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Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier   In the beginning of this week’s portion, פרשת שמיני, we are taught the dedication of the משכן, Tabernacle – which Klal Yisroel had anxiously waited for more than three months. Specific sacrifices were told by Hashem that had to be offered to consecrate

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum     אם על תודה יקריבנו (פרק ז פסוק יב) One of the sacrifices that we are taught about in this Parsha is the קרבן תודה- the thanksgiving offering. This was offered when one experienced a considerable salvation, such as leaving jail or being

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum כי כל שאר וכל דבש לא תקטירו…קרבן ראשית תקריבו אתם (פרק ב פסוק יא-יב) The Torah tells us that we may not add any sourdough, any chometz, or any sweetness, such as through fruit, to any offering. The only exceptions are the “ראשית”- the

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier רמב”ן, Nachmanides, in his preface to ספר ויקרא, Leviticus, teaches that the main theme of ספר שמות, Exodus, is to relate the development of the Jewish people from being a nation enslaved and assimilated into a people who were gifted with the epitome of

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum אלה פקודי המשכן (פרק לח פסוק כא) The Parsha begins with a counting of all the materials that were donated to the building of the Mishkan and a description of how they were used in its construction. R’ Moshe Feinstein says that the Torah

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier   In Chapter 40:2 it states, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the Tabernacle…” The construction of the משכן, Tabernacle had been completed some time before; according to many it was on כ”ה כסלו, more than three months prior.

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenabaum   ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה (פרק לה פסוק ב) As introduction to the building of the Mishkan, the Torah reminds us of our obligation to rest on Shabbos from any creative activity- the very ones that are done to build the Mishkan. The pasuk

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The title seems an impossible dream. But we are taught by the רמב”ם, Maimonides, that every person can be as great as משה רבינו, our leader, Moses. (הל’ תשובה ה:ב) Rav Itsel explained that of course no person can attain the level of משה רבינו, but the meaning is that every

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum   ויעשהו עגל מסכה ויאמרו אלה אלקיך ישראל (פרק לב פסוק ד) Just a short while after בני ישראל witnessed the wondrous miracles of יציאת מצרים (leaving Egypt), קריעת ים סוף (the splitting of the sea), and מתן תורה (the giving of the Torah),

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier   One of the most puzzling, perplexing, bewildering portions of the Torah is the incident of the Golden Calf. How is it possible that after having witnessed Hashem’s presence at Har Sinai, that people would make the implausible act of violating a directive from