OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits - Parshat Terumah 5785

OU Israel wishes you Chodesh Tov!

There is Nothing as Divisive as a Victory Rabbi Moshe Hauer Page 8

Just Try—The First Step to Raising Great Children Rebbetzin Zemira Ozarowski Page 64

Table of Contents

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Simchat Shmuel

Jewish Philanthropy as the Engine of Jewish Survival and Redemption

Rabbi Moshe Taragin

The Weight of Trust

Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman

Just Try—The First Step to Raising Great Children

Rebbetzin Zemira Ozarowski

Rav Kook: Discovering Genuine Simcha

Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

Indirect Respnsibility for Theft

Rabbi Daniel Mann

Drinking on Purim - A Parent’s Guide

Michal Silverstein

Keeping the Hope Alive: Encouraging a Candidate After a Long Dating Drought

The Simcha of Mishkan & Adar

Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld

Resisting Captivity: Strength, Unity, and Truth

Sivan Rahav Meir

The Mishkan: A Bridge to the Divine Dr. Jacob Solomon

Y-Files Comic

Torah 4 Teens by Teens

Yaakov Rosenberg / Eitan Pearson

Earliest Kiddush Levana, 3 Days After Molad: 3 Adar/ Mon. night March 2 7 Days After Molad: 7 Adar/ Thurs. night March 6

Last Opportunity to Say Kiddush Levana until: 14 Adar/ Thurs. night March 13 This Shabbat is one of the rare occasions when we read from three sifrei Torah. The first is parshat Terumah, the second Rosh Chodesh, the third parshat Shekalim.

IMAGE Photographed by Ian Friedman, Kfar Adumim I am an amateur photographer and take mainly landscape images. The photo I have shared reminded me of the pasuk in the Torah “Hashem went before them... and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light...” This was taken from the “Dead Sea Balcony” situated in Mitzpe Yericho.

CANDLE LIGHTING

AND HAVDALA TIMES

AND HAVDALA TIMES

Tetzaveh Terumah Havdala Candles Havdala Candles 6:19 5:05 6:14 5:00

OTHER Z'MANIM

JERUSALEM

JERUSALEM

Ranges 11 days Wed–Shabbat

Aza Area (Netivot, Sderot et al)

Yerushalayim/Maale Adumim 6:21

Beit Shemesh/RBS

Alon Shvut

Raanana/Tel Mond/Herzliya/K.Saba

Be’er Sheva

Ginot Shomron

Haifa / Zichron

Gush Shiloh

Tel Aviv / Givat Shmuel

Tzfat / Bikat HaYarden

Afula

Rabbeinu Tam (Jerusalem): Terumah - 6:54PM • Tetzaveh - 6:59PM

All Times According to MyZmanim (20 mins before Sunset in most Cities; 40 mins in Yerushalyim and Petach Tikva; 30 mins in Tzfat and Haifa)

All Times According to MyZmanim (20 mins before Sunset in most Cities; 40 mins in Yerushalyim and Petach Tikva; 30 mins in Tzfat and Haifa)

Coast 

Press  Synagogue/Community Services  OU Advocacy  OU Israel MITCHEL R. AEDER, PRESIDENT OF THE ORTHODOX UNION Yehuda Neuberger, Chairman of the Board, Orthodox Union | Dr. Josh Penn, OU Kashrus Commission

RABBI MOSHE HAUER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | RABBI JOSHUA M. JOSEPH, ED.D. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Exec. V.P. Emeritus OU KOSHER: Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO/Rabbinic Administrator OU Kosher | Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO/Executive Rabbinic Coordinator ISRAEL: Rabbi Yissachar Dov Krakowski, Rabbinic Administrator | Rabbi Ezra Friedman, The Gustave and Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education/ Deputy Rabbinic Administrator Headquarters: 40 Rector St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10006  212-563-4000  website: www.ou.org

Editor Emeritus: Phil Chernofsky

Editor: Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider | aarong@ouisrael.org

Advertising: Ita Rochel | 02-5609125 or ttads@ouisrael.org

Website: www.torahtidbits.com Not getting enough TTs? Too many? None at all? Contact our DISTRIBUTION 050-577-2111

ttdist@ouisrael.org

Ranges 11 days Wednesday - Shabbat Feb. 26 - March 8 / 28 Sh׳vat - 8 Adar

Oct x–x / x–x Cheshvan

Earliest Tallit and Tefillin 5:19-5:07 Sunrise 6:09-5:58

Earliest Tallit and Tefillin x:xx–x:xx

x:xx–x:xx Sof Zman Kriat Shema x:xx–x:xx Magen Avraham x:xx–x:xx Sof Zman Tefila x:xx-x:xx (According to the Gra and Baal HaTanya)

Sof Zman Kriat Shema 9:01-8:54 Magen Avraham 8:24-8:18

Sof Zman Tefila 9:58-9:52 (According to the Gra and Baal HaTanya)

Chatzot (Halachic Noon) 11:52-11:50

Mincha Gedola (Earliest Mincha) 12:22-12:20

Plag Mincha 4:23-4:28

Chatzot (Halachic Noon) x:xx–x:xx Mincha Gedola (Earliest Mincha) x:xx–x:xx Plag Mincha x:xx–x:xx Sunset (Including Elevation) x:xx–x:xx

Sunset (Including Elevation) 5:38-5:46

Seymour J. Abrams • Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center • Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults • Wolinetz Family Shul • Makom BaLev • Birthright • Yachad • NCSY in Israel • JLIC in Israel • Camp Dror • Pearl & Harold M. Jacobs ZULA Outreach Center • The Jack Gindi Oraita Program • OU Israel Kashrut

STUART HERSHKOWITZ, PRESIDENT OU ISRAEL Zvi Sand / Yitzchak Fund: Former Presidents, OU Israel | Rabbi Emanuel Quint z”l, Senior Vice President | Prof. Meni Koslowsky, Vice President

VAAD MEMBERS:

Michael Elman | Jonathan Eltes | Yonatan Frankel | Yitzchak Fund | Daniella Hellerstein | Stuart Hershkowitz | Jeremy Lustman | Yigal Marcus | Meir Raskas | Atara Reichel | Zvi Sand | Norman Schmutter | Mark Schneider | Esther Williams

RABBI AVI BERMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL

David Katz, CFO, OU Israel | Natan Kandler, COO, OU Israel | Chaim Pelzner, Director of Programs, OU Israel | Rabbi Sam Shor, Director, Torah Initiatives, OU Israel | Rabbi Sholom Gold zt"l, Dean, Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults 7 Hartum Street, Jerusalem, 9777507 phone: (02) 560 9100 | fax: (02) 561-7432 email: office@ouisrael.org website: www.ouisrael.org

Founders and initial benefactors of the OU Israel Center: George and Ilse Falk a"h

Torah Tidbits and many of the projects of OU Israel are assisted by grants from THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY

OU Israel, Torah Tidbits does not endorse the political or halachic positions of its editor, columnists or advertisers, nor guarantee the quality of advertised services or products. Nor do we endorse the kashrut of hotels, restaurants, caterers or food products that are advertised in TT (except, of course, those under OU-Israel hashgacha). Any "promises" made in ads are the sole responsibility of the advertisers and not that of OU Israel, the OU Israel Center , Torah Tidbits.

Daf Yomi: Sanhedrin 74

DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY

DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY

RABBI AVI BERMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL ABERMAN@OUISRAEL.ORG

Rabbi Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel

This past week, my schedule took me to many different places across our beautiful country. First and foremost, I had the great honor of hosting Rabbi Moshe Hauer, OU Executive Vice President, here in Israel. We met with many leaders of the Jewish people, including ministers and Knesset members (and heard from many of them that they love reading Torah Tidbits!). Additionally, I had the opportunity to travel the country, and visit our OU Israel Teen Center in Nahariya. It was truly inspirational to meet with our team in Nahariya, who have worked so hard with our teens from northern Israel, empowering them to get them to feel confident and safe. It’s really remarkable seeing a staff that has gone through an incredibly tough year, many of them or their spouses in milluim and living under fire, nevertheless working with such dedication towards others who need their help. It was really beautiful to see how much positive impact they are making with these teens. In recent years, with great

thanks to the municipality of Nahariya, we were allocated a large Teen Center location in the city, with space for us to run multiple groups concurrently and it even includes a soccer field. I met Marsha, a representative of the English-speaking community in Nahariya, who shares that in addition to receiving Torah Tidbits, they would appreciate more OU Israel shiurim and programs there, which we look forward to doing.

Afterwards, I went to Harish, another place where the English-speaking community is growing. They are involved with the Hebrew-speaking community while also developing their own incredible community there. We are proud to have our own representative living there, Rabbi Ezra Friedman, Director of OU Israel’s Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education. Later in the week I attended the engagement party of my friend and colleague Rabbi Ilan Haber’s sonMazal Tov! - and also celebrated a Hachnasat Sefer Torah from an American-born family to Eretz Chemdah.

Throughout the week, I noticed a theme of English-speaking olim positively impacting the State of Israel. This brings tremendous joy to my heart because this Shabbat, we read Parshat Terumah, which is all about giving and contributions of the Jewish people to their religious communities. The lesson of the parsha is that the way we build the Mishkan, and the Beit HaMikdash, is by each one of us contributing. Sometimes the contribution is of gold and silver, and sometimes the

donations are dedicating time - days, nights, manpower, ideas and connections - in order to improve situations. Whether it’s people cooking meals for their neighbors, working with at-risk teens, or being the gabbai of the shul, it really is remarkable to see the amount of giving that Klal Yisrael has toward their communities, especially during these very unique times.

This past Shabbat, I was invited to be the scholar-in-residence at the Young Israel of North Netanya. It was really a special Shabbat. I enjoyed staying by Jake and Helen Weichholz and meeting Rabbi Boruch and Rebbetzin Esther Boudilovsky, as well as the dedicated Torah Tidbits distributors in Netanya who hosted me for lunch. Over Shabbat, I met British, South African, American, Canadian and Irish families, and others that I’m sure I’m forgetting, that are now living in Netanya. What amazed me more than anything about the shul was the amount of volunteers there. In one of the talks, I asked them to raise their hand if they volunteer, and the vast majority of the room raised their hands. Many who did not raise their hand came up to me afterwards and said, “I don't know why I didn’t raise my hand, but I don’t consider it volunteering, I just consider it what I do.”

Among these amazing volunteers is the tzaddik Neville Gatoff, who volunteers every week not only to distribute Torah Tidbits throughout Netanya, but is part of the shul chesed committee and everything he does for the shul, together with his incredible wife Avril. Another person told me that he created a website that only reports good news about Israel - simply amazing. I met person after person in Netanya who told me that they

are part of this volunteer community and volunteer for this part of the shul. I saw that the amount of help Klal Yisrael is giving, especially since October 7th, is really tremendous.

In loving memory of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather

The Schwartz and Simansky Families

LEO SCHWARTZ z”l

This spirit of volunteering really comes down to the words of our parsha, “asher yidvenu libo” - “whose heart is giving.” It’s about our heart. Volunteering works the best when we are coming from “yidvenu libo,” the desire to give libo, when he gives over his heart.

Several months ago, my family and I spent a day volunteering down south. We picked weeds, pruned flowers, and cleaned off the crops. We talked to the owner of the farm, a wonderful Jew, after we had finished for the day. He said, “You know, I’ve had many foreign workers come and do this work. Recently, every day I see Jewish boys and girls coming and doing work that they’re not used to, and it’s clear it’s hard for them, but I see that they’re doing it from the bottom of their hearts. They're doing it from a place where they are trying their best to make sure that I am able to survive with my farm even though I don’t have foreign workers right now.” He told us, “I see it coming from the heart, I see it coming from a love of the land, I see it coming from a place where people are really trying to do good for another Jew.”

Coming with heart is totally different from the mentality of seeing it as a job to do. I think that Israel, with all its many challenges, has managed to be so successful because the Jewish people have come and volunteered to build it with so much heart. That is why nobody, no enemy or terrorist organization, is ever going to bring us down. When we see the ruthless side of our enemies, we combat it with our heart, our hard work, our love, our caring for each other, our terumah. Something that is built from the hearts of so many will not be destroyed.

Therefore, let’s continue volunteering, helping and building. On this note, I

encourage you to join us in our pre-Purim Mishloach Manot campaign that we have for our heroic chayalim. We will be packaging and distributing them to our Teen Centers’ alumni serving in the army, injured soldiers and other soldiers all across the country. So many people are volunteering and making us their shaliach for this mitzvah.

It is an incredible mitzvah to bring simcha to an injured soldier, or a soldier on the front lines, or any soldier that is working hard to make sure that the Jewish people are safe. Let’s continue volunteering inside the English-speaking community and the broader Israeli community to ensure that we are taking our hearts, investing more and more in this country, and b’ezrat Hashem, building it stronger and stronger.

Wishing you all an uplifting and inspiring Shabbat and Chodesh Tov,

Rabbi Avi Berman

Executive Director, OU Israel aberman@ouisrael.org

תמאה ןייד ךורב

With great sorrow we announce the passing, beseiva tova, of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather a G-d fearing “Man of Yerushalayim”

MOSHE (MORRIS) LOSHINSKY

Shiva until Tuesday morning March 4th, at Diskin 3/14, J’slm

z”l

Shacharit:7:00am / Mincha / Maariv:5:15pm

Wife - Miriam Loshinsky

Children - Shlomo Loshinsky, Naomi Morse, Joseph (Yogi) Loshinsky Brother - Avraham Lock and families

FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER

OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

There is Nothing as Divisive as a Victory

Every triumph produces a loser. That was why Moshe’s brother Aaron consistently guided people to avoid the courtroom by pursuing compromise (Sanhedrin 6b). Aaron, whose life was dedicated to the love and pursuit of peace (Pirkei Avot 1:12), knew that the outcome of a court case would be a joyous triumph for one and a disappointing or even devastating loss for the other, driving the parties further apart, whereas compromise could produce peaceful reconciliation.

Maharal of Prague noted Aaron’s role as the Kohein Gadol (High Priest) required him to love and pursue peace. There is an old and tired Jewish joke about the man marooned on a desert island who was finally rescued. As he showed the newcomers around the island that had been his home for years, they were surprised to see that he had built two shuls. “This one,” he explained, “is the shul where I daven; that is the shul I would never step foot into.” While this may be the sad truth in too many of our communities, it is the very opposite of how Jewish life was meant to be structured. We were to have one temple – the Mishkan or the Beit Hamikdash - in which we were all invested. As it was Aaron’s job to preside over that temple, he needed to keep the peace between people, to hold them together and avoid a breakaway Mishkan.

Aaron did not have to start from scratch. The Mishkan was originally built at Sinai, where we had come together as one, k’ish echad b’lev echad, and it was intended to be a lasting version of that Sinai experience (see Ramban’s introduction to Terumah). It was Aaron’s mission to maintain that togetherness and therefore facilitate the Mishkan’s role as the unifying center of our people.

This idea would repeat itself at the time of the building of the Beit Hamikdash. There it was not the kohein but the king who undertook to unify the people. David had an immensely challenging task as he was a new king who – to put it mildly - had experienced extreme opposition from the king whose dynasty he was disrupting. Beyond the personal tension that may have been present between Shaul and David, there was also the context of moving the throne from the tribe of Binyamin to the tribe of Yehuda, a shift that crossed the classic fault line within Klal Yisrael between the children of Rachel and Leah. David was now clearly the victor, but could he be the king? How could he unify this fractured nation under his leadership?

The magnificent story of how David accomplished that feat is critical for each of us to learn and review periodically. That story is

told in the first five chapters of the book of Shmuel II, where it describes how David, with incredible wisdom and humility, demonstrated how he did not delight in the triumph over his predecessor and pursuer King Shaul. Instead, David grieved over Shaul’s death and opposed those who assassinated Shaul’s general, Avner. David was a true leader who understood that the winner who seeks to take all is left with nothing. His job was not to win the throne but to win over the people. Vayehi b’yeshurun melech b’hitaseif rashei am yachad shivtei Yisrael (Devarim 33:5). The Jewish peo ple can only be governed and function as a nation when its leaders and tribes can come together and coalesce around their king.

Once David gained the people’s trust such that even the tribe of Binyamin came forth to accept his reign, he was prepared to move to Yerushalayim and to begin the process that would lead to the building of the Beit Hamikdash (“mikdash melech ir melucha.”) It is especially noteworthy that the Beit Hamikdash was built straddling the geographic boundary between the tribal portions of Yehuda and Binyamin (Yoma 12a), thus representing the healing and unifying of the opposing forces within the Jewish people that was required to build that one temple that would serve them all.

