YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
The chicken turned to the salmon and said, "Hey, why don’t we go in there and help these people out!"
The salmon vigorously shook his fins & said, "Nothing doing, chickadee! I’m not setting foot in that place - no how, no way!"
"Why not?" said the chicken. "We all have to do our part for the common good. Why won’t you help?!"
"Because from you," replied the salmon, "they want a contribution. From me, they want a commitment!"
Our Sedra begins with the counting of the people. This must have been a daunting task; Rashi says each person passed under the bar to be registered. Even Moshe Rabbeinu was fazed by the enormity of the task (as an extremely modest person, he also did not want to intrude on the privacy of each tent). And so, says the Midrash, Hashem assisted him in the counting: Moshe would stand outside and call out the name of the family, and a Bat Kol would call out from Heaven and reply with the number of souls for Moshe to record.
Which causes us to ask: Why didn’t Hashem just announce the whole total of the nation? Why did Moshe have to go around to the tents at all? The answer should be obvious: It’s never G-d's task alone. We all have our part to play. We cannot be lazy & leave it up to just Hashem; as his partners in the great adventure of life, we must be active contributors - in the economy, the army, the government, education - in every sphere of life. He’ll do his part, to be sure, but we have our own calling, as well.
In our Parsha, young Bezalel (a tender 13-year old!) is chosen as the Mishkan’s Chief Architect. Now, what is it that made Bezalel so special? Sure, he must have been skilled, and blessed with energy & creativity. But why specifically choose him, & not others?
The answer, I suggest, is hinted at in his introduction: He is called "Bezalel son of Uri, son of Chur." His assistant, Ohaliav, is only traced back one generation, to his father, while Bezalel is linked to his grandfather. According to the Midrash, Chur was killed al Kiddush Hashem when he tried to stop the people from building the Golden Calf. He defiantly stood up to them, but was murdered by the wild mob. It is this quality of m’sirat nefesh which Bezalel inherited from his grandfather & which set him apart, which passionately infused his art and made him a bit more qualified than others. Like his grandfather, Bezalel was prepared to give his all - down to his very soul – in order to employ his significant talents and play his rightful part in G-d's world.
He was prepared not just to make a contribution; he was ready to make a commitment. Are we?
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
