Archives - February 2022
Parshat VaYakhel ויקהל
February 25, 2022
Vayakhel means “And he gathered.”
Moshe gathered all of Bnei Yisrael and, after reminding them to keep Shabbat as a holy day, he asked everyone to make donations for the Mishkan, which was the portable sanctuary in the desert, and for the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting.
He asked for gold, silver, copper, and jewelry, and he also asked them to use their skills so they can help build the Ohel Moed. Not only did Bnei Yisrael donate valuable objects, they also gave a lot of their time and skills to help Moshe.
Everyone was determined to help the community, and with great excitement they donated tzedakah and used their skills to make their world a better place.
In our own lives we try to act like Bnei Yisrael did in this week’s parsha. For example, before Thanksgiving my family and I volunteered with JAFCO and donated packages of food to people who don't have a lot of money so they could enjoy a meal with their family. This made me feel good because I knew I was doing the mitzvah of helping people in need.
When I attended my previous school in New York my class built dog beds and fetch toys with our own hands and donated to a dog shelter program called “Arf.”
I loved the “Arf” program, and so I started creating advertisements for “Arf” to put on their website and I also handed out flyers to convince people to give those dogs a loving home. Just like in this week’s parsha, my class gathered together to work hard to change things for the better. I'm glad I was able to help because when I go to sleep at night I know I did a great mitzvah.
We learned from this week’s parsha how important it is to help people in need. We also learned that there are different ways to help, and that you should always be generous towards the people who might need a little support.
Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!
Parshat Ki Tisa
February 18, 2022
In Parashat Ti-Kisa, the Isrealites are told to give half of a shekel of silver for tzedakah. Moses could then use each half-shekel for a census so we could count all of the People. Also, “wise-hearted” Aholiav and Betzalel are placed in charge of constructing the Mishkan, or portable Sanctuary's construction.
Earlier in the Torah, Moshe went up Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. The People counted wrong and thought he would return a day earlier than he said he would. They got scared and made a golden calf to worship. As we all know, the Israelites had just received the Ten Commandments that teaches us not to worship any idols, but only to pray to Hashem.
Hashem got so mad and wanted to destroy the nation and start over with Moses. Moses argues with Hashem and convinces Hashem to give the People another chance. Moses then comes down the mountain carrying the two tablets on which Hashem had written the Ten Commandments. Moses saw the people dancing around the Golden Calf and he got so mad he broke the tablets. Moses prays to Hashem again to forgive the people, and in the end only the people who participated were punished.
Our Rabbis teach that it was on Yom Kippur that Hashem forgave the Israelites. Hashem forgives us too on Yom Kippur, and so we are also supposed to always forgive people when they apologize.
This parsha teaches us the power of forgiveness and second chances. One time, a few years ago, I went to a camp. There was a girl who did not behave properly. She wasn’t very nice at all. During my free time I decided to confront her about it. We sat down and I explained to her how she should treat people in order to have fun with friends, because no one wants to be friends with a person who picks on them. The girl understood my message and started to act nicer and treat people with kindness and honesty. We all gave her a second chance, and as soon as the girl met my other friends we all started to bond into a nice friendship. In the end, knowing that I changed someone in a good way made me feel really good about myself.
Just like Hashem ultimately forgives the Jewish people, I think it’s important to be the type of person that forgives and gives people second chances because forgiving people can affect you and others in good ways. When you give someone a second chance, it makes you and others feel better and it can fix many of the problems in our lives.
Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!
Parshat Tetzaveh
February 11, 2022
Tetzaveh תצוה
Tetzaveh means “to command.” In this parsha, God instructs the Israelites to bring Moshe clear oil made from crushed olives, so that Aaron and the other Kohanim could kindle lamps every day in the mishkan. The Mishkan was the portable sanctuary in the desert where the Israelites came to pray to God.
We also learn that God instructed Moshe to make a breastplate for the Kohen Gadol to wear, and to put in it twelve precious stones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel. We learn about the clothing of the Kohanim - the high priests - that they wore when serving in the Mishkan. The eight priestly garments were the breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a coat, a turban, tzitzit, linen breeches, and a sash.
God then described and explained all the holy ceremonies for the mishkan that later would be performed in the Beit Hamikdash - the Holy Temple - in Jerusalem.
