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שבת שלום - פרשת תצוה - שבת זכור - פורים
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch the video shiur by Rav Pesach Wolicki
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News and Notes
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The yeshiva was proud to host siyumim this week
for two of our night seder chaburot. On Tuesday
night, Rav Yoav Druyan's chaburah - consisting of
Harold Hershmann, Yarom Packer, Aryeh Sklar, and Adam Ramos -
completed Masechet Megillah, and celebrated their
achievement with a siyum before Maariv in the Beit Midrash.
On Thursday night, Rav Baruch Dovid Greenman's chaburah in
Masechet Makkot - consisting of Avi Kotlicky, Ely Shamoulian,
Michael Amar, and Shmuly Reece - made a siyum on the masechet
in the chadar ochel. We wish mazal tov to both groups, and
look forward to their continued progress in other areas of
Torah learning.
In addition to the two siyumim mentioned above, we
anticipate numerous other siyumim as the zman comes
to a close. Yesodei HaTorah prides itself on enabling
our students to learn Gemara and other central texts on
their own; the large number of students who are currently
learning and completing masechtot on their own is a
constant source of pride.
Preparations are underway for the yeshiva's annual
Purim celebrations. As part of the yeshiva's
"Fifth Annual Rockin' Purim Eve Bash" the yeshiva band
will perform, and students as well as rabbeim will put on
various Purim shpiels, both live and on video. On the
day of Purim, students will attend seudot at homes of
their rabbeim, to be followed by the entire yeshiva
reconvening for a gala dessert back at the yeshiva.
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The True Contents of the Mishkan
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
This week's parashah, Tetzaveh, and last week's parashah, Terumah, are often thought of as one unit. They are both part of the same extended monologue of G-d commanding Moshe regarding the building of the Mishkan and everything in it. Both have long lists of materials, items to be made, and instructions regarding construction.
Parashat Terumah, after listing the materials that were collected for the entire project, discusses the construction of the Ark, table, Menorah, and the structure of the Mishkan building itself, i.e. the wooden beams for walls, curtains, and roof.
Tetzaveh includes the instructions for lighting the Menorah, crafting the clothing for the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol, the consecration of the Kohanim themselves, the daily Tamid offering, the Golden Altar, and the incense.
It almost appears, at first glance, that the division between the two parshiot is a matter of convenience. Terumah contains ninety-six verses. Tetzaveh contains one hundred one verses. What appears as one long parashah is divided in to two more or less equal parts.
Despite the above commonalities, there is one distinction that points us in a very different direction.
The opening line of Parashat Terumah states the most commonly repeated line in the Torah. "And G-d spoke to Moshe saying." This line of narration introduces the uninterrupted monologue of the approximately two hundred verses that follow. After that introductory verse, there in not a single mention of the name of G-d in the entire Parashat Terumah. In stark contrast, Parashat Tetzaveh contains twenty-four instances of the name of G-d.
Parashat Terumah deals with the construction of the structure of the Mishkan, i.e. the building. Parashat Tetzaveh deals with the people who serve in it - the Kohanim - and the ongoing service - the daily Tamid, the incense, and the lighting of the Menorah.
I'd like to suggest that the contrast in mentions of G-d's name between these two sets of instructions teaches us an important lesson. People have a tendency to see holy buildings as having inherent holiness, as being ends in and of themselves. They view the synagogue as the place where G-d and religion reside. There are those who care for their synagogue as an institution while neglecting to participate in the ongoing services that take place there. Perhaps, the Torah is telling us that this should not be the case. Holiness and G-dliness do not reside in the building - the wooden beams and curtains - but in the service to G-d performed there. Without service of G-d, the beams and curtains are worthless.
One of the opening statements of Parashat Terumah is "And they shall make for Me a Mishkan, and I shall dwell among them." The verse does not say "... and I shall dwell in it" referring to the Mishkan, but "... and I shall dwell among them" referring to the people themselves. G-d does not need or want a building. He wants the service within the building as a way for us to encounter Him.
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