One may suggest that history repeats itself yet again in the story of Purim. Esther and her uncle Mordechai – who is described as both ish Yehudi and ish Yemini, a descendant of both Yehuda and Binyamin (see Megillah 12b) – set about to unify a fractured Jewish people (yeshno am echad mefuzar umeforad; leich kenos et kol haYehudim). That unity was needed not only to save the Jewish people from the immediate threat posed by

Buying NOW in Ashkelon sends the strongest message to the world

Haman’s decree, but also to set the stage for the building of the second Beit Hamikdash that would follow. Thus, Megillat Esther closes by describing Mordechai’s leadership: Ratzui l’rov echav doreish tov l’amo v’doveir shalom l’chol zaro. Mordechai was a leader beloved by the multitudes of his brothers, working for the good of his nation and speaking words of peace for the benefit of all its children. True power is the power to unify the people. That was the source of the power that Aaron Hakohein exercised to build the Mishkan, that David Hamelech used to build the first Beit Hamikdash, and that Mordechai Hayehudi put in place to set the stage for the second. That is true leadership, and it is needed now more than ever.

Refuah Shleima to Yishayahu Yosef ben Bluma

(Hand and Machine)

Organic: Whole Wheat, Whole Spelt, GF Gluten Free Oat, Whole and Regular Wheat

appreciate that unique Kedusha found in the fruit of Eretz Yisrael!

To conclude, when you buy your Tu B'shvat fruit this year, don’t search for those dried apricots and banana chips imported from Turkey. Rather, head over to the fresh produce and buy yourself some nice juicy Kedusha-filled Jaffa oranges and thank Hashem for bringing you to this land in order to be able to הבוטמ עבשלו

NEW ITEMS:

, imbibing that Kedusha in every bite that you take!!

Organic Hand Ancient Grain

Whole Wheat (Available in 1 kilo, 1 pound and 3-matzot seder sets.)

Organic Hand Whole Wheat (Available in 1 kilo (12-13 matzot) boxes).

Organic Hand Whole Spelt

(Now available in 3-matzot seder sets in addition to 500g and 1 kilo boxes).

Organic Hand Bran Removed (White) Spelt

(Available in 1 pound box (7-8 matzot))

Please order your Matza today Limited quantity.

Visit our website for details including Hechsherim, & ordering: Online at www.MatzaMan.co.il

Questions: hillel.leib@matzaman.co.il 053-520-6976

This year we have launched a Sderot Solidarity Project. We are looking for connections in the USA to purchase full cases of Hand Made Shmura Whole Wheat and Whole Spelt and Organic Matzot, produced in Sderot by 3 different chevrot. PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR CONTACTS throughout the USA: hillel.leib@matzaman-usa.com / www.MatzaMan-USA.com

Penthouse by the Sea

Unique opportunity: Penthouse apartment in Afridar with Succah Balcony

• 125 Sq Meters

• 25 Sq Meter Succah balcony

• Open Plan living room and kitchen

• Extra Large Master bedroom with en-suite

• 2.5 bathrooms

• Shabbat Elevator

• 2 parking places

• Storage room

• Near Ashkenaz Shuls

Price 2,500,000 ILS

Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary

Rabbi Reuven Tradburks

RABBI REUVEN TRADBURKS

RCA Israel Region

RCA ISRAEL REGION

In memory of Evelyn Rivers a”h

Mother of Reuven Tradburks

PARSHAT TERUMAH

Parshat Terumah contains the instructions to build the Mishkan. Moshe is commanded: bring materials. Build the Mishkan. The Aron to house the 10 commandments. The Table for the Breads. The Menorah. The coverings over the Mishkan. The structure of the Mishkan. The Altar for offerings. The structure of the courtyard surrounding the Mishkan. There are 5 parshiot that will describe the instructions and building of the Mishkan. 5 parshiot is a lot. It is almost 10% of the entire Torah. We have to assume that the Mishkan and its meaning is a pillar concept of Judaism.

And while the meaning of the details, or even the need for all the details in the construction is elusive, the meaning of the entire notion of the Mishkan is apparent. And although this sounds radical, the Mishkan is a place for G-d to dwell in this world. How the Eternal, Infinite One dwells on earth is the stuff of philosophers. But dwell He (or Shechina, She) does.

This dwelling on earth, in His Abode fits seamlessly in the flow of the narrative of the Torah. The Torah is the story of G-d’s reach for man. He begins distant, and step by step He moves closer and closer. And it is all at His initiative. He reaches for us.

First, He creates a world. That by itself is an expression of love. He initiates contact with Adam and Eve, with Cain and with Noah. He initiates contact with Avraham, promising the Land; a stretch of His Hand to Avraham to pull him closer. He intervenes in nature to redeem the people from Egypt. Splits the Sea. The exodus and the splitting of the sea express a new level of Divine involvement in the world. Intervening. Redeeming. He has gone well beyond merely speaking to man, rather now putting His arm around the entire Jewish people.

And then Sinai: Descending on the mountain, pulling the veil away in speaking with the entire people at Sinai. The Torah is very explicit in describing G-ds descent onto the mountain. All of this is a process, step by step, of descending into this world.

A place to dwell consistently, not just sporadically on earth is the natural next step. It matches the love of a man and woman: initiate a conversation, make a promise and commitment, help and assist each other, close and intimate contact like Sinai and then a home.

1ST ALIYA (25:1-16)

Moshe is instructed to tell the people to bring donations of materials: gold, silver, copper, woven material, animal skins, oil, incense, and jewels. And make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst them. Make an Aron: wood overlaid with gold, poles with which to carry. And place into the Aron the tablets that I will give you.

The Aron is the heart of the Mishkan. And so, the first thing described.

The Aron is the heart because it houses the tablets of the 10 commandments. But the Torah never describes these stone tablets as the 10 commandments. It calls them “luchot habrit”, the tablets of the covenant. Meaning, these stand for, remind us of, are the expression of the moment at Sinai, the touch of G-d and man.

And so the Aron, housing these tablets of the covenant, becomes a concrete reminder of Sinai.

The Aron will be housed in the Holy of Holies. Only the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies once a year. This too is reminiscent of Mt. Sinai. Only Moshe is to be in the mountain.

2ND ALIYA (25:17-30)

Cover the Aron with a gold cover, from which 2 angels, facing each other, with outstretched wings emerge. I will meet and speak with you there, from between the angels that are on the Aron. Make a table of wood overlaid with gold, with poles with which to carry. The Lechem Hapanim shall be placed there permanently.

The Aron is covered with angels, reminiscent of the angels from the heavenly world, the Divine Abode. The Aron with its angels becomes as G-d on His Heavenly throne, surrounded by His angels.

3RD ALIYA (25:31-26:14)

Fashion a Menorah from solid gold, decorated with cups, knobs and blossoms with 7 lights. Make it in the form you saw at Sinai. Fashion curtains woven of tchelet, purple and red with cherubim. These long curtains are to overlay the entire Mishkan as both a roof and covering of

the sides of the building. They are to be made in sections and then joined. On top of these, fashion curtains of goat hair. And on top of that a cover of red ram and tachash skins.

Each of the central items are made of gold. Perhaps this too is reminiscent of Mt. Sinai where the Torah says the mountain was full of smoke as G-d had descended in fire. Perhaps the gold has the appearance of the fire; that yellowish glow of fire. The fiery gold of the Aron, Shulchan and Menorah are a re-enactment, a depiction of the fire of the presence of G-d on the mountain.

4TH ALIYA (26:15-37)

Make panels of wood overlaid with gold. These will sit in silver sockets. The series of gold overlaid panels will be 30 amot, in total, along the sides. One end will have 10 amot of these panels.

Perhaps the panels of wood, as an enclosure, also symbolize the encircling of the mountain. The mountain was a restricted area due to the Divine Presence; the Mishkan is a restricted area due to the Divine Presence.

The Kohanim were permitted to enter this Mishkan. They would see gold walls and peering up would see the colored woven curtain with the angel design.

5TH ALIYA (27:1-8)

Make a parochet, a curtain of woven colored wool with the design of an angel. This will divide the Holy of Holies from the outer area. The Aron will be in the Holy of Holies. The Table and Menorah will be outside of this curtain. The entrance at the opposite end of this building from the Holy of Holies shall have a woven curtain as its wall.

The Aron was not visible to the Kohanim; it is hidden behind a colored woven curtain with the angel design. They would see the Menorah and Table with breads as well as an incense altar (not yet described).

One could view this as a minimalist home: light, food, table. And the inner private place where He dwells.

This parochet, or curtain, is made of colored wool, woven with a pattern of Cherubim or angels. This same design of wool woven with cherubim or angels, is found 3 times. The parochet in front of the Holy of Holies. The curtain hanging at the entrance to the Mishkan. And the curtains or drapings that cover the entire Mishkan, visible from the inside. What did these cherubim in the design look like?

The cover over the entire Mishkan and the Parochet in front of the Holy of Holies had a different design on the 2 sides of the curtain. On one side was a winged angel that looked like an eagle. The other was a winged angel that looked like a lion. The curtain that hung at the entrance to the Mishkan had only a lion angel design on both sides.

6TH ALIYA (27:9-19)

Make an altar of 5 square amot with horns at its corners, overlaid with copper. All the utensils, the pots, shovels, pans, and forks shall be of copper. Poles of wood overlaid with copper are placed in rings

to carry the altar.

An ama, or cubit, is the length from the elbow to your finger tips. Which would be about a foot and a half, or a half meter. 5 amot would be 7 ½ feet by 7 ½ feet. This altar is quite a bit larger than any of the other objects in the Mishkan.

There are 2 sections to the Mishkan. The inner chamber that is covered with the 3 coverings. It houses the Menorah, the Table, the Incense Altar and the Holy of Holies with the Aron. In front of this covered chamber or building is a large courtyard described in the next aliya. This is where the large altar is placed. While the Mishkan building was covered entirely, this altar and courtyard area is open to the sky.

7TH ALIYA (27:9-19)

Make curtains of fine white linen for the courtyard surrounding the Mishkan. The curtains shall hang from poles. The courtyard shall be 100 amot long by 50 amot wide. The curtain at the entrance of the courtyard shall be of colorful woven wool.

The white linen curtains could give the feeling of clouds, of the heavens. The light of the Menorah and the smoke of the incense could evoke the fire and smoke of Mt. Sinai. And the 2-fold structure, of the inner section and the outside section could evoke the scene of Mt. Sinai; the people at a distance and Moshe closer in.

As such, the Mishkan can be seen as an attempt to take the experience of Sinai and recreate it. And while we are elated at the notion of an earthly place of contact between man and G-d, we also recoil at His transcendence. This tension is conveyed through the coverings, a symbolic way to convey a message of the sublime, mysterious, hidden, ineffable

experience of the Divine contact with the earthly.

This week the 6th and 7th aliyah are read together.

HAFTORAH

2 MELACHIM 12:1-17

The reading of the special portion for Shabbat Shekalim discusses the annual obligation for every Jew to give a half shekel to the Beit Hamikdash. In this vein the theme of the haftorah discusses the implementation of King Yehoash to earmark this collection of communal funds for the purpose of upkeeping the first Beit Hamikdash.

The haftorah begins with the new king taking the initiative to renew the covenant of the people of Israel with the Almighty. A critical step toward accomplishing this goal was the obliteration of the altars and statutes that were used for idol worship. Officers were also appointed to oversee the Beit Hamikdash.

King Yehoash gave instructions to the kohanim regarding all the funds that were

A SHORT VORT

donated by the nation of Israel. However, when the king took note that the kohanim had neglected to properly maintain the Beit Hamikdash, he ordered that the funds be placed in special containers near the Mizbeach and they were then given directly to the craftsmen and workers who maintained the Beit Hamikdash.

STATS

19th of 54 sedras; 7th of 11 in Sh’mot. Written on 154.8 lines in a Torah (43rd).

9 Parshiyot; 4 open, 5 closed.

96 p’sukim - ranks 38 (9th in Sh’mot).

1145 words - ranks 45 (10th in Sh’mot). 4692 letters - ranks 41 (9th in Sh’mot). T’ruma is a short sedra with very short p’sukim.

1558 words - ranks 24th.

MITZVOT

3 mitzvot; 2 positive, 1 prohibition. One of the mitzvot asei in the sedra is a super-mitzvah, in that it includes the many commands to make all the furnishings of the Mikdash. Further, the fulfillment of this mitzvah facilitates many others.

BY RABBI CHANOCH YERES RAV, BEIT KNESSET BEIT YISRAEL, YEMIN MOSHE

“The poles shall be in the ring of the ark; they shall not be taken from it” (25:15)

Why, while describing ‘the Ark’, does the Torah warn that the poles of the Ark should never be removed from their rings? As Rashi quotes the Talmud (Yoma 72) that “forever”, never to be removed even when the Ark is at rest.

The Chofetz Chayim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan 1838-1933, Poland) answers that once the poles have served to transport the ark, they have become sanctified and merit to become an essential part of the ark. The same can be attributed to those who support Torah study. Once someone has devoted his support for Torah, he merits to share the portions of its scholars eternally.

The same idea can be found with the description of the Menorah. “The Menorah shall be formed by beaten work, shall the Menorah be made, its base and its shaft; its cups, its knops and its flowers, shall be of one piece.” (25:31) One piece and not separated pieces molded together later. Similarly, the light of the Menorah symbolizes the wisdom of Torah. The stem and the cups of flame are all supported by the same base. So too, all who support Torah will eternally be rewarded along with the scholars who they champion. - Shabbat Shalom

A CONVERSATION ABOUT

GRIEF AND LOSS DURING THE WAR

GRIEF AND LOSS

FOR PARENTS OF TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS

Join Crossroads for a psycho-educational conversation facilitated by Robbie Sassoon, MSW, Director of Crossroads, featuring a panel of leading mental health professionals. The program will start with short presentations offering parents an opportunity to learn how to support their teens and their peers, and it will be followed with the opportunity to engage the panelists with questions

Zoom Link Provided Upon Registration

Sudden

Helping your teen navigate and overcome traumatic loss while you’re also struggling.

Compassionate

Weight

and Obesity

Thyroid

/ Cancer

Osteoporosis and Menopause

Pituitary, parathyroid (calcium) and adrenal disease

• Hypogonadism (low testosterone)

THE PERSON in the parsha

BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS THE

PERSON IN THE PARSHA

BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS

A Place for Religious Experience

It was at a post-graduate seminar many years ago that I first became aware of the distinction many make between “religion” and “spirituality.” The members of the seminar were all PhDs in psychology with varying degrees of experience and expertise. They were of a wide range of religious persuasions. Some identified with a specific faith system or denomination. Others claimed allegiance to no formal religion but insisted that although they were not particularly “religious,” they were “spiritual.”

The text that was referred to during this discussion was The Varieties of Religious

In

loving memory of

HaRav Dr. Fred S. Heuman z”l

on his third

Deeply missed by his children:

Varda & Moish Deutsch

Azriel & Chaya Heuman

Sheera & Chaim Shine

Iryah Mordechai

Judy & Bruce Listhaus

grandchildren/great grandchildren

Experience, by the noted American philosopher William James. That book could serve as a prooftext that at least one major thinker considered purely “spiritual” experiences to be “religious” experiences. The author makes it quite clear that atheists and agnostics can have “religious” experiences

I must add, parenthetically, that some time ago I found a Hebrew translation of James’ book in a Jerusalem bookstore and came away from that translation with a different understanding of what the author was trying to say.

Most of all, I was impressed by the extent to which the translator used terminology that helped me understand that the Jewish expressions of religiosity with which I was personally familiar were the same as the “religious experiences” described by James, who incidentally was quite unfamiliar with Judaism.

The only difference between the two was that what James called “religious experience” we would call “the presence of the Shechinah,” or the sensation that the Almighty is close to us, sees us, hears us, teaches us, and comforts us.

The concept of “religious experience” helps us understand a distinction made by several commentators on the weekly portions that we are now “experiencing,” the parsha that we read two weeks ago, Yitro, and this week’s parsha, Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19).

The distinction was, to my knowledge, first made by Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno. He

is impressed by the contrast between two verses, one near the end of Parshat Yitro and one which begins this week’s parsha.

The first verse, Exodus 20:21, reads, in my loose translation, “In every place (…b’chol makom) where I will mention My Name, I will approach you and bless you.”

The phrasing is an assertion of the Shechina’s presence in the world at large. “In every place”!

On the other hand, in this week’s parsha we read of the construction of the mishkan, or tabernacle, a physical structure with walls and a ceiling, a very constricted space indeed. Note that the root of the word mishkan is the same as in the word shechinah. The message seems clear: God is only accessible in this single space, this limited structure, and nowhere else.

Rabbi Sforno, an Italian scholar of the late Middle Ages, wonders about this contradiction between the ease of attaching oneself to the Almighty everywhere and anywhere versus the scarcity of His availability anywhere but in the relatively tiny tabernacle.

To deal with this contradiction, Sforno distinguishes between the time prior to the sin of the Golden Calf and the time subsequent to that atrocious sin.

