In Parshat Vayakhel, Shmot 37:1-9,
we read about how Betzalel made the “aron” (the ark):

Betzalel made the ark of acacia
wood, 2 ½ amot long, 1 ½ amot wide and 1 ½ amot high. He covered it with pure
gold from inside and out…”

How and why did we lose the ark?

There is a dispute over whether the
ark was purposely hidden or whether it was taken away against our will:

The Talmud, Yoma 52b teaches that
King Yoshiyahu purposely hid the ark:

It was taught in a Braita: When the
ark was hidden away towards the end of the First Temple era, the following
items were hidden with it: the jar of manna, the flask of anointing oil, the
staff of Aharon with its almonds and blossoms and the box that the Plishtim
sent as a present to the God of Israel…And who hid the ark? Yoshiyahu hid it.
Why did he hide it? He saw that it says in Dvarim 28:36 “God will lead you and
your king who you will set up over yourself to a nation you never knew.”

In contrast, we learn in the Talmud,
Yoma 53b, that the ark was taken away by Nevuchadnetzar:

The Mishna does not teach, “After
the ark was hidden,” but rather “After the ark was taken away.”Rabbi Eliezer
says: The ark went into exile in Babylonia, as it says (Divrei HaYamim II: 36:10):
“King Nevuchadnetzar had King Yehoyachin brought to Babylonia together with the
precious articles of the Temple of God.”

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: The
ark went into exile in Babylonia, as it says (Yishayahu 39:6): “Behold the days
are coming when everything in your house, and whatever your forefathers have
accumulated until this day will be carried off to Babylonia. Not a thing will
be left, said God.” “Not a thing will be left” refers to the Tablets containing
the Ten Commandments within the ark.

Either way, by the time the Second
Temple was built, we no longer had the ark as we see in Yoma 21b:

These are the five things that the
Second Temple was lacking: 1.The ark, the ark cover (kaporet) and the Cherubim 2.The
fire from heaven 3. The Divine Presence (Shechina) 4. The Holy Spirit(Ruach
HaKodesh) 5. The Urim v’Tumim.

We see from these two contrasting
views that it is possible that the ark is still in Jerusalem or it was moved to
Babylonia. As well, it may have been looted from one of those places and taken
somewhere else.

I am not a big Indiana Jones fan but
I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark in order to see why they were so fascinated
with the ark.

The more archeological digs that we
engage in, the more pieces of our past that come up. We must continue to
excavate in order to understand our history and why the Land of Israel is so
important to the Jewish people.

Parshat Vayakhel (Shmot 35:1-3) begins with the
words:

Moshe assembled the entire congregation of B’nai
Yisrael, and said to them, “These are the words that God has commanded you to
do. Work may be done six days, but the seventh day must be holy to you, it is a
Shabbat Shabbaton for God. Whoever does work on it (Melacha) shall be put to
death. You must not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the Shabbat
day.”

B’nai Yisrael were already commanded to observe
Shabbat when they received the Ten Commandments in Parshat Yitro, so why does
the Torah teach us about Shabbat again in Parshat Vayakhel, a parsha which is
primarily about building the Mishkan (Tabernacle)?

Rashi, who quotes the
Mechilta explains that first God admonished them concerning Shabbat before
commanding them about the works of the Mishkan, saying, in effect, that
building the Mishkan does not supersede Shabbat.

Later in that same chapter in Parshat Vayakhel
(Shmot 35:30-33) we read:

Moshe said to B’nai Yisrael, “See, God has
designated by name, Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur of the tribe of Yehuda.
And He endowed him with Divine spirit, with wisdom, with understanding, with
knowledge and with skill to perform all types of crafting (Bechol Melacha) to
devise plans (Lachshov Machshavot) with ingenuity, to execute those plans in
gold, silver and in copper, in masonry for settings and in carpentry, to
execute all kinds of clever tasks (Malechet Machshevet)…”

Many of the requirements necessary to consider an
act a Biblical “Melacha” are learned from “Malechet Machshevet,” an act of
craftsmanship, derived from the verses above.

