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Likutei Ohr
Volume III : Issue II
!di"r-in-Chief: #riel Amse$em 15 %enior Edi"r: !itan Meisels 15 &anaging Edi"rs: &ichael Somekh 15 Jack Levkowitz 17 !itan Tennenbaum 17 'ayout Edi"r: (air Fax 14 &arke)ng: (osef Hier 16 #sher Naghi 14 *is+ibu"rs: &itche$ Silberberg 14 &ichael Lazovsky 14 Jordan Lustman 15 %ta, Advisor: -abbi Arye Su.i/

The Pamphlet of Light

Parshat Vayakhel

A publication of YULA Boys High School!

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Rabbi Michael Abraham

Remission and Repetition

The Flame of Our Ancestors

There is a redemptive quality for an agitated mind in the spoken word, and a tormented soul finds peace in confessing - Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

1e2$ah Gems
(osef Petlak 17

In this weeks Parsha, we will read about the building of the Mishkan. As we read the Torah, we find that Hashem gives exact details when it comes to the order of building the Keilim of the Mishkan. We are told to first build the Aron, then the Shulchan, then the Menorah, then the Mizbeach HaKetoret, and lastly the Kiyor. At times, it seems as though the entire Parsha is about the measurements of the vessels used in the Mishkan. In next weeks Parsha, Parshat Pekudei, we turn to the intricacies of the clothing of the Kohen Gadol. There too the Torah recounts the production of the holy articles in painstaking and meticulous detail. As we know, the Torah never wastes a single word or even a letter when conveying its message. When it appears that there are extra words, we know that the Torah is trying to tell us something. One example is by the Mitzvah of Kaved Et Aveicha VEt Eimecha honor your father and your mother. From the word Et, we are able to Darshin an array of Halachot on the subject of respecting our parents. Based on this concept, Parshiot Vayakhel and Pekudei pose profound issues because we already learned all the characteristics of the Mishkan, its vessels, and the priestly clothing in the Parshiot of Terumah and Tetzaveh. Since the Torah never wastes even a word and certainly not entire Perakim, there must be a message to be gleaned from the repetition. What is the Torah trying to teach us? I have heard an answer that I feel has a great lesson for each and every one of us. Between the Parshiot of Tetzaveh and Vayakhel, there is the Parsha of Ki Tisa. In the Parshiot preceding Ki Tisa, Terumah and Tetzaveh, the Bnei Yisrael get as close as they could to Hashem. They are so close that HaKadosh Baruch Hu commands them to build a house for Him, so that He can be close to the people of Klal Yisrael all the time. However, in Parshat Ki Tisa, the Jewish people sin by creating the Golden Calf, which creates a seemingly interminable distance between Am Yisrael and Hashem. So, Hashem decided that the Children of Israel needed to start all over again and completely rebuild the relationship between Him and Klal Yisrael. Because we were starting completely anew, Hashem gave us all the particulars of the Mishkan a second time. I believe the Torah is teaching us a powerful lesson. When Hashem decides to allow Bnei Yisrael to once again get close to him, He gives us a completely clean slate. Everything that had occurred in our relationship with the Ribbono Shel Olam prior to the Chet HaEgel was expunged. The same concept applies every year on Yom Kippur: we are fully cleansed of all our past sins, and we are given another chance to connect with Hashem on a deep and personal level. We too must behave in a similar manner when forgiving our friends. If we do not thoroughly forgive and forget, then we will never be able to truly move on from the negative deeds that our friends have committed. And, if we are not able to erase the memory of the sin, then we will not be able to reconstruct and develop the relationship with our friend. However, if we learn to completely forgive, then we will, BEzrat Hashem, be Zocheh to build a connection with our Chaverim that is even stronger than it was before the misdeed occurred.

A few Parshiot ago, in Parshat Tetzaveh, Hashem commands Moshe to build the Mishkan. Not only does Hashem give Moshe detailed instructions on how to build the Mishkan, but He also tells Moshe how the services should be carried out. On the first day that the Avoda is done in the Mishkan, Aharons sons Nadav and Avihu act irresponsibly and are killed by Hashem; their deaths illustrate the seriousness and solemnity of the Mishkan. Nowadays, in Galut, we no longer have a Mishkan; in its place we have Batei Knesseyot and Batei Midrashot. Our Shuls serve as our main venue for Torah learning and Tefillah, activities that help us come closer to Hashem. Our Shuls are so holy that they are referred to as a Mikdashim Miatim, small Batei Mikdash. Since we no longer have a Mishkan, we can no longer bring Korbanot, and, as a replacement, we now connect with Hashem through Torah and Tefillah. Just as the Mishkan was treated with the upmost reverence and respect, we must make sure to treat the places where we engage in Torah and Tefillah the same way. May we be Zocheh to bring about the third Beit Hamikdash through our Davening in our Mikdashim Miatim.