Before that idolatrous and orgiastic display, closeness to the Shechinah, the religious experience of encounter with the Divine, could be achieved anywhere. But after such a scandalous and rebellious offense, substituting a Golden Calf, a graven image, for the Master of the Universe, the Almighty, so to speak, made Himself scarce. Now He would confine His presence to extremely limited venues, especially holy places.

Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz, an early

JERUSALEM’S HIGHEST PENTHOUSE A Home Above All

twentieth century inspirational teacher whom I’ve quoted frequently in these weekly columns, accepts Rabbi Sforno’s distinction but broadens it somewhat. In his words, in an essay entitled, “In Every Place”:

“Before the sin of the Golden Calf our forefathers experienced the presence of the Shechinah everywhere. They were shepherds and felt the Almighty with them in the fields. They felt the Shechinah in their interactions with others, and felt enabled by the Shechinah

Heartfelt condolences to the family of

RUTH FOGELMAN

a”h Ruth ran Pri Chadash - a weekly women’s writing workshop - at the OU Israel Center for many years

ABU TOR-116sqm 3 bedrooms with character

24 Gershon Agron Mamilla

In the Towers of Ashtrom at the gateway to Ein Kerem!

Best location around the corner from Dan Boutique

as they went to war. The entire world was holy!

“But after the great sin the world was no longer holy. It was desacralized, ordinary, mundane. The Shechinah retreated from the world at large to the tiny desert structure, the Mishkan. There, and only there, was a “religious experience” possible.”

The distinction introduced by Sforno, whose surname is pronounced “Siporno” by some, always captivated me. The expansion of his thesis by Rabbi Levovitz held my attention for a long time.

But over the years, I began to be irritated by the pessimism inherent in their approach. Is the Shechinah so elusive? Are authentic “religious experiences” so hard to come by? Must we restrict our attachment to the Almighty only to the tabernacles of our era, synagogues and holy sites?

What about by the bedside of a dear friend who is suffering from a terrible illness? Are we not taught that the Shechinah hovers over the head of the choleh, the sick person? As I stand respectfully by the bedside of my barely conscious friend and silently utter a prayer, am I deluding myself if I sense a “religious experience”? Frankly, if I offered a communal prayer for my friend in synagogue, I would not have felt nearly as emotionally impacted as I do at his sickbed!

Ask yourselves, or ask others around you, when they last felt the Shechinah’s presence. I wager that if you receive a sincere response, it would not have been in a tabernacle or anything like it. It would more likely be the result of some poignant human interaction, perhaps the birth of a baby, or the celebration of a significant birthday, or the satisfaction of a difficult achievement.

The Jewish people have been amid a most challenging set of circumstances for well over a year. Listen to the returning soldiers and hear their stories of “religious experiences” on the battlefield.

Or, even more impressive, listen to the thankfully freed former hostages and the “religious experiences” that they so modestly share.

Speak to the women soldiers who lit Shabbos candles beside an armored vehicle and experienced the comforting presence of the Shechinah in a tank!

Or join in the joy of reunited families whose dear ones have been freed. You too will sense the Shechinah and participate in a “religious experience.”

The Shechinah was present in the tunnels of Gaza, as it is in the homes of the bereaved widows and orphans whom we must support in every way we can, assured that in assisting them we are participating in a “religious experience” of the highest order.

“Religious experience” is not a “high,” as those who have attempted to achieve such experiences by ingesting narcotic substances have, often tragically, discovered.

No. “Religious experiences” are not always pleasurable in a physical sense. They are spiritual occurrences, often provocative and challenging, requiring a response adequate to the experience, which generally means great changes in our lifestyles. But we can be comforted by the many phrases in our sacred works that express assurances like this one:

“True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit.

“God, You will not despise

“a broken and crushed heart.” (Psalms 51-19)

www.angelrealty.co.il

For Sale in Efrat

Te'ena: * Huge 300-meter villa, 8 rooms, on a plot of 500 donam . Beautiful garden. 7,250,000 NIS

Dekel: * Spectacular semi attached 540m home , 14 rooms. Two rented units 8,900,000 NIS

Zayit: * 4 room apt. next to the mall. 2,650,000 NIS

Zayit: * 3.5 room apt. Stunning view. 2.350.000 NIS

Tamar: * 4 room cottage with building option s for an extra floor. 3.400.000 NIS

Dagan: * 250m semi attached home with pool. 7,200,000 NIS

Gabi- 0524588716

Bricks

Bricks

The

Bricks tone specializing in safety deposit vaults is opening its new branch to residents of Jerusalem and surrounding areas in the Clal Building. At your service are safety deposit boxes of various sizes to s tore your valuables. The center is secured 24/7 at the most stringent international standards. The location and boxes are secured by Lloyds International.

Covenant & Conversation

COVENANT & CONVERSATION

THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKLY PARSHA

Thoughts on the Weekly Parsha

RABBI

RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L

LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L

FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

May the learning of these Divrei Torah be תמשנ

HaRav Ya'akov Zvi ben David Arieh zt"l

The Architecture of Holiness

From here to the end of the book of Exodus the Torah describes, in painstaking detail and great length, the construction of the Mishkan, the first collective house of worship of the Jewish people. Precise instructions are given for each item – the Tabernacle itself, the frames and drapes, and the various objects it contained – including their dimensions. So for example we read:

“Make the Tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker. All the curtains are to be the same size - twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide… Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the Tabernacle - eleven altogether. All eleven curtains are to be the

same size - thirty cubits long and four cubits wide… Make upright frames of acacia wood for the Tabernacle. Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide…” (Ex. 26:1-160

And so on. But why do we need to know how big the Tabernacle was? It did not function in perpetuity. Its primary use was during the wilderness years. Eventually it was replaced by the Temple, an altogether larger and more magnificent structure. What then is the eternal significance of the dimensions of this modest, portable construction?

To put the question more sharply still: is not the very idea of a specific size for the home of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, liable to mislead? A transcendent God cannot be contained in space. Solomon said so:

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this Temple I have built.” (1 Kings 8:27)

Isaiah said the same in the name of God Himself:

“Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build

for Me? Where will My resting place be?”

(Isaiah 66:1)

So no physical space, however large, is big enough. On the other hand, no space is too small. So says a striking Midrash: When God said to Moses, ‘Make Me a Tabernacle,’ Moses said in amazement, ‘The glory of the Holy One blessed be He fills heaven and earth, and yet He commands, Make me a Tabernacle?’… God replied, ‘Not as you think do I think. Twenty boards on the north, twenty on the south and eight in the west are sufficient. Indeed, I will descend and confine My presence even within one square cubit.’’

(Shemot Rabbah 34:1)

So what difference could it make whether the Tabernacle was large or small? Either way, it was a symbol, a focus, of the Divine Presence that is everywhere, wherever human beings open their heart to God. Its dimensions should not matter.

I came across an answer in an unexpected and indirect way some years ago. I had gone to Cambridge University to take part in a conversation on religion and science. When the session was over, a member of the audience came over to me, a quiet, unassuming man, and said, “I have written a book I think you might find interesting. I’ll send it to you.” I did not know at the time who he was.

A week later the book arrived. It was called ‘Just Six Numbers’, subtitled ‘The deep forces that shape the universe’. With a shock I discovered that the author was the then Sir Martin, now Baron Rees, Astronomer Royal, later President of the Royal Society, the oldest and most famous scientific body in the world, and Master of Trinity College Cambridge. In 2011 he won the Templeton Prize. I had been talking to Britain’s most distinguished scientist.

Jerusalem Real Estate is My Business Eta: 054-723-3863

Amazing stand alone homes in OLD KATAMON, TALBIYA, BAKA, GERMAN COLONY

New exclusive Garden Apt: GERMAN COLONY. On Hildesheimer, in the Italian Colony Complex 121 sqm, 4 bedroom large living space, 73 sqm private garden, underground parking. Great condition 9,000,000 NIS

OLD KATAMON. 174 sqm primary residence, large garden in use, fully accessible, 4 bedrooms. Plus a studio of 19sqm. 9,500,000 NIS.

BAKA. Mini penthouse. Built 89 sqm as 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. High ceilings, amazing views outdoor space 56 sqm including pool!!! Shabbat elevator all day, 2 reg parking spaces plus storage. Living space all on one floor from elevator. Pool upstairs. Great property. Price: 6,500,000 NIS

In GERMAN COLONY. 300 sqm plus 170 sqm reg garden. Plus parking & roof top terrace. 18.000,000 NIS

180 sqm Penthouse on an exclusive street in ARNONA. 40 sqm balcony, registered parking. Very high standard finish. 9,800,000 NIS

Eta Morris Realty, Ltd. etamorrisrealestate@gmail.com Eta: 054-723-3863 etamorrisrealty.co.il

His book was enthralling. It explained that the universe is shaped by six mathematical constants which, had they varied by a millionth or trillionth degree, would have resulted in no universe or at least no life. Had the force of gravity been slightly different, for example, the universe would either have expanded or imploded in such a way as to preclude the formation of stars or planets. Had nuclear efficiency been slightly lower the cosmos would consist only of hydrogen; no life would have emerged. Had it been slightly higher there would have been rapid stellar evolution and decay leaving no time for life to evolve. The combination of improbabilities was immense.

Torah commentators, especially the late Nechama Leibowitz, have drawn attention to the way the terminology of the construction of the Tabernacle is the same as that used to describe God’s creation of the universe. The Tabernacle was, in other words, a micro-cosmos, a symbolic reminder of the world God made. The fact that the Divine Presence rested within it was not meant to suggest that God is here not there, in this place not that. It was meant to signal, powerfully and palpably, that God exists throughout the cosmos. It was a man-made structure to mirror and focus attention on the Divinely-created universe. It was in space what Shabbat is in time: a reminder of creation.

The dimensions of the universe are precise, mathematically exact. Had they differed in even the slightest degree the universe, or life, would not exist. Only now are scientists beginning to realise how precise, and even this knowledge will seem rudimentary to future generations. We are on the threshold of a quantum leap in our understanding of

the full depth of the words: “How many are Your works, Lord; in wisdom You made them all” (Ps. 104:24). The word “wisdom” here – as in the many times it occurs in the account of the making of the Tabernacle – means, “precise, exact craftsmanship”.1

In one other place in the Torah there is the same emphasis on precise dimensions, namely, Noah’s Ark:

“So make yourself an Ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The Ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around.” (Gen. 6:14-16)

The reason is similar to that in the case of the Tabernacle. Noah’s Ark symbolised the world in its Divinely-constructed order, the order humans had ruined by their violence and corruption. God was about to destroy that world, leaving only Noah, the Ark, and what it contained as symbols of the vestige of order that remained, on the basis of which God would fashion a new order.

Precision matters. Order matters. The misplacement of even a few of the 3.1 billion letters in the human genome can lead to devastating genetic conditions. The famous Butterfly Effect – the beating of a butterfly’s wing somewhere may cause a tsunami elsewhere, thousands of miles away – tells us that small actions can have large consequences. That is the message the Tabernacle was intended to convey.

God creates order in the natural universe. We are charged with creating order in the human universe. That means painstaking 1. see Maimonides, The Guide for the Perplexed, III:54

care in what we say, what we do, and what we must restrain ourselves from doing. There is a precise choreography to the moral and spiritual life as there is a precise architecture to the Tabernacle. Being good, specifically being holy, is not a matter of acting as the spirit moves us. It is a matter of aligning ourselves to the Will that made the world. Law, structure, precision: of these things the cosmos is made and without them it would cease to be. It was to signal that the same applies to human behaviour that the Torah records the precise dimensions of the Tabernacle and Noah’s Ark.

These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt”l are part of his ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah teaching. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel. Visit www.RabbiSacks.org for more.

PROBING THE PROPHETS

BY RABBI NACHMAN (NEIL) WINKLER FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER

Shabbat Shekalim Machatzit HaShekel – It’s Not Just Money

This Shabbat, we begin the series of “pre-Pesach” haftarot, selections from sifrei nevi’im, each of which contains a theme meant to remind us, one way or another, of the approaching Yom Tov of Pesach. These selections are considered so important that they override the customary readings - even that of Rosh Chodesh-as it does this week. The haftarah for this Shabbat Shekalim, is linked to the Torah’s charge to donate annually a “Machatzit HaShekel - a half shekel -to the Sanctuary, a mitzvah that was publicized at the beginning of Adar and, therefore, is read as maftir this Shabbat.

Our haftarah from Sefer Melachim B [12; 1-17] relates the fund-raising campaign urged by King Yeho’ash for the purpose of making the necessary repairs in the Bet HaMikdash – hence the connection to the Machatzik HaShekel donations. However, as we have learned previously in our study of haftarot, the navi’s message may not always be understood from the selected text alone. This also true of our haftarah where the preceding p’rakim clarify the events described in the haftarah and where we find a more fully detailed report in Divrei HaYamim B [24].

This additional source helps explain much of the haftarah and gives us a fuller understanding of the events described in the haftarah. And, to do so, we must begin with the story of the story’s protagonist: King Yeho’ash.

Yehoash was the sole survivor of the Davidic royal family that had been wiped out by his wicked grandmother, Ataliah, who was a daughter of the infamous Izevel (Jezebel) and Achav, and, therefore, a member of the royal family of the Northern Kingdom. This evil woman married into the Davidic line and, upon the death of her son, King Achazyahu, took over the throne of Yehudah. In order to retain her power, she killed every one of her grandsons so that none of these rightful heirs could challenge her position. Yeho’ash, then only one year old, was rescued by his aunt, Yehosheva, the wife of the Kohen Gadol, Yehoyada. This surviving heir of the royal line was hidden for six years (in the Kod’shei Kadoshim!) until the people removed the corrupt queen and placed the seven-year-old legitimate heir upon the throne.

The Malbim points out that the reason for the young regent’s campaign to repair the Bet HaMikdash is found in Sefer Divrei

HaYamim. There, we read that the “fund-raising” drive, though an annual “crusade”, was especially necessary that year, for, as the King tells: “Ataliah, the evil doer, and her sons had breached the walls of the Mikdash and defiled the holy objects, using them for idolatrous purposes!” The Radak adds that the breaches in the walls of the Temple were made in order to steal its treasures. With this background, we better understand the need for King Yehoash, under the influence of the righteous Yehoyada, to repair the Holy Temple. We can also understand the King’s urgency to raise the funds by establishing a national campaign to press the masses to make voluntary contributions beyond the required half-shekel donation. Additionally, Yeho’ash attempted to enlist the Kohanim and Leviyim to travel throughout the land as “mendicant monks” (in the words of RSR Hirsch), to raise the money! A most unpopular (and failed) decree. The saga of King Yeho’ash reminds us of the mitzva of tz’daka, its importance and the need to continue contributing on a regular basis. But beyond that, the haftarah’s story of the Beit HaMikdash demands that we retain a respectful attitude toward sanctity, “kedusha”: toward our holy places, our holy prayers and our holy rituals…and those individuals who guide and guard those holy ways.

Machtzit Hashekel…It’s not just money.

Rabbi Winkler’s popular Jewish History lectures can be viewed by visiting the OU Israel Video archive: https://www.ouisrael.org/video-l ibrary

CARASSO NIA

A residential complex for people on the move

Carasso’s flagship project offers an active, dynamic, and enriching living experience in a vibrant and developing area, with a variety of opportunities and activities for everyday life and leisure.

3-5 room apartments on Derech Beit Lechem, Jerusalem Starting from NIS 2,980,000

Ten Shields of Light

Mitch Albom & Jeffrey Hatcher

Rabbi Shalom

RABBI SHALOM ROSNER

Keruvim – In Any Language

In the Kodesh Kodashim above the Aron resided the two Keruvim. What is the meaning of the word “Keruvim”? We interpret it to refer to childlike figures. From where does this term derive?

The Gemara (Succa 5b) states: לבבב ןכש ,איברכ :והבא

And what is the form of the face of a cherub [keruv]? Rabbi Abbahu said: Like that of a child [keravya], as in Babylonia one calls a child ravya.

The Gemara seems to infer that the term Keruv is derived from the Babylonian language, which interprets the word to mean childlike. We need to understand why the Torah chose to include a Babylonian term for these figures that are placed over the Aron in the holiest of places? It could

have easily utilized a Hebrew term, such as Yeladim or Na’arim to refer to the childlike figures.

In the sefer Lachazot B’Noam Hashem there is a very insightful explanation. There is a reference to Rav Yehuda Tzedaka, who offers an explanation in another context which can shed light on our question. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 4b) states:

The Beraita taught l’totafot, l’totafot and l’totafot (third written with a vav- plural) leads to four compartments in the tefillin. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: There is no need for this proof, as the requirement of four compartments can be derived from the word totafot itself: The word tat in the language of the Katfei means two, and the word pat in the language of Afriki also means two, and therefore totafot can be understood as a compound word meaning: Four.

