ב ס ״ ד Torah to make the furniture first? Betzalel that, under normal Furniture First? Moses surely knew that circumstances, one should Weekly Furniture is an important doing so is unusual. first transform one’s part of our home. How we The home, with its walls and environment before focusing March 7-13, 2021 furnish our home, the colors, 23-29 Adar, 5781 its roof, provides shelter on a specific action. designs and art that we from the outside elements. Yet, initially, Moses told First Torah: Vayak'hel-Pekudei: choose, says a lot about the The home allows the person Betzalel to first build the Exodus 35:1 - 40:38 people we are and, perhaps Second Torah: Parshat to take control of and shape furniture and then build the Hachodesh: Exodus 12:1-20 more importantly, about the his or her environment. The home. Why? Haftarah: people we strive to be. Ezekiel 45:18 - 46:15; Samuel I furniture, which facilitates Because Moses knew that 20:18; Samuel I 20:42 Despite its importance, eating, sleeping, studying, unusual times would be PARSHAT VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI furniture is rarely the first etc., represents the specific coming. There would be thing we purchase when we We have Jewish actions with which we fill times when a person would decide to acquire a home. Calendars. If you our day.Betzalel’s feel that the darkness is too First we build a home, and would like one, perspective was that it is great, that the unholiness is then we fill it with furniture. please send us a pointless to focus on too dominant, and that he or letter and we will Indeed, when the Jewish performing a given action she is too weak to build a send you one, or people built a home for G‑d before one is in control of his shelter from the storm. Calendars ask the in the desert, Betzalel, the environment. It’s like having Moses taught us that in those Rabbi/Chaplain to chief architect made this a couch but no home. He times, we should first create contact us. very point to Moses: For asserted that “the common the furniture—the action. Moses commanded Bezalel Do you have family practice,” the logical We should choose just one on the outside to first make the furnishings approach, is to first create a moment of our day and use it struggling? and afterwards the Mishkan . tranquil, holy environment for a divine purpose. Even if Please contact or . Betzalel responded, “It is in which we are protected we don't have a protective have them contact common practice to first from the chaos and home, we can and should our office to learn make a house and then to put confusion of the material engage in holy actions. furniture into it.” (Rashi on world, and only then should more about our Moses told us to fill our lives Exodus 38:22.)Moses we focus on our actions. family programs. with moments of holiness. You and they are agreed with Betzalel, and After all, what would be the And the energy produced Family Programs not alone, we are indeed, first the Tabernacle purpose of a single positive from these moments will here to help. was constructed and only action, if the rest of one’s ultimately empower us to later did they build the day is full of unholiness? build a beautiful home, full furniture. We offer free Grape Thus, argued Betzalel, first of material and spiritual Juice and Matzoh This leaves us with a comes the home and then blessings. (Likkutei Sichot, for you to be able to question: Why did Moses comes the furniture. Pikudei, vol. 31.) By Rabbi make the blessings initially command Betzalel And Moses agreed with Menachem Feldman every Shabbos. Please have your The Final Exam the first generation in history could cast any aspersions on concerned about such issues? the integrity of Moshe and his chaplain / Rabbi Transparency and contact us to enroll In this week's Torah reading, team. In fact, the accountability — these are the commentaries derive from (available to all new buzz words for 21st Pikudei (Exodus 38-40), we Grape Juice & Matzah this episode that those in prisons). century corporate learn that way back in the charge of communal charity days of Moses a transparent governance. No doubt all funds should likewise hold Hyman & Martha Rogal Center upright, honorable people accounting and detailed audit 5804 Beacon Street themselves accountable. We welcome every genuine effort was conducted over the Pittsburgh, PA 15217 donations made by the all need to be "innocent in the 412-421-0111 to stop corruption and eyes of G‑d and man." Fax: 412-521-5948 dishonesty in whatever sphere Israelites towards the building www.alephne.org of society — corporate, campaign for the Sanctuary Ethics of the Fathers reminds [email protected] governmental or personal. But and its sacred vessels. The us to consider that one day we is this really a new contributions of gold, silver will all face ultimate phenomenon? Is ours, in fact, and copper were all weighed accountability. Each of us will and totaled, so that no one stand before the heavenly IN JEWISH HISTORY Sunday, March 7, 2021 --- 23 Adar, 5781 tribunal to give a din v'cheshbon, a "full Mishkan assembled; 7 "days of training" (1312 BCE) The Children of Israel began building the "Mishkan" (also called the "Tabernacle"--a portable justification and an accounting" for the way we sanctuary to house the Divine presence in their midst as they journeyed through the desert) on the lived our lives. 