We learn in the Talmud, Shabbat 49b:

A Braita taught that the 39 Avot Melacha (categories
of work that may not be done on Shabbat) corresponds to the 39 labors of the
Mishkan. One is only liable (Biblically) for a labor like which was performed
in the Miskan. They planted, and likewise you shall not plant, they reaped,
therefore you shall not reap etc.

In order for the Melacha to be considered Malechet Machshevet
and forbidden from the Torah, one must have Kavana (intent) when doing it. If
it was done accidentally, then it is not Malechet Machshevet. As well, the act
must be constructive (Mitaken) not destructive. The act must be performed in
the same way that it was done in the Mishkan (Tzricha L’Gufa). It must be done
in the usual way (Kedarka). The act must cause permanent results (Mitkayem), not
temporary. If the act can be performed physically by one person then it must be
performed entirely by one individual in order for it to be a Biblical transgression.

We see from here that Malechet Machshevet is
Biblically forbidden on Shabbat. In addition, the Sages added many Rabbinic prohibitions.

In Parshat HaChodesh (Shmot 12:3)
Moshe and Aharon are told:

Speak to the whole community of
Israel and say that on the tenth of this month each of them shall take a lamb
to a family, a lamb to a household.

According to Ramban:

The reason for this commandment is
that the constellation of Aries (the Ram) is at the height of its power during
the month of Nisan, it being the sign of the zodiac that ascends the heavens.

Rabbi Dr. Charles B. Chavel explains
that there are twelve signs of constellations in the zodiac, an imaginary belt
encircling the heavens, revolving around the sun. Each month, another
constellation begins the procession of the signs in their course around the
heavens. The ram is the first sign of the zodiac in the month of Nisan.

Ramban adds:

Therefore, He commanded us to
slaughter the sheep and to eat it in order to inform us that it was not by the
power of the constellation that we went out of Egypt, but by decree of the
Supreme One. According to the rabbis (Rambam, Moreh Nevuchim III:46) the
Egyptians worshipped it as a deity, He has all the more informed us through
this that He subdued their gods and their powers at the height of their
ascendency. And thus the rabbis have said (Shmot 12:21): “Take your lambs and
slaughter” the gods of Egypt.

Aruch HaShulchan 429 points out that
Pharaoh relied on Aries for his strength and luck. In the plague of darkness,
Pharaoh wasn’t worried because he knew that the month of Nisan was approaching
and he was sure that Aries would bring him good luck.

That is why God said to Moshe and
Aharon (Shmot 12:2):

This month shall mark for you
the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for
you.

Aruch HaShulchan explains:

This month that Pharaoh is waiting
for will be the beginning of the months for you, in which it will become
clear that there is no truth in the zodiac. HaShem is our God in the Heavens
above and on the earth below, there is no other God. And Israel is His chosen
nation. Therefore, it is the first month for you.

Should we believe in astrology as it
is part of nature and God ultimately created everything?

We learn in a Midrash in Eicha
Rabbah 3:8:

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of
Rabbi Yochanan: A king entered a province and had with him generals, captains
and military commanders and the notables of the province were sitting in its
midst. One of them said, “I will take a general to my house.” Another said, “I
will take a captain to my house”; while still another said, “I will take one of
the commanders to my house.” But a shrewd man there said, “I will take the
king, because while the others may pass away the king will not do so.”

Similarly there are idolaters who
worship the sun, others the moon, and still others wood and stone; But Israel
worship God alone.

Nisan had to be the first month, in
order to prove to both Pharaoh and B’nai Yisrael that God is above the zodiac.

In Parshat Vayakhel, there are three
mentions of the “tachash skins” which are used to make the “ohel”, the covering
of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

In Parshat Trumah, the ‘tachash
skins’ are on the list of materials that God tells Moshe to request from B’nai
Yisrael to be donated for the Mishkan (Shmot 25:5):  “…Red dyed ram skins, ‘tachash’ skins and
acacia wood…” In God’s instructions of how to make the Mishkan (Shmot 26:14)
we read: “Make a covering for the ‘ohel’ out of red dyed ram’s skins, and a
covering of ‘tachash’ skins above that.”

