Where God dwells
They shall make a Sanctuary for Me – and I will dwell among them (Exodus 25:8) We would have thought that the verse would conclude, “and I will dwell in it”. The last phrase can also be translated as “and I will dwell within them”. The Sanctuary as a place for God’s presence points to […]
Struggling with God
David Hazony’s recent book “The Ten Commandments” reveals that while most people feel strongly about these commandments, few are actually able to enumerate them. Even for those who have pondered these foundational spiritual directives, the very first one is often perplexing. Indeed, some thinkers have questioned whether the introductory statement that “I am the Lord […]
Who can receive Torah?
The dimensions of the Holy Ark in the Tabernacle are different than the other vessels. None of its measurements are whole numbers. We find that it was to be two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide and one and a half cubits high. (Exodus 25:10). The Ark housed the Tablets […]
Where are you?
”And Hashem said to Moses: Come up to Me on the mountain and be there…” Exodus 24:12 R’ Menachem Mendel of Kotzk observed that if Moses was going up to the mountain – of course he’d be there! Perhaps not! A person may be somewhere physically, but they may not be fully present. They could […]
READING THE BIBLE WITH ONE EYE
If you close one eye and look ahead, you will be able to see quite a bit. But if you open both eyes, you will have a clearer perception with more depth and perspective. The Bible was meant to be read with both eyes. Allow me to explain. In this week’s Torah portion, we come […]
When we reward mistakes
“You shall be holy people to Me; you shall not eat flesh of an animal that was torn in the field – to the dog you shall throw it”. (Exodus 22:30) There is a profound insight here from the Daas Zekeinim M’Baalei HaTosafos. It was very common for people to have a dog that would […]
Take the ramp!
“You shall not ascend My altar on steps, so that your nakedness will not be uncovered upon it.” (Exodus 20:23) The priests who were going to offer sacrifices on the Temple altar had to get to the top via a ramp. Why was a ramp preferred over stairs? Much has been written on this topic […]
Like
The first of the Ten Commandments given at Mt.Sinai is, “ANOCHI – I am the Lord your God…(Exodus 20:2) Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Ishbitz offers a profound observation about this text in his Chassidic masterpiece Mei HaShiloach. He points out that ordinarily, the Hebrew word for “I” is ANI. However, the Almighty introduces Himself […]
Up stairway can take you down
“Neither shall you go up by steps (ma’alot) to My altar, that your nakedness should not be exposed there.” (Exodus 20:23) This is why in the Tabernacle and Temple, the Priests ascended the altar by walking up a ramp. The Hebrew word for steps (ma’alot) can also be rendered as ‘virtues’. So, aside from the […]
Idolatry
“Don’t make for yourself any idol…” (Exodus 20:4) The Hebrew here is “Lo ta’aseh lecha pesel” which is ordinarily translated to teach we shouldn’t make an idol for ourselves. But it can also imply that we shouldn’t make ourselves into an idol! Idolatry is ultimately a placing one’s own will over the will of the […]