Shemot (Exodus)

There are two weekly Torah portions that deal with the concept of Mishpat or Jewish Law. This week we read Mishpatim that deals with details of Jewish law while during the summer we read Shofetim that focuses upon the judiciary itself. I would like to focus on the nature and purpose of judges.

Exodus 21:6
(referring to an indentured servant) "... and his master shall bring him close to Ha-Elohim..."

Exodus 22:8
"The case of both parties shall be brought before Ha-Elohim; he whom Ha-Elohim declares guilty shall pay double to the other ..."

Deuteronomy 17:8
"If a case is too baffling for you to decide ... you shall get up and go to Ha-Makom (the place) that the Lord your God has chosen ..."

Your Torah Navigator
1. What does the word "elohim" usually mean and what can it mean in the verses from Exodus?
2. Why is the word "elohim" used rather than "shofetim" or "dayanim" (both are Hebrew words for judges)?
3. What is the difference in focus between the verses from Exodus and Deuteronomy 17:8?
4. According to the Torah, who decides court cases- God or the judges?

The Torah uses precise language. Usually judges are referred to as either "shofetim" or "dayanim." Yet, in our Torah portion, the word Ha-Elohim is used. According to some commentators, this word still refers to God. According to others, this word very clearly refers to judges. Indeed, the use of the plural verb in Exodus 22:8 seems to indicate that Ha-Elohim cannot refer to God and must refer to judges. Depending on how you translate Ha-Elohim, either God itself or judges decide court cases. It would seem that even if God does not actually proclaim a verdict, he blesses the judges with holiness (and good judgment) and sanctifies the place in which the court meets.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 21:6
"The judges were called Elohim due to the fact that they enact God's laws on earth."

Midrash Rabbah, Exodus (30:24)
"At the time that the judge sits and deliberates in truth, the Holy One Blessed Be He descends from the heavens and places his Shekhinah (divine countenance) next to the judge, for God has established the judiciary and God (remains) with the judge."

Your Midrash Navigator
1. According to the Midrash, does God sit "on the bench" or "in the gallery"?
2. Under what circumstances will God concur with the judge?
3. How does the Midrash support the statement of Ibn Ezra?

A Word
Judges assume an awesome task in evaluating a case and deciding a case on its merits. They are God's emissaries on earth. However, the judges cannot allow this sense of godliness to go to their heads. Therefore, the Torah deliberately uses the word "elohim" to describe judges. The words "shoftim" and "dayanim" refer to the task that the judge is asked to perform. The term "elohim" reminds judges at all times that they must be humbled in front of God. While the judge decides cases, God is always sitting right next to the judge. Not only has God imbued the judiciary with holiness, he has also consecrated the place in which judgment takes place. In fact, according to Jewish tradition, the Sanhedrin (high court) met in the Beit HaMikdash in the "Chamber of Hewn Stone."

In many secular courts today, the phrase "in God we trust" appears right behind the bench. While judges today do not have the same role as the shofetim of biblical times, they nonetheless see holiness in their work. Indeed, oaths/affirmations of office end with the words, "so help me God." We should not be afraid to ask for help when we need it, whether we need help from God or from other people. You could say "so help me God" in one breath or you could choose to pause and say "so, help me God." We should all learn from the shofetim. It is all a matter of emphasis. The Shekhinah is always at our side to guide us in our ways but not to goad us.

Shabbat Shalom.

Prepared by Akiva D. Roth, Hillel Director, Drew University, Madison, NJ.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

Exodus Chapter 9:1-12

1.Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus said the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2.For if you refuse to let them go, and will hold them still,

3.Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep; there shall be a very grievous plague.

4.And the Lord shall separate between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that is the children's
of Israel.

5.And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.

6.And the Lord did that thing in the morning, and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the people of Israel died not one.

7.And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the people of Israel dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

8.And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, Take handfuls of ashes from the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

9.And it shall become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and boils shall break out with sores upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

10.And they took ashes from the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became boils breaking out with sores upon man, and upon beast.

11.And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.

12.And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he listened not to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moses...


YOUR TORAH NAVIGATOR

1.In verse seven, who is responsible for hardening Pharoah's heart? In verse twelve
who is responsible?

2.Why the difference in language?

3.If Pharoah was in charge of his heart in verse seven, why was his free choice taken away in verse nine?


YOUR MIDRASH NAVIGATOR

Okay, so the previous questions have set you up for the following Midrash. A Midrash looks for textual irregularities in the Torah and then uses them as opportunities to either expand the narrative or solve the problem by comparing the text with other verses that use the same word or phrase. The Midrash is the form by which the text uncovers layers of meaning within the text. Rememberer, you noticed that Pharoah's heart was "hardened" in one verse and that "the Lord hardened Pharoah's heart" in a subsequent verse. While we would ask the question, "Why would God take away Pharoah's free choice?" The Midrash would merely note the discrepancy in the two verses and through solving that textual irregularity, address this question. For the Midrash, understanding the Torah is the first priority.



Midrash Shemot Rabba Chapter 11:6


6. And they took soot of the furnace... Breaking out with boils upon man and beast (Exodus 9:10). What is the meaning of breaking out? Along with the boils, they were smitten with leprosy. The word [breaking out is used in the chapter of Leviticus that deals with leprosy, as it is written:]"... and if leprosy should break out throughout the skin (Leviticus 13:12)."

"And the magicians could not stand before Moses..." (Exodus 9:11). Why were they not able to stand before Moses? Because it was they who had counselled pharaoh to cast into the Nile every male child that was born, so that Moses should die. Moreover, it was they who had condemned him to be slain for removing the crown from the head of Pharaoh to his own head, hence the magicians could not stand before Moses.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Exodus 9:12). When God perceived that Pharoah did not relent after the first five plagues, he decided that even if Pharaoh now wished to repent, he would harden his heart in order to exact the whole punishment from him. As the Lord had spoken unto Moses-for so it is written: and I will harden Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 7:3).


YOUR NAVIGATOR AGAIN


1.How does the midrash understand what "And the magicians could not stand before Moses" means?

2.Is the Midrash using information that is in the Torah to prove their point, or does it come from somewhere else?

3.Does this Midrash assume that Pharoah ever had free choice? Why was it taken away from him?

4.Has there ever been a point in your life where you have felt that circumstances have hardened your heart and you no longer had a choice?

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, The Bronfman Youth
Fellowships in Israel

This week's Torah portion opens with the repeated instructions for building the Tabernacle, God's physical dwelling place among the Israelite nation. The detailed narrative calls for the creation of the contents of the Tabernacle (k'lei hamishkan), including the table that would stand across from the menorah in the inner court. Upon this table would be the lechem panim, the "showbread," or better defined as "the bread of display" that was to be before God at all times (Exodus 25:30).

According to Bible scholar Nahum Sarna in the JPS Torah Commentary, the Hebrew lechem panim has been variously translated, depending on the understanding of panim, which usually means "face, presence or interior." Commentator Ibn Ezra understood it literally that the bread was to be perpetually set out before the Lord. Rashi took the phrase figuratively as "bread fit for dignitaries."

There were to be 12 loaves (two rows of six) on the table at all times, perhaps symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Levitical clan of Kohathites were the ones to bake the bread and then arrange the loaves on the table, where they remained untouched for the entire week. On Shabbat the loaves were replaced by freshly baked ones and the old loaves were eaten by the kohanim (priests) in the holy precincts.

Even if you are on a low-carb diet and not eating bread, there are still several lessons for all of us to learn today from the ancient ritual of the lechem panim practiced in the Tabernacle and then later in the Temple. Everett Fox, in his commentary on the Torah, explains that the "table and its implements, like some of the other features of the Tabernacle, are holdovers from a more blatantly pagan model, where the gods were seen to be in need of nourishment." While our ancestors employed some of the conventions common throughout the ancient Near East, the fact that the lechem panim in the Tabernacle was eaten by the kohanim was a clear way of differentiating Israelite worship from pagan worship.

This is one unambiguous way for us to understand that God does not desire nor need our gifts of food. Rather, we can nourish God with our acts of lovingkindness, performance of mitzvot, tzedakah and prayer.

In Second Temple times, the baking of the lechem panim became the job of Beit Garmu. The Garmu family members were experts in baking this bread in such a manner that it did not become moldy, even after sitting out for six days. They were an interesting group who maintained a family policy to never eat fancy bread, so that no one would accuse Beit Garmu of feasting on the lechem panim that they made (Tosefta Yoma 2:5).

The Garmu family understood and was skilled at this tradition. However, they kept their expertise secretive, refusing to teach others how to properly prepare the lechem panim. The rabbis of the Mishnah include Beit Garmu among others who refused to pass along the instructions of Jewish ritual to future generations. The memory of these people was to be recalled for disgrace according to the Mishnah (Yoma 3:11).

The lesson for us is that no one person or group of people should hold a monopoly on Jewish tradition or the intricacies of Jewish rituals. We must keep our rich traditions from dying out by practicing "open source" Judaism, providing future generations with the recipe for Jewish living. If you know a great trick to blowing shofar, you should share that trick with a few other people. You should encourage your Bubbie to pass along her delicious gefilte fish recipes. Perhaps your family has some nice Pesach Seder innovations that you could teach to other families.