The Gemara states that the term totafot is derived from two words, one tat, which means two in Katfei and pat which means two in Afriki. From this we deduce that there are four compartments in the tefillin shel rosh . The question can be raised- why according to the opinion of

Rabbi Akiva cited above, would the Torah use two foreign languages (Katfei and Afriki) upon which to base the name of tefillin, rather than some Hebrew term? Rav Yehuda Tzedaka posits that it is to underscore that no matter where one is in the world he should remember to put on tefillin, whether in Africa or America. Even if they speak a language other than Hebrew in that location the obligation to adorn tefillin is still in effect.

We may apply a similar explanation to the use of a foreign language to describe the childlike figures that stood above the Aron in Kodesh Hakodashim. Even if one were to live in Babylonia or some other foreign country, where another language is spoken, one should ensure that their children are in the proper surroundings of Torah and mitzvot. Just as the foundation of the two childlike figures in the Mikdash was the Aron which housed the Luchot.

Although we were dispersed among the nations for centuries, it was our commit ment to the study of Torah and the fulfill ment of mitzvot that ensured our survival. As we are privileged to once again reside in the Land of Israel, may we and our children continue to strengthen our commitment to Torah as our foundation.

REBBETZIN SHIRA

SHIRA SMILES

FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER

Faculty, OU Israel Center

SMILES

Torah Treasury

Our parashah this week details the commandments to construct the Mishkan and its numerous holy vessels. There is a curious discrepancy between the command to fashion the Aron, “Ve’asu Aron,” (Shemot 25:10) in the plural, and the command to fashion the other vessels, “Ve’asita Shulchan,” (Shemot 25:23) in the singular. Let us see the significance here and how deeply it applies to each of us.

The Midrash in Shemot Rabbah (33.3) elucidates; the plural form indicates that all were invited to participate in building the Aron, manifesting the merit to have a share in Torah. However, Midrash Tanchuma (Vayakhel, 7) notes the verse, “Vaya’as Betzalel et haAron – and Betzalel [himself] made the ark,” (Shemot 37:1) because of the Aron’s elevated status. Ramban reconciles these two opposing opinions by explaining that

OU

Israel extends Mazal Tov to Shelomo & Dena Dobkin and family on becoming grandparents to twins

Sophia Eliana and Yehuda Asher born to Meira & Josh

everyone was commanded to take part by either donating gold to the construction of the Aron, to help Betzalel, or to have in mind a concentrated intention towards the building. Effectively, however, Betzalel himself assembled the Aron.

Rav Scheinerman in Ohel Moshe suggests a deeper dimension to understand this Ramban. The Mishkan bears two aspects. One is the actual structure and the utensils found within. For one to participate, it is sufficient for him to donate materials and thus act as a conduit to bring down the Shechinah. The second aspect is perceiving the Mishkan as a medium to convey the Divine Presence among the people. Chazal teach that just as the Divine Presence rested in the Beit Hamikdash, it likewise rests on those who are involved in learning Torah. This is implied with the plural form of the command to build the Aron, t is a direct mandate for each member of Am Yisrael to personally involve himself in the study of Torah.

With this context, we can now apply the message. There are different ways one can be involved in Torah learning. Obviously, those who study Torah channel the Shechinah into their lives. However, those who may not be learning Torah formally, but appreciate the value of Torah and help others learn Torah also act to channel the Divine Presence to our world.

Rav Gifter zt”l in Pirkei Torah thus draws a parallel between the plural expression used to build the Mishkan, “ve’asu li Mikdash” and

the plural form in the command to build the Aron. Chazal note that the Aron had its own status, it was taken out when needed such as for war and to split the Jordan river upon entering Eretz Yisrael. Both the Mishkan and the Aron, i.e. Torah, are integrally connected to the Jewish people, both are a means to bring G-dliness into our lives, creating a paradigm of elevated living.

We Do Property Management Rental Mgmt & Caretaking Services**

Tel Aviv : NEW

NIS / $497K USD

New - 4 Bedrooms - Starting From 2.1M NIS / $588K USD

Bat Yam : 10 minute Walk to the Sea New - 2 Bedrooms - 2.35M NIS* New - 3 Bedrooms - 3.5M NIS*

Rehovot:

4 Bedrooms - Close to Berman Shul - 3.2M NIS

4 Bedrooms + Roof rights - Near Berman & Weizmann - 2.8M

Ben Yehuda St. - 3 Bedrooms From 5.9M NIS*

Yarkon Park - 2 Bedrooms From 4.99M NIS*

Jabotinsky St - 3 Bedrooms - From 4 99M NIS*

Nahariya: NEW Hi-Rise PROJECT - LAST UNITS

4 Bedrooms - From 1.92M NIS*

Nahariya : Boutique Building - Quiet Street

100 meters to Beach - Finishing in 1 year

4 Bedrooms - 2.95M NIS / $832k USD

Kinneret:

New Community - Duplex Cottages From 2.6M NIS

Luxury Lake View Apartments - From 2.2M NIS

Hadera - Luxury Beachfront Apartments- Must See:

3 Bedrooms From 3.3M NIS

5 Bedrooms - 4.9M NIS We Offer Free Home Inspections**

SHABBATTO scooter offers a "Mehudar" Zomet-approved Shabbat mechanism that operates according to the "Existing Current Modulation" principle. The Shabbat mechanism is pre-installed and does not require expensive fitting.

Ready to go in 10 seconds. Folds and splits into 2 lightweight parts

For more information, visit our website at: movinglife.co.il/torah24 For a FREE DEMO Call 077-9562833

RABBI JUDAH

Executive Director, Camp HASC

Author of Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva (Mosaica 2021)

RABBI JUDAH MISCHEL

Mischel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMP HASC

AUTHOR OF BADERECH SERIES

Terumah: The Joy of Giving

The Yerushalmi tzadik Rav Yehudah (‘Reb Yudel’) Holtzman was a beloved, humble, quiet and unassuming talmid chacham and baal tzedakah. One afternoon, a Jew knocked at Reb Yudel’s door, collecting tzedakah for a needy choleh, a local resident suffering from serious illness. The fellow required an emergency operation which cost 60 pounds — an enormous sum in those days of prestate Eretz Yisrael.

Reb Yudel was broken-hearted. “What can I do?” he sighed. “There is no money left in our account, and I have already overextended myself to creditors borrowing against my future wages for other tzedakah projects… I have taken on so much debt, that l’tzaari, unfortunately I am not able to borrow anymore.” The collector understood, appreciated the Rav’s sincerity, and left graciously.

Just a few moments later, Reb Yudel came running after the meshulach. Out of breath, he cried, “Wait, I have an idea! Please go right away to the central gemach (free loan association) and borrow the full sum in my name; b’ezras Hashem, I will pay back half a shilling every week. I just realized that we spend about half a shilling each week to buy wine for kiddush — but halachah permits making kiddush over bread. If I make kiddush on challah each Shabbos, it will cover the extra money to repay the loan! And may

the choleh have a successful operation and be gezunt!”

“But Rabbi, my intention was not to make your family’s situation more difficult, please don’t worry!”

“Reb Yid. His operation is an urgent matter! You must not waste even one more hour going door to door collecting a pound here and a pound there. Pikuach nefesh, immediately saving this man’s life outweighs everything. The Torah ha-kedoshah itself demands that you accept!”

The collector went on his way, touched by Reb Yudel’s fiery love and his willingness to contribute from his own Shabbos table. After paying for the surgery, the shaliach shared the interaction with one of the great Maggidim of Yerushalayim, Rav Shalom Schwadron.

More than fifteen years later, a guest was spending Shabbos at the Holtzman’s home, and took note that Reb Yudel made Kiddush over challah instead of wine. Reb Yudel had explained, with deep simchah in his eyes, that it was his custom to honor Shabbos this way. Hearing this re-told by Rav Schwadron, another family member connected the dots: Reb Yudel was still working on paying back the debt more than a decade and a half later — a testament to his life of self-sacrifice and ahavas Yisrael.

This week marks ‘Shabbos Shekalim’, read annually on the Shabbos before the onset of the month of Adar. Sfas Emes mentions the reason that shekalim are collected now as the appropriate way to enter a month of amplified simchah, as one cannot experience joy if they do not bring joy to others.

The Beis Yisrael of Gur interpreted the pasuk, Pitachta saki vate’azreini simchah, “You undid my sackcloth and girded me with gladness” (Tehillim, 30:12), to mean, ‘If you loosen the ties of the sack that keeps you wrapped up in yourself, you will see that the Ribbono shel Olam will fill you with simchah.’

Indeed, the joy of Purim hinges on our generosity of heart. For this reason, Rambam (Hilchos Megillah, 2:17) prioritizes sharing with others above our own personal celebration: “It is better for people to increase in their matanos la’evyonim, gifts to the poor more than what they spend on their festive meal, and more than their mishlo’ach manos, the gifts that they send to their companions…” Rambam continues:

tzedakah” (Megillah, 4b). May the eyes of all of Am Yisrael be lifted this Adar; may we be revived in spirit and may our broken hearts be healed, in the great joy of Purim, the glorious joy of giving, of ahavas Yisrael — for Torah ha-kedoshah itself demands this!

Pinsker building - 4 rooms, fully renovated. Electrical appliances, closets, Succa, parking, Shabbat elevator, immediate

“...For there is no greater or glorious joy than to bring happiness to the hearts of the poor and orphans and widows and strangers, and one who brings happiness to the hearts of the less fortunate is compared to the Divine Presence, as the Navi sings, “...To revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the hearts of the broken ones!” (Yeshayah, 57:15)

The words of the Gemara, too, ring with subtle joy: “The eyes of the poor are lifted at the reading of the Megillah, to receive

Rechavia Wolfson towers4 rooms, 100m, renovated, high floor

5 rooms, 136m, renovated, high floor

To find out more about Rabbi Mischel’s book ‘Baderech Haggadah’, visit: www.judahmischel.com/ baderech-book

San simon - New 7 room duplex penthouse of 300m, Succa balcony, Shabbat elevator, parking, machsan

Katamon - Near shteiblach, 4 room apt., 1st floor, well kept, bright, 3 exposures, parking

Katamon, Ben Gamla St. 4 room ground floor renovated apt. with a private yard, corner apt. with 3 bright exposures, motivated sellers Hamapilim St.

Gdud Haivri - 4 rooms, for renovation, 3 exposures, 9 steps to apt., car park, immediate

Pinsker building - 4 rooms, fully renovated. Electrical appliances, closets, Succa, parking, Shabbat elevator, immediate Rechavia Wolfson towers4 rooms, 100m, renovated, high floor 5 rooms, 136m, renovated, high floor

4 room apt, 1st floor, for renovation, car park, machsan, elevator, possibility to make succa porch. Asking 3.81 million nis

Givat Mordechai

San simon - New 7 room duplex penthouse of 300m, Succa balcony, Shabbat elevator, parking, machsan

4 room apt., 5th floor, Shabbat elevator, view to deer valley, good for investment or for those who want to be near yeshivas, public transportation, close to road 16. Price 2.85 million nis

New Talpiot, Derech Beit Lechem

Katamon - Near shteiblach, 4 room apt., 1st floor, well kept, bright, 3 exposures, parking

Gdud Haivri - 4 rooms, for renovation, 3 exposures, 9 steps to apt., car park, immediate

4 room penthouse, 137m, magnificent terrace of 100m, view of whole of Jerusalem. Newly built with all amenities, car park, machsan, Shabbat elevator. Price 6.7 million nis

Gemach for Chatan and Kalla: Meals for wedding and Sheva Brachot at cost Eida Hachareidis Hechsher Tel:052-633-1744 gadgadood@gmail.com

OU KASHRUT

PAGE BY RABBI EZRA FRIEDMAN Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education

Introduction to Bishul Akum

The prohibition

INTRODUCTION

Consuming Produce Without Terumot and Ma’asrot Part 2

Last week, we learned about different situations in which one may consume produce without terumot and ma’asrot. Biblically, one may consume unlimited amounts of produce prior to the action of gmar malacha. Gmar Malacha refers to the actions performed after the harvest that indicate the produce is ready for consumption, such as piling

Gilinski Real Estate

According to Biblical law, food that is completely kosher and cooked by a nonJew is permitted. However, our Sages decreed that such food, even when cooked in kosher utensils, is prohibited for consumption. This prohibition is known as bishul akum. In the coming weeks we will discuss the parameters of this rabbinic prohibition, including the reasons behind the decree, when it applies, and the practical halacha for modern industrial kashrut.

Arnona 7,800,000 NIS

Garden apt, 175 sqm, garden 190 sqm

Namhum 050-7225694

Food is a very connecting element in every society. That is the basis behind the decree of bishul akum. Our Sages were very concerned about close relationships with non-Jews since intermarriage is a very severe transgression. The prohibition effectively limits Jews and gentiles dining with each other, although there is no specific prohibition against dining with a non-Jew per se on Avodah Zara 31:b.)

Herzog Street 2,650,000NIS

4R, 65 sqm, 1st floor small yard, fully accessible

Orit 050-3362306

Rasco 4,200,000 NIS

Arnona 3,990,000 NIS

Garden apt, 75 sqm, garden 95 sqm

Nahum 050-7225694

Forbidding the non-Jew’s cooking would be enough to create an emotional distance such that families wouldn’t marry into each other.

5R, 110 sqm, view, Sukka balcony, elevator

Rachela 052-6503348

Rabbeinu Tam (Tosfot Avodah Zara 38:a) and Rambam (Ma’achalot Asurot 17:9)

maintain that the decree is based on this issue of closeness to non-Jews that could lead to intermarriage; this is the opinion of most early authorities. However, Rashi and others attribute a different reasoning to the prohibition of bishul akum, which is that non-Jews might mix non-kosher ingredients into the kosher food. In future articles we will discuss whether the parameters of bishul akum are based on both of these reasons or just one. However, it is clear from numerous sources that the danger of intermarriage is the main reason behind the prohibition (See Torat Habayit 3:7).

the produce into baskets or bringing it into one's home. Our Sages limited the forms and amounts of produce one may consume prior to Gmar Malacha. They differentiated between two forms of consumption: Achilat Keva and Achilat Araiy. While Achilat Araiy is permitted, Achilat Keva is prohibited until terumot and maasrot are removed from the produce.

QUALIFICATION OF ACHILAT KEVA/ARAIY

The decree is binding regardless of the reason

In general, the term Achilat Keva is associated with the idea of eating a set meal with a minimum quantity, while Achilat Araiy refers to "eating on the go" or consuming smaller amounts outside of regular meals. These concepts exist in areas such as Bishul Akum and the laws of Berachot; however, regarding terumot and maasrot, our sages used different qualifications for this concept.

The Chazon Ish (Ma’asrot 4:10) writes that Achilat Araiy is not defined solely by quantity, but also by the mindset of consumption. He bases this on proofs from earlier authorities concerning situations that qualify as Achilat Keva. The following examples illustrate which type of consumption is considered Achilat Keva or Ariay.

Eating any fruit or vegetable in the field one by one, regardless of size, is considered

Since the transgression of intermarriage was the primary concern behind our Sages’ decree, their goal was to powerfully discourage the possibility of developing emotional connections to non-Jews that could lead to intermarriage either in that generation or the next. Accordingly, early authorities discuss whether the prohibition of bishul akum still applies even in situations where intermarriage is not technically possible. For example, Rashba, in his responsa (1:248), examines the case of food cooked by a priest. Being that Catholic priests do not marry nor do they have children with whom to intermarry, is it permitted to eat food cooked by a priest even though the reason for bishul akum seemingly does not apply to

Achilat Araiy and is permitted. Technically, there is no limit on the amount of produce that may be consumed in this manner (see Derech Emuna, Ma’aser 3:191). However, if one decides psychologically that their entire meal will consist of produce eaten in the field, this transforms into Achilat Keva from the first bite and becomes prohibited without gmar malacha and terumot and ma’asrot (see Ra’aved, Sehcirut 12:10). This rule includes verbally acknowledging the consumption of produce as a full meal, even if the individual later retracts that intention (See Eretz Ve’hilchoteia 11:4)

The OU Israel Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education was created to raise awareness and educate the public in all areas of kashrut. Rabbi Ezra Friedman, Deputy Rabbinic Administrator for OU Kosher Israel is the Center's director. him? Rashba answers that we have a rule regarding rabbinic decrees: even when the reason does not apply, the prohibition still stands. This is a necessary element in every rabbinic prohibition. Otherwise, Rashba explains, people could rationalize and find reasons why any decree should not apply in their particular situation. Accordingly, Rashba concludes that even food cooked by a Catholic priest has the prohibition of bishul akum. A similar ruling is made by Ramban (Avodah Zara 35:a) regarding non-Jewish royalty who, because of their stature, are prohibited from marrying Jews. He maintains that the fact that the non-Jews are royalty is irrelevant, and that the decree of bishul akum stands regardless of the reason behind it. Taz (YD 112:1) , Shach (YD 112:4) and Pri Megadim (YD 112:1) cite these rulings as axioms of the laws of bishul akum.

