CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS VA'YAKHEIL-P'KUDEI 5766 - BS"D

2) Ch. 35, v. 13: "V'eis lechem haponim" - Our verses discuss the components of the Mishkon and not the offerings, as at this point the Mishkon was not functioning. If so, what does the verse mean with "v'eis lechem haponim"?

3) Ch. 38, v. 8: "B'maros ha'tzovos" - The laver was made of such highly polished copper, that it had the properties of a mirror. The laver was placed in the area between the outer altar and the Sanctuary doorway, but off to the south, beyond the entrance. This positioning allowed women to notice this highly reflective vessel. It served as a reminder that a wayward wife who was suspected of infidelity would be brought to the Mikdosh to be tested by drinking of the water of the laver. (Moshav Z'keinim)

Rashi says that Moshe was reluctant to accept the copper mirrors for such a lofty purpose, since the mirrors had been used by the women to adorn themselves in order to arouse their husbands. Hashem responded that the copper mirrors were very dear to Him, as the women had used the mirrors to beautify themselves in order to revive their husbands' broken spirits in Egypt, and for the spiritual aspect of having children and keeping the Jewish people alive. This is referred to in Shir Hashirim 8:5, "Tachas hatapuach orartich."

Why did Moshe not mind using the women's "kumoz" (35:22), an abdominal plate?

P'KUDEI

4) Ch. 38, v. 22: "U'V'tzal'eil ...... ossoh KOL asher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe" - Rashi points out that the word KOL indicates that B'tzal'eil did ALL that Hashem commanded Moshe, even that which Moshe did not command him. The gemara Brochos 55a explains that we find that Moshe advised B'tza'leil to craft the vessels of the Mishkon before he told him to build the Mishkon itself. B'tza'leil questioned this order. He asked Moshe if the order should not be switched, to create the vessels before creating the building, so that there would be a building into which the vessels could be placed. Moshe replied in the affirmative, that the Mishkon should indeed be built first.

The Tur Shulchan Oruch O.Ch. #684 brings in the name of the P'sikto that the reason we read the chapters of the N'siim (Bmidbar 7:1-8:4) during Chanukah is because the creation of all items needed for the Mishkon was completed on the 25th day of Kisleiv, the first day of Chanukah.

The Ta"Z ad loc s.k. 1 adds that although the completion of the creation of the Mishkon, its vessels, and the priestly garments took place on the 25th of Kisleiv, the actual assembly of the Mishkon took place on the first day of Nison, as mentioned in numerous medroshim.

According to the above, even if the vessels were crafted after the creation of the Mishkon components, since the vessels were completed by the 25th of Kisleiv and the Mishkon was not assembled until the next Rosh Chodesh Nison, the vessels were completed and the Mishkon was not assembled, so there still wasn't a building into which the vessels could be placed. What was accomplished by making the vessels first?

5) Ch. 39, v. 5: "Kaas'sher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe" - This expression appears no less than 18 times in our parsha as pointed out by the Baal Haturim. However, it appears only by the creation of the Kohanim's apparel. Why was this expression not used by the building of the Mishkon and the crafting of its vessels in parshas Va'yakheil?

Answer to questions on parshas Ki Siso:

1) Ch. 30, v. 18: "V'ossiso kior n'choshes" - Why is the command to create this vessel for the Mishkon placed here and not in parshas Trumoh along with the other vessels?

The Ramban says that there is no specific need to have a "kior," a laver, for the hand and feet sanctification of the Kohanim. We see from gemara Yoma 43b that any sanctified vessel that can hold water may be used. On Yom Kippur, for the honour of the Kohein Godol, a golden vessel called "kiton" was used. Since the kior is not intrinsic to creating the sanctity of the Mishkon, it is therefore not mentioned together with the other vessels, which were required to create the sanctity of the Mishkan campus. The Rambam in hilchos Bi'as Mikdosh 5:10 makes the same point.

2) Ch. 31, v. 13: "V'ATOH t'da'beir el bnei Yisroel leimore ACH es ShabbsoSAI tishmoru" - Why do we have the seemingly superfluous word V'ATOH, as we know that Hashem is commanding Moshe? What is the intention of predicating the command to safeguard the Shabbos with the word ACH, a word that connotes limitation (gemara Yerushalmi Brochos 9:7). What is meant by the suffix at the end of the word "ShabbsoSAI," MY Shabbosos?

On the words in parshas Shmos "Va'yar b'sivlosom" (2:11) the M.R. 1:28 says that Moshe said that the bnei Yisroel could no longer endure such harsh slavery. He went to Paroh and stated that he who drives his slave so harshly and does not give him a day of rest will grind him to death. Paroh agreed and said, "Tell the bnei Yisroel that they are granted a weekly day of rest." Moshe designated the day of Shabbos for this rest.

We now have an answer for all three questions. V'ATOH, specifically YOU, who once told the bnei Yisroel to not work on Shabbos so that they may rest their weary bodies, now tell them ACH, exclude the previous reason that Shabbos is for resting the body, but rather tell them a new reason for safeguarding; it is ONLY because the Shabbosos are MINE, a sign between Me and you, "ki ose hee beini u'veineichem." (Ari z"l brought in the Nachal K'dumim)

3) Ch. 31, v. 16: "LA'ASOSE es haShabbos" - How does one MAKE the Shabbos?

The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh answers that this is done through adding onto the Shabbos, creating Tosfos Shabbos.

By the way, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh also derives from the words "LA'ASOSE es haShabbos" that the rule of desecrating the Shabbos to save one's life only applies to someone who could possibly live to keep a future Shabbos. If it is exceedingly obvious that the person to be saved will not survive until the following Shabbos, Shabbos may not be desecrated. This has raised the concern of many a commentator, because on a simple level this is contrary to the clearly stated halacha that one desecrates the Shabbos to even extend one's life for a moment.

4) Ch. 32, 12: "Shuv meicharone a'pecho v'hino'cheim al horo'oh l'a'mecho" - Why do we add "Hashem Elokei Yisroel" to the beginning of these words in our Monday and Thursday "tachanun" prayers?

The Paa'nei'ach Rozo answers that "Hashem Elokei Yisroel" has the numeric value of 613, the total of the Torah's mitzvos. When asking Hashem to invoke His characteristic of forgiveness, we mention that we have accepted upon ourselves the yoke of fulfilling His 613 mitzvos.

5) Ch. 33, v. 12: SHLISHI - "Va'yomer Moshe" - Our parshas contains 139 verses. The first two "aliyos" contain 92 verses, two-thirds of the parsha's total number of verses. Why is this so disproportionate?

The GR"A answers that until this point we have the story of the sin of the golden calf. The only tribe that was totally untainted by this sin was Levi. We don't want to embarrass the "oleh laTorah" by reading the golden calf episode during his "aliyoh." We therefore lengthen the first two "aliyos" which are given to a Kohein and a Levi, whose ancestors did not serve the golden calf.

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