We are not a secretive religion, nor have we ever been. So when you look at the two loaves of challah sitting on your table this Shabbat, serving as memories not only of the double-portion of manna delivered on Shabbat in the desert, but also of the lechem panim, consider the importance of bequeathing your family's customs and traditions to the next generation.

What are ways that you and members of your family provide "nourishment" to God? Are the rabbis of the Mishnah too tough on Beit Garmu and others for holding a monopoly on information? What are customs (religious or secular) that you feel are important to pass on to your children and students?

Prepared by Rabbi Jason Miller, assistant director, University of Michigan Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

Summary

This week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, is enormously rich in laws concerning matters of ritual and matters of the ethical. As with every parasha although perhaps here even a little more, this parasha requires an extended close reading. That, of course, is why we read the Torah every year: To continue what we worked on last year. There is a single verse in parashat Mishpatim that has great power to me because it encapsulates a great truth that the Israelites, I believe in a manner unique among the ancient nations, taught. That verse is "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Ex.23:20)."

What is so powerful about this verse?

There is no one for whom we need have less responsibility than the stranger. The stranger, the unidentified Other, is to us a faceless being with absolutely no obvious claim upon us. We owe the stranger nothing, not bread and water, not friendship, not employment, not citizenship. The stranger, being not one of the people of our nation, can be objectified, ignored or mistreated, possibly even enslaved. In fact, who is it who becomes enslaved?

The very individual who has been robbed of his or her humanity. You can find within yourself the ability to enslave that person because to you he or she is not person at all, but something far less than human, perhaps even less than many animals. You have elevated to the status of humanity only those of your own group; everyone else, in effect, becomes potential chattel. At the very least, in this very natural way of looking at things, it is possible to see the stranger as an individual to whom you can do anything with impunity, because the justice system in your nation will not regard the stranger as anyone worthy of justice.

To these quite natural ways of acting, in one verse, the Torah teaches us, No! The stranger is not an anonymous, identity-less Other for whom you have no responsibility, but rather a fully enfranchised human being endowed with the same attributes of those of our own group and nation and therefore deserving of the same humane treatment. The stranger becomes a stranger by title only, but the definition of the word becomes something radically different than before. We are commanded to allow the stranger the real human identity he or she possesses by virtue of, well, by virtue of being human.

And why is this so? What is the Torah's primary justification of this state of affairs? Because we ourselves were once strangers in the land of Egypt? So what? In the land of Egypt WE were objectified and WE were enslaved, mistreated and abused. WE were the faceless Other. It is out of the matrix of our own historical memory that we are commanded to remember what it was like to be in that reified condition. We are thereby obligated to work against the replication of that same set of facts at the time when it is OUR nation, when WE are the ones holding on to the reigns of power. Our own memory of slavery obligates us to obliterate facelessness and turn the Other's anonymity into identity to which we then have an absolute obligation.

The next two verses in our parasha are: "You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me" (Exodus 23: 21-22). Like the stranger, the widow and orphan in the Torah are often identified as requiring our care. And so they do. Despite the fact that the class of people represented by the widow and the orphan are, in fact, often not treated well in society, their case is, I think, fairly obvious. Of course we should care for the widow and orphan.
The stranger is a less than obvious case. We recognize the widow and orphan; they are our own people. The stranger is, well, the stranger is a stranger. We do not easily recognize this individual; this individual is remarkably easy to ignore or violate. Yet it is the wisdom of the Torah that it teaches us that we ought not to ignore this person, and we ought not to violate this person. We are obligated to give this person a face. When we overcome this tendency to dehumanize the Other, then we begin to understand what justice is in its deepest depths. There can be no more important message than this.

By Rabbi Philip Cohen
Hillel Director, Michigan State University


This parsha introduces us to an intricate legal code. Interspersed with specific laws, there are also certain values/qualities which are also being adduced. The following verse seems to imply that one must help ones fellow, irrespective of how one feels about the other. The Midrash that follows the verse sees it a little differently.

'When you see the donkey of your enemy buckling under his burden, and you feel like passing him by, you should help him lighten his load.'" (Exodus 23:5)

Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) Mishpatim 1

"...It was You who established equity." (Psalms 99:4)

Rabbi Alexandri said, "Two donkey drivers who despised each other were traveling along the same path. One donkey started buckling under his burden and the other donkey driver passed him by.

The driver [who was struggling with his donkey] said to the other driver, "It is written in the Torah, 'When you see the donkey of your enemy buckling under his burden, and you feel like passing him by, you should help him lighten his load.'" (Exodus 23:5)

Immediately the other driver went to help him. [While they were working together], they began to speak and the [driver who at first had refused to help] thought to himself, "This fellow really likes me and I had no idea!" Afterwards, they went to an inn together and they ate and drank.

So, who caused them to make peace? It was because one of them recalled the Torah, for "...it was you who established equity."

YOUR MIDRASH NAVIGATOR

1.What compels the two enemies to get together?

2.Can you imagaine having a social code that would compel you to help an enemy?

3.Would this work if the two people truly hated each other? If yes, how?

4.What is the midrash assuming about a person's enemies?

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel

Exodus 14:19-20

"The messenger of God, that was going before the camp of Israel, moved on and went behind them. The column of cloud moved ahead of them and stood behind them, coming between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. Here were the cloud and the darkness, and (there) it lit up the night; the--one to the other (ZEH EL ZEH)--did not come near throughout the night." (Exodus 14:19-20)

Isaiah 6:3

"Seraphs stood in attendance on Him... And they would call out--one to the other (ZEH EL ZEH)-- Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the world is filled with His glory," (Isaiah 6:3)

Your Tanach Navigator

1. The only two times the phrase 'zeh el zeh' appears in all of Tanach are these two places. The verse in Shemot describes the locations of the Egyptian camp and the camp of Israel prior to Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. The verse in Isaiah describes a vision where Isaiah witnessed the angels declaring God's glory.

2. Where does a portion of the verse in Isaiah appear in our communal prayers?

3. To the midrashic ear it is assumed that these two verses have a deep connection because the phrase 'zeh el zeh' only appears twice in the whole Tanach. What would that connection be? What does the angels' praise have to do with the splitting of the sea?

Here is the Talmud's answer.

Megilla 10B "And Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse, 'the one to the other did not come near throughout the night?' The ministering angels wanted to sing their praises, but the Holy One said, 'The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and you are singing praises?'"

Your Talmud Navigator

1. How does the Talmud understand the connection between the two verses?

2. How did you understand the connection?

A Word

It is clear from the verse in Isaiah that the prophet was witnessing a routine heavenly prayer service where the heavenly court praises the Holy One. We imitate the angels when we repeat the verse "Holy, Holy, Holy, (Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh)" in our daily prayers. The verse intimates that in this instance the Holy One is in mourning, and the angels singing praises is inappropriate, and maybe even insulting.

The original reason was stated in another section of the Talmud which distinguishes between the Temple sacrifices of Succot and Pesach. On Succot each day the sacrifices were different, so the uniqueness of each day's service requires a full recitation of Hallel even if the person were praying alone.

The last days of Pesach, however, had the same Temple service, so only a partial recitation of Hallel was required if a person was praying alone, but when the community was praying together a full Hallel should be recited. For hundreds of years the practice has been for communities and individuals to say only a partial Hallel on the intermediate and last days of Passover. Why?

Later commentaries invoke God's displeasure with the angels as the reason for saying only a partial Hallel on the last days of Pesach. In deference to the destruction of the Egyptians, God's corrupted creation, we mute our praises. This later explanation became the popular reason in the halachic literature for why a Yom Tov (holiday), such as the last days of Pesach, do not warrant a full Hallel.

It is interesting to note that this midrash becomes immortalized as the reason for a liturgical detour and that it emanates from the same Parsha where God promises to obliterate the memory of Amalek, the archetypal nemesis of the Jewish people.

It is clear that God avenges wrongdoing, but it is no cause for praise or celebration.

This week's parasha begins, "And these are the ordinances..." It acts as an instruction manual teaching us how to learn to deal with each other. Last week we read the commandment: "You shall not covet... nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:14). This week we learn just what is meant by "your neighbor's." Mishpatim contains some familiar, and some troubling, phrases. Let's take a look at the most famous verses.

Exodus 21:23-25
But if harm should occur, then you are to give life in place of life -- eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, burnt scar in place of burnt scar, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.

Your Torah Navigator
1. According to these verses, what is the Jewish view of punishment? Of retribution?
2. Is this fair punishment?
3. Do you agree with this type of punishment?
4. What can you infer about how the Torah says we should get along with each other?
5. What does this verse teach us about equality?

Contrary to what it looks like on the page, Judaism actually teaches that we do not read this verse literally. Instead it tells us about how we should live with one another.

Sforno
An eye for an eye. This would have been the fitting punishment according to the strict law of measure for measure, but we have received a tradition that he should pay money, because our conjecture may be at fault, and we may unwisely exceed the exact measure in punishing the guilty one….

Our sages have taught us that an "eye for an eye" means monetary compensation (Baba Kama 83b). The reason given in the Talmud is that this kind of punishment would not always be equitable and the Torah teaches us, "You should have one manner of law."

Your Sforno Navigator
1. What does Sforno say the appropriate punishment should be?
2. Do you agree with him?
3. How does this change your view of what Judaism says about how to punish a person for wrongdoing?
4. In your view, Is this interpretation better or worse than the literal interpretation?
5. What does Sforno teach us about equality?
6. What can we infer from Sforno about how we are supposed to get along with each other?