Other examples

If the owner picks fruits with the plan to eat them later, this produce is also considered Achilat Keva and is prohibited prior to terumot and maasrot. Any preparation done with produce, even when in the field, is classified as Achilat Keva. This includes cooking, such as making a salad or frying the produce. Consuming the produce during a meal, such as going into a garden to eat while in the middle of a meal, is also prohibited as it is classified as Achilat Keva (Derech Emuna, ibid)

Later authorities discuss similar cases where the logic behind bishul akum may not apply. Responsa Shevet Kehati (6:273) rules that even food cooked by a non-Jewish child is considered bishul akum, despite the fact that the chances of marriage seem remote. The same is true for food cooked in a faraway country where Jews cannot travel -- bishul akum still applies.

LOCATION OF CONSUMPTION

In summary:

Our Sages prohibited food cooked by

Our sages outlined six actions or areas related to gmar malacha for the private consumer. This subject is extensive and detailed; however, we will highlight places where Achilat Araiy is permitted. Once produce has been brought into someone's home, the action itself is considered gmar malacha, and thus, even Achilat Araiy is prohibited until terumot and

gentiles, even if the ingredients and utensils are kosher.

The reason cited by most authorities is the risk of intermarriage.

maasrot are taken. The halacha regarding Achilat Araiy and Keva primarily pertains to fields dedicated to growing produce, such as orange groves, melon plantations, and cornfields. These areas are meant for growing produce and not for other purposes. A garden on private property falls under a different category and will be discussed in future articles.

Even in cases with virtually no risk of intermarriage, the food is still prohibited, including non-Jewish royalty, priests, young children, and non-Jews from distant lands.

IN SUMMARY:

Kashrut Questions in Israel?

• Eating produce in a field without intention to save it is permitted without terumot and ma’asrot.

• Planning to consume the produce as part of a meal or during a meal defines the consumption as Achilat Keva and is prohibited without terumot and ma’asrot.

Call or Whatsapp Rabbi Friedman at 050-200-4432 Meir Golan 077-2050015 052-2678749

golanechasim@gmail.com

• Preparations such as cooking or frying the produce automatically classify the consumption as Achilat Keva.

RECHAVIA: 4-room

92m, Suka balcony,

Refael Menat

SIMCHAT SHMUEL

simchat shmuel

BY RABBI SAM SHOR DIRECTOR, TORAH INITIATIVES, OU ISRAEL

BY RABBI SAM SHOR Program Director, OU Israel Center

This Shabbat, we will read Parshat Shekalim, one of the four special parshiyot which link together the days of Adar-beginning this Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Adar, with the days of Nisan, leading up to Pesach.

Each of these four special parshiyot, introduces us to important, eternally relevant messages.

Parshat Shekalim begins with these familiar verses:

This is what everyone who is entered in the records shall contribute; a half-shekel to the Mishkan by weight—twenty gerahs to the shekel—a half-shekel as an offering to Hashem.

Everyone who is entered in the records, from the age of twenty years of age and above, shall give an offering to Hashem:

The wealthy shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than half a shekel when giving the offering to Hashem as atonement for each of you.

The Chasidic Masters suggest many

important messages inherent within this mitzva.

Rebbe Chanoch Henach of Aleksander zy'a offered a particularly beautiful explanation of these verses. The word shekel alludes to the neshama. The word shekel is equal in gematria to the word nefesh. Each and everyone of us is given a proverbial half shekel, the neshama that is implanted within us, and each one of us must also offer up an equivalent "half shekel," in our Avodat Hashem, and maasim tovim.

The Toldot Yaakov Yosef, Rebbe Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye zy'a, explained that each person must give exactly a half shekel to instill within us that no one individual is truly complete or fulfilled as a lone individual, that it is only through coming together with others and helping one another, that we truly feel complete.

Similarly, the Avodat Elazar of Kozhnitz zy'a, points out that even one who has great wealth, must bring only the same half shekel, as one who is impoverished, as if to teach each of us, that no matter our means, none of us is truly complete, as an individual-we are only truly whole, when we join together with the rest of Klal Yisrael.

Taking this idea a step further, the Birkat Avraham of Slonim, zy'a points to a well known Talmudic teaching in Masechet Kiddushin 40b:

A person must always consider as if they are half meritorious and half liable. WIth one maase mitzva, they bring themselves

and the entire world to the side of merit...:

The Birkat Avraham, explains that this gemara is teaching us the fundamental lesson of the mitzva of machatzit hashekel. The Rebbe explains, that not only are we as individuals only truly whole when we join together and contribute to the enterprise of the Mishkan, but in doing so, we are simultaneously reminded of the capacity each and every one of us has to be a conduit for good, to grow and improve as individuals, and that in so doing each one of us is simultaneously contributing to the betterment of the entire world.

Yehi Ratzon, on this Shabbat Shekalim, may we find chizuk in these powerful teachings from these great Chasidic Masters, and may we merit to look out for and give to one another, and continue to elevate each other and the entire world through our mitzvot and maasim tovim. Chodesh Tov!

WE'RE HIRING

Digital Marketing Manager –Permanent Position

The Feuerstein Institute is seeking a skilled and dynamic Digital Marketing Manager to join our team

Qualifications:

Key Responsibilities:

Manage and maintain a market-oriented website to optimize engagement and visibility

Grow and engage audiences across social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Utilize content creation tools, including SEO strategies, Canva, and video editing, to enhance digital presence.

Requirements:

Proven experience in website management and digital marketing

Strong track record in audience growth and engagement

Proficiency in SEO, Canva, and video content creation Native English proficiency (mandatory).

Ability to work on-site at our offices in Jerusalem.

Send your application and CV to: shay k@icelp org il

[Resumes March 11th]

SHIUR SPONSORS

proud sponsors 2025

TO SPONSOR A SHIUR CONTACT

Chana Spivack - 050-229-4951 or donate online: https://www.ouisrael.org/donate/ou-israel-center/

RABBI YOSSI GOLDIN’S SHIUR - TUE. FEB. 25TH

Sponsored for a refuah shleimah for Alon Ezra Yacov ben Rivka Dina

FULL DAY OF LEARNING - TUE., MAR. 4TH / 4 ADAR

Sponsored in memory of Julian Arthur Friedman z”l (Pretoria, London & Jerusalem) היעשי ןב םהרבא ףסוי ל”ז on his 3rd yahrzeit by his children. We miss you every day!

ALL LEARNING - WED. MAR. 5TH

Sponsored by Batsheva Kantor in memory of Dr Reuven Kantor ben Beryl Lib haLevi z”l

He passed away February 5th, 27 Shvat last year

A man with a pure heart and a Torah scholar, He is missed very much by all the family

RABBI GOLDSCHEIDER’S SHIUR -WED. MAR. 5TH

Sponsored by Hillel Goldscheider in memory of Tzvi Aryeh Ben Avraham z”l on his yahrzeit

RABBI MANNING’S SHIUR

Sponsored for the 2025 academic year

RABBI GOLDSCHEIDERS’S SHIUR

Sponsored for the 2025 academic year

RABBI ADLER’S SHIUR

Sponsored for this academic year by the Frist family in memory of their beloved daughter and sister Elisheva Frist a”h

RABBI SHAI FINKELSTEIN’S SHIUR

Sponsored for the 2024-2025 academic year by the Sondhelm and Wertenteil Families in memory of Mel & Sylvia David z”l

Tzitzit tying with Ruti Beit Knesset HaNassi, 24 Ussishkin no experience needed Mondays 1:15-4pm Wednesdays 12-3pm

GEULAS YISRAEL

GEULAS

YISRAEL

RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN

RAM YESHIVAT HAR ETZION

MAGGID SHIUR ALL PARSHA AND ALL DAF, OU.ORG

Jewish Philanthropy as the Engine of Jewish Survival and Redemption

The events at Sinai were a once-in-a-lifetime revelation, a moment when three million souls stood together and directly heard the voice of Hashem. But once the thunder and lightning faded, once the mountain ceased to tremble, we were commanded to build a mishkan—a space for a more intimate, daily encounter with the Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

You might expect that just as Sinai was chosen by Hashem, the mishkan too would descend from the heavens, preassembled in celestial perfection. After all, how could a structure meant to house Hashem's presence be crafted by human hands? And yet, we were commanded to fund it, to contribute materials, to assemble teams of architects, engineers, and artisans. The mishkan would not descend from above—it would rise from below, built by human effort and sustained by human generosity, a dwelling place for Hashem forged through the labor and devotion of a human community.

MORAL MOTIVES

The campaign to donate toward the mishkan was a transformative initiative, shaping the moral and spiritual fabric of our newly freed nation. First and foremost, it served as a safeguard against the moral decline that can

often accompany newfound freedom. When people endure prolonged suffering, their sudden liberation can unleash unchecked desires, leading to indulgence and excess. Moreover, we left Egypt with great wealth— both the reparations granted by our former oppressors and the spoils collected from the Egyptian army at the shores of the Yam Suf. Left unchecked, this wealth could have fueled greed and selfishness.

By channeling our resources into the sacred project of the mishkan, our national destiny was inaugurated with generosity and selflessness rather than with material obsession. The spirit in which a nation begins its journey shapes its character for generations. Our national character was forged in tzedakah and unselfishness.

AN ALTERNATE NARRATIVE

Beyond moral refinement, the act of donating served as a form of national healing. Though the command to build the mishkan is recorded in Parashat Terumah, before the sin of the egel, the actual construction took place afterward. According to Rashi's version, even the command to collect materials and the detailed construction instructions for the mishkan were given only after the sin of the egel. The mishkan,

therefore, was not merely a sacred dwelling but also was a means of restoring the fractured relationship between Hashem and His people. Hashem granted us a path back.

The chaos and betrayal of the left deep scars—an entire mob had turned against its leadership, plunging into idolatry and anarchy. How could we have fallen so low, mere weeks after hearing the voice of Hashem at Har Sinai? The an opportunity to rewrite our story. This time, we gathered not to riot, but to contribute. Not to worship a golden idol, but to dedicate gold to a house for Hashem. In place of shame, we would build renewal—brick by brick, offering by offering, reshaping our destiny through a cathartic and unifying act.

SHAREHOLDERS

Finally, our involvement in the construction of the mishkan granted us a sense of agency. The mishkan experience would inevitably be governed by strict hierarchies. Standing before Hashem demands structure, discipline, and precise regulation. Not everyone would have access to its inner precincts—only select groups, most notably the Kohanim and Leviim, would serve in its sacred ceremonies of avodas hamishkan, while others would remain on the periphery.

It was necessary to collect funds and enlist human labor for the mishkan for three reasons: to provide catharsis and closure after the sin of the egel, to counterbalance greed and selfishness at the seminal moment our nation was born, and finally, to grant each person a personal stake in the mishkan

HISTORICAL TEMPLATES

To ensure that every Jew felt a personal stake in this divine dwelling, that no one viewed themselves as an outsider to the spiritual epicenter of the nation, every individual was expected to contribute—whether through donations of materials or through their labor. By taking part in its construction, every Jew became a shareholder in the mishkan, forging a personal connection to the mishkan which though governed by hierarchy, ultimately belonged to the entire people.

Beyond these contemporary values, the invitation for human donations in the construction of the mishkan embedded the spirit of philanthropy into the Jewish consciousness. Charity and generosity became woven into the fabric of Jewish identity, as the formative events of the desert etched enduring patterns that would shape Jewish history for generations to come.

Thousands of years later, when we were exiled from our Land and cast into the vast and uncertain wilderness of exile,

philanthropy once again became the cornerstone of our survival. As we entered the "desert of Jewish history," we once again turned to tzedakah to build a mishkan. This time, however, the mishkan was not a physical structure but an institution—the enduring and resilient Jewish community.

Without sovereignty and often without the support of host nations, we could not rely on external structures for our survival. Instead of constructing physical sanctuaries, we were tasked with building self-sufficient communities—fortresses of identity that could withstand the pressures of assimilation. The only way to ensure Jewish continuity was to establish vibrant, independent communities capable of sustaining themselves from within. Without autonomous Jewish institutions, our cultural distinctiveness would erode, and our identity would dissolve.

To build robust and sustainable Jewish communities, we cultivated a profound culture of philanthropy. Jewish charity sustained Torah study, funded the construction of local Batei Knesset, and ensured the viability of communal spirituality. Likewise, through charity we built organizations to provide for the poor, offering food, shelter, and essential services to those who had nowhere else to turn. Every Jewish community maintained a pidyon shvuyim fund, ensuring that captives taken for ransom could be redeemed swiftly.

Just as the generosity of the desert generation had enabled the construction of the mishkan, Jewish philanthropy became the lifeline of our people throughout the long and arduous exile, sustaining us in the desert of history.

CHALAKUH

The culture of philanthropy, first cultivated in the desert and sustained throughout galut

as the backbone of Jewish communal life, became a crucial force in the arc of Jewish redemption and our return to Israel. From the outset, the greatest challenge of resettling the Land was financial—there was virtually no economic infrastructure to support those who made the bold decision to return. The pioneers of modern Jewish history, those early pilgrims who reestablished Jewish life in Israel, relied on support from afar.

The Chalukah system, which had long sustained individual talmidei chachamim and pious settlers, evolved into a more institutionalized framework. This transformation was especially evident as waves of Ashkenazic immigration began in the late 18th century and accelerated through the 19th century. With life in Eretz Yisrael remaining fragile and resources scarce, the structured Chalukah system became an indispensable lifeline, enabling the earliest roots of modern aliyah to take hold.

Jewish philanthropy had launched Jewish history in the desert and subsequently had upheld it through the darkest chapters of exile. As the dawn of redemption began to break, our national commitment to tzedakah once again played a pivotal role, laying the foundations for our return home to Israel.

MODERN ISRAEL

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, it possessed the foundations of a modern economy but remained severely underdeveloped. Large-scale infrastructure projects—schools, hospitals, yeshivot, batei knesset, museums, youth villages, and forestation initiatives, to name just a few—relied on the financial backing of Jewish communities across the globe.

Over the past 78 years, the scale of

philanthropy invested in Israel has been unparalleled in human history. Never before has a scattered people, dispersed across continents, united to rebuild their ancestral homeland with such devotion and generosity.

Once again philanthropy has made Jews shareholders as it has deepened the connection between Jews worldwide and the Land of Israel. Just as donations to the original mishkan granted every Jew a sense of agency, the global campaign to build Israel has made every Jew—regardless of where they live—a stakeholder in the Land of Israel.

THE WAR

Gradually, Israel’s economy strengthened to the point where it became an economic powerhouse, with most of its citizens enjoying a standard of living comparable to that of Western nations. It seemed that Jewish philanthropy, which had been so instrumental in jumpstarting Jewish immigration and stabilizing Israel’s economy in its early decades, was no longer essential.

Then came the war, and once again, we were reminded of how foundational Jewish philanthropy is to Israel’s survival. Donations poured in to support the war effort, funding weapons, protective gear, medical supplies, and relief efforts for soldiers and civilians under attack by those who seek our destruction. Jewish generosity has not only bolstered the soldiers on the front lines but has also sustained every aspect of the national struggle—funding rehabilitation centers, providing aid to grieving families, and supporting the homes of reservists who left everything behind to defend our people.

Now, as we look to the future and set our sights on rebuilding the devastated South and the bombarded North, it is clear that without

077-2050015 052-2678749

golanechasim@gmail.com

Meir Golan

Old Katamon: 4-room apartment in a small and quiet street, 101 sqm, renovated, very bright and airy, master bedroom, Safe room (mamad), sukkah balcony, view, elevator, 3,400,000 NIS

Meir Golan

Old Katamon: 4-room apartment, 90 sqm, well split, bright, airy, sukkah balcony facing a magnificent panoramic view, 3 exp Shabbat elevator, parking, 3,290,000 NIS

RASCO: new 4 room apartment, 95m, master suite, elevator, balcony, very nice view 2,950,000 NIS

ARNONA: 5-room apartment, 115m, master suite, balcony, storage, Shabbat elevator, private parking, 4,000,000 NIS

ARNONA: 4-room apartment, 90m, beautifully renovated, master suite, balcony, storage, Shabbat elevator, private parking 3,250,000 NIS

Old Katamon: Spacious 3-room apartment in a very quiet street, 75 sqm, sukkah balcony facing a green and pastoral view, 3 exp. Shabbat elevator, private parking, storeroom, 2,690,000 NIS

BAKA: New 4 room apartment, 88m, very high ceilings, master suite, Shabbat elevator, balcony, 4,450,000 NIS

BAKA: New 4 room apartment in a new building, 88m, master suite, storage, Shabbat elevator, private parking, 3,950,000 NIS

KIRYAT SHMUEL: New garden apartment, 98m, 50m garden, master suite, full accessibility, private parking, 5,400,000 NIS

RECHAVIA: 4-room apartment, 92m, Suka balcony, Shabbat elevator, fully accessible, private parking, storage 4,400,000 NIS

ARNONA: New 6 room penthouse, 155m with a 55m terrace, nice view, Shabbat elevator, 2 parking spaces, storage, 5,300,000 NIS

ARNONA: 5-room apartment, 120m, balcony, elevator, fully accessible, private parking, storage 4,350,000 NIS

OLD KATAMON: 4-room garden apartment, 96m, large garden, additional rental unit, bright, parking, 6,950,000 NIS

BAKA: 5-room garden apartment, 140m, master suite private parking, storage, full of light, nice garden, 6,000,000 NIS

KIRYAT SHMUEL: New 4 room penthouse, 125m, 105m terrace, Shabbat elevator, great view, private parking, 13,500,000 NIS

OLD KATAMON: Spacious new 5-room apartment, 140m, terrace, underfloor heating, Shabbat elevator, 2 parking, 6,300,000 NIS

FOR RENT:BAKA: nice 4-room apartment, 82m, beautifully renovated, master suite, air conditioners, balcony, second floor, elevator - fully accessible, storage, 8,000 NIS

TALBIYA: 5 room apartment, 290m, 4 full bathrooms, 4 balconies, beautiful view, Shabbat elevator, 2 covered parking spaces, 25,000,000 NIS

the support of worldwide Jewish philanthropy, these efforts will struggle to succeed. Once again, Jewish generosity has risen to meet the violence unleashed against us.

