KabbalaOnline.org "Pray It Up" [Vayakhel/Pekudei 5783]
KabbalaOnline.org "Pray It Up" [Vayakhel/Pekudei 5783]
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ASCENT OF SAFED, P. O. BOX 296, SAFED 13102, email: director@ascentofsafed.com The week of VAYAKHEL/PEKUDEI 5783 The learning from this Torah teaching is dedicated to the
merit of RAFAEL STERN ז"ל in loving memory by his son MARTIN STERN & family שי' May his soul have a great elevation above and continue to be a
faithful advocate for the entire family. One
of the questions that comes up immediately on reading this week’s double
Torah portion, Vayakhel/Pekudei is the repetition. Everything we are
told here was already described a few weeks ago in portions Terumah
and Titzaveh. The word Torah means teaching. The Torah is G-d’s will
and wisdom. Every word is something Divine. Why repeat what we have already
learned? The
Lubavitcher Rebbe answers by reminding us of another place where the Torah
repeats itself in connection with Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, on his
mission to find a wife for Yitzchak. The Torah tells us the same story of his
meeting Rivka three (!) times. Rashi explains there that when something
is beloved to G-d, He repeats it. So too with the building of the Mishkan
(Sanctuary). It was through building the Mishkan that we were able to realize
G-d’s commandment, “Make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among you” (Shemot/Exodus
25:8) and even more, clear testimony that G-d forgave the Jewish people for
the sin of the Golden Calf in last week’s portion, Ki Tisa. Even though these Torah portions do not contain even one law
about the building of the Sanctuary, nevertheless, the repetition shows us
the preciousness of the Mishkan to G-d. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l explains the
same idea in a more graphic way. How many verses does the Torah use to
describe the creation of the world? Thirty-one. How many verses does the
Torah use to describe the building and maintaining of the Mishkan? In the
end, over 700 (!!!!). Why the enormous difference? The message is clear. For
G-d to make a place for people to live, is “relatively” easy. For people to
make a place for G-d to dwell takes a lot of effort. That is why it is so
beloved to G-d. In
connection with repetitions, there is one part of a verse in Pekudei that is
repeated eighteen times - “…that G-d commanded”. The Talmud Yerushalmi
explains that this expression is referring to the work of Betzalel and
Oholiav, (the architects and builders of the Mishkan). The verse is repeated
eighteen times in connection to the “silent prayer”, the Amidah
(standing) prayer, that we pray three times daily, which has eighteen blessings.
The exception is the verse in Shemot 38:22 that speaks about Betzalel’s
efforts by himself, not Betzalel and Oholiav together. This verse is not
counted in the eighteen repetitions. What is the connection between this
verse and the Amidah? And why do we only count the verses that talk about the
work of Betzalel and Oholiav together and not this verse which speaks
about Betzalel alone? The
answer is something beautiful and important to remember every day. The
building of the Sanctuary, a place for G-d to dwell, and the whole idea of
prayer, are the same. Separating and purifying mundane things and
transforming them into holiness, to a place where G-d is welcome. The
Sanctuary was built from physical materials to make a dwelling place for G-d.
So too, prayer elevates the mundane to holiness. When we take ourselves out
of our daily routine and focus on the place G-d has in our lives, we are also
transforming mundane into something holy. This is why prayer is hinted at in
the verse about Ya’akov’s dream, “a ladder standing below” (physical things),
and its head reaches the heavens, into something holy and spiritual. But
there is something more. G-d does not want to hear only about our successes.
The real challenge of prayer is to elevate the difficult parts of our lives,
issues that are bothering us, parts that we are challenged with, that we have
to fight to find the spiritual, the places where G-dliness is most hidden.
This is why we only count the verses that are referring to both Betzalel and
Oholiav. There is a dichotomy between Betzalel and Oholiav. Betzalel was from
the tribe of Yehuda, the most prestigious tribe, the tribe of Yehuda the
leader and king. Oholiav was from the tribe of Dan, one of the lesser tribes.
