Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The Book of Shemot concludes with this Parsha. After finishing all the different parts, vessels and garments used in the Mishkan, Moshe gives a complete accounting and enumeration of all the contributions and of the various clothing and vessels which had been made.

Benei Israel bring everything to Moshe. He inspects the handiwork and notes that everything was made according to G-d’s specifications. Moshe blesses the people. G-d speaks to Moshe and tells him that the Mishkan should be set up on the first day of the month of Nissan. He also tells Moshe the order of assembly for the Mishkan and its vessels. Moshe does everything in the prescribed manner. When the Mishkan is finally complete with every vessel in its place, a cloud descends upon it, indicating that G-d’s glory was resting there. Whenever the cloud moved away from the Mishkan, Benei Israel would follow it. At night the cloud was replaced by a pillar of fire.

” Dvar Torah “

The Mishkan, or the portable Sanctuary, is completed in this week’s Parsha. The nation looked at the magnificent work with great joy, and Moshe was proud. The Torah announces triumphantly that everything was completed. The construction, the vessels, the utensils, the vestments and the garments were all made to perfection, and everything was made according to G-d’s specifications. But the expression that describes the accomplishment is repeated over and over again. In fact, it is repeated more than twenty times in this week’s Parsha. After the completion of each component, the Torah uses an expression that declares that they were made “exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe.” At the end of every single detail of the Mishkan, the Torah declares the success of the mission by stating: “…they were made exactly as G-d had commanded Moshe “!

Once again, why does the Torah which is so careful with the use of words, keeps repeating itself? Couldn’t it just say, ” and EVERYTHING was done exactly as G-d had commanded Moshe ” once and for all? If something is repeated many times in the Torah, the commentators are quite certain that the Torah is trying to relay an important message. So, what is the message?

Rashi, the famous Torah commentator, explains that the purpose of the Mishkan was to atone for the making of the golden calf. But what’s the connection between the Mishkan and the Golden Calf? Usually, atonement is the reverse act of the wrong doing. So how can building the Mishkan be the opposite of building the Calf?

Rabbi Kamenetzky gives the following explanation to Rashi’s insight: The Jewish People had seen that Moshe had acted as an agent between them and G-d. After Moshe failed to come down from the mountain they assumed that he was dead. In their confusion, the Jewish People decided on their own that they would need someone, or something, to replace Moshe; something to connect them to the Almighty and to build them a sanctuary so that Hashem can rest upon it! Basically, they wanted a new Moshe to build them the Mishkan!!

Up to now, their idea was not so far off the track! They just wanted a new leader to act as an agent between them and G-d. But their mistake was that they took the matters in their own hands! To get a new leader and to build a Mishkan, it has to be done only with the Divine’s will. But they decided to make their own leader and their own Mishkan!

In this week’s Parsha the Torah keeps repeating that the Mishkan was completed “exactly as G-d had commanded Moshe”, because you can only build a sanctuary for G-d the way he wants it and not the way you want! Otherwise, G-d forbid, you’ll end up with a Golden Calf!! When they built the Golden Calf they didnot follow Hashem’s commandment, but when they built the Mishkan, they did the opposite and did “exactly what G-d commanded Moshe”. And that’s why it was an atonement for their sin.

Yes my friends; if we want Hashem to be happy and to live among us, we have to follow his commandments exactly the way He has commanded us. If we try to change them, or take the matters in our own hands, we will fail and end up sinning just like the Benei Yisrael. But, unfortunately, a lot of Jews in our times don’t understand this concept. They think that our Torah is outdated. They want to modernize it! They say not eating pork is a thing of the past. Why can’t we sit next to our wives when praying to G-d in a sanctuary? And why do we need to rest on Shabath, when there is so many exciting things to do? But one thing they don’t understand is that once you start changing, it never ends. Once you start rationalizing that keeping kosher and Shabbat is a thing of a past, then the idea of intermarriage will not be so illogical to you either. Unfortunately, once we start to change, we will only drive ourselves away from Judaism and the G-d Almighty, and in no time we might find ourselves worshiping a Golden Calf!!

Remember that Hashem loves us and he wants to be with us! All we need to do is to open our hearts and let him into our lives!! He is ready to give us all the blessings that we desire! All we need to do in return is to keep his commandments “exactly the same way He commanded Moshe”, many many years ago!

Shabath Shalom, Rosh Chodesh Tov and Regards;

Martin.