We have proven, yet again, that the core trait of Jewish compassion—expressed through tzedakah—is stronger than any weapon our enemies wield against us. As the Rambam asserts:

Through charity and tzedakah our people are redeemed…again and again.

Rabbi Taragin’s newest sefer entitled “Reclaiming Redemption Deciphering the Maze of Jewish History (Mosaica)” is now available at: www.reclaimingredemption.com and in bookstores.

INSIGHTS

BY REBBETZIN DR. ADINA SHMIDMAN

DIRECTOR, OU WOMEN’S INITIATIVE

The Weight of Trust

The haftarah for Parshat Shekalim (Melachim II 12:1-17) recounts the restoration of the Beit HaMikdash during the reign of King Yehoash. Funds were raised through a collection system, and the money was placed into the hands of the Temple officials responsible for its distribution. Strikingly, the text emphasizes that no accounting was required from these officials, "for they acted be’emunah"—with trustworthiness (Melachim II 12:16). The Talmud (Bava Batra 9a) cites this verse as the basis for a halachic principle:

אֹ לו ,הקדצ

,ןירבזגה םע we do not demand an accounting from trusted charity collectors.

despite Hashem’s personal testimony that אוה ןמאנ יתיב־לכב, he is trusted in My entire house (Bamidbar 12:7). Why, then, does the haftarah emphasize that no accounting was needed?

Rav Hirsch offers a profound insight into the nature of emunah. We often translate emunah as "faith," but in Tanach, it conveys reliability, steadfastness, and trustworthiness. The Temple officials were not merely honest; they functioned within a system of mutual faith. Society had confidence in their integrity, and this trust was, in itself, a foundational value. The same idea appears in Divrei HaYamim, where those entrusted as

an atmosphere where one's reliability is unquestioned. However, no leader is beyond scrutiny, and even the most righteous must operate with transparency. Trust is a sacred responsibility, not an exemption from oversight.

As we enter the month of Adar and prepare for the mitzvah of the giving of the half-shekel as a remembrance - where every Jew, from the most prominent leader to the simplest individual, contributes equally—we are reminded of the balance between faith and accountability. A community built on emunah does not function on blind trust alone but on the steady, unwavering commitment of those who serve with integrity and the careful stewardship of the sacred resources placed in their hands.

— trustworthy in our actions, faithful to our responsibilities, and ever mindful that the trust placed in us is a privilege that must be upheld with diligence and care.

May we strive to be people of emunah

A group of women have been maintaining a list of injured soldiers to daven for. There are hundreds of soldiers on the list, so we have been sending people lists of names to daven for so that all the soldiers' names are mentioned in people's tfilot (the default is 10 names, but you can ask for however many you want).

If you are interested in signing up for names, send an email to: tehillim4soldiers@gmail.com together with your name and the number of soldiers' names you want to daven for. You will get automatic updates when there are changes to your list.

Tizku l'mitzvot and besorot tovot!

Beautiful duplex apartment in the heart of Ein Kerem, 125 sqm, 4.5 rms, 1.5 baths, large rooms with domed ceilings, balcony with view over the neighborhood, close to shops, cafes and public transportation, well maintained condition, lots of potential! New lower price: NIS 3,800,000

REBBETZIN ZEMIRA OZAROWSKI

DIRECTOR OF OU ISRAEL WOMEN’S DIVISION

Just Try—The First Step to Raising Great Children

Parenting, at face value, seems like an impossible task. How are we expected to shape and form a human being, instilling in them values, character, and a deep connection to Hashem? The responsibility is daunting. But perhaps the key to this overwhelming challenge lies in an unexpected place—the crafting of the Menorah in the Mishkan.

THE MENORAH: A DIVINE MYSTERY

In Parashat Terumah, the Torah details the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels, including the Menorah. The making of the Menorah was no simple task. After giving detailed instructions of what the Menorah should look like, Hashem says to Moshe: רהב ,הארמ התא-רשא--םתינבתב :השעו ,הארו - "See and make it according to the form which you are shown on the mountain." (Shemot 25:40)

Rashi explains:

"See here on the mountain the form that I am showing you. This teaches that Moshe had difficulty understanding the construction of the Menorah, until Hashem showed him a Menorah of fire." (Rashi, Shemot 25:40)

Moshe Rabbeinu struggled to comprehend the exact design of the Menorah. In order to make it more clear, Hashem had to show him a vision of a Menorah made of fire. Yet, according to the Midrash, even after

this vision, Moshe still found it difficult to craft the Menorah himself. The Gur Aryeh elaborates, noting that ultimately, Hashem instructed Moshe to throw the gold into the fire, and the Menorah was formed on its own. This raises a fundamental question: If the Menorah was ultimately created miraculously, why did Hashem go through the process of showing Moshe a detailed fiery model? Why not simply command him to throw the gold into the fire from the outset?

THE KEY: EFFORT PRECEDES MIRACLES

Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus (Tiferet Shimshon) answers this question with a powerful insight. If Moshe had simply declared, "I cannot do this," and had no desire to try, then Hashem would not have helped him. Hashem showed Moshe a fiery Menorah and said,

This is what you must create – try, have a desire to make it, and then I will help you. The purpose of this vision was not to make the task easier but to give Moshe the drive to try. Moshe needed to struggle with it, to exert effort, to attempt to bring it into existence. Only once he truly wanted to succeed and made genuine attempts to do so did Hashem intervene and make the Menorah take shape on its own. This is the foundational principle of the

Menorah: The key is effort - we are not expected to complete the task ourselves, but we must show our willingness and dedication. When we do so, Hashem steps in and completes the work for us.

PARENTING: AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK

This lesson is particularly relevant to the world of parenting. What is parenting, if not the attempt to form something beyond ourselves? The idea that we, as limited human beings, can shape and mold another person—a complex, independent, thinking, and feeling being—is overwhelming. Any parent who has ever held their newborn child understands this truth. The responsibility is crushing. How can we possibly raise a child to be a strong, confident, kind, and G-d-fearing individual? How do we transmit values, wisdom, and resilience?

The answer is: we can’t. At least, not alone. Just as the Menorah was beyond Moshe’s ability to create, raising a child into a fully developed, successful adult is beyond human capability. But just as Moshe had to try, so too do we. Hashem does not expect us to complete the task alone—He only expects us to want to, to try, to make the effort. And once we do, He steps in and helps us along the way.

The Power of Wanting and Trying

What does this mean practically for parenting?

It means that our first and most crucial task is desire. We must truly want to raise our children properly. It is easy to fall into routine, to provide for their physical needs without deeply considering their emotional and spiritual growth. But the Menorah teaches us that without deep desire, without true longing to do our best as parents, Hashem’s help does not come.

CITY CENTER - 2 rooms, Savyon view, luxurious, furnished, Shabbat elevator, concierge

2.870.000 NIS MENDEL 052-8980111

In the heart of calm and pastoral BAKAPrivate arab house, 6 rooms, 500m + possibility of building 250m, huge garden, approx. 700m, completely renovated, underfloor heating + a/c, large parking, 5 bathrooms, 5 toilets, green

MENDEL 0528980111

BAKA - 2 apartments sit on top of each other, 5/3 rooms + studio, separate entrance, balconies

BAKA - New penthouse, 4 rooms in a small luxurious building with character, alone upstairs, 3rd floor + elevator, 4 orientations, 3 toilets, 2 bathrooms, terrace / sukkah, 70m, parking, store-room

9.800.000 NIS MICHAEL 052-3202488

CLOSE TO BAKA - New apartments! 4 rooms - 4.550.000 NIS

5450000 NIS MENDEL 052-8980111

5 rooms - 5.380.000 NIS

Balcony, elevator, storage, parking

MICHAEL 052-3202488

MOSHAVA / In a building after TAMA 38, new apartment, 4 rooms, 3rd floor + elevator, balcony/partial sukah, opened sight, 2 bathrooms, calm, parking

MENDEL 052-8980111

BAKA - Caspi street, penthouse 180m + 40m terrace, panoramic view to the Old City, parking

9.800.000 NIS MICHAEL 052-3202488

BAKA / MEKOR HAIM - 4 rooms, 90m, 2nd floor + elevator, completely renovated, fireplace, a/c, gas heating, very central, close to all amenities

MENDEL 052-8980111

Next comes effort. Parenting is filled with challenges—tantrums, adolescent struggles, personality differences. There will be days when we feel like we are failing. But effort means continuing to guide, to teach, to be present, even when it seems ineffective. Just as Moshe Rabbeinu struggled with the Menorah, so too must we persist in our parenting.

Near Arnona Hatzaira, in a step building, very large 5-room apartment + balcony/sukkah, 40m, renovated, 3rd floor, private entrance, quiet, potential for extra independent unit

MICHAEL 052-3202488

ARNONA – 3 rooms, that will be transformed to 90m, 3rd floor with elevator, store-room, parking

ONLY 2550000 NIS

MICHAEL 052-3202488

And then, (after a lot of Tefilla) miracles happen. When we demonstrate our willingness and effort, Hashem steps in. He helps guide our children in ways we cannot. He instills within them insights and character traits that we never explicitly taught. Just as the Menorah was ultimately formed by Hashem, our children’s final, fully developed selves are shaped by Hashem’s guiding hand. May we all be zocheh to raise children who shine brightly, like the Menorah, illuminating the world with their Torah and mitzvot.

In the pastoral BAKA - quiet and central, stunning villa 350m, in a magical atmosphere, designed, pool, 4 bedrooms, cinema room and more, 4 bathrooms, garden, parking

MIKAEL 052-3202488

ARNONA HATZEIRA - Very spacious penthouse, 120m, 4th floor + elevator, huge terrace / succah, 75m, open view, 2 parking spaces, cellar, 3 toilets, quiet, completely renovated, immediate entrance

MICHAEL 052- 3202488

RABBI AARON GOLDSCHEIDER

RABBI AARON GOLDSCHEIDER EDITOR, TORAH TIDBITS RAV, THE JERUSALEM SHUL BAKA, JERUSALEM

Editor, Torah Tidbits

Rav Kook: Discovering Genuine Simcha

TRANSMITTING SIMCHA TO OTHERS

An exuberant psalm expressing simcha which is included in our daily tefilah is the hundredth psalm which begins: “A psalm of thanksgiving, shout joyously to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with joy…”

What is the meaning of this joyous song sung by “all the earth?” One possibility is that the psalmist is simply expressing the idea that everyone needs to joyously be thankful for all of life’s blessings.

Rav Kook proposes another explanation. He says that a person must be aware of the fact that our own demeanor has an impact on those around us. When one expresses joy, conveying cheerfulness to others, it has a ripple effect. A person is a social being, we are constantly in contact with others, thus, our personal happiness has an impact on others. The psalmist reminds us

that our joy reverberates to “all the earth.” Recognize that choosing expressions of joy uplifts and enhances the lives around you.

Rav Kook revered the famed founder of the Mussar movement, Rav Yisrael Salanter. It is noteworthy that Rav Kook in the above teaching echoes an often quoted teaching of Rabbi Salanter who was well known for saying that one’s face is considered reshus harabim (public property). What he meant was if one walks around with a dour look on one’s face it actually has an adverse affect on others. Conversely, one with a smile on his face exudes a positivity which uplifts and boosts the spirit of others.

In a similar vein, in an important Talmudic passage (Taanit 22a) a story is told of Rabbi Beroka who encounters Elijah the Prophet in the marketplace. The sage asks Elijah if he can identify anyone in the crowd who is destined for the World to Come. Elijah points to two men. Rabbi Beroka went up to them and said to them, “What do you do?” - They said to him: “We are comedians and go and cheer up those who are depressed.”

Evidently there is exceptional reward for bringing cheerfulness to others. So much so, that the Talmud considered it to be an essential factor in attaining an honored place in the World to Come.

Rav Kook by artist Aviva Saks

SIMCHA EXPERIENCED BY YESHARIM

The psalmist states that simcha (joy) is uniquely experienced by a Jew who is yashar: “Light is sown for the righteous, and (simcha) joy for the (yishrei lev) upright heart” (Psalm 97).

The Talmud (Taanit 15a) breaks down the verse in two parts and submits that the righteous who “have light” are indeed secondary to the yesharim who “have joy.” (see Rashi’s comment on this passage: “The ‘straight’ are superior to the righteous”).

Rav Kook explains the difference between the “righteous” and the “straight”:

In the Eight Chapters, Maimonides contrasts two types: the one who conquers his evil inclination (kovesh et yitzro) versus the one who is naturally pious (chasid). The will of the chasid is naturally aligned with the divine will; he cleaves to God in a direct manner. (Maimonides, Eight Chapters, chapter 6).

The kovesh et yitzro, on the other hand, does not come to God naturally. By nature, his will is independent of the will of God, and only through the intervention of the Torah - which is not essentially his - is he able to bend his will to the will of God. For the present time, he must struggle with darkness; the light is reserved for him in the future as an eternal reward. Thus, it is a light sown like a seedling.

The “straight of heart” experiences joy in the present rather than as some delayed gratification. Inasmuch as his will is identical with the will of God, he beholds eternity while yet he lives. (Olat Re’iyah, vol. 2, p.17) (Koren Rav Kook Siddur, Naor, pp.390-391)

A teaching in Pirkei Avot (2:4) expresses a similar notion that there is an elevated level of service to God in which one no longer feels tension or the rigidity while observing the

mitzvot, rather one “Makes His will your will.” PURIM: ACCEPTING THE TORAH SINCERELY

When the Jews in the time of Purim discovered that their true protector was God, and his goodness and glory fills the earth, the Jews reaffirmed their commitment to the Torah and observance of the mitzvot. This is the meaning of the verse, “They confirmed and accepted upon themselves,” (Esther 9:27) -”they confirmed what they accepted long before” at Mt. Sinai (Shabbat 88a).

The Talmud teaches that this renewed commitment to Torah complemented and completed the original acceptance of the Torah at Sinai. What was missing at Sinai? The dramatic revelation at Sinai contained an element of coercion. Alone and helpless in the desert, the Israelites were not in a position to refuse. The midrash portrays this limited free choice to a mountain being hung above their heads. However, in the days of Achashverosh, they voluntarily accepted the Torah from a place of pure free will, thus completing the original acceptance of the Torah at Sinai.

Rav Kook beautifully connected the idea of the pure intentions of the soul with the mitzvah of drinking wine on Purim. Even in a drunken state a Jew remains inclined to attach themselves to God. Usually, a drunken state can easily draw a person to act in an Nachum Edward

Israeli and American Certified Psychiatrist

Weissberg, MD Fmr Clinical Assistant Professor, University of

Maryland Medical School

For appointments, please call: 054-443-9895 or 050-550-0025

2/19 Sheshet Hayamim St. Jerusalem

undignified way. This is not how a Jew behaves when connected to his true self. On the elevated day of Purim, Jews find within themselves a genuine desire to embrace the Divine and remain deeply attached to Torah and mitzvot. (Olat Re’iyah, vol. 1, p. 441).

THE SOURCE OF THE SIMCHA IN ADAR

A well known Talmudic statement about joy states: “When the month of Adar enters there is increased joy” (Taanit 29a). Apparently the joy that permeates the entire month is a spillover from the joyful celebration of Purim.

One can ask the basic question, what is unique about the festival of Purim that it impacts the entire month?

Perhaps the answer can be found in Rashi’s surprising comment regarding this statement. He says that “the joy is a result of the miracles of Purim and Pesach.” Evidently Rashi was not content with attributing the joy that permeates the month to Purim alone. Rather, the joy envelops two events in the calendar - both Purim and Pesach.

It is interesting to note that when the Talmud teaches us about the increased joy of Adar, it does so by first contrasting its joy to the mourning in the month of Av: “Just as one decreases joy in the month of Av, one increases joy in Adar (Taanit 29a). What is the connection between the two?

