Vayakhel, Exodus 35:1 - 38:20 Moses relays the Almighty’s commands to refrain from building the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) on Shabbat, to contribute items needed to build the Mishkan, to construct the components of the Mishkan, and the appurtenances of the Cohanim.

 

Printable Version Vayakhel (Exodus 35 - 38) GOOD MORNING! There is an ongoing debate in American society as to how exactly the U.S. Constitution is to be interpreted. Should it be according to the original intent of the framers of the Constitution (this group is known as the “Originalists”) or should it be interpreted (and changed) as the mores of modern society change (“Living Constitutionalism”)? Unsurprisingly, these two groups generally divide according to their politics: conservatives and liberals respectively. There are many cogent arguments to be made for both sides, but while some issues were initially addressed through the ten constitutional amendments in the Bill of Rights, sometimes even those seem a little “off kilter.” For example, the first amendment guarantees, among other things, that all citizens have a freedom to practice the religion of their choice or none at all, without government interference. Yet, this gave “legs” to the concept of separation of church and state, which led to the banning of school prayers; something that would have been both a shock and anathema to the framers of the Constitution (and the Bill of Rights) who were deeply religious themselves. Additionally, one can readily imagine what their view on “woke” ideology might be. As Winston Churchill once said, “The greatest argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” By contrast, the Torah, as given to Moses by the Almighty, is the absolute, immutable word of God. I am quite often asked by both those who attend my classes and by readers of this column, some version of the following question: “Rabbi, this law that you are discussing, is that found in the Torah or is that something that the rabbis made up?” Aside from the disturbing implied disdain for something they presume to be of lesser importance (because it was “only” instituted by the rabbis), this betrays a fundamental lack of understanding about the composition of the Torah. The confusion over what constitutes Torah can perhaps be attributed to the unfamiliarity as to the place of the Oral Law within the context of the Written Law – otherwise known as the Five Books of Moses. One of the most influential Torah scholars since the closing of the Talmud some 1,500 years ago, was Rabbi Moses ben Maimon – more commonly known as Maimonides (1137-1204). Among his many remarkable accomplishments, Maimonides set about codifying the Talmud and the related works of scholarship from Mishnaic and Talmudic times – the entirety of the Oral Law. His epic work known as the Mishneh Torah contains over 1,000 chapters and is an exhaustive compilation of all of the Torah’s laws. It additionally includes much on Jewish practices and philosophies. It is virtually impossible to overstate the massive impact of this work of Jewish scholarship. Maimonides also authored many other influential works – including his classic work on Jewish philosophy known as The Guide to the Perplexed, and a commentary on Mishna (the collection of the various works of Jewish Academic institutions over a 300-year period). In his introduction to the tenth chapter of the Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin, Maimonides lays out what he considers the thirteen principles of Jewish faith. This compilation alone was a groundbreaking idea; it had never before been considered to articulate and codify the principles that make up the essence of Jewish beliefs. As with many great works of Jewish scholarship, Maimonides had his detractors and some controversy ensued. But the proof is always in the pudding, and today – some eight hundred years after his passing – Maimonides is widely regarded as one of Jewish history’s foremost codifiers of Jewish law and philosophy. His 13 principles of faith have even been adapted into the daily liturgy – both as a poetic composition known as Yigdal, and as an abbreviated 13 sentences that are often recited at the end of the morning prayers. In his eighth principle Maimonides writes that Moses was the authentic conveyor of God’s Torah and that both the Written Law “and all its clarifications” (i.e. the Oral Law) were given to Moses at Mount Sinai. In other words, the Oral Law is part and parcel of the Written Law and both the Written Law and the Oral Law were passed down to each succeeding generation. In his introduction to Mishneh Torah, Maimonides traces the EXACT provenance of the transmission of the Oral Law in each generation succeeding Moses until the close of the Talmud. He lists by name the forty leaders of each generation (and certain eras) responsible for the accurate transmission of both the Written and Oral Law, from Moses’ time until the final editors and redactors of the Talmud. Bottom Line: You cannot have the Written Law without the accompanying Oral Law. A quick review of some basic laws will bear this out. The common practice of Jewish males thirteen years and above putting on teffilin (phylacteries) is based on a verse in the Written Law, “And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as ‘totafot’ between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:8). But nowhere does the Written Law, i.e. The Five Books of Moses, explain what ‘totafot’ are. However, the Oral Law explains what this word means and how to create teffilin. Similarly, other laws like fasting on Yom Kippur, laws of “shechita – ritual slaughter,” what is an etrog, what constitutes circumcision (the Written Torah never says where on the body to perform this), what is a shofar, the definition of an “eye for an eye” – the list goes on and on – can only be understood and fulfilled with the explications found in the Oral Law. Thus, the Written Law and Oral Law are part and parcel