Table Talk

This week's parasha is Parashat Pekudei. Parshat Pekudei is the last parasha in the second book Shemot. This parasha talks about the setting up of the Mishkan, or the portable sanctuary in the desert.

Moshe tells Aaron and his sons to oversee the building of the Mishkan, and to use gold, silver, and copper to build items like the Menorah and the Holy Ark. Two men named Bezalel and Oholiav were the artists who designed the Mishkan. The gold for the Mishkan was donated by Bnei Yisrael and the silver was also donated as part of a census to count all the people.

After the sin of the Golden Calf, one of the first things Bnei Yisrael is told to do is to give tzedakah for the building of the Mishkan.

I think giving Tzedakah is important because some people aren’t as fortunate as others, and so, whenever I give tzedakah, I feel like I just helped someone in need.

I think Hashem commanded Bnei Yisrael to give Tzedakah right after the sin of the Golden Calf because he wanted to give them a second chance. He wanted them to use the same gold they used to build the Golden Calf but this time to use it for the mitzvah of giving tzedakah.

One day when I was six years old I bought a new toy with my mom at the toy store. I was going to bring it home to play with but while I was walking home, I saw a less fortunate girl and gave it to her. After I gave it to her, I felt a sense of accomplishment for helping someone.

In my own family we give lots of tzedakah. For example: whenever any of us have clothes that don’t fit, instead of throwing them out, we donate them to shelters. We also donate toys that we don’t need anymore.

Tzedakah is our way to stay connected with our community. The more fortunate among us help the less fortunate in solidarity to show that we all care about each other.

I think giving tzedakah is important because it's an opportunity to give to people who have less.

I think Hashem commanded Bnei Yisrael to give tzedakah right after the sin of the golden calf because He wanted them to fix their mistake by using their gold for tzedakah.

In my own family we also give lots of tzedakah. For example, sometimes on Sundays we raise money by making a lemonade stand and donating the money we make to the less fortunate. Also, a couple of times a year, we donate food, clothes, and toys to shelters. When I give tzedakah I feel really good about myself because I am making a difference by helping people in need.

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!