The Kohanim had to light a lamp every day and night in the Mishkan. Today, we always have a light kindled in our synagogue sanctuaries - we call it the Ner Tamid, or the Eternal Flame. This is the light we see next to the ark in every synagogue. The light reminds us that God will always be with us. His relationship with us will never be extinguished.
A Kohen Gadol had to wear special clothing so people would know who he was. The Kohen Gadol had to be serious about what he was supposed to do. The clothing he wore helped him get into the right frame of mind to carry out his responsibilities.
Today, people who have a special role in our society also have a special uniform. For example soldiers, policemen, and doctors. What we wear tells people what we do and it helps us understand how we are supposed to behave. For example, policemen wear a special suit because what they do is serious - just like the Kohen Gadol and many other people who wear special clothing because their jobs are important. Also, when people put on their uniform they are reminded that they have a very important job to do and that they should take their job seriously and work the best they can.
When I go to a Bar Mitzvah I have to dress appropriately in order to let people know that going to a Bar Mitzvah is something very special and holy, just like the Kohen Gadol wore special clothes when he was serving Hashem. It is the same situation with going to shul, a wedding, and any other important events you attend - you must always dress appropriately.
When my dad goes to a meeting he has to wear fancy clothes, so the people he wants to work with will think he is serious and will want to work with him. If he wears flip flops and a sun shirt, the people will think he is lazy and won’t want to work with him. When my dad wears a suit he gives the message that he will work very hard and will be successful.
This teaches me that the way you dress is important because if you want to be successful you should always present yourself as someone people will respect and trust.
Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!
Parashat Terumah
February 03, 2022
Terumah תרומה
My name is Chloe Benichou, and my name is Leora Bichachi. This week's parasha is Parashat Terumah.
In this parasha, ‘ה gives Moshe instructions on how to build the Mishkan. He orders Moshe to tell the People to donate items including copper; gold; silver; blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red; tachash skins, acacia wood; oil and spices. The tachash was a colorful animal that lived at that time, but is now extinct.
'ה gave very precise directions on the dimensions of the different parts of the Mishkan and how to assemble them. We wondered why 'ה gave such specific details.
I think it is because 'ה wants to make sure that generation after generation, we keep the same level of dedication in the way we celebrate keeping the mitzvot of the Torah. Without strict directions about the Mishkan, we would not have been able to later build the Beit Hamikdash, or Holy Temple, in Yerushalayim. Instead, we might have just made up our own rules, and this would be much less meaningful.
For example, if we did not have specific rules for Shabbat, everyone would be doing their own version of Shabbat. One might say: “On Shabbat, I will watch a movie about the Torah,” when another might say: “I will not watch TV on Shabbat. Instead, I will bake challah on Shabbat.” This would not be the Shabbat we know today.
בני ישראל gave as much as they could, and the result was a beautiful Mishkan. This parasha teaches us that even when you give a small amount, it can help create something wonderful. 'ה gave the people a choice. It was not mandatory to donate anything. In this parasha, it states: "כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את-תרומתי" - "from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering".
Rashi also comments that the sentence "תרומה ויקחו-לי" - "take a portion for Me'' means that the offering should be made for 'ה only, and not because of social pressure or in a quest of honor. I think it means that no matter the amount of your contribution, if it comes from the heart, you should feel as good as anyone else about doing a mitzvah.
As Chloe said, each Jew gave what they could. It did not matter how much they contributed. It could have been one ring, or plenty of gold, but what matters is if it came from the heart.
Every time there is a disaster anywhere in the world, the country of Israel acts quickly. They donate money, they send firefighters, policemen, and ambulances to where the disaster happened. They always help out and give, just like their ancestors did with the Mishkan.
Even if you can only give a little, it can still make a difference. Say you donate a bit of money to plant a tree in Israel, give tzedakah, or give some toys and clothes to children in need. The small amount you give can help grow a forest, buy a meal for a homeless person, or put a smile on someone’s face.
About seven months ago, my hair was very long. I felt I had no need for it to be that long. I decided to donate my hair to children who had lost their hair. Before Shabbat started, my mom cut some of my hair off. We donated a foot in all! I felt so good about it. The hair I donated hopefully made a child who had lost their hair happy! Right now, I am planning to grow my hair out again, in the hopes of making another child happy.
As you can see, each and every one of the mitzvot we do can make a big difference!
Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!
Written by Leora Bichachi and Chloe Benichou (Grade 5)