Vayakhel #3- Meaningful Mirrors?

In Parshat Viakal mentions the various contributions given by the Bni Israel to the mishkan

And he made the washstand of copper and its base of copper from the mirrors of the women who had set up the legions, who congregated at the entrance of the tent of meeting.        חוַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְח֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְח֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: (passuk ח perek 38)

1)What were these mirrors that the women donated? What is the significance of mirrors? Shouldn’t they not be in the Mishnah if Mirrors are used for vanity?

Rashi comments that the significance is that even the mirrors were not held back in the donations and the women were willing to donate even the mirrors. At first, Moshe rejects them because they were used for temptation however Hashem instructs Moshe to use them because Hashem was able to show Moshe how they were positive and not a negative thing.

2) it is clear that women had some part in the creation of the mishkan. To what extent and what jobs specifically did women have?

3) where else in this week's parsha do we see women involved and what is the significance. 4) what other places in the Torah do we see women positively involved. If possible, how does it relate to women’s role in this week's parsha

5) what other interesting  objects are used in the creation of the mishkan and what is their significance

Vayakhel #2- Repeated again?

In פסוק א פרק לה it says:

א: וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל משֶׁ֗ה אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לַֽעֲשׂ֥ת אֹתָֽם:

1: Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: "These are the things that the Lord commanded to make.

A question that can be asked is, why is the משכן being repeated in such great detail, and so many times? The רבינו בחיי says that the משכן is very important and beloved by Hashem, and therefore it is repeated many times. 

What are the other possible answers to this question? 

Additionally, where else do we see something repeated many times because it is very important and beloved? What is so important about the משכן? Why does Moshe gather ALL of בני ישראל to listen to this, and is there anywhere else where Moshe gathers all of בני ישראל (and why)? 

Vayakhel #1- Shabbos

שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַיהוָ֑ה כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה

ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת׃ (35.2)

“On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you, a day of complete rest for Hashem.”

Most of Parsha Vayakhel talks about the mishkan, and everything involved in it. So the mention of shabbat here in the beginning of the parsha seems out of place. R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld offers an explanation and says that  both Shobbos 10b and Beitah 16a  relate that shabbat is a gift from Hashem given to the jewish people and after the jews sinned with the cheit haegel they were afraid that they were not worthy of this gift anymore. Sicnce it says in the gemara  that if you participate in Avoda Zara you are liable to death. So to show the jews that they were wrong the torah presents us with the mitzvah to keep shobbos right before and right after the cheit haEgel. Since hashem is trying to show them just as they were obligated in shobbos before they sinned, so too they are still obligated in shobbos after they sinned. So according to this interpretation the beginning of the parsha doesn't have to do with the mishkan, rather it's the mitzvah of shabbat surrounding their sin.

1. Why else could the mention of shabbat be placed at the beginning of the parsha?
2. Where else in the torah is shabbat mentioned?
3. Where else does something seem out of place in the torah but is there to teach us something?

Ki Tisa #3- Shabbos

In Parshat Ki Tisa, Perek לא it says:

   כ וְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I the LORD have consecrated you.                              כא וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת כִּ֛י קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִ֖וא לָכֶ֑ם מְחַֽלְלֶ֙יהָ֙ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת כִּ֗י כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה בָהּ֙ מְלָאכָ֔ה וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמֶּֽיהָ׃                                                                                                                       You shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy for you. He who profanes it shall be put to death: whoever does work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his kin.                                                                                         

1)Why does hashem repeat that we have to keep shabbos?         The Or HaChaim answers: the reason it’s repeated is because we might have thought that since right before this verse the torah permitted the violation of shabbat laws to sick people, that the holiness of shabbat is insignificant, and can be broken to prepare medications etc and can be broken even when a life is not in danger. So, the torah therefore highlights the holiness of shabbat and repeats the obligation to tell us that it can only be broken when a life is in danger.

2) What other reasons are there for why the obligation of shabbos is repeated?                                                                3) What other circumstances is it okay to break shabbos? 4) What is the punishment for breaking shabbos?

Ki Tisa #2- Why 20?

״כֹּ֗ל הָעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָ֑עְלָה יִתֵּ֖ן תְּרוּמַ֥ת ה׳״.  (30.14)

Everyone who is entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, shall give the LORD’s offering.

Why only from 20 years and older? Rashi explains that it is simply because anyone younger than 20 years is not considered to be a man. 