Fulfilling Our Potential

Avishai Zarifpour 16
While describing the building of the Mishkan, the Torah states, "Every man whose heart inspired him came" (Shemot 35:21). The Ramban notes that this Pasuk refers to the people who came to do the work of building, weaving, and sowing. The Ramban then asks the question begging to be addressed: How do these people, former unskilled slaves, know how to execute these skilled crafts? The Ramban answers that these men found something deep inside themselves that gave them the ability to do these things. The formerly hidden powers appeared when they had a profound desire to build the Mishkan. As a result of the love they displayed when building the Mishkan, Hashem gave them skills that they had never learned! There is a principle that Hashem gives us a set of talents, and during our lifetime we have a chance to utilize them to their greatest potential. Although this concept is quite true, it can often be somewhat misapplied. As people get older, they become more aware of their tendencies and knacks for certain talents. This growth seems beneficial on the surface; yet, the focus on one area of expertise can often lead to the neglect of another. There are many people who have achieved greatness through hidden talents. One example would be Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv. When he finished his commentary on his early work Sheiltoth, he had a celebratory meal as was customary at the time. However, the evening had even greater significance. The Rav relayed a story from his childhood; apparently, when the Netziv was young, he had not been serious about his Torah learning. His parents made every effort they could in order to make sure that he got a Torah education, but their efforts were futile. One day the Netziv overheard his parents conversing about their sons lack of learning, and they gave up and decided that they should persuade him to become a cobbler. This decision inspired the Rav to change his life and turn towards Torah. Rabbi Berlin was able to achieve so much because he harbored a desire for learning; the will to learn transformed his potential of being a Gadol into reality. One might say in response to this story that not everyone can become a great Torah scholar. However, we have seen throughout Jewish history that we do not necessarily need a to be a Rabbi to achieve greatness. There are other areas of knowledge that can be used to bring about a fulfillment of G-ds will. People who put their effort into fulfilling Hashems commandments will find powers that they never knew they had. Every Jew has the ability to break beyond his or her limits and to achieve the impossible.

Halachic Illuminations
From Rabbi Nachum Sauer
On Purim, both men and women are obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah, once at night and once during the day. The Mishneh Berurah says that women are obligated in the Mitzvah of Megillah, regardless of the fact that it is a time-bound Mitzvah because they were included in Hamans decree to destroy the Jewish people and were therefore involved in the miracle of Purim. Both the person reading the Megillah and the person hearing it fulfill the Mitzvah provided that the reader is someone who is obligated in the Mitzvah of Megillah; otherwise, the listener has not fulfilled his obligation. Therefore, if a deaf person who cannot hear at all, a boy under Bar Mitzvah, or a person who is mentally unstable reads, then the listener has not fulfilled his obligation in hearing the Megillah because all three of these people are not obligated in the Mitzvah. Some authorities say that a woman cannot read the Megillah for others and fulfill their obligation because her obligation in Megillah is only Shmiah, hearing, and not Kriah, reading. Since her obligation is different from the obligation of a man, she cannot be Motzei a man in his Mitzvah. There are Poskim who say that since a womans obligation is to hear the Megillah, the Bracha she says is Lishmoa Mikra Megillah rather than the Bracha of Al Mikra Megillah, which a man recites. Ketanim, minors under Bar Mitzvah, should also hear the Megillah because of the fathers obligation of Chinuch, training his child in the performance Mitzvot. That is why the common practice is to bring children to Shul to hear the Megillah.

Compiled By Jesse Hyman

Women of Virtue

Ariel Wernick 17

In this weeks Parsha, Moshe announces to Klal Yisrael that they will be building the Mishkan. Moshe instructs them to donate all the money and materials that they desire to give in order to construct the holy structure. Bnei Yisrael immediately begins to donate their time and an assortment of resources to the holy project. On this episode, the Torah writes, VaYavou HaAnashim Al HaNashim And the men came with the women (Shemot 35:22). This verse clearly conveys that both men and women participated in the assembly of the Mishkan. In fact, this Parsha introduces a recurring connection between women and volunteering. The Parsha tells us how the women would spin goat wool together for the Mishkan. It also talks about how they came and donated their jewelry for vessels in the Mishkan. The Torah stresses the role of women in this venture when it underscores their desire to donate a few Pasukim later: Kol Eish VeEisha Asher Nadav Libam Every man and woman whose heart inspired them (Shemot 35:29). So what does Hashem want to teach us by emphasizing the female involvement in the construction of the Mishkan? The Rambam understands the theme of women throughout this Parsha as a sign that informs the reader that the women were the first ones to contribute to the Mishkan, and only then did the men follow. The Pirkei DRebbi Eliezer comments that because of the womens alacrity when donating to the Mishkan and their staunch denial to give their jewelry at the sin of the Golden Calf, the women were rewarded with the Mitzvah of being renewed on Rosh Chodesh through the new moon. The Daat Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosefot adds that they merited this not only because they did not give to the Egel HaZahav but also because they hurried with great Zerizute to give to the Mishkan. We know that the men gave right away when it came to the Egel, but when by the Mishkan they were not inclined to give so fast. According to the Rambam, only once the wives began donating, did the men acquire the desire to give as well. We can learn an important lesson from this Torah portion: men, and women as well, must not give in to the pressure of their peers, especially without consulting another person on the issue. Had the men consulted their wives before creating and worshipping the Egel HaZahav, the gravest sin in the history of the Bnei Yisrael may have never occurred.

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