We know that the month of Av represents destruction and exile and Adar, which celebrates Purim and ushers in the festival of Pesach, represents salvation from our enemies and redemption.

Evidently, the source of simcha in Adar is not the Purim miracle alone. Rather the joy of this season is closely connected to both the salvation of Purim and Pesach. The true definition of joy experienced by Am Yisrael

is knowing that we are on our journey back to our homeland in Eretz Yisrael. Indeed we are most blissful when we are engaged in the march toward the Geula Sheimah.

Rabbi Goldscheider’s most recent OU Press Publication, “Torah United” on the weekly Parsha, can be ordered directly from Rabbi Goldscheider at aarong@ouisrael.org at a special price for Torah Tidbits readers.

Be’er Tziporah a"h - Bottled Water Gemach

Walking down King George St. in Jerusalem and want a cold bottle of water?

Come help yourself to a bottle at 52 King George.

In loving memory of Yoni’s wife Tziporah a"h, a true Eishes Chayil, always full of chessed, kindness and laughter, and brought life and strength to so many people, that she touched! She was like Aron, who loved peace and pursued peace.

Yoni thanks Hashem for having the opportunity of having Tziporah in his life, to learn of her caring, patience and happiness, to overcome her challenges. May Tziporah's Neshama be a light onto the world, in a time of darkness, and may her Neshama shine to Gan Eden. Yoni misses Tziporah with tears in his eyes, as Hashem gave him a gift, a crown jewel, now he returns her to Hashem. With thanks and Toda. Love, Yoni

To help refill the supplysend tax deductible donations for Be’er Tziporah a"h Bottled Water Gemach to Chabad of RechaviaRabbi Yisroel Goldberg email

Rabbi@JerusalemChabad.org 02 800-1717

www.JerusalermChabad.org/DonateShekels

ASK THE RABBI SERVICE

OU VEBBE REBBE

RAV DANIEL MANN

Rav Daniel Mann

Indirect Responsibility for Theft

Question: [Two people with a disagreement asked us the halacha in the following case, hoping to resolve the matter without litigation.] Reuven hired a painter (=pnt) for his apartment while he was away. After the work was done, Shimon, his neighbor, was broken into, and both suspect that pnt either did the robbery or tipped off the thieves where Shimon kept his valuables. If this indeed happened and Reuven was unaware that pnt was a criminal and Shimon saw pnt and did not complain, must Reuven compensate Shimon?

Answer: There is no construct through which to obligate Reuven. We will examine those that are close and see how they fall short.

Responsibility for a worker: When a worker damages a neighbor in the process of doing a job, the basic halacha is that the worker alone is obligated, except possibly if he is paid on the basis of time (see Rama, Choshen Mishpat 306:2; Pitchei Choshen,

Mazal Tov to Binyamin & Nancy Chernofsky and family on the birth of a grandson

Sechirut 7:25). Common practice is for the employer to take responsibility, and this practice may be binding (see Eretz Hemdah ruling 79062; Dinei Avoda (Sadan) p. 434). Even so, this is only when the worker is in the midst of work on the employer’s behalf, certainly not when he steals, all the more so if it is after the work is done. Even if a slave damages, his master is not obligated, all the more so, for a simple worker (Bava Kama 87a).

Creating a theft danger: There is a machloket whether one who knocked down the door of someone’s stable, enabling an animal to escape, is obligated to pay for the loss (Shulchan Aruch, CM 396:4). The Yam Shel Shlomo (Bava Kama 6:3) explains that the reason to obligate is that opening the door is a direct action to undo that which is keeping the animal in. This does not apply to just improving the chances for someone from without to succeed at stealing.

A neighbor’s obligation to remove danger (nizkei sh’cheinim): The Ramah (Bava Batra 1:18) obligates someone who did not fence off his property, thereby allowing robbers to come in and steal from his neighbor, whereas the Rosh (Bava Batra 2:17) exempts him. The Ramah compares this to the case in which Levi owns a wall separating his field from that of Yehuda, and Yehuda informs Levi that that the wall fell down so that their different crops will become kilayim. In that case, if Levi

Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, is headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by Rav Shaul Yisraeli, zt”l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in the Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Eretz Hemdah, and OU Israel’s Torah Tidbits. does not act, he must pay for the lost crops (Bava Kama 100a-b). The Rosh counters that the obligation is only when the mechanism that creates the problem begins immediately, which is not the case with robbers. The Rama (Choshen Mishpat 155:44) cites both opinions without a clear ruling. However, this cannot obligate Reuven, because even the Ramah requires Shimon to warn him, which he did not do.

Comparison to moser ( garmi ): The gemara (Bava Kama 116b-117b, codified in Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 388:2) has a construct called moser, which obligates Levi to pay for causing Yehuda’s things to be stolen by criminals. The classic case is when Levi gives (without being severely coerced) criminals information about Yehuda’s property, which encourages and/or aids their ability to steal his property. The gemara raises the question whether this obligation is a normal application of the laws of garmi (semi-direct causation of damage) or a special penalty. The more accepted opinion is that it is a normal application (see Maggid Mishneh, Chovel U’mazik 8:1).

While our case has similarity, the following are crucial differences that are important in the laws of garmi (whose parameters are very complex and elusive). Reuven did not realize that his hiring of pnt would bring about a theft (see Shach, CM 386:6). It was not necessarily likely that the hiring would cause the theft (it is unlikely that every neighbor of a place that pnt worked at is robbed). There

Hellen Duman Realty

054-462-9963 | Contact me for details, pictures and videos

Prime Location Sales!

Greek Colony: First floor of a historical building, this property of charm features 90m, high ceilings, original tiles, 2 balconies (succah) and a storeroom. Asking: 4.7 mil NIS

Baka: Near the Rail Park: Boutique building, first floor, 8 rooms, 200m, 2 entrances, high ceilings, 3 balconies (succah). Asking: 12 mil NIS

Caspi: 1. Luxurious, 5 rooms, 128m, state of the art kitchen, architectural design, balcony, elevator, saferoom. Asking: 6.45 mil NIS. 2. Garden Apartment, 5 rooms, approx 140m, plus sep. 2 room unit. Asking: 6.3 mil NIS

Arnona: Penthouse with panoramic views, 191m, plus 70m balconies, (succah) 2 parking spots, safe room, storeroom, Shabbat elevator. Asking: 7.95 mil NIS

is no “act of damaging” comparable to the moser’s informing the criminal. Therefore, we cannot use moser as a model for obligation without a source, of which we are not aware. Therefore, we do not see any grounds to halachically obligate Reuven (in some cases, voluntary payment might be laudable).

Having a dispute?

For a Din Torah in English or Hebrew contact:

Eretz Hemdah–Gazit Rabbinical Court 077-215-8-215 • Fax: (02) 537-9626 beitdin@eretzhemdah.org

Adults as well as children are overwhelmed with emotions when they hear about a terrorist attack. When they become more frequent, the feeling of uncertainty and loss of control can create much anxiety. There are certain guidelines to keep in mind the questions they ask. Stay focused. necessary to elaborate or get sidetracked politics or other similar situations. tions should be given in an age appropriate manner. Just like your rules are age priate your discussions should be Having more detailed, graphic conversations is more appropriate with an 18 than old.

Michal Silverstein, MS

Dear T.R.

OU ISRAEL PARENTING COLUMN

Michal Silverstein, MS

Thank you for asking this very relevant and timely question.

Drinking on Purim: A Parent’s Guide

Purim inevitably provides the opportunity for children to drink alcohol, so it is helpful for parents to discuss it beforehand and decide how they want to handle it. Every family has their own rules and values and makes their own decisions regarding what boundaries are set. I will try to present some information that should make this process clearer and easier.

For Sale:

emotional regulation, social behaviors and impulse control. One cannot expect a young teenager to use good judgement when they are under the influence of alcohol since they often struggle to make decisions in general at this stage.

25 Ben Maimon, 4 rooms, 113m, 2 bathrooms, porch, 1st floor, elevator, 6.2 million NIS

Given the fact that it’s widely accepted to allow under aged teenagers to drink on Purim, how are parents meant to set boundaries?

Smadar 050-3114040 // 02-642-4329 smadi_bida@walla.co.il

70 TORAH TIDBITS 1514 / EMOR

Parents should be aware of some important facts. In order to legally drink in Israel one needs to be at least 18 years old. Physiologically, alcohol affects children very differently than adults. Firstly, a child’s brain is not fully developed until they reach their early 20’s. This means that not only does alcohol overwhelm a young person’s body and bloodstream but it overwhelms their brain.

The younger the teenager is, the more alcohol will overwhelm their system, which is especially true when binge drinking. The frontal lobe of their brain which is not yet fully developed becomes further compromised due to alcohol. What’s more concerning is that this is the center responsible for decision making, problem solving, morality,

It’s important to decide before Purim what you expect from your children in relation to alcohol. This goes for both under and over 18. Informing and educating your child regarding alcohol is the first step. Having an open, honest conversation where they can ask their questions is essential. This conversation should include rules, expectations and guidelines regarding drinking responsibly such as a curfew, not driving after drinking, and not getting into a car with someone who “drank even a little bit”. You may decide to make a rule in which you allow your children to drink a certain amount as long as they are under the supervision of a family member or another trusted adult. Your guidelines may include types of alcohol that you allow and quantities.

It’s important to keep an eye out emotional and physical signs of If your child looks sad, has crying becomes fearful or angry or is experienc ing changes in sleeping and eating he may need extra help processing rent state of events. Be aware of behavioral changes.

Regarding your own emotional important to model emotions in front children. Seeing you express your will allow your child to do the same. being said, there is also a limit. You

Another important topic to discuss is peer pressure. Both parents and teens are affected by social pressure. For parents it may come in the form of your child trying to convince you that all the other parents “let” except for you, and making you feel guilty that your child is

the “only one” with these rules. I promise, you aren’t! It’s so important that parents know what their values are and therefore what their rules are before they discuss it with their children. Most likely kids will challenge their parents. So be clear and be prepared. This is a great way for parents to model confidence in their choices and that they don’t give into peer pressure.

Parents want to be an example for their children as well as teach them how important it is to make good choices and stand by them even if they are the minority opinion. Parents can even discuss peer pressure scenarios with their kids and possible skills to navigate it. Parents should stress that their job is to protect their kids.

Finally, children should know what they can do if something goes wrong or in case of emergency, like finding themselves stranded somewhere. This should also include reaching out to parents even if they broke the rules. Children should know that they can turn to their parents and parents should remember that honesty and safety are a priority. As long as there’s honesty and communication, there can be repair. Kids make mistakes and like anything else it can be used as a learning experience going forward for parents as well as children. B’ehatzlacha.

Feel free to send in any parenting questions you may have to parenting@ouisrael.org (Details will be changed to preserve anonymity).

Michal Silverstein has a MS in educational psychology and counseling. She facilitates parenting workshops in and around Jerusalem and maintains a private practice.

ADAR MADNESS

Prime Location in the German Colony HaTzfira Street

A boutique Tama 38 project set to be completed within 30 months, offering an exceptional living experience in one of Jerusalem’s most desirable neighborhoods. Highlights Include: � Spacious 3 and 4-room apartments, all with Sukkah balconies and storage � A luxurious penthouse with nice space and terraces. � Private parking and high finishes. � Ideally located close to cafes, shops, and cultural attractions.

Smadar 050-3114040 // 02-642-4329 smadi_bida@walla.co.il

BEDEIN

Author:

• FIFTY ENCOUNTERS IN FIFTY YEARS (coming soon)

• UNRWA: ROADBLOCK TO PEACE

• GENESIS OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY Movie Producer:

• https://www.cfnepr.com/205640/Movies

Keeping the Hope Alive: Encouraging a Candidate After a Long Dating Drought

Sam asks: How can I keep my candidate hopeful after a long time with no good dates?

Aleeza answers: When it’s been a long time, and your candidate hasn’t had a good date in what feels like forever it’s natural for someone to lose hope. People often wonder if this process will ever lead to their person. I myself asked this question as I was dating. First, let’s talk about dating statistics. Dating, by its very nature, is a process of elimination. If someone goes out with 50 people, 49 of those dates won’t work. If they date 100 people, 99 won’t lead to marriage. That’s how it goes for everyone—until they meet the one. And when that happens, it suddenly doesn’t matter how long or difficult the journey was, because the only thing

that matters is that they got there. Although they aren’t “there yet” and haven’t found the one, knowing the normal statistics and the way it works for everyone is helpful for perspective and holding onto hope.

A “no” may not feel like a blessing, but in reality, it is. It’s clarity. It’s Hashem’s way of directing them toward someone different, closing the wrong doors so the right one can open. The real failure isn’t dating and not finding someone—it’s not trying at all. As long as they’re in the process, they are succeeding.

REMIND THEM OF THE BIGGER PICTURE

Hashem created them and their soulmate, and their person is alive, living, and breathing in this world. They are not searching in vain. Their match exists—it’s just a matter of when and where they will cross paths.

The waiting is hard, but the delay isn’t a mistake. It’s all part of the divine timing. Encourage them to focus on remembering that Hashem is orchestrating every step. LET THEM KNOW THEY’RE NOT ALONE

One of the hardest parts of a long dating journey is feeling alone. They need to know that you are actively looking for them, thinking about them, and working on their behalf.

Just hearing, “You’re on my mind, I’m still searching,” can be incredibly reassuring. If they know that someone is standing in their corner, holding hope for them even when they struggle to hold it for themselves, it makes all the difference.

Dating isn’t about constant success—it’s about staying in the process until the right person arrives. Keep reminding them: Their match exists it’s not just a dream. The journey may be long, and as we know, it only takes one. And when that one comes, all the waiting will make sense why all the others were a no and why this one is a yes.

Want to set up your friends?

Become their ambassadorjoin Shagririm Balev!

en.shagririm.org.il

0585323242

Founded in Israel in 2019 and led by Rav Rimon, Shagririm Balev - a social online matchmaking initiative - has taken the dating scene by storm. With over 10,000 candidates and 3,000 Ambassadors, in Israel and the US, Shagririm Balev is averaging a Wedding every 2 days!

FOR SALE: 4.5 room apt., 138m, outstanding location in the heart of Jerusalem, 2 porches (one succah), needs renovation, ideal for family or for investment, no brokerage fee.

For private showing call: 0502052513

FOR SALE IN JERUSALEM

NEAR BAYIT VAGAN (ZANGVIL ST).

Brand new 5.5-room duplex, nice sukkah terrace, private roof, view, great potential with future “Pinui-Binui”, near quality schools, yeshivot, synagogues, light rail, shops & parks. Exclusive! Dotan 053-5888824

A RARE & UNIQUE PROPERTY IN NAHALAOT

2 room apartment + large courtyard (exclusive use), private entrance, easy access by car, near public transportation, Mahane Yehuda, Sacher Park, Gerard Becher visual arts campus, Expansion potential (+ future urban renewal). Immediate - keys with Anglo-Saxon. Exclusive! Ze'ev 053-5212207

IN BAYIT VAGAN (NEAR MACHON LEV)

Beautiful 8-room (220 sqm) duplex, boutique building, 95 sqm open (sukkah) terraces, private entrance + 2 parking spaces, well designed, gorgeous panoramic view, quiet small street, near quality synagogues & schools, Shaarei Zedek, Shalva & more. Easy access to Begin & TLV highways /Exclusive! Itsik 055-4318147

3 Moshe Hess St., Jerusalem 0778038511

RABBI JEFFREY BIENENFELD

OU ISRAEL FACULTY

GUEST DVAR TORAH

The Simcha of Mishkan & Adar

With the advent of the month of Adar, the Jew is enjoined to pursue happiness. סנכנשמ״ ״החמשב ןיברמ ,רדא (Taanis 29a). Of course, the simple meaning of this charge is rather obvious. Adar should be a time of increased joy and optimism. However, others have given this mandate a more specific focus.

Rambam (Hilchos Dei’os 1:14, 2:7), for example, posits that to be happy must translate into greeting and receiving people with a pleasant and cheerful countenance – רבסב תופי םינפ. In other words, the joyfulness of Adar finds expression not only in being happy yourself, but in making other people cheerful as well. And is it not a beautiful quirk of human nature that by generating simcha for others, our joy is enhanced and amplified! How though may we learn to “wear that cheerfulness on our face?”

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo, p. 328, note 36) suggests that a simcha disposition need not be overt. So long as one can banish all worry and sadness, a simcha temperament can be attained. Perhaps then, by following Rav Auerbach’s suggestion and ridding ourselves of all “dark clouds,” one can indeed fashion a “cheerful countenance” and thus be a source of happiness for others. But here too, we must also wonder how one can so easily dismiss and

eliminate all worry and anxiety, given the hardships and mishaps that so often intrude into our lives like some unwelcomed guests.