A Word
This passage has often been thoroughly misunderstood by people who believe that the Torah is teaching the principle of literal retribution. Instead it teaches about monetary compensation due for injuries.

More importantly, we learn about equality among people. The Torah teaches us to treat injuries to rich and poor, male and female alike. So often in society there seem to be different rules for different people. Torah teaches us to strive always to treat people fairly, treat each other equally, and with respect.

May we one day learn to live by these words.

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, University of Wisconsin.

(Exodus 10:1-13:16)

HISTORY, MEMORY AND THE HAGADAH

Parshat Bo continues with the pugnacious proclivities of Providence. The plagues intensify culminating with the slaying of the first-born Egyptians, and, finally the Hebrew slaves are given their walking/running papers. After all this high drama, the Exodus from Egypt concludes with a mitzvah:

Exodus 13:13-16

"And every firstborn of men, among your sons, you are to redeem. It shall be when your child asks you on the morrow, saying: What does this mean? You are to say to him: By strength of hand YHWH brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of serfs. And it was when Pharaoh hardened (his heart) against sending us free, that YHWH killed every firstborn throughout the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast. Therefore I myself slaughter-offer to YHWH every (animal) breacher of a womb, the males; and every firstborn among my sons I redeem. It shall be for a sign on your hand and for headbands between your eyes, for by strength of hand YHWH brought us out of Egypt."

Your Torah Navigator

1. What ceremony prompts the child to ask "What does this mean?" 2. Is this the purpose of the ceremony? 3. In the Passover Hagadah, this verse is attributed to one of the four sons, the "simple child." Yet, it is clear that the context of the question is not the Seder, but the ceremony of redeeming the first child. Why do the rabbis re-contextualize this verse for the Passover Seder?

The simple meaning of the verse is clear. First we are told that we must redeem the first born, and we are obliged to explain to the first born why we are doing this. The Torah is telling us that this is a teachable moment.

A Word

The writers of the Hagadah certainly knew the context of this verse. It does refer to the Exodus, but its context is not necessarily the Seder. So, the sages removed the four instances where questions were asked about the Exodus and used the Seder as a reminder of our pedagogical responsibility.

They noticed that the way the questions were phrased were very different. These questions were not only referring to their particular contexts, but they address our responsibility to educate all of our children: The wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who is incapable of engaging.

The Torah gave us the history, but it also mandated that cultural education, the responsibility for our community's collective memory, begins at home. By noticing that the different questions quoted in the Torah reflect different temperaments, the sages see the Torah reminding us that education must be nuanced and child-centered. The Hagadah is not just a recounting of our story, but a reminder of how our story needs to be told.

Also, the rabbis remind us that learning is not to be rote ritual. The Torah identified one teachable moment, the rabbis take their cue from the Torah and identify another. In fact, the rabbis are constantly seeking out those moments in our daily ritual life when memory of the exodus should be recounted. It is not enough to merely recount, we must also look for fresh, creative opportunities to teach.

A big Rebbe Talks about A Small World

"A human being is a small world" (Midrash Tanchuma, "Pekudei 3) This famous midrash shows how each human organ has a counter part in the natural world. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev in his modern Hasidic classic, Kedushat Levi, extends the analogy. In his drash on Purim, the Berditchever says that even Amaleq, the nemesis of the Jewish people, is an integral part of the human psyche.

The mitzvah of Parshat Zachor is to eradicate the memory of Amalek and since Amalek no longer exists from without, we must attack the Amalek from within. It is through one's connection to all that is good and holy that one thwarts the designs of the internal Amalek. For, the Berditchever says, when does the Amalek from within ascend? The Torah tells us,

"how he encountered you on the way and attacked-your-tail?all the beaten-down-ones at your rear? while you (were) weary and faint, and (thus) he did not stand-in-awe of God." (Deuteronomy 25:18)

Since Amalek is within, the Berditchever sees that it is fatigue, being weary and faint which creates the inability to "stand-in-awe before God".

A relationship with God takes energy, it requires ongoing vitality and commitment. It is the weary of spirit who are the most vulnerable to the evil voices of self-destruction. For in Hasidut God is synonymous with the concept of an "ongoing life force". An enemy of God, is the enemy of the Source and the Sustainer of all living things. It is weariness, the Berditchever says, which invites the echoes of nihilism and self-destruction into our being. This is Amalek--the enemy of the living-- everflow, the life force. The enemy of God. It is our job, this week especially, to affirm with vitality our choice for life, eradicating anything that would sap the essence of that which sustains and renews us at all times.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Exodus 13:17-17:16

In our parasha this week our people have left Pharaoh's shackles of slavery and have escaped toward freedom. As we flee, the sea opens up and God lets us cross, killing the Egyptians behind us. Now we are wandering the wilderness, and God provides us with food, called manna, to satisfy us. Moses explains that we will be provided with manna for six days, with a special portion for Shabbat. He says:

Exodus 16:25-30

25. "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath of YHWH; you will not find it today on the plain.
26. Six days you shall gather it; on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none."
27. Yet some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing.
28. And YHWH said to Moses, "How long will you [people] refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings?
29. Mark that YHWH has given you the Sabbath; therefore God gives you two days' food on the sixth day. Let everyone remain where he is: let no [person] leave his place on the seventh day."
30. So the people remained inactive on the seventh day.

Your Torah Navigator

1. What happened to the manna on the seventh day?
2. What provisions for Shabbat are made ahead of time -- on the sixth day?
3. In verse 30, the verb is v'yishbitu, literally, "they Shabbat-ed," or "they observed Shabbat." What does it mean to "observe Shabbat?"
4. 4. How do you observe Shabbat?

Midrash Rabbah 25:12

Rabbi Levi (said): If Israel kept the Sabbath properly even for one day, the son of David would come. Why? Because it is equivalent to all the commandments; for so it says, "For You are our God, and we are the people of Your pasture, and the flock of Your hand. To-day if you would but hearken
to God's voice!" (Psalms 95:7). Rabbi Johanan said: The Holy One, blessed be God, told Israel: "Though I have set a definite term for the millennium which will come at the appointed time whether Israel returns to Me in penitence or not, still if they repent even for one day, I will bring it
before its appointed time." Hence, "To-day [our redemption comes] if you would but hearken to God's voice"; and just as we find that the son of David will come as a reward for the observance of all commandments [one day], so also will he come for the observance of one Sabbath day, because the Sabbath is equivalent to all commandments.

Your Midrash Navigator

1. Why does Rabbi Levi say that keeping Shabbat will bring the Messiah?
2. How does he deduce that keeping Shabbat is equal to all of the commandments?
3. What does it mean to keep Shabbat?
4. How does Rabbi Levi's statement inform your own Shabbat observance?

A Word

In the wilderness, our ancestors were very wary about Shabbat. It was difficult for them to believe that if they stopped their daily gathering of manna on the sixth day, that there would still be manna left for them for Shabbat. It was difficult to cease their work for an entire day. Like the
Israelites, many of us have a difficult time ceasing our daily work in order to celebrate Shabbat. Many find it difficult to leave work unattended each Saturday in order to take a day to rest. And yet, we find that when we do cease our gathering, the world still turns on its axis, the sun still shines, and life continues. And most of all, rest is a healthy and even holy experience. Rabbi Levi's message is a hopeful one for us. That in a time in which all of Israel is able to "Shabbat" -- that is "to make Shabbat" -- we will be ready for a messianic age: a time of peace, of wholeness and of goodness in our world. Shabbat Shalom.

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, Midwest Director of Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning Hillel at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Parshat Shemot finds the Israelites facing a bitter life of slavery in Egypt. Yet despite the severity of their labors, the people of Israel are increasing their number at an astonishing rate. Pharaoh's plan to weaken the people through harsh rule and forced labor has the opposite of its intended effect; in fact, "the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, so that the [Egyptians] came to dread the Israelites" (Exodus 1: 12). In a desperate attempt to cut off this astonishing capacity to multiply, Pharoah approaches Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives. The verses below record an act of resistance on the part of these women:

15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
16 saying, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live."
17 The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.
18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?"
19 The midwives said to Pharoah, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth."
20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the peoplemultiplied and increased greatly.
21 And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why do you think Pharoah finally approaches Shiphrah and Puah directly?
2. Why do the midwives choose to obey religious authority rather than political authority?
3. Shiphrah and Puah say that, as opposed to Egyptian women, the Hebrew women give birth before the midwife can even arrive. Do Shiphrah and Puah risk insulting the Pharoah's intelligence when they make this comparison? Is the risk worth it?
4. Verse 20 revisits the idea of the Israelites multiplying. Why might God have rewarded the midwives by establishing households for them?

A Word

Think of the connections between birthings and beginnings in this parsha. Shemot begins by emphasizing the fertility and prolific birthrates of the people of Israel; the text makes it quite clear that the Israelites have an uncanny ability to bring new life into the world. In other words, even as the Egyptians try unsuccessfully to hasten the ending of the Israelites' lives, the Israelites respond by ushering even more beginnings into the world. At the start of this parsha and the book of Exodus, the people of Israel are portrayed as living in the face of dying, beginning in the face of ending.