11th of Tishrei of the year 2449 from creation (1312 BCE) -- six months after their Exodus from Egypt, four months after the revelation at Sinai, and 80 days after their worship of the Golden It's fascinating to note that somehow the Talmud Calf. The construction of the Mishkan, which followed a detailed set of instructions issued to (Shabbos, 31a) was able to get wind of the actual Moses on Mount Sinai, lasted 74 days, and was completed on the 25th of Kislev; but the Divine command to erect the edifice came only three months later, on the 23rd of Adar, when Moses questions we will be asked by that supernal was instructed to begin a 7-day "training period." During the week of Adar 23-29, the Mishkan tribunal. Know what the very first question is was erected each morning and dismantled each evening; Moses served as the High Priest and going to be? Surprise, it's not "Did you believe initiated Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood. Then, on the "eighth day" -- the 1st of Nissan -- the Mishkan was "permanently" assembled (that is, put up to stand until the Divine in G‑d," or "Did you fast on Yom Kippur?" command would come to journey on), Aaron and his sons assumed the priesthood, and the divine Believe it or not, the first question on this final presence came to dwell in the Mishkan. of final exams is: "Did you deal faithfully in Passing of 1st Rebbe of Ger (1866) Chassidic Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Altar (1799-1866), author of Chiddushei Harim (a commentary business?" Not how religious you were with G‑d on the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch), was a disciple of the Maggid of Koshnitz and Rabbi but how you conducted your business affairs. Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, and the founder of the "Ger" (Gerer) Chassidic dynasty. All his 13 Were you honest and fair with people? sons had died in his lifetime, and he was succeeded (in 1870) by his young grandson, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter (the "Sefat Emmet"). The second question, however, does go to the heart of our Jewishness. "Did you set aside fixed Tuesday, March 9, 2021 --- 25 Adar, 5781 Nebuchadnezzar died (397 BCE) times for Torah study?" It would appear that Death of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian emperor who conquered Jerusalem familiarizing oneself with Torah and becoming and destroyed the first Holy Temple 26 years earlier, died on the 25th of Adar of the year 3364 from creation. (Jeremiah 52:31) a knowledgeable Jew is the key that opens the Rebbetzin's Birthday (1901) doors to everything else in Jewish life. Rebbetzin Chaya Mushkah Schneerson (1901-1988) of righteous memory, wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of righteous memory, was born on Shabbat, the 25th of Adar, in Babinovich, Is it not an anomaly of our times that many of a town near the Russian city of Lubavitch, in the year 5661 from creation (1901). In an address our most brilliant legal minds — attorneys, delivered on the 25 of Adar of 1988 (the Rebbetzin's 87th birthday, and about a month after her advocates and judges — may have never opened passing), the Rebbe initiated an international birthday campaign, urging people to celebrate their birthdays and utilize the day as a time of introspection and making resolutions involving an a single page of the Talmud, Judaism's classic increase in good deeds. encyclopedia of law? Or that some of our finest doctors may be completely unfamiliar with the Wednesday, March 10, 2021 --- 26 Adar, 5781 Passing of Sarah Schenirer (1935) medical writings of Maimonides, the great 12th Viewing the dire lack of formal Jewish education provided to Jewish girls in her native Poland, century physician and scholar? Or that our Sarah Schenirer founded the first Bais Yaakov girls’ school in Krakow in 1917. Despite some brightest business magnates remain Jewishly initial opposition, the Bais Yaakov school network quickly expanded throughout Poland and beyond. Today, there are hundreds of Bais Yaakov schools worldwide, attended by tens of ignorant, even illiterate? thousands of students.