What other answers explain why it is only 20 years? Where else in the Torah are young adults (teenagers) not included in something? Why are bar mitzvah age (13) not considered a man in this case? 

Ki Tisa #1- Counting Calamity?

In 30:12 when the pasuk talks about counting Bnei Yisroel it says ״ולא יהיה בהם נגף״- “so there won’t be amongst them a calamity”

Why would there be a problem with counting them and hwy would using coins prevent it?

Rashi answers that it is because things that have been numbered or counted can have an ״עין הרע״-“a bad eye” so by using coins we prevent it from being on people.

When else is there a reference to a עין הרע in the Torah? What (if anything) is done to prevent it? When else are Bnei Yisroel counted like this to prevent an עין הרע?

Tetzaveh #3- Menorah?

"וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ"

You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and petals shall be of  one piece.      

25:31

What was the purpose of the Menorah? Chizkuni says: The function of menorah was to provide light for what was on the table. This is why the Torah says that Moshe positioned the menorah opposite the table. Why is there such detailed descriptions/ instructions for the menorah? Why is the word תיעשה spelled with an extra yud in this pasuk? Where are other places in the Torah where an extra letter is significant?

Tetzaveh #2- Pray For You?

יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל עַל־לִבּ֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תָּמִֽיד׃ (ס)

“Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the Urim and Thummim, so that they are over Aaron’s heart when he comes before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD at all times.”

 Sforno asks on this pasuk, what does it mean ״את משפט בני ישראל על לבו״? What does it mean that Aaron will carry the instruments of decision for Bnei yisrael over his heart? Sforno answers that this means that Aaron will pray for Bnei Yisrael on their behalf so that they will be declared innocent.

1) what other answers do other מפרשים give to what the pasuk of ״את משפט בני ישראל על לבו״ means?

2) why is it that the leaders always have to pray to Hashem on behalf of Bnei yisrael? Why can’t Bnei yisrael daven for themselves?

3) what other things has Aaron done to try and help Bnei yisrael in the past?

Tetzaveh #1- No Moshe?

“וְעַתָּ֖ה אִם־תִּשָּׂ֣א חַטָּאתָ֑ם וְאִם־אַ֕יִן מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ׃” 32:32

“Now, if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written!”

Rashi states that the reason it says “מספרך” is because Moshe wanted his name erased because he didn’t want others to think that he didn’t have the ability to daven efficiently for בני ישראל. What do they commentators say on this pasuk? Where else do we see someone asking for their name erased? Why does this occur specifically if this parsha? Which parsha is moshe name excluded from? Where do we not see the name of hashem and what is the significance?  

Teruma #3- Keruvim

 כ״ב:י״ח - וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

Make two cherubim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover.

Rashi says that the כרבים had the faces of children. Are there any other interpretations of what the כרבים looked like? What does it mean that they should make כרובים? What is the significance of them? Why two? Is there a deeper meaning behind the two כרובים?

Teruma #2- For Me?

Parsha Truma begins with Hashem saying, "ויקחו לי תרומה"
“Let them take for Me an offering.” (25:2) 
Hashem saying “for Me” seems extra and unnecessary. Wouldn’t it work just saying “Let them take an offering”? Aren’t there no extra words in the Torah? Rashi explains that they should bring an offering in the name of Hashem, keeping Him in mind while they do such an important mitzvah. Where else in the Torah does it unnecessarily say someone’s name? What’s the significance of Hashem’s name being next to “Truma”?

Teruma #1- Permanent Poles?

״ ְבַּטְבּעֹת֙ ָהאָרֹ֔ן יְִהי֖וּ ַהַבִּדּ֑ים ֥לא יָֻס֖רוּ ממנו״ 15:25

The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark: they shall not be removed from it.

Why is this pasuk so repetitive? The point would have been made clear if the pasuk just said
“they shall not be removed”?
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky says in Parsha Parables 3 that by emphasizing that the poles
should never be removed it is a prediction. The poles not only are carrying the Torah and its
message, but are in fact much more than gold plated sticks. They may not be as holy as the Ark
but they will always be right by its side. They will be there forever and hopefully will be there
when the handles poke out from the ground and the Torah is raised with them
Where else in the Torah do we see something that is seemingly insignificant but in reality is
much more? Is there anything else in the Mishkan or is Judaism that is emphasized like the
poles? How is it possible to keep these poles in the rings and not ever be worried that they
might fall out?