Consider, then, the special position of Shiphrah and Puah in these initial verses of Exodus. Significantly, the book of Exodus begins with an overt act of political defiance by two women who are themselves serving the enslaved Israelites. Yet these women, seemingly in a subservient position to a subservient people, enter into a high-stakes power play with the king of the ruling nation! This fact, in and of itself, sets the stage for the eventual and ultimate defiance of Pharoah by the Israelites. Further, it is no coincidence that midwives are the featured players in this episode. In their everyday lives, Shiphrah and Puah literally aid the birthing process of individual women. In their refusal to obey Pharoah, they assume a key role in the collective birthing of the people of Israel. Fearing God rather than the political authority of the day, Shiphrah and Puah are rewarded for their insistence on life rather than death. As the Talmud says: "It was the reward of the righteous women of that generation that caused Israel to be redeemed from Egypt." (Sotah 11b).

Prepared by Hannah Graham, Iyyun Fellow, Hillel's International Center

This week's torah portion deals with the revelation of God to the Jewish people. Here are a few lines from the text:

Exodus Chapters 19 and 20
19:7 Moses came [back] and summoned the elders of the people, conveying to them all that God had said
19:8 all the people answered as one and said, 'All that God has spoken, we will do.' Moses brought the people's reply back to God.
19:9 God said to Moses, 'I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that all the people will hear when I speak to you. They will then believe in you forever.' Moses told God the people's response [to that].
19:17 Moses led the people out of the camp toward the Divine Presence. They stood transfixed at the foot of the mountain.
20:1 G-d spoke all these things, saying:
20:2 I Am the Lord your God, who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

Your Torah Navigator
1. If someone had personal revelation from God conveying a message, isn't it obvious that a person would adhere to the message?
2. Why did Moses have to tell God the people's reply?
3. Why did Moses have to encourage the people to go out and meet the Divine Presence?
4. In the first commandment God says: "I am the Lord your God." Isn't this obvious? What is the purpose of this introduction?

Below is a small Midrash about the quote "All that G-d has spoken, we will do":

Midrash Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 40:1
God asked the other nations of the world: Will you accept my Torah? They replied: "Well, what does it say in your Torah?" Then God asked Israel (the Jews): Would you accept my Torah? They answered together: "We will cherish Your Torah, and commit ourselves to keeping and doing whatever it says!"

Your Midrash Navigator
1. Which nations do you think God asked?
2. What was so wrong with asking what is written in the Torah before accepting it?
3. What was so special about the Jewish people accepting the Torah without questioning the content of the Torah?
4. Are we permitted to question and explore the content of the Torah today?

A Word
If we take a quick look at the Ten Commandments, we can hardly be impressed as most of the commandments are fairly simple and not so creative. For example, "Honor thy father and mother." Isn't this obvious? Keeping Shabbat (a day of rest) is also very easy to achieve by ourselves. Most people do not work seven days a week. Not killing, stealing, or committing adultery are all pretty clear-cut issues which we can relate to very easily.

So why all the big deal about revelation? Here is one way to understand it:

Everything around us can be perceived in one of two ways; in an ordinary and simple way or a meaningful and divine way. By using these Ten Commandments, G-d teaches us a great lesson. We can take even the most mundane object or action and make it divine and spiritual. We have this ability within us to take the simple things and transform them into the most amazing objects. For example; a beautiful picture is only a well done collection of colors and shapes that come together to create something beautiful.

We have this gift to take the simple and mundane and transform it to the beautiful and meaningful. We have Jewish traditions and history. We can perceive them as something ordinary and mundane or we can take these lessons and transform the experience to something more meaningful and beautiful. This is the lesson from God's Ten Commandments. We have the responsibility and ability, so just do it!

Prepared by Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, Campus Rabbi/Jewish Educator, University of Maryland, College Park.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Yitro at MyJewishLearning.com.

One of life's great tensions is differentiating between "normal" and "special" in our everyday relationships. We certainly long for and need both types of relationships for our psyches and to equilibrate out lives. The daily routines and the familiar acquaintances of a typical day allow us to appreciate the chance meeting with a long-lost friend, while the sporadic meetings with people who enter and leave our lives make us yearn for the people who are our constants. And without a doubt, there are certainly times when the lines between our "normal" and "special" relationships bleed and blur into one another. Who hasn't struggled with a lifelong friend moving far away or the challenge of developing a relationship with an acquaintance that becomes a permanent fixture in your life with minimal warning?

At the beginning of the Torah portion Ki Tisa, Moses is presented with this same challenge. Midway through the portion, we learn that Moses is furious with the Jewish people for building a golden calf to worship while he was on Mount Sinai speaking to God and receiving the watchwords of the Jewish faith. To punish the Jews for their behavior, Moses burned the golden calf, ground it into powder and forced them to drink it, while God struck the Jewish people with a plague for their sin, resulting in the deaths of nearly three thousand people. In addition to the physical manifestations of anger, Moses and God's relationship was deeply affected by this incident. God's trust in the Jewish people had been shaken. Subsequently, God told Moses that instead of guiding the Jewish people into Israel, an angel would help lead the way.

Without a doubt, Moses was furious with his people. But in this instance, Moses' most significant dilemma was not deciding what tactical actions to take to make the Jewish people understand their transgression. Instead, Moses faced a strategic challenge because the Jewish people's deviant behavior disequillibrated his relationship with God. Moses' relationship with God became less special and started becoming more normal.

In spite of his simmering anger, Moses recognized that he needed to do something to recalibrate the tenuous relationship with God. So like Abraham, Moses engaged God in a candid conversation. To address the tactical side of their relationship, Moses told God how uncomfortable he was with their changing relationship and felt that because he "knew [God] by name" and since "God found favor in [Moses'] eyes" both he and the Jewish people still deserved a steady, covenantal relationship (Exodus 33:12). Moses also asked how the Jewish people would know that they were God's chosen people if God decided not lead them. Implicitly, Moses addressed the strategic side of his relationship with God by providing tangible evidence that God's threats of disassociation from the Jewish people made their relationship less special and more normal. God was swayed by Moses' arguments, let Moses feel God's goodness as it passed before him and told Moses that God had a place for Moses and the Jewish people.

Rashi, a famous biblical commentator of the 11th century CE, notes that this interaction allowed God to show Moses that God had a compassionate side for the first time and that the Israelites would "not return empty without an answer to their prayers". What is most poignant to me about Moses' interaction with God in Ki Tisa were not the results of God and Moses' conversation that Rashi notes in his commentary, but the process that Moses chose to achieve those incredibly significant results. Undoubtedly, it meant a lot for Moses to regain God's favor on behalf of the Jewish people, especially after the existential moment in the history of the Jewish people was tainted by mass idol worship. More significantly though is that Moses understood that his relationship with God and God's relationship with the Jewish people needed to regain their special elements to be effective. Equally important, Moses confronted the problem in the same way he confronted pharaoh about letting his people go.

He asked.

In the coming week, may we cherish both the special and normal relationships in our lives. And as these relationships inevitably change - either tactically or strategically - may we have the wisdom to do as Moses did and confront these changes proactively and openly so that we can savor both the special relationships that have hints of normality and the normal relationships whose special notes ring true.

Shabbat Shalom

Written by Zach Gelman, National Student Leadership Development Associate, Israel on Campus Coalition

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

In this Torah portion, God asks the people of Israel to build a temple, with the Holy Ark in it.

Tanach - Exodus Chapter 26

...Speak to the people of Israel, that they bring me an offering; from every man that gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering.

3. And this is the offering which you shall take from them; gold, and silver, and bronze,
4. And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
5. And rams' skins dyed red, and goats' skins, and shittim wood,
6. Oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
7. Onyx stones, and stones to be set on the ephod, and on the breastplate.
8. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9. According to all that I show you, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all its utensils, so shall you make it...And make one cherub on one end, and the other cherub on the other end; of the cover shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.
20. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings on high, covering the cover with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the cover shall the faces of the cherubim be.
21. And you shall put the cover upon the ark; and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.
22. And there I will meet with you, and I will talk with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubim, which are upon the ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the people of Israel

Your Torah Navigator

What is the purpose of making a temple or a tabernacle to a God that has no face or body to worship?

If one does build a temple to God it is obvious that it is for God to dwell in. Why does God specifically command "and let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them? Why the repetition?"

What are the Cherubim? What is the purpose of the Cherubim, and why do we need an image of Cherub for a God that condemns any type or form of image as it says in the 10 Commandments:

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below?"

Talmud Yoma 54. A-B

R. Kattina said: Whenever Israel came up to the Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the Cherubim were shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another, and they would be thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before God as the love between man and woman...

Resh Lakish said: When the heathens entered the Temple and saw the Cherubim whose bodies were intertwisted with one another,they carried them out and said: These Israelites, whose blessing is a blessing, and whose curse is a curse, occupy themselves with such things! And immediately they despised them, as it is said: All that honored her, despised her, because they have seen her nakedness.

Your Talmud Navigator

How can an inanimate object move?

What is the meaning of this movement in the first paragraph?

What is the meaning of the same movement in the second paragraph?

Word!

The most important question is, what can we derive from this Torah portion today since we don't have the opportunity to build a physical building for God? The answer is that today we have the same responsibility to build a temple for God as commanded in the text. However, we have to do it on a personal level. Our sages said that the body is a small temple; meaning we, as human beings created in God's image, have the ability and responsibility to sanctify ourselves in order to make our bodies a place that God can dwell in.