The Sefas Emes (Taanis 29a) makes an interesting observation that might offer a possible solution. In Temple times, Adar was a joyful month because it was then that the people were instructed to make their annual contribution of the half-shekel toward the purchase of animals for the communal sacrifices. We are told that the people were thrilled to offer those funds. As such, the entire month of Adar was suffused with simcha. But, was it only the half-shekel donation to the Temple that aroused such joy? Clearly, there was something far more sublime at work. The dynamic awareness of Gd’s Holy Temple, precipitated by the half-shekel, triggered a sacred chemistry, as it were, bonding the people with a Gd-consciousness that was acutely palpable and alive with meaning. You simply felt the actual presence of Gd “on your shoulder.”

To explain: When, in our Parsha, HaShem commanded the people to construct the Mishkan (25:8), the directive was met with bafflement. As Shlomo HaMelech was to put it much later with reference to the Beis HaMikdash: “Would Gd truly dwell on earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens

cannot contain You, and surely not this Temple that I have built.” (Melachim I, 8:27) How can it be that Gd, the Omnipresent One, Who is far greater than the entire cosmos – how can HaSh¬em contract Himself to fit into the bounded, finite dimensions of a small Tabernacle? And yet, incomprehensible though it seemed, Gd did exactly that!

The message to the people was thus unmistakable. If Gd could constrict Himself to abide within a small human structure, then surely HaShem’s Presence could choose to dwell within each of us. And this is precisely what HaShem promised would occur: “I shall rest among the children of Israel, and I shall be their Gd. They shall know that I am HaShem , their Gd… Who rests in their midst…” (29:45-46). Indeed, in the popular song of Bil’vavi Mishkan Evneh, based upon the Sefer Chareidim (Perek 34), that truth is extolled. “In my heart, I will build a Mishkan to His glorious honor, and in that Sanctuary, I will place an Altar … And for an everlasting flame, I will use the akeidah fire, and for a sacrifice, I will offer up my only soul.”

With this ever-present divine mindfulness, we can now attempt to discover how we may experience real simcha notwithstanding the many sad and frustrating occurrences that often blacken our lives. If we honestly and deeply believe that HaShem is close to us – near and dear to us – is there any reason to feel depressed and forlorn? If we passionately believe that the Almighty runs the world, then although His designs are inscrutable, we can nevertheless rest assured that whatever is happening to us – both the pleasant and horrid – is part of something much greater than ourselves. In a word, the sheer joy – the simcha - in

experiencing the Presence of Gd as a constant in our lives has the incredible power of neutralizing all torment and distress. When we can internalize and recite with full confidence and focused intention (kavanah) the words of David HaMelech (Tehilim 16:8): “I set the Lord before me always; with Him at my right hand, I shall not falter,” we truly will have nothing to fear; for all will be for the best!

Imagine, if we could all cultivate such a simcha; imagine if we could experience the warm fellowship of Gd always – at home, at work, while we travel? Indeed, what does it mean to believe we have a soul if not the conviction that within each of us resides something divine which, much like a transmitter, immediately bridges an infinite chasm and wondrously connects us with the Source of all souls!

The month of Adar enters and we are reminded, in the story of Purim, that there is a Gd in the world, One who shields and saves His people even as He appears concealed and transcendent. The month of Adar - nestled as it is within the Torah portions of the Tabernacle’s construction - bursts into our consciousness with its message of heightened simcha and awakens us to the presence of Gd who stands right by our side.

And with that knowledge and awareness, we can then smile with a cheerful countenance, appreciate everything in our lives, and then spread that joyfulness to all, both near and far.

Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld served in various pulpits in the US, most recently at the Young Israel of St. Louis, before making aliyah in 2006. He currently is on the faculty at the Israel Center and gives shiurim in the Jerusalem area. Rabbi Bienenfeld can be reached at jdbnfeld@outlook.com

AN EVENT FOR PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

MedEx is the only place where you can:

• Have your documents certified in person

• Begin the process of transferring your medical license

• Interview with Israeli hospitals and medical clinics

• Discuss your Aliyah plans even if they are long term

MARCH 9TH

Aliyah Fair 2025 Print_Lakewood Shopper

ALIYAH FAIR Nefesh B'Nefesh

MARCH 10TH

Take the next steps of your Aliyah journey with Nefesh B’Nefesh at the NBN Aliyah Fair. The event to learn more about the Aliyah process, communities, employment and more!

THE DAILY PORTION

THE DAILY PORTION

BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR

BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR

Resisting Captivity: Strength, Unity, and Truth

International Bible Quiz Champions Speak

International Bible Quiz Champions Speak

Hamas took our dear brothers and sisters captive, and now Hamas is trying to take our minds captive as well.

We are about to experience extreme emotions at both ends of the spectrum: Extreme sadness at the return of those who were murdered, whom we have come to know almost personally.

Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.

Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.

It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.

And extreme joy as we welcome those who remain alive, whom we have also come to know in a personal way.

the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."

the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."

"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."

"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."

It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.

And this scenario is being staged by a terrorist organization of Islamo-Nazis that is torturing all of us until the last second. These miscreants are also pleased to cause conflict among us, that we should forget who is the true enemy of us all.

But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."

In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."

In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."

that took place at the Western Wall. Since then, on many occasions, on Shabbatot and on holidays, and when she was interviewed, I saw something astonishing: She refused to allow Hamas to take her mind captive. She spoke only about unity and prayer, about our roots, about spiritual strength. Again and again she returned to stories about Omer, who keeps Shabbat even in captivity, and she continually rebuked those who would weaken her stance. She asked only that we give her and Omer the strength to persist.

And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."

And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."

I was privileged to get to know Shelly Shem Tov several days after her son Omer was taken captive. We met at a large prayer gathering

But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."

Apartment for sale in Telz Stone

In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for

In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for

NETANYA 4 ROOM APT. RENTAL, Nitza Blvd, 1 month min. Amazing sea view, kosher, furnished: May, June, July 2023 from September 2023 short or long term APTNETANYA@GMAIL.COM

Totally renovated 4 years ago, approx. 200m, presently divided into two-3 bedroom flats, large Succa, very private and quiet, centrally located, 9 steps up. Priced to sell $3.9 million

NETANYA 4 ROOM APT. RENTAL, Nitza Blvd, 1 month min. Amazing sea view, kosher, furnished: May, June, July 2023 from September 2023 short or long term APTNETANYA@GMAIL.COM

Let’s try to go the way of Shelly Shem Tov as we replace the lying propaganda of our enemy with clear words of truth that we read in the Torah, words spoken at Mount Sinai that continue to reverberate for us, reminding us of who we are:

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the

*“And now if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My unique treasure from among all peoples... and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”*

enumerated. Yishmael dies. His descendants dwell from Egypt to Assyria.

Yishmael’s story is brief. He has numerous and powerful offspring. The brevity

Gathered together at Mount Sinai, the nation of Israel heard about its special status for the first time.

A SHORT VORT

Evil will disappear and good will triumph, a task eminently suitable for God’s treasured people.

Besorot tovot.

Adoniyahu convinces two very significant personalities - the High Priest and the commander of King David’s armies - to

BY RABBI CHANOCH YERES R av, Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael, Yemin Moshe

When Avraham addresses the people of Cheit, trying to acquire a burial spot for his wife, he says “Ger V’Toshav Anochi Eimachem” (23:4) “A Stranger and a Resident am I with you”

This seems to be a contradiction. If one is a stranger than he is not a resident, if he is a resident than he is no longer a stranger. What did Avraham mean?

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

The Magid of Dubno (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz 1741-1804) explains that Avraham watched how he spoke in this tense situation in order to, both, state his truth and be able to keep the peace -Shalom Bayit. Avraham said, on the one hand, “I am a Resident’ due to G-d’s promise to receive this Land and on the other hand, I still need your agreement to purchase a plot. In other words, Avraham implied “I am the resident” and you are the “strangers”, while they understood him as saying that “they” are the residents and Avraham is the stranger.

The peace was kept, and Avraham remained true to his ideals.

Shabbat Shalom

Now taking reservations for July/August for the perfect family getaway in the Lower Galilee!

We are a young senior couple looking for a 1 bedroom furnished apartment in Jerusalem from December 2021-June 2022 0524419731

Fully stocked kosher home with indoor/outdoor kitchens 15m pool, gorgeous grounds Space for 40 people

TORAH TIDBITS CONTRIBUTOR

The Mishkan: A Bridge to the Divine

The construction plans for the Tabernacle open with:

They shall make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell amongst them (25:8).

Made according to G-d’s instructions out of the most exquisite and valuable possessions of the Israelites, this portable structure would enable the Shechina to embrace the community at large: “so that I may dwell amongst them”. Rabbeinu Bachya emphasizes that “dwelling amongst them” means bringing G-d’s presence to every individual. The Mishkan was a way, indeed a medium, for the Shechina to become more accessible to all wherever they may be. Abarbanel adds another dimension in contrasting with cultures whose deities are remote, distant entities that do not watch closely and interact with communities and individuals on any level.

Abarbanel therefore suggests that the details of the construction of the Mishkan were to enable Mankind to join with the Creator in three different ways.

The first is at the physical level. The Shulchan - the gold-plated table bordered with a solid gold crown - was designed for the neat

and orderly arrangement of twelve loaves of bread. Gold radiates honor. Bread, fresh and regularly replaced, conveys prosperity and material success. The Rashbam goes as far as translating Lechem Hapanim as bread that is accepted by the faces of the worthiest, wealthiest, and most influential of society: of the highest quality, and immediately recognized by them as such.

Thus the Shulchan took part in an interaction that fits in with the first of the three Birkat Kohanim, priestly blessings (Num. 6:246). “May G-d bless you” with material success, “and safeguard you” so that prosperity will promote the honor represented by the gold and not the spiritual decline that can follow over-indulgence.

The second is at the spiritual level: in this world. The Menorah - the seven-branched candelabrum - represents knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. It was shaped out of a single block of gold to symbolically teach that all branches of knowledge should have unity, the unity of Truth. The Sforno suggests that the three right branches signify applying the mind to understanding the environment and the Creation, and the three left branches represent applying the mind to making a living. These six branches stem from the central shaft and shine onto that central shaft (25:27). That is to communicate that all branches of our activities should flow from the Truth and should illuminate the Truth as expressed by the Torah and its traditions.

The Menorah took part in an interaction

that fits in with the second of the three Birkat Kohanim. “May He shine His face on you and favor you” refers to His interacting by helping us to acquire wisdom. Indeed, we refer to this every morning in the Bracha thanking G-d for His assistance in “teaching Torah to His People, Israel”. As Kohelet observes: “It is wisdom that makes a man’s face radiate with light” (Eccl. 8:1).

The third is at the spiritual level: in the World to Come. The Mizbach Ha-ketoret (at the end of the next Parasha), the inner incense altar, symbolizes eternity. It was made of wood and covered in gold (30:1,3). Wood is short-lived, transient, as life itself. But it is of living origin and making the right choices when alive that ultimately accesses the precious eternity indicated by the gold overlay. Indeed, the Torah connects the Mizbach Ha-ketoret with “holy of holies to G-d” (30:10). It was from there that Kohen Gadol brought the Ketoret into the innermost sanctuary once a year on Yom Kippur.

The Mizbach Ha-ketoret took part in an interaction that fits in with the third of the three Birkat Kohanim. “May He turn His face towards you and give you peace” refers to the eternal peace of the neshama following “returning to G-d, Who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7). What stands out, though, is that the order in which they occur in the Torah. Parashat Teruma opens with three separate items. Firstly with the Aron which was to contain the Tablets of Stone. Then the Shulchan. Then the Menorah. Then the details of the structure of Mishkan followed, in the next Parasha, by the details of the garments of the kohanim. And only much later, at the end of Parashat Tetzaveh, comes the Mizbach Ha-ketoret. The Rashbam explains that the Torah presents the

Jewelry, Silver WANTED

Diamonds, Gems, Precious Stones, Jade, Carvings, Fine Mineral Specimens, Etc.

*** Alan Sussman, “The Collector” *** 052-854-4504

Please call live, Text message or WhatsApp

Aron, Shulchan, and Menorah first because these three are the key components of the Mishkan. Perhaps, one might add, they are the key components of what supports the world: Torah, Avodah (Temple Service, now sincere prayer), and Gemilut Chasadim, acts of kindness towards others. Torah: the revelation of way the Creator requires us to direct our lives is a special unit, only in the Kodesh Kodashim, the holiest part of the Mishkan. Avodah at its purest as well as the Torah is symbolized by the Menorah. And the Shulchan expresses that our work in helping out in different ways under Gemilat Chasidim should be of the very highest quality.

But what of the Mizbach Ha-ketoret, left until the end? Maybe its connection to Olam Haba, the World to Come, needs perspective. Mitzvot are to be observed because that is what G-d wants, out of respect for G-d, and out of love for G-d and the privilege of being part of the people entrusted by the Torah to promote its ideals and lead in bringing the Creation closer to the Creator. Not for “What is there it in for me”? As Perek Avot puts it: “Do not be like those who serve their masters for a reward, but be like those who serve their masters without thought of a reward, and may the respect of Heaven be on you” (Avot 1:3). Flawless Service 25 years +

TORAH 4 TEENS

BY TEENS NCSY ISRAEL

YAAKOV ROSENBERG MADRICH

TORAH-TO-GO

The center of the Mishkan is a symbol of what the core of our lives should be. Several mefarshim explain how the Aron Kodesh shows us how to make Torah the center of our lives.

There is a discussion in Masechet Megillah regarding the dimensions of the Kodesh Hakodashim and the Aron’s place within. The sum of the empty space from the edges of the Aron to each wall was equal to the total length of the room, so how was the Aron Kodesh able to fit in as well? Indeed, the Gemara concludes that הדמה ןמ וניא ןורא םוקמ, that it did not take up any space. While we can imagine the sight of miracles like the splitting of the sea, this is a wonder that we cannot even fathom. The Chazon Ish teaches that this is meant to show us that Torah can fit in any place, at any time, any under conditions. Similarly, there is a debate as to why the

NACHI REALTY 054-461-3943

Brand New Building in Mekor Chaim

Recently finished, 4 room, 111m, mirpeset, storage, parking and Shabbat elevator, 3rd floor, 4.37m shekel

Great Opportunity to Buy in a New Building Starting Construction in Arnona Close to Baka.

Great prices and the price isn't linked to inflation! Starting at 2.55m shekel

carrying poles cannot be taken off the Aron. While some mefarshim view it as a practical concern, Rav Hirsch explains that our Torah must always be made portable, ready to be on the move.

Thirdly, the Kli Yakar notes that some vessels of the mishkan were measured in half sizes and some in whole sizes. All of the measurements of the Aron are in half sizes because we should always feel like there is untapped potential in our Torah growth. This shows three facets needed for Torah centrality in our lives: knowing that Torah can seep into every part of our lives (Chazon Ish), preparing to always have something to take with us on our life journey (Rav Hirsch), and developing the mindset of constantly striving for more (Kli Yakar).

EITAN PEARSON 10TH GRADE, EFRAT

This week's parshah we learn that true service to Hashem doesn't come from forced obligation, but it comes from a balance of true willingness and forced obligation.

We see that in last week's parshah with the eved ivri being forced to work, but then having the option to stay willingly.

Parshat Terumah and Shabbat Shekalim present two distinct models of service to Hashem: one based on voluntary giving and the other on forced contribution. This teaches us a very important lesson about how we approach our relationship with

Parshat Terumah begins with Hashem telling the Jewish people to donate materials so they can start the construction of the Mishkan. However, this isn't an obligation, they aren't being forced to do this, and Hashem specifies that the donations should come from "every person whose heart moves him" (Shemot 25:2). The Mishkan, is built not through force and taxes, but through willing, heartfelt generosity and love. This teaches that true service to Hashem is most meaningful when it comes from a desire to be a part of something important and connect to Hashem.

But on the other side of things, Shabbat Shekalim gives us the mitzvah of the Machatzit HaShekel. Which is the mandatory halfshekel contribution required of every Jew. It doesn't matter how rich or poor they are, unlike the donations that come out of the goodness of people's hearts in parshat Terumah, this payment wasn't an option. Every Jew had to contribute, reinforcing the idea that while wanting to donate is important, a sense of responsibility and obligation is equally important in our holy service.

Together, Parshat Terumah and Shabbat Shekalim teach that true avodat Hashem requires both personal love and inspiration and commitment through tax. We must strive to give to Hashem both with our hearts and with our sense of duty, creating a balance between love and responsibility in our love for Hashem. Shabbat Shalom

Architecturally designed 3 bedroom apt with high ceilings

Tastefully designed 3 Bedrooms Garden apt in the Greek colony Including: floor heating, a/c Large garden (in use) Mamad In col de sac st in Ba’ka Succah balcony

walsky

Yitzchak: 054-766-0338

Gabi: 053-220-9640

Yitzchak@yykrealestate.com

Gabi@yykrealestate.com

Gabi Yabra