In Parshat Vayakhel, Moshe passes on
God’s message to B’nai Yisrael (Shmot 35:5-7) “Collect from among yourselves a
trumah offering to God…and red dyed ram’s skins, ‘tachash skins’ and acacia
wood.” The generosity of B’nai Yisrael to donate materials to the Mishkan is
evident (Shmot 35:23) “Every man (or woman) who had tchelet (greenish blue
wool), argaman (dark red wool) tola’at shani (crimson wool) fine linen, goat’s
hair, red dyed rams’ skins and ‘tachash skins’ brought them.” Once they had
enough materials, the Mishkan was constructed (Shmot 36:19) “He made a covering
for the ‘ohel’ out of red dyed ram’s skins, and a covering of ‘tachash’ skins
above that.”

Where do the “tachash skins” come
from?

Rashi (Shmot 25:5), based on Rav
Yosef’s opinion in the Talmud, Shabbat 28a explains that “tachashim” is a
species of animal which only existed at the time of Moshe. It had many
(possibly six or sixty) colors and Onkelos translated it Sasgona (Sas=rejoice,
Gavna=color) because it rejoices and is proud with its multi-colors.

The Talmud, Shabbat 28b continues
the explanation of the “tachash”:

Rabbi Illa said in the name of Rabbi
Shimon ben Lakish: Rabbi Mayer used to say: The “tachash” that existed in the
days of Moshe was a unique creature for the sages could not decide whether it
was a type of beheimah (domesticated animal such as cattle, sheep, goats,
horses, donkeys) or a type of chayah (non-domesticated animal such as deer
antelope, canines, felines) and it had a single horn on its forehead. It
presented itself to Moshe according to the need of the hour. He made of it a
cover for the Mishkan. And then the species was hidden.

Since Rabbi Meir said that the “tachash”
had a single horn in its forehead, it is likely that it was a kosher animal
since animals with horns and split hooves are kosher.

On the other hand, since the keresh
(a chayah with a single horn) exists, it can be said that the ‘tachash’ is
actually a type of chayah and not a beheimah.

What is the keresh?

According to Rashi it is a single
horned deer. Aruch says that it is a unicorn, a giant beast whose horn has many
medicinal properties.

The Talmud is inconclusive as to
whether the ‘tachash’ was kosher or not. What we do learn is that it was a very
colorful animal with one horn and only appeared for a short period of time,
which leads us to believe that it was a unicorn.

Where else in the Tanach do we hear
about the tachash?

The only reference to the ‘tachash’
in the Prophets is in Yechezkel 16:10 which speaks of God’s care for B’nai
Yisrael: “And I clothed you in embroidered garments and shod you in ‘tachash’,
bound you with linen and covered you with silk.”

Targum explains that God gave them precious
shoes made from ‘tachash’ skins.

Mizrachi asks: How did they have the
leather of the ‘tachash’ for shoes if the animal was extinct?One possible
answer was that its temporary existence lasted throughout the forty years that
B’nai Yisrael wandered in the desert.

It looks like the unicorn is not
just a legendary creature after all.

Sponsored by Sharona, Josh, Dov, Moshe and Yehuda
Halickman on the occasion of Isaac Halickman becoming an American Citizen

I received an email from the
Efrata elementary school that my sons, Moshe and Yehuda attend asking if any
parents would like to volunteer to speak to the children about the community
service that they do in honor of the school’s community service week. What
didn’t make sense to me was why the children would want to sit and listen to a
parent speak about community service. In my mind, a better idea was to actually
do community service with the students!