But like the original building of the tabernacle, the first step is that one has to desire to "build" a temple for God. This is actually the first words God tells Moses:

"From every man that gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering. With the correct will and heart we can build our own temple for God within ourselves."

In the practical sense, one needs to realize that the same holy behavior required in the original Temple, is required in one's own spiritual temple as well. When one walked in the original Temple, one felt the holiness of the place and acted there accordingly. The same applies to us. Whenever we do even the simplest and most mundane actions like walking or talking or eating etc., we are doing it in our temple. Keep it holy!

Prepared by Rabbi Menachem Even-Israel, Regional Educator, Baltimore Hillel and Hillel's She'arim - Gateways Initiative.

Exodus 14:10-15

10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Children of Israel lifted up their eyes: Here, Egypt marching after them! They were exceedingly afraid. And the Children of Israel cried out to YHWH,

11 they said to Moshe: Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us out to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?

12 Is this not the very word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve Egypt! Indeed, better for us serving Egypt than our dying in the wilderness!

13 Moshe said to the people: Do not be afraid! Stand fast and see YHWH's deliverance which he will work for you today, for as you see Egypt today, you will never see it again for the ages!

14 YHWH will make war for you, and you be still!

15 YHWH said to Moshe: Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the Children of Israel, and let-them-march-forward!

Your Torah Navigator

In this week's Parsha, we find a hysterical, ever-pessimistic group of Jews watching Pharoah's army advance with only the sea in front of them. From them, we learn that 'dying free'--as opposed to living as slaves--is not an attractive option. In fact, Egypt is looking better all the time. No one seems to offer platitudes of "Let us die fighting." Or, "at least let us die as free men." On the contrary, what you get is:

"Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness? Is this not what we told you back in Egypt? Leave us alone so that we may serve Egypt." (Exodus 14:11-12) Moses promises them a great salvation, and then tells them to shut up. And then there seems to be a hole in the Torah's narrative:

God says, "Why are you crying to me, take the children of Israel and get going!"

The problem is that according to the text, Moses doesn't cry out to God. God's complaint is totally unprovoked. So, who--and what-- is God responding to? Is God responding to Moses? Or is God backing Moses up by also yelling at the children of Israel?

Rashi Comments

Rashi, the major repository of traditional Jewish memory comments on the verse:

What are you yelling at Me for? We learn that Moses was standing in prayer. The Holy One said to him, "This is not the time for lengthy prayers when Israel is in major trouble." Another way of looking at it is: Why are you crying out, this episode depends on me, as it is written: "Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, 'Ask me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command Me.'" (Isaiah 45:11)

Your Rashi Navigator

1. Rashi gives two opinions. Do they complement or contradict each other?

2. What is wrong with Moses praying here?

3. According to Rashi's first interpretation, what is Moses supposed to do?

4. According to his second interpretation, what should have Moses known?

5. What's the difference between praying and asking for instructions?

And now a Devar Torah from Ravavi... If Moses was crying to God, what was He asking for? We can assume that he wasn't asking for instructions, because God tells him, in so many words, to "Quit crying and get going." One medieval commentator, the Seforno, says that Moses was afraid that this group would not follow his instructions and that he would not be able to get THEM to do THEIR PART in the miracle. So, Moses was crying to God, asking for guidance on how to handle the people.

According to this interpretation, God is rebuking Moses for not seeing that the children of Israel are merely venting their fears and that Moses is not hearing the voice of rebellion but the voice of fear.

God is rebuking Moses for not being able to tell the difference between the two. God says, so to speak, "I can split the sea, but you, Moses, have to bring them across and in order to do that, you must know your people. This is not something that I will do for you."

The Seforno says, that Moses wrongfully suspected them of not wishing to do God's will, instead of realizing that "it was only the fear talking." Remember, Moses never knew slavery. He has yet to become part of the people he is required to lead. At this moment, God tells him, if you wish for this people to do what I, God tells them, then you have to know not only their words, but their hearts as well. This was Moses' challenge throughout his time in the desert and this was the criterion by which he was ultimately judged.

"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me..." Parshat Tetzaveh gives an unexpected Torah insight into this, the first line of a classic song, a favorite at graduation ceremonies and spring concerts.

Near the end of this parsha, the Torah instructs us to make an altar of gold (Exodus 30). On this golden altar the sweet incense of spices is to be burnt each morning and each afternoon. The Midrash tells us that Hashem said, "The incense is the most beloved of all offerings. All the other offerings atone for transgressions, but the incense is offered purely to bring joy and happiness."

Even after the mishkan (tent) and all its holy vessels were completed, the table and the menorah were set up in their positions, and the sacrifices were slaughtered, the Shechina, Hashem's divine presence, did not descend. It was only when the kohen (priest), completely alone, offered the incense of spices that the Shechina came down to reside among us, according to the Midrash.

So what do we learn from this obscure practice thousands of years ago? Where is our sweet incense, our mishkan and our kohen, so we, too, can connect with Hashem's divine essence? The answer is within each of us.

The special incense offering is likened to shalom bayit-peace in the home-which is both a product of and a requirement for joy and happiness. We recall this offering in our daily prayers that are today's mishkan service. Thus we have the ability to offer Hashem's most beloved and joyful offering on a daily basis, just like the kohen did years ago!

Our challenge and opportunity is to keep the fire and sweetness of the incense in our hearts - to make some quiet time to explore our own spirituality and reconnect with our inner essence. This could be a quick prayer from our hearts, yoga or simply a walk around the campus. In so doing we can rediscover the peaceful place within ourselves, one that we can then share with friends, family and the entire world. "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." How Jewish.

Prepared by Pam Newman, executive director, Hillel at the University of Connecticut.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Tetzaveh at MyJewishLearning.com.

This weeks parsha introduces us to an intricate legal code. Interspersed with specific laws, there are also certain values/qualities which are also being adduced. The following verse seems to imply that one must help ones fellow, irrespective of how one feels about the other. The Midrash that follows the verse sees it a little differently.

'When you see the donkey of your enemy buckling under his burden, and you feel like passing him by, you should help him lighten his load.'" (Exodus 23:5)

Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) Mishpatim

"...It was You who established equity." (Psalms 99:4)

Rabbi Alexandri said, "Two donkey drivers who despised each other were traveling along the same path. One donkey started buckling under his burden and the other donkey driver passed him by.

The driver [who was struggling with his donkey] said to the other driver, "It is written in the Torah, 'When you see the donkey of your enemy buckling under his burden, and you feel like passing him by, you should help him lighten his load.'" (Exodus 23:5)

Immediately the other driver went to help him. [While they were working together], they began to speak and the [driver who at first had refused to help] thought to himself, "This fellow really likes me and I had no idea!" Afterwards, they went to an inn together and they ate and drank.

So, who caused them to make peace? It was because one of them recalled the Torah, for "...it was you who established equity."

YOUR MIDRASH NAVIGATOR

1.What compels the two enemies to get together?

2.Can you imagaine having a social code that would compel you to help an enemy?

3.Would this work if the two people truly hated each other? If yes, how?

4.What is the midrash assuming about a person's enemies?

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein.

Parshat Beshalach contains a riveting account of the most frequently revisited concepts in Jewish life: the Exodus from Egypt by way of the crossing of the Red Sea. The story that makes yearly headlines in the Haggadah is dramatically and breathlessly given to us here.

The most exciting and textured section of Beshalach is the appearance of the songs of Moshe and Miriam. As the water drowns the Egyptians in the Red Sea, the Israelite people, overwhelmed with emotions of fear, faith, and gratitude, release themselves to the power of song. In Az Yashir, the men focus on the destruction of the Egyptians rather than their own salvation to instill fear and faith in God.

Exodus 15:1-19
So Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea... The Lord, the Warrior - Lord is His name! Pharaoh's chariots and his army/He has cast into the sea; and the pick of his officers are drowned in the Sea of Reeds...You made Your wind blow, the sea covered them/They sank like lead in the majestic waters...

Exodus 15:20-21
The Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously/Horse and Driver He has hurled into the sea

Your Exodus Navigator
1. Why do the women sing a separate song from the men?
2. Why is Miriam identified as "Aaron's sister" and not as Moses' sister?
3. What does it mean to be a prophetess?
4. What is the focus of Moses' song? Of Miriam's?
5. From where did the women get timbrels?
6. How does the idea of uniqueness through song contrast with the idea of Kol Isha, the religious restriction on women singing in public?

Miriam's song starts out confidently and assertively with "Shiru l'adonai, Sing to God!" whereas her brother began with a slight hesitation, "Az Yashir ... l'adonai- So, they sang to God." This grammatical variation sheds light on the difference between the way these men and women relate to the miracles of the Divine. The difference between the two songs is further alluded by the following Talmudic passage.

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sotah 11b
"When the Israelite women came to give birth (in Egypt), they did so in the fields, and God sent one from the highest heavens to clean and tend to them, like a midwife. So when God appeared to them at the Sea, they recognized Him first, as it is said, 'This is my God..."
1. How does this help to explain the difference in the two songs?
2. Why did the women give birth in the field?

A Word
Aviva Zornberg notes that song functions as the voice that gives life to a person's uniqueness. Although Miriam has already played a pivotal role in the story of the Jewish people, she is referred to by name for the first time in the Torah as she leads the women in song. To drive home her stature as an independent entity from Moshe, the Torah refers to Miriam as "Aaron's sister." As a woman confident to lead her people in song, Miriam's uniqueness, not only from her brother, but from the entire people of Israel, secures her as a role model and leader among the Jewish people.

