שַׁבָּת.
Question #1: Why couldn’t the מִשְׁכָּן be built on שַׁבָּת? Isn’t it important to build ה׳’s house? Doesn’t ה׳ want the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל to build it?
Question #2: Why does there need to be another פַּרְשָׁה for the building of the מִשְׁכָּן? We already learned about the מִשְׁכָּן in פַּרְשַׁת תְּרוּמָה!
Answer: Have you ever played a game of “Simon Says”? The rules are simple: Follow Simon’s instructions and do whatever Simon says. If Simon doesn’t say and you do it anyway, then you’re out!
שַׁבָּת reminds us that ה׳ is the “Simon” of the world. He makes the rules. If the מִשְׁכָּן is ה׳’s house, it has to be built by His rules. If we try to make something, even it’s for ה׳, but we don’t follow His instructions, it’s not for ה׳. That was mistake of the עֵגֶל הַזָהָב (Golden Calf). We weren’t following ה׳’s instructions. We were making up our own.
In פַּרְשַׁת תְּרוּמָה, we heard the instructions for the מִשְׁכָּן. But, in פַּרְשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל, we followed the instructions. And we did so “exactly as ה׳ commanded מֹשֶׁה.” The “Simon” of the Universe (ה׳) said, and we did.
We should make sure to listen carefully and follow the instructions of our parents, teachers, and most importantly, ה׳. Have a wonderful שבת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3
פרשת פקודי
“Partners with Hashem”
פַּרְשַׁת פְקוּדֵי is when the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל finally completed the מִשְׁכָּן. However, it wasn’t an easy job. The חַכָמִים teach us that at the end of the construction, the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל were unable to get the מִשְׁכָּן to stand up in place. מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ wasn’t sure what to do and had to ask ה׳ for help. ה׳ told מֹשֶׁה to put his hands on the מִשְׁכָּן and make it look like he was lifting the walls up and then ה׳ would actually lift it up Himself.
Question: Why ה׳ tell מֹשֶׁה to do this? If ה׳ planned on lifting the מִשְׁכָּן anyway, why did He want מֹשֶׁה to hold onto it and pretend to do it?
Answer: ה׳ is teaching us 2 powerful lessons.
Lesson #1 is that we always have to put in our own effort. Even if we think we can’t do it and need help, we still also have to try. We cannot give up. That’s not an option. מֹשֶׁה had to hold on.
Lesson #2 is that even when we do put in effort, really, it is always ה׳ Who makes us successful. We might think that we are successful because of our talents, but ה׳ is the one Who gives us the talents and decides whether or not we will be successful. ה׳ was really the One lifting the מִשְׁכָּן.
We should make sure to remember these two lessons, always putting in effort, but also realizing that our success comes from ה׳. Have a wonderful שבת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3