The teachers liked my idea so
I arranged two projects. The first was for Moshe’s class, a group of 32 sixth
graders. We visited the Beit Frankforter senior center, just a block away from
the Efrata school in Baka. The students came in costumes and brought treats for
the seniors, they sang and danced and played a Purim trivia bingo game together.
The students learned that six of the seniors in the room actually come from the
city of Shushan,
where the story of the megilla takes place.

The second project was for Yehuda’s
class, a group of 36 third graders. The teacher asked the students to bring in
snacks, coffee and tea so that we could prepare gift baskets together for the
soldiers. As well, each student prepared a card that we attached to one of the
baskets.

There were a few children who
forgot to bring something but the teacher told them not to worry, that the
baskets were a collective gift from the entire class. I told them that by
helping us pack and by making the card they were also giving of themselves.

As soon as school was over, I
went with Josh, Moshe and Yehuda to distribute the packages to the soldiers
protecting the Armon HaNetziv neighborhood on the border of Jabel el Mukaber
and the soldiers protecting Kever Rachel (Rachel’s Tomb) on the border of Bethlehem. The soldiers
were excited to receive the pages and even asked for a picture with us.

What does all of this have to
do with Parshat Vayakhel?

In Parshat Vayakhel, Moshe
asked the congregation of Israel
to bring a Trumah offering (contribution) for the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Those
with a wise or generous heart were extremely generous with their contributions.
In fact, so much was brought that in Shmot 36:4-7 we read: “All the wise men
came, who were executing all the holy tasks, each and every man from the task
in which he was engaged. They said the following to Moshe: ‘the people are
bringing too much, more than which is needed for the tasks that God has
commanded to execute.’ Moshe commanded, and they proclaimed throughout the
encampment saying, ‘Let no man or woman bring any more material for the sacred
offering.’ And the people stopped bringing. The material was enough for all of
the work that had to be done and some was left over.”

May we be so lucky to have
such as outpouring of love and support in our times!

May the students who are
being introduced to Tzedaka and chesed at such a young age continue to contribute
as they grow.

One of the third graders
asked if the students brought too many food contributions for the soldiers. I
told them that unlike in the parsha where the people were told to stop giving
as enough had been contributed, our soldiers can never get enough snacks,
coffee and love. 

Every morning we say the Birkot HaTorah,
blessings for the Torah that we will study that day. To ensure that we are not
making a blessing without fulfilling the mitzvah of Torah study, after the
brachot, we read a teaching from the Torah, a teaching from the Mishna and a
teaching from the Gemara. Since we recite these short paragraphs each day, they
have become very familiar to us and we may take them for granted. During these
difficult times, we see how important the passage in The Talmud, Shabbat 127a
really is:

These are the precepts whose fruits
a person enjoys in this world but whose principal remains intact for him in the
world to come.

They are: Kibud Av Va’Em (honoring
your parents), Gmilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness), Hashkamat Beit
HaMidrash Shacharit v’Aravit (early attendance at the study hall in the morning
and in the evening), Hachnasat Orchim (welcoming guests), Bikur Cholim
(visiting the sick), Hachnasat Kallah (providing for a bride), Levayat HaMet
(escorting the dead), Iyun Tfila (absorption in prayer), Hava’at Shalom ben
Adam L’Chaveiro (bringing peace between man and his fellow) v’Talmud Torah K’neged
Kulam (Torah study is equivalent to them all).

As we look at this list of basic mitzvot,
we realize that right now we are closed out of observing almost all of them in
the ways that we have keeping them for our entire lives.

Honoring parents is an issue now as
in many cases older parents have been told not to be in physical contact with
their children or grandchildren.

Doing acts of loving kindness is
also difficult when you can’t get too close to another person or if you are
told not to leave your house unless it is an emergency or if you need food.

Attendance at the Beit Midrash and
synagogue are now off limits as so most minyanim should be closed down.

We have been instructed not to bring
guests into our homes and we can’t go to visit others.

We are forbidden from visiting the
sick and hospitals are not allowing visitors to make sure that the germs don’t
spread.

Wedding are now limited to almost no
guests as it is forbidden to congregate in groups.