The Torah refers pointedly to Miriam as a "n'viyah," prophetess. An important qualification of a Jewish prophet is the ability to foreshadow the attitudes, problems, and predicaments that will face the Jewish people in the future. However, a prophet of Israel does not simply divine the future, like a Greek oracle, but presents direction for the people, either in the language of criticism or of solace. Miriam's recognition as "n'viyah" is a result of two elements. First of all, she separates herself from the masses in the act of taking the timbrel and leading the women in song. Secondly, her foresight of bringing drums to the Red Sea posits a special relationship that she has with the Divine- the shadows of doubt cast even over her brother Moshe never penetrate her character. Miriam does not need the destruction of the Egyptians to feel secure in her relationship with God. This confidence is characteristic of all the Israelite women. Rashi points out, "'With drums and dancing': the righteous women of that generation were confident that God would do miracles for them; so they brought drums with them from Egypt."

Prepared by Laurie Matzkin, Senior JCSC Fellow, Multi-Campus Hillel of Greater Philadelphia.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Beshalach at MyJewishLearning.com.

Exodus 30:11-34:35

At the beginning of this week's parasha, Ki Tisa, God addresses Moses on Mount Sinai and instructs him regarding: (1) a census of the Israelites to help pay for maintaining the Tent of Meeting; (2) Betzalel and Oholiab, Israelites whom God has chosen to be the chief artisans for the building of the Tabernacle; and (3) observing the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant between God and the people. He then gives Moses the tables inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 31:12-18

12) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
13) 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.
14) 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.
15) Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.
16) The Israelite people shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time:
17) it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and the seventh day He ceased from work and was refreshed.
18) When He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Pact, stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why does God instruct Moses about observing Shabbat just prior to giving him the tablets? Is there a pecking order of commandments?
2. How does the repetition of the commandment in verses 14 and 15 differ?
3. How does the violation of the Sabbath cause the "death" of a community?
4. Why do we sing versus 16 and 17 (Veshamru) every Shabbat?

A Word

The most well know section of Ki Tisa is undoubtedly the portion following the exchange on the mountain between God and Moses. After receiving the law, Moses descends the mountain to find that the people have constructed an idol, a golden calf, in their impatience while waiting for him.

Much has been written and said about the particulars of the golden calf story and its role in the receipt of the law and the development of Moses' character, but I believe that the power of that story is only enhanced by the prior dialogue on the mountain between God and Moses on the covenant of Shabbat. While the story of golden calf does point out the flaws in the Israelites ("it is a stiff-necked people"), the covenant with God over Shabbat transcends the incident in the desert. Ultimately, the Israelites do receive the law and do enter the Promised Land.

The legacy they leave us is that we are partners in perfecting the world. Shabbat, which is so linked to the creation of the world, is our part of the bargain. Thus, when we observe Shabbat we both enhance our lives as well as finish the work of creation.

So when you sing Veshamru this Shabbat think about Moses and the Israelites and how their struggle in the desert continues to enrich our lives and the world today.

Prepared by David S. Liebschutz, Executive Director, Hillels of Northeastern New York.

"Allow me to introduce myself..." God says, and then announces the new Name to Moshe. With this introduction, God attempts to inspire Moshe after Moshe's recalcitrant people have paid him no heed. He assures Moshe that even though Moshe has not been a big hit with his own people, Pharaoh, on the other hand, will be very impressed. So, Moshe and his brother Aharon pull a snake out of a staff, which swallows the snake/staffs of the Egyptian sorcerers. Pharaoh is still not impressed, as the Holy One has foreseen and now Moshe is being ordered to bring out the heavy artillery. He is instructed to:

" Go to Pharaoh in the morning, here, he goes out to the Nile, station yourself to meet him by the shore of the Nile, and the staff that changed into a snake, take in your hand, and say to him: YHWH, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying: Send free my people, that they may serve me in the wilderness! But here, you have not hearkened thus far. Thus says YHWH: By this shall you know that I am YHWH: here, I will strike?with the staff that is in my hand?upon the water that is in the Nile, and it will change into blood. The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will reek, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from the Nile." (Exodus 7:17-18)

Note that Moshe is instructed to greet Pharaoh by himself. This is a personal encounter "mano el mano", or as far as Pharaoh is concerned, "deo el deo". Aharon is nowhere to be found. It's a dramatic statement because Pharaoh, who is fresh from the waters, is told that they are about to be polluted by the leader of the Hebrew slaves. After Moshe is told to confront Pharaoh the Holy One continues:

YHWH said to Moshe: Say to Aharon: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their tributaries, over their Nile-canals, over their ponds and over all their bodies of water, and let them become blood! There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt?in the wooden-containers, in the stoneware. Moshe and Aharon did thus, as YHWH had commanded them.

He raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile changed into blood. The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile reeked, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile; the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. (Ibid:19-21)

The Holy One tells Moshe to use Aharon as the "plague-maker". Moshe is told to be the proposer and Aharon is the disposer. This is also true for the plague of "frogs". Moses is instructed to tell Pharaoh himself and then he is told to tell Aharon to make the plague happen: Exodus 8:1-2

1.YHWH said to Moshe: Say to Aharon: Stretch out your hand with your staff, over the tributaries, over the Nile-canals, and over the ponds, make the frogs ascend upon the land of Egypt!

2.Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frog ascended and covered the land of Egypt.

3.Now the magicians did thus with their occult-arts they made frogs ascend upon the land of Egypt.

If Moshe's reluctance to lead the people hinges upon his "heavy tongue", why is he given the speaking role while his silver tongued brother is relegated to the mute role of "staff-stretcher"? If Moses has already proved capable of addressing Pharaoh, why was it necessary to give Aharon a role. In later plagues Aharon is no longer part of the drama, why is he given a role here?

One might say that just as Pharaoh does not do his own sorcery, Moshe must be seen as an equal and, therefore, must have his "man" who will do his bidding. In order to show that Moshe belongs in the room with Pharaoh, Moshe also requires his "court". Otherwise, he may not be taken seriously. After Moshe's "credentials" are established, Aharon is no longer viewed as essential.

Such a solution explains why the first plague was executed in this fashion, but why the second plague? The Midrash in Exodus Rabba has an interesting answer:

Midrash Exodus Raba 9:10-19

YHWH said to Moshe: Say to Aharon: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt.

Rabbi Tanchum said: [It was as if] The Holy One said to Moses, "The water which protected you when you were cast into the Nile will not be smitten by your hand." Thus, Aharon cast forth his hand. According to the Midrash, Moshe is being told that water had not only allowed him to live, but also had protected him. The waters at the Red Sea were also going to protect him and it is only when he hits the rock to bring forth the water that is when the waters turn on him, blocking him, from entering the Land.

God states that Moshe owes a debt to water and will owe a debt in the future, therefore his relationship to water must be very different. God is instructing that Moses must have a unique respect for water, since water was used as an instrument for his salvation. Without water, where would he be? Moshe is instructed to develop sensitivity to situations from the most personal perspective. Even when water needs to be smitten, his hand should not do it.

When a job needs to be done, many questions arise. Who should do it is one question. Can they do it is another question. A third question is, 'should they do it.' The ability to perform a task may not be enough. It also must enhance one's individual development. It must enhance one's personhood. Moses could have turned that water into blood, but then God would have been complicit in creating the blindspots.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Exodus 1:1-6:1

This week begins a whole new book of Torah, entitled Shemot (names), like its first parasha. With the beginning of a new book, so much has changed in the lives of the Israelite people living in Egypt. Jacob's sons have all died. A new Pharaoh comes to power who does not know of Joseph and his family and fears the large number of Jewish people who have come to live in Egypt. The Jews are enslaved. And Moses is born. Some time goes by and Moses is asked by God to lead the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery and into freedom. Here is the exchange:

Exodus 3:4, 9-12

4 God called to him out of the bush: "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Here I am." ...and YHWH continued ...
9 "Now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me; moreover, I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come, therefore, I will send you to Pharaoh, and you shall free My people, the Israelites, from Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from Egypt?"
12 And God said, "I will be with you; that shall be your sign that it was I who sent you. And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."

Your Exodus Navigator

1. Why does Moses express doubts about leading the people out of Egypt?
2. Is Moses' humility a sign of weakness or strength?
3. Moses has been asked to do a monumental task. How do you react when asked to lead? Are you afraid? Challenged? Hesitant? Fearless?

Midrash

Jewish tradition has many ideas about why Moses hesitated when God asked him to lead the people. Some say that Moses did not want to hurt the feelings of his older brother, Aaron, by taking the job that could go to him. Others say that Moses was truly humble, and felt that he was not as capable to lead the Jewish people as another might be. Some historians reply that Moses' response to God was very typical of discourse of the time, politely declining and then accepting.

Elie Wiesel's Response

Elie Wiesel speculates that Moses refused God's request at first because "Moses was disappointed in his Jews." Moses was angry because no one had helped him defend the Jew who was being beaten by an Egyptian. And when Pharaoh had called for Moses' arrest, no Israelite came to his aid. Moses "had no wish to reopen a wound that had still not healed." (Messengers of God, Random House, New York, 1976, pp.188-190)

Your Midrash Navigator

1. What are the greatest difficulties in taking on a role of leadership, especially under such desperate circumstances?
2. What are the rewards of leadership?
3. How does one decide to become a leader?
4. What is the appropriate way to accept a leadership role?
5. How do we respond as leaders when our people make us angry?