Dan took up the end. (Bamidbar/Numbers10:25). This
is prayer, not just to elevate the perfect parts of ourselves, the
Betzalel/Yehuda parts, but also to elevate the difficult and more lowly
parts, the Oholiav/Dan parts. [Rabbi
Menachem M. Schneerson. Likkutei Sichot(“Collected
Talks”): An Anthology of Talks. Kehot Publication Society. Volume 1] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rabbi
Simcha Bunim of Peshischa used to say, "It is written ‘Because you will
come out with joy' (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 55:12) - when a person is filled
with joy, he has the power to get out of any trouble." Then
he said, "Once, when I was in the city of Danzig, I passed by the
seashore and saw a man who was being swept away by the waves and was about to
drown. The man struggled and tried to swim to the shore, but he couldn’t make
it, and his strength began to ran out.” "I
saw that the man was despairing and about to drown. I shouted to him 'Give
greetings to the Leviatan [1]. A slight smile appeared on the
man's face, and at that moment he overcame his despair and began to struggle
again against the stormy waves, and managed to reach shore safely." [Sichat
HaShavua #1679] Shabbat Shalom and a sweet new month, Shaul This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim when we bless the new month
of Nisan which begins on Wednesday night, March 22. PLEASE NOTE SUMMER TIME CHANGE
FOR THIS WEEK. “ WHAT
DOES G-D REALLY WANT?” Rabbi Shaul Leiter’s inspiring
class on the teachings of the Ba’al Shem
Tov from Keter Shem Tov Monday, March 20, 2023 Israel 8PM/ UK 6PM/ NY 1PM/ LA
10AM Please use the following link: https://ascent-co-il.zoom.us/j/81906073996?pwd=ZUk4SlR6N1kvUldIUUh0WTB1VVNUQT09 Meeting ID: 819 0607 3996 Passcode: 068582 Find your local number: https://ascent-co-il.zoom.us/u/kd1BQirK3D [1] A giant fish that will be
served at the great feast when Mashiach comes. |
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Prayer Request
Our Prayer and hope: All the gates to the Har ha-Bait have to be opened for Jews and non-Jews seven days in the week 24 hours a day. The Jews need to have the freedom to go with Tefillin, Tallit and Torah Scroll up on the Mountain to serve Hashem. And do קידה ('Kidah' prostate, laying down, before Hashem) Everyone showing his/her respect for the Jewish and all other religions. But NOT for the words/deeds/sins spoken against any word of the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu and the 'real' teachings of the Jewish Rabbis. The Jews must be the guardians of the Har ha-Bait.
תפילתנו ותקוותנו: כל שערי הר הבית צריכים להיפתח עבור יהודים ולא-יהודים שבעה ימים בשבוע 24 שעות ביממה. ליהודים צריך להיות חופש ללכת עם תפילין, טלית וספר תורה במעלה ההר כדי לשרת את ה' ולקוד קידה .מתוך הפגנת כבוד ליהודים ולכל הדתות האחרות, אבל לא למילים/למעשים/לחטאים הנאמרים נגד תורת משה רבנו. מלמודי רבנים, היהודים חייבים להיות שומרי הר הבית.
Let's pray for a death sentence for the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah and for the continuation of the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. The Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Hezbollah must disappear. Enough of the hatred from the world (the USA, the European Union, and the UN!) against the Jewish people.
בואו נתפלל לגזר דין מוות לרשות הפלסטינית, חמאס, חיזבאללה ולהתיישבות יהודית ביהודה ושומרון. הרשות הפלסטינית, חמאס וחיזבאללה חייבים להעלם. די לשנאה מהעולם (ארה"ב, האיחוד האירופי והאו"ם!) נגד העם היהודי!
The Jews have the mission to change the Har HaBait, from her situation now, into a Prayer House for all peoples based on the Torah Law of Moshe Rabbeinu.
על היהודים מוטלת המשימה לשנות את הר הבית, ממצבו הקיים, לבית תפילה לכל העמים על פי חוק התורה של משה רבנו.
Ariel, hopefully your Representee
אריאל, מקווה שהנציג שלך
Our Prayer and hope: All the gates to the Har ha-Bait have to be opened for Jews and non-Jews seven days in the week 24 hours a day. The Jews need to have the freedom to go with Tefillin, Tallit and Torah Scroll up on the Mountain to serve Hashem. And do קידה ('Kidah' prostate, laying down, before Hashem) Everyone showing his/her respect for the Jewish and all other religions. But NOT for the words/deeds/sins spoken against any word of the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu and the 'real' teachings of the Jewish Rabbis. The Jews must be the guardians of the Har ha-Bait. | תפילתנו ותקוותנו: כל שערי הר הבית צריכים להיפתח עבור יהודים ולא-יהודים שבעה ימים בשבוע 24 שעות ביממה. ליהודים צריך להיות חופש ללכת עם תפילין, טלית וספר תורה במעלה ההר כדי לשרת את ה' ולקוד קידה .מתוך הפגנת כבוד ליהודים ולכל הדתות האחרות, אבל לא למילים/למעשים/לחטאים הנאמרים נגד תורת משה רבנו. מלמודי רבנים, היהודים חייבים להיות שומרי הר הבית. |
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Ariel, hopefully your Representee | אריאל, מקווה שהנציג שלך |
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