Rabbi Ruditsky raises 3 thoughts on the subject of ritual sacrifice. First, today it is considered barbaric, yet should be viewed within its historical context. Second, what happens when the people could no longer do their ritual sacrifices? Third, we continue to study the texts on ritual sacrifice to achieve the same merit as if we performed the actual sacrifices.
Happiness is associated with taking, while meaning is associated with giving. Meaning is what gives us a sense of purpose in life. While happiness is “in the present”, meaning is in the past, present, and future.
Rabbi Ruditsky addresses the concepts of sacred time and sacred space in Vayakhel-Pekudei, represented by the completion of the Mishkan for God to be present, and the mitzvah of observing Shabbat – a holy time coinciding with a holy space.
Rabbi Buchwald addresses insights regarding the Tabernacle, as addressed in Truman, Tetzaveh, Vayakhel, Pekudei, and part of Ki Tessa. He cites Moses Mendelssohn, who wrote about the full array of human creativity, craftsmanship, and skills involved in the building of the Tabernacle, without which no community can survive.
One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterise Jewish faith as a whole.
The Purim story is relevant to American Jews today in the themes of charges of dual loyalty, and marriage outside of Judaism. Contemporary political leaders continue to argue that Jews can’t be trusted if they are loyal to Israel and the threat of assimilation is ongoing.
Rabbi Ruditsky cites Rabbi Sacks in his article, stating that the Jews received their Law before their land. Therefore, when they lost their land, they retained their identity. Rabbi Ruditsky develops the concept by discussing the meaning of “a holy nation”, observing that “being holy” doesn’t mean “being perfect”, but about behavior ongoing.
The reader typically is awestruck by the appearance of the Angel in the heart of the fire, and the Voice of God being revealed to Moses. From that voice comes Moses’s life’s purpose. In God’s commanding Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, all the strands of Moses’s painful past are tied into a cord
Rabbi Ruditsky compares ya’shir — they will sing — to ya’shar — they will go straight. From this, he derives the concept that the Israelites will look forward to tomorrow, seeing their freedom directly in front of them. The Song of the Sea is about tomorrow. The parashah doesn’t promise that there will never be another Pharaoh, nor that the world will be free from hatred, but it teaches that we should look forward, not backward.
Rabbi Cantor Robbins describes the spiritual depth of Tu B’Shevat, from the linguistic perspective of “15”, the Name of God, and the concept of the Tree of Life.