A Word

Great leaders are aware of the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead of them. At times all leaders are filed with doubt about their abilities to lead their people. Sometimes great difficulties arise to challenge even the most able leader's skill and endurance. Moses, too, had doubts about his ability to lead his people. He also may have been angry with them, and questioned their worth as a people. And yet Moses does lead his people with dignity and courage.

Each of us is called on to lead other people, both as professionals, and as human beings. May we remember the words of Rabbi Hillel: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But, if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" (Pirke Avot 1:14) May we approach our leadership with humility and great courage.

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, Midwest Director of Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, Hillel at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

It is an old question, but still an interesting one, Why is Moses absent from the Passover seder?

A suggestion from this week's parsha.

1.When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2.Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

3.And her two sons; and the name of one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land;

4.And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh;

Rashi comments that Zipporah and Moses' children went back to Midian before the Exodus and the plagues and only returned now, after they were completely out of danger, to Moses. During the first seder in Egypt, Moses was without his family. There was nobody to ask him ma nishtanah, nobody with whom to share the Paschal Lamb or tell the story.

The latter part of the Parsha is a description of the Revelation at Sinai. According to tradition, following Mt Sinai, Moses never went back to his tent, never resuming conjugal relations. He remained on call for G-d. After Sinai, Jews returned to their normal lives. Moses could not.

In our tradition we remember Moses, as Moshe Rabenu, our rebbe and teacher. At the same time, Moses is diminished at the central Jewish celebration involving family. Contained in Moses is a tension that reveals itself in many places in the Talmud, the tension between a love of family and children and a love of Torah, both of which can subsume your entire being. Moses is our teacher of Torah, but not our teacher of family. To emulate Moses is to leave the family for Sinai, the beit Midrash. To love Torah can mean walking away from your other love (Rabbi Akiva and Rachel). While this tension has yet to be resolved, I see a hint that around the table, surrounded by family, bonded together by blood and story, there is no place for Moses.

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Balinsky, Northwestern University Hillel

The Torah portion that we study this week is called B'Shalach. We find it in the Book of Exodus chapters 13:17-17:16. This section is both complicated and exciting. Dealing with Israel's liberation from Egypt, the reader learns about the successful crossing of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), and what we might at first glance believe to be the people's passing beyond the point of no return. Although this section seems to deal with liberation to a great extent, this is a section of contrasts. For example, Israel's great moment of triumph is met at the shores of the Red Sea not with joy but with fear. This emotional cocktail is emphasized in the Hebrew where there is a euphonic similarity between the verbs "Va-Yar/He saw" and "Va'Yire-u/They feared." From the Bible's perspective, fear comes not from without but from within. Fear is not a result of an outside force, but rather the result of an inner questioning of one's abilities. Fear is as much based on how we choose to view challenge as it is on the challenge's essence.

This is the first parasha (weekly section) to take us on the long 40-year zigzag journey through the desert. Along the way, we learn that this is a journey of opposites: where the ecstasy of revelation confronts the desert's tedious boredom, where the wonder of manna is contrasted to the consistency of thirst, and where the vision of Israel is contrasted to the starkness of the Sinai Peninsula's almost moonlike landscape. From this week's section until the end of the Deuteronomy, we, the readers, wonder if God is not teaching us in a roundabout way that to be a people we cannotdepend on miracles but rather only on our inner spiritual fortitude. Miracles are blessings, but at the same time miracles symbolize our inability to solve our own problems.

This same message may also be expressed by the careful use of the Hebrew word "Mah" (often translated as "What" or "Why"). Questions that begin with "ma" are often questions of anger and frustration. This "mah" frustration often seems to be directed at another, and yet when studied carefully, "mah" questions are really self-directed. When the tex tintroduces a thought with "mah" it is as though Jacob's struggle reoccurs and once again we are at war with the unnamed "ish." When we read a "mah" question we need to ask ourselves not what has "X" done to me, but rather what is it that I need to do to solve my own issue/problem?

"Mah" questions are not easy questions, but they are necessary questions. After the Red Sea's parting the people of Israel were "free" but also cognizant that they were no different from their Egyptians masters. Both groups were humans made of nothing more than flesh and blood. Were it not for God's parting of the sea, Israel too might have drowned. "Mah" questions may then have been uncomfortable for Moses and even God, but they were real questions that demanded real answers, even if at times the answers were beyond the people's ability to understand.

The wisdom of knowing what we can and cannot know is sometimes the hardest type of wisdom to gain. Often our arrogance forces us to demand answers to questions that simply have no answers. That too is part of the moral zigzag that each of us takes while we wander through our own inner Sinai Peninsula. Knowledge, like freedom, is liberating, but just as our ancestors had to learn, there is wisdom in understanding that some things are never penetrated, but rather simply experienced. What do you think?

What might have been the reasons for the zigzag course through the Sinai? How similar is the symbolic Sinai to your life?

The text Mei Ha'Shiloach argues that the story of the Manna is out of order, that first the people should have been told what is was and then they should have seen it. What do you think?

How do we connect opposite experiences in our lives? Is what distinguishes humans from animals the fact that we are often irrational and contradictory in the way we live our lives?

Once God chose to take Israel out of Egypt, did God gamble on us?

Miriam's (traveling) well is in this section. How does this well match up with the fear and desire for miracles?

Shalom uvrachah
In peace and blessings

Prepared by Rabbi Peter E. Tarlow.

[Back to the top]

En Espaol:
La seccin semanal, parasha, para esta semana se llama "B'Shalaj" y laencontramos en el Libro de Exodo: 13:17-17:16. Esta es algo complicada y a la vez inspirante. Trata de la liberacin de Israel de Egipto, su travesa xitosa por el Mar Rojo (Iam Suf) y lo que podemos declarar, por lo menos a primera vista, su llegada al "punto de no volver". Es una seccin llena de contrastes. Por ejemplo, leemos en ella que en el gran momento de triunfo de Israel, el pueblo tena miedo en vez de alegra. En hebreo se da hincapi a este contraste con un juego de palabras eufnico entre el verbo "Va-Yar" (l vio) y el verbo "Va'Yire-u" (tenan/tuvieron miedo).

Desde una persectiva de nuestra parasha (seccion semanal), la base del miedo se encuentra dentro del nuestro interior en vez de nuestro exterior. El miedo no es el resultado de una fuerza ajena sino de las dudas internas que tenemos acerca de nuestra propia habilidad de enfrentarnos con un desafo y vencerlo.

Esta es la primera seccin semanal en la cual estudiamos el viaje zigzagueante por el desierto de nuestros antepasados, un viaje que dur 40 aos. Era un viaje de contrastes: donde el entusiasmo de La Revelacin se enfrent con el aburrimiento tedioso del paisaje solitario del yermo, donde se haca un contraste entre la maravilla del "man" y la sed continua, y donde la visin del pueblo se contrastaba con la desolacin de la Pennsula de Sinai. Desde esta parash hasta el fin del Libro de Deuteronomio, nosotros, los lectores, nos preguntamos si es posible que D'os nos enseaba que para ser un pueblo debamos aprender a depender de nuestra fuerza espiritual interior en vez de Sus milagros? Aunque los milagros son una bendiccin tambin nos simbolizan nuestra incapacidad de resolver nuestros propios problemas.

Esta misma leccin tambin es enseada por el uso cuidadoso de la palabra hebrea "ma". Se traduce "ma" por las palabras castellanas: "qu, por qu, para qu", pero significa mucho ms Las preguntas que empiezan con "ma" nos dan una indirecta del miedo, de rabia, o de frustracin. A primera vista se supone que esta frustracin est dirigida al ajeno, pero al pensar profundamente en las "preguntas de ma", se nota que estn dirigidas no al preguntado sino al preguntador. Cuando el texto nos presenta una pregunta de "ma" es como si volvieramos a la lucha de Jacobo con el "ish" (hombre/angel no conocido o tal vez el "yo" de cada uno). Vistas de esta perspectiva son preguntas que nos dicen "Qu necesito hacer yo para resolver mi problema?"

Estas no son preguntas fciles, pero son necesarias. Al atravesar el Mar Rojo, el pueblo de Israel no solamente gozaba de libertad sino por la primera vez dentro de 400 aos se dio cuenta de que sus amos egipcios no eran dioses sino seres humanos,hechos como ellos de carne y hueso. Ahora Israel saba que si no fuese por la ayuda divina que el pueblo recibi, Israel tambin se habra ahogado en las aguas del mar. Sus preguntas de "ma" tal vez fuesen incomodas pero fueron preguntas verdaderas y merecieron respuestas adecuadas auque a veces carecieron de estas respuestas.

La sabidura depende de nuestra habilidad de determinar cuando somos capaces de saber y cuando es mejor que seamos ignorantes. A veces nuestra ignorancia exige que pidamos respuestas cuando no hay respuestas. Esta ignorancia tambin hace un papel en el viaje de zigzag moral que cada uno de nosotros debe hacer en nuestro propio viaje hacia nuestra propia tierra prometida. La informacin y la enseaza nos pueden ayudar a liberar, pero en la misma medida que nuestros antepasados tenan que aprenderlo, tambin cada uno de nosotros debemos aprender esta misma leccin. El sabio entiende que la vida se compone de la parte abierta y la misteriosa, y que es en la misteriosa nunca podremos penetrar, sino solamente experienciarla. Qu les parece?