Funerals are also limited to very
close family and shiva houses are not open to the public.

Which mitzvoth from the list can we
focus on?

We can try to have greater intent in
prayer, even when it is not with a minyan, keeping the peace in our households
and taking the opportunity to studyTorah.

How has Israel been managing without
being able to fulfill the basic mitavot of loving kindness?

Calling parents that we can’t visit,
making sure that their basic needs are cared for through caregivers and
deliveries.

Staying out of synagogues and Batei
Midrash for the short term so that we can help get this difficult situation
cleared up on the sooner side. Some segments of the population have not yet
come to grips with such a difficult lifestyle change, but it needs to be
enforced.

Even if we can’t welcome people into
our homes or go out to visit the sick, we can call to let them know that we are
thinking of them, especially many elderly people who do not use the internet.

Small weddings are literally taking
place on street corners and in back yards and are being broadcast on the
internet so that friends and family can virtually participate.

Shiva calls have become just that-
calls.

There are now virtual minyanim and online
interactive Torah classes to keep the communities connected.

May we return to the time that we
can freely observe all of these mitzvoth as they were meant to be observed.

Parshat Vayakhel goes to great lengths to describe the gifts
that both the men and women brought to the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

The Torah doesn’t waste words so what is the meaning behind
the listing of all of the intricate details of their contributions?

According to Ramban, the passage outlining the way that the
people brought their contributions for the Mishkan as well as Moshe’s
proclamation that they received enough (and his request that people stop
contributing) stresses the fact that the people were generous, the craftsmen
were dedicated and Moshe was unselfish.

This can be contrasted with the Sin of the Golden Calf
(Shmot 32:3) where the giving of the jewelry was done very quickly and without
details: “All the people broke off their earrings of gold…And they brought them
to Aharon.”

When the people donated to the Mishkan, their contributions
were made with their hearts and souls.

The contributions for the Golden Calf were done hastily and
without much thought. Moshe had not yet returned from Mount
Sinai and the people were looking for a leader so they quickly
contributed. As soon as Moshe returned they just as quickly turned away from
the Golden Calf.

We see from here that it is important to take the time to
consider what we are doing as opposed to making a quick decision that we may
later regret.

Unfortunately many people get mixed up in “get rich quick”
scams that look too good to be true but don’t end up panning out.

The proper path to follow is to emulate what B’nai Yisrael
did when they made contributions to the Mishkan, they gave their hearts, their
souls and their material belongings.

In the Shma prayer (Dvarim 6:5) we are commanded to “love
our God with all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all of your
possessions.”

In the case of the Golden Calf they were only contributing
their possessions, independent of their hearts and souls.

As the elections in Israel are approaching, we must
remember that the choice of who to vote for should be well thought out. The
idea of having campaigners trying to sway us on our way to vote belittles the
voters who have already put their heart and soul into the decision of who they
will be voting for.

In Parshat Vayakhel, Shmot 35:26 we read: “And all of the
women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom spun the goats.”

Why does it say “spun the goats” and not “spun the goat’s
hair”?

According to Rashi who quotes the Talmud, Shabbat 74b, this
was a craft of special skill for they spun the goat’s hair while it was still
on the animals’ backs.

The Talmud, Shabbat 99a explains the special expertise for
spinning the goat hair: It was taught in a Braita in the name of Rabbi
Nechemia: The hair was washed on the goats and spun while still on the goats.

Sforno points out that the goat hair would be washed and
spun into thread before being shorn from the goats. This was done so that the
final product should be especially lustrous, since goat hair tends to diminish
in quality as soon as it is removed from its source of growth.

The upper curtains of the Mishkan were of goat hair
construction and it took greater expertise to make the upper curtains than to
make the lower ones which were made of blue wool, purple wool, scarlet wool and
linen.

For the making of the lower curtains it says in Shmot 35:25,
“Every wise hearted woman spun with her hands” while for the making of the
upper curtains it says 35:26, “All the women whose hearts inspired them with
wisdom spun the goats.”

