Leaders can fail for two kinds of reason. The first is external. The time may not be right. The second kind of failure is internal. A leader can simply lack the courage to lead.
discussing the campaign found in Ki Tisa for the building materials to construct the Tabernacle and Sanctuary, and tells how we can participate in like construction today.
the name of the hero of the Purim story, Mordechai, is alluded to in our Parsha which describes the spices that constitute the incense offering in the tabernacle and temple.
If the shemen hamish’cha (anointing oil) is used inappropriately, is the anointer liable, the anointed, or both of them? If someone produces shemen hamish’cha inappropriately, is he liable, regardless how much he produced? Where is the shemen hamish’cha poured? Where will we find the shemen hamish’cha today?
“When you count (Ki tisa) the heads of Bnei Yisrael... and there should not be a plague" The counting reminds us of the upcoming elections and the plague reminds us of the not yet finished Corona pandemic.
Forty days before Yom Kippur, Moshe went up to Sinai, and after forty days he returned with the second set of Tablets and with Hashem’s announcement: “I have forgiven!” During Moshe’s “negotiations” with Hashem, Moshe was commanded twice (Shemot 33:21; ibid. 34:1-2): “v’nitzavta …” (you shall stand).
We have mentioned in the past that according to some opinions, Bnei Yisrael actually had three aronot (arks). If so, these are the three: 1. The aron with the luchot (Tablets), which was wood encased in gold, with a kaporet and the keruvim above. 2. A wooden aron, which held the broken first set of luchot. 3. The aron mentioned in Parashat B’ha’alotcha, which traveled with the people into war. One can explain that it was the Divine Presence that accompanied the Israelite camp that ensured victory and the return of the multitudes that the pasuk (Bamidbar 10:36) refers to.