of each other. Of course throughout Jewish history there have been certain sects that disputed parts of the Oral Law, but even these philosophical arguments are generally misunderstood. For example, the 24th gatekeeper of the Written Law and Oral Law from the times of Moses was known as Antignos from Socho. He is recorded in Pirkei Avot – Ethics of Our Fathers – as having taught the principle that we should serve the Almighty as servants, and not as employees waiting for a reward (all the while knowing that there will be recompense in the world to come). Two of his students (Tzadok and Baisus) were so disappointed with this principle that they left their teacher, broke with Torah tradition, and founded their own schools of thought. Tzadok is “credited” with the foundation of the break-away group known as the Sadducees (a derivation of his name). They were a formidable force, both in size and influence, in the times of the Second Holy Temple. But while it is commonly believed that they rejected the Oral Law and strictly held to the Written Law, this is a fallacy. The Sadducees, as hard as it is to believe, were an attack on Rabbinic Judasim not from the left, but rather from the right! They absolutely believed in the authenticity of the Oral Law, because, as we explained above, it would be impossible to fulfill many mitzvot like fasting on Yom Kippur, circumcision, or teffilin without it. Rather, their argument on Rabbinic Judaism stemmed from laws in which the Oral Law seemed to contradict the Written Law. For example, based on the Oral Law the rabbis ruled that when the Torah says “an eye for an eye” it refers to monetary compensation. To the Sadducees this was an unacceptable contradiction, and they rejected it and all other instances that the Oral Law, in their opinion, contradicted the simple reading of the text of the Written Law. Thus, “an eye for an eye” meant exactly that. Like most radical factions, they eventually disappeared completely though, as we shall soon see, their effect on Judaism remains to this very day. One of the classic examples of the Sadducees break from Rabbinic Judaism appears in this week’s Torah reading. “Do not kindle any fire on Shabbat, no matter where you may live” (Exodus 35:3). According to the Rabbis this meant to ignite a fire on Shabbat. However, the Sadducees interpreted this according to the literal translation of the verse: “You shall not have a fire burning on Shabbat.” Thus, according to the Oral Law, it is permitted to have a fire burning on Friday night as long as it was ignited prior to sundown. But the Sadducees prohibited having any fire whatsoever – thus no lit candle could be in their homes on Friday night, nor could they have any hot food when they got home from synagogue because all fires had to be extinguished prior to sundown. It also meant that during the winter their homes on Friday nights would be fairly miserable; they’d have to sit in a dark, cold house eating cold food. Yet for many hundreds of years the Sadducees had an outsized influence, and their subtle change in some customs caused many issues, including their interpretations of the service of the High Priest on Yom Kippur. Because of this, every year the High Priest was made to swear that he wasn’t a Sadducee and that he wouldn’t deviate from the accepted Jewish Tradition as elucidated in the Oral Law. Today, we too have a custom to show that we aren’t Sadducees. According to many early sources, this is the origin of the custom of eating hot foods on Shabbat day that have been cooking all night. Ashkenazic Jews have the custom to eat cholent (some say the word comes from the Old French “chalant – hot cooked”) and Sefardic Jews have the custom to eat “hamin – hot food.” The codifiers of Jewish law (Bal Hamaor, Rema, and others) all say it is important to follow the tradition of eating hot foods on the Shabbat day to show that we are not Sadducees. In other words, we permit fires (and the foods that are placed on them) before sundown Friday night to continue burning throughout Shabbat. So, enjoy your cholent (or hamin) knowing that this simple food has its roots in a two and a half thousand-year-old dispute – one that we get to address in a most delicious way! Now Available for Kindle! Click Here to Order Today! Vayakhel, Exodus 35:1 - 38:20 Moses relays the Almighty’s commands to refrain from building the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) on Shabbat, to contribute items needed to build the Mishkan, to construct the components of the Mishkan, and the appurtenances of the Cohanim. The craftsmen are selected and the work begins. The craftsmen report that there are too many donations and, for the first and probably the only time in fundraising history, the Jewish people are told to refrain from bringing additional contributions! Shabbat Lighting (or go to https://go.talmudicu.edu/e/983191/sh-c-/jr1yf/711637302/h/9SutOFBqjhSEw6o8Vug8nkJVjHFRHYAEZRChUavOEG0) Jerusalem 5:06 Miami 6:08 - Cape Town 6:55 - Guatemala 5:53 Hong Kong 6:13 - Honolulu 6:20 - Johannesburg 6:12 Los Angeles 5:37 - London 5:38 - Melbourne 7:31 Mexico 6:26 - Moscow 6:01 - New York 5:38 Singapore 7:00 - Toronto 5:57 A nation – like a family – doesn’t have to be perfect or always in agreement, but it must always be united. In Loving Memory of Theodore & Renee Gordon Dedicated by Daniel & Lilian Kamis Honor A Special Occasion! Dedicate an edition of the Shabbat Shalom Fax of Life. (IRS# 65-0389241) Click to Donate Golden Partner $1,000 Dedication $360 Patron $252 Supporter $118 Friend $54 Other ___ ! You may give with a credit card via secure server: click here. If you prefer, you may fax your credit card number, expiration date, amount of gift and name on the card to: 815-301-1928. or send to: Shabbat Shalom Weekly P.O. Box 402666 Miami Beach, FL 33140 USA You can email Rabbi Yitzchak Zweig at rabbizweig@shabbatshalom.org Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Yitzchak Zweig Support Shabbat Shalom