The Talmud, Shabbat 74b talks about forms of labor that are
forbidden on Shabbat. Rabbah bar Chanah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: One
who spins wool that is still on the back of an animal on Shabbat is obligated
to bring three chatat (sin) offerings for shearing, disentangling and spinning
which are all forbidden on Shabbat. Rav Kahana disagrees and says that this is
not the usual manner of shearing, disentangling or spinning and therefore he
should not have to bring any chatat offerings. The Gemara then brings the
Braita from Rabbi Nechemia that says that for the Mishkan the women washed the
hairs of the goats and spun them while on the goats. Does this prove that
“spinning the goats” is a normal manner of spinning? The Gemara answers that an
act performed with the extraordinary wisdom of those who constructed the
Mishkan is different than the acts of ordinary people.

We see from here that “spinning the goats” was a task that
was only done for the Mishkan to ensure that the upper curtains would be of the
finest quality. And who was entrusted to perform this difficult task? The
extraordinary women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom!

In Parshat Vayakhel, Shmot 35:2-3, B’nai Yisrael are told: “Work may be done six days, but the seventh day must be holy to you, it is a Shabbat Shabbaton to you. Whoever does work on it shall be put to death. You must not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the day of Shabbat”.

If B’nai Yisrael were already commanded in the Ten Commandments to observe Shabbat then why does the mitzvah need to be repeated again and what do these psukim add?

Ramban points out that this time we are told not to kindle a fire. In other words, cooking and baking would be prohibited on Shabbat. This was not outlined in the Ten Commandments where we were told that work should not be done but the types of work were not specified.

When the laws of Pesach were presented, Devarim 16:8, B’nai Yisrael were told that they may not do work: “For a six day period you shall eat matzot and on the seventh day shall be an assembly to God, you shall not perform any labor”,  yet they were allowed to cook.

From this we see that the fact that we are not allowed to cook on Shabbat has to be clearly stated.

Ramban states that B’nai Yisrael may have actually already been aware from the manna that we are not allowed to cook on Shabbat as they were commanded in Shmot 16:23: “…Bake what you want to bake and cook (on Friday) what you want to cook and whatever is leftover, put away for safekeeping for yourselves until the morning (Shabbat)”.

If they already knew that cooking and baking were prohibited then why did they need to hear specifically about lighting a fire?

B’nai Yisrael may have assumed that anything that wasn’t officially work but rather something that benefits the body such as lighting a candle, making a fire or washing their entire body in hot water should be allowed since they are not being done for work but rather for enjoyment, “Oneg Shabbat”. Therefore, the Torah had to state that lighting fire is not allowed for any reason even if we feel that it may enhance our Shabbat day and therefore we shower, prepare our food and light candles before Shabbat starts.

It also helps us answer the frequently asked question: Why can’t we watch TV on Shabbat if watching TV would enhance the day for us?

We officially start and end Shabbat with fire. The Shabbat candles help transition us into Shabbat (as well as give us light while we have our dinner) and the Havdala candle takes us back into the reality of the regular work week.

As Shabbat concludes and we strike the match to light the Havdala candle after 25 hours, we realize that nothing in life should be taken for granted including the lighting of a simple match.

According to Ramban, we learn from here that the men were
secondary to the women. The men came “al HaNashim”, after the women. Since the
jewelry that is listed here was normally worn by women, the Torah pays tribute
to the women. As soon as the women heard that precious metals were needed, they
immediately removed their most precious possessions and gave them in.

Rashi says that the men and women came together, the men
came with the women or close to the women, since it was important for both the
husband and the wife to be comfortable with the contribution that they were making.

We see from here that the women were first with wanting to
make the contributions and the husbands supported their decisions. The women
were not forced in any way to give their jewelry to the mishkan but rather gave
willingly since they felt that it was the right thing to do.

Tzedaka is a mitzvah for both men and women and the decision
of what each contribution should be and who the contributions should be given
to should be a joint decision between the husband and the wife.