DeSantis stops ICE from putting alleged illegal alien rapist back on Florida streets;MSNBC regular wants Dems to deploy ex-generals for anti-Trump fear campaign;CNN ‘chopping block’ under new boss may reportedly include Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace

 

View this email in your browser DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical! DONATE Must Watch: JARRING footage of Trump will give you chills... you've never seen him like this... Must Watch: Sen. Kennedy SHAMES woke "expert," makes her face reality of what she supports Best political cartoons of the week: ‘When seconds count…’ INSIDER: DeSantis stops ICE from putting alleged illegal alien rapist back on Florida streets INSIDER: MSNBC regular wants Dems to deploy ex-generals for anti-Trump fear campaign Trump denounces DA Fani Willis ‘sexcapades,’ mocks ex-beau Nathan Wade for ‘what he’s good at’ CNN ‘chopping block’ under new boss may reportedly include Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace Sen. Liz Warren on the warpath over Wendy’s ‘surge pricing’ Bill Maher tells Biden to ‘let his Old Fart flag fly,’ says POTUS walks ‘like a toddler with a full diaper’ Dirty old man: NY Mag reports Biden regularly talks sex with staffers Crowd turns on pro-Palestinian activist who disrupts Jill Biden at ‘Women for Biden-Harris’ kickoff Oklahoma school under fire for ‘disgusting’ video of kids sucking other students’ toes for charity Gaza Strip air drops underway, White House admits Hamas ‘likely’ recipients of US aid Trump brings the fire, says Biden part of ‘conspiracy to overthrow’ the USA Border Patrol union goes scorched earth over Biden border visit: ‘Call a lid, hit beach, take nap’ J.R. Majewski drops out of Ohio congressional race Reality is dawning on the Democrats. You can see it on their faces Environmental disaster feared after British ship hauling tons of fertilizer struck by Houthis, sinks into sea Donald Trump defeats Nikki Haley in Missouri caucus

Salvation Prayer. Remember,You & I Are Not Of This World. Please Continue To Pray For America. For our time as a Free Nation is Over For The Time Of True Darkness Has Begun.

  Salvation Prayer.

Remember,You & I Are Not Of This World.
Please Continue To Pray For America.
For our time as a Free Nation is Over
For The  Time Of True Darkness Has Begun.

Father, May the Holy Spirit help us, lead us, empower us, enable us, prompt us, comfort us, counsel us and enrich our lives each moment of the day in Christ!  AMEN!

Dear Lord Jesus, 

I know I am a sinner. I pray that you will forgive me for all of my sins, that you will come into my heart and be my Lord, the savior of my life. I confess that you died on the cross to save me from my sins and I am committed to turning away from those sins. I ask that you fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I can be born again. I ask that you give me the strength and abundant faith to overcome any and all attacks by the enemy, including my desire to sin so that I may serve you completely. 

I pray that you will give me discernment so that I may know all things that are truth, and the knowledge acquired from reading your Word. Use me this day as I am a willing vessel Lord, in leading others to your kingdom. Wash me as white as snow. Put a hedge of protection around me as I go forth in doing your will. Thank you Jesus for saving me, as I know that only through my faith in you that all this is possible. Amen

Please print this up and carry it with you always as a reminder of who your Lord & Savoir Is. Print up several copies to give to your family and share with your friends. The road you have chosen will not be an easy one for know you will be a Child of God. However know this ,you will never be alone ever again. 

For The Holy Spirit will be placed inside your soul and take residence inside of you forever. He will be your guide, your life long connection to God through our Lord and Savor Christ Jesus. God has placed a wonderful Blessing upon you my friend. 

May the Peace of His Grace always be with you. 

Amen..... 

Please read this Prayer of Salvation.It must be freely decided by you.God will never force any one to follow him.It has to be a free will decision of Heart,Mind&Soul.May God grant you the wisdom to make the right decision that will effect your life not only here but forever more.Amen...Carl