Cules hubiesen sido las razones del camino zigzagueante por el Sina? Es pareceido este viaje simblico a los viajes de tu vida?

El tratado jasidico "Mei Ha'Shiloaj" dice que leemos la historia del man en un orden equivocado, o sea: primero deba informar al pueblo del man y solamente entonces deba saberlo Qu opinas?

Cmo conectamos las experiencias opuestas de nuestra vida? Es lo que nos distinguen de los animales el hecho que muchas veces somos irracionales y contradictorias en la manera que vivimos?

Cundo D'os nos sac de Egipto hizo El un riesgo cunado apost en nosotros?

Se lee en esta seccin semanal del pozo andante de Miriam, Hay una relacin entre el pozo y nuestros miedos y deseos para experienciar milagros?

Shalom uvrachah
En paz y con bendicines

Preparado por el Rabino Peter E. Tarlow.

In the beginning of the Parsha, God spoke to Moses and told him that he has heard the groaning and suffering of the Israelites. God told Moses, "I will take you away from your forced labor in Egypt and free you from power, and with great acts of judgment…I will bring you to the land regarding which I raised My hand, swearing that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it you as inheritance. I am HaShem." (Exodus 6:7-8).

Moses told this information to the Israelites however they would no longer listen to him. Everyone can relate to this story, remembering a time you offered heartfelt guidance and then observed as someone chose to act or respond counter to your advice. As young adults, students are learning to negotiate the balance between self-autonomy and learning from the advice of peers and mentors. In this way, students on campus struggle with the same issues as the young Israelite people in this Torah portion. Though they strive for independence, they still seek out leadership and guidance to help them along the way. At the same time we are here as a sounding board for students and are here to listen to their issues about classes, roommates, or friends. I continually talk to my mom, sometimes three or four times a day, about a variety of things and still yearn for her advice and for her to help me through difficult decisions, just as Moses did with HaShem. My mom is like Moses and I am the Israelite. I may not listen to her at times, but in the end I know she means well and is doing what is in my best interest and has helped in shaping me to be the person I am today.

Moses was telling HaShem that he does not have the self-confidence to go and speak to the Israelites. HaShem then spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them instruction regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh, so they would be able to get the Israelites out of Egypt, although HaShem only told this to Moses.

Moses and Aaron go and speak with the Pharaoh, but HaShem knows the Pharaoh will not listen to Moses so he has a plan in mind for hurting Pharaoh. HaShem tells Moses, there are going to be signs that will destroy Egypt. When Pharaoh asks to speak with you [Moses] he will ask you to prove yourself.

Moses goes and asks the Pharaoh "to let my people go." The Pharaoh denies his request and Moses does as he was told by HaShem. He lays down his staff and it turns into a serpent. Then the Pharaoh calls on his magicians and scholars to do the same thing with their magic tricks, then Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Still, the Pharaoh remained obstinate. HaShem then instructed Moses to go back to Pharaoh and have him look at the Nile in the morning. Then take the same staff that you turned into a serpent and project it towards the Nile and the river will turn to blood and kill all that is in sight. Tell him that you have received a message from HaShem "to let my people go." The Pharaoh still refused, thus the first plague came to fruition and the Nile was unable for anyone to drink.

After Moses turned the Nile into blood, six more plagues followed; frogs, lice, harmful creatures (wild beasts), murrain (cattle disease), boils, and hail.

Our students want their freedom when they are on campus. When college freshmen go home after their first semester they have established themselves as independent thinkers with their own rules and no one to look after them every second. When they get home to Mom and Dad's they are under a new set of rules. They now have to go by their parents' rules and eventually are craving the freedom they had back on campus. I remember back to when I was home from college after my first semester. My parents gave me rules to follow [and I followed them] such as cleaning up my room, laundry, or to be home at a certain time; however, when I arrived back on campus I did not follow their rules anymore, I followed my own rules. We should not take that freedom we had in college for granted but sometimes we need that extra person to help guide us along even if we are in college and coming home for the first time or have been living on our own for years.

When the Pharaoh realized that the plagues have stopped he returned to his evil ways and did not let the Israelites leave, just as HaShem predicted through Moses.

Prepared by Heather Karlin, Program Director, Hillel in Philadelphia, Drexel University

Parshat Beshalach, which is also known as Shabbat Shira, is always around the traditional Jewish beginning of spring, Tu B'shevat (15th Shevat) - the new year for trees. In Israel the almond blossom begins to appear and the feeling of rejuvenation is in the air. This apparent calendar quirk is no quirk at all, but a beautiful synthesis of ideas that carries with it a special lesson for us, especially when we are still engulfed outside Israel in the gloom of winter, at least in the physical world around us.

In the parsha, the episode of the splitting of the Red Sea takes place. Immediately afterwards, Moshe sings the famous song "Az Yashir," which has been incorporated into our everyday liturgy. The rabbis are troubled by the use of the future tense yashir, "will sing." Surely this is after the crossing of the sea and the word should have been in the past tense
("Az Shar Moshe" - then Moshe sang).

The deliberate use of the future tense here conveys a special message. The enemy had finally gone, and it was now the perfect time for true rejuvenation of the people and preparation for the "promised land." This future prospect is alluded to by the use of the future tense of yashir, as this becomes the beginning for all the songs of history (see Ba'al Haturim's comments on this verse, where he lists the 10 "songs of history"). In such circumstances, the future is stressed to give hope and focus to the people and a true reason for continuation.

In the same vein, the celebration of Tu B'shevat is recognition of the future benefits of the spring that await us. A new crop is beginning to come through and new fruits are on the horizon. Spiritually also, we are beginning to go through the process of "hitchadshut" (spiritual renewal), which is described in glowing terms in the Chassidic writings. Our tradition of a Tu B'shevat seder is not a coincidence. Both the seders of Passover and Tu B'shevat preempt the future and the celebration of freedom and renewal and all that this entails. This is even reflected in the custom to feed the birds on Shabbat Shira, which is found in various sources. This is a simple way of showing our faith in the future as the animal world begins to stir again after the winter inactivity.

The message for our work in college campuses is clear. The spring represents a time of challenge and growth. In our Hillel, as I imagine in many others, the various committees have changed and a new energy is injected into all our activities. It is a time of renewal in the physical world, which has to become a renewal in the spiritual sense as well. There is good reason to go forward and continue our important work. Both nature and the Torah are giving us that endorsement. Let us take this to heart and even if it does snow on Tu B'shevat here, think of the wonderful things to be done in the very near future.

Prepared by Rabbi Ian Shaffer, Columbia/ Barnard Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Beshalach at MyJewishLearning.com.

In Parashat Mishpatim, God follows the gift of the Ten Commandments with a lengthy set of specific laws which cover violations from the most vicious to the less violent but nonetheless offensive. Treatment of Hebrew servants, slaves, widows and orphans, pregnant women, goring oxen, and other livestock are addressed meticulously.

Probably the most well-known words from the parasha whose name means "sentences" (in the context of civil and criminal legislation) include chapter 21, verses 22-25: 22. "And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23. But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25. burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

As generations have passed, we have continued to question the wisdom and legitimacy of laws, including all of the aforementioned sentences. Progress, whether technological, legal, or ethical, mandates that we revisit our codes and question the status quo. What is justice? How can we, as Jews, aspire to be "a light unto the nations" if we do not practice justice? How we can lead our own people, much less the rest of the world, unless we seek justice all of the time? And yet, even if we do pursue justice in response to suspected acts on the part of our leaders, what does the mere allegation or worse - the conviction - of criminal activity by our role models say about where we are headed?

Lately, these topics have come up frequently in discussions with students and colleagues at Hillel, specifically in regard to Israeli politicians. Thus, consider chapter 23, verses 2, 7, and 8: 2. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt you bear witness in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice; and 7. Distance yourself from a false word, do not execute the innocent or the righteous, for I shall exonerate the wicked. 8. And thou shalt take no gift; for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous."

Rabbi Simcha Bunim, 18th century Chassidic leader, comments that the transgressions of falsehood and corruption are so abhorred by God, that not only are they prohibited, but we are even required to "distance" ourselves from their presence.

In recent years, hardly a day goes by without news of investigation into political corruption or, at best, unethical behavior, by members of the Knesset and other Israeli government authorities. The charges against Israel's leaders range from sexual harassment to receiving bribes to giving multimillion-dollar tax breaks to companies.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert himself has been under investigation for more than a year over allegations of bribery and other financial irregularities related to the sale and lease of his home, and his involvement in the privatization of Bank Leumi. Certainly, the most serious criminal allegations have come against President Moshe Katzav, as the Attorney General declared just last month that he is prepared to charge Katzav with several counts of rape, sexual harassment, breach of trust, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and fraud. In response, the president has launched a disastrous public-relations campaign and alienated some attorneys while refusing to resign from the presidency.

Let us merely mention that investigations into fraud and other financial corruption dogged the administrations of the previous three Israeli prime ministers, across party lines: Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, and Binyamin Netanyahu. So where does that leave us, and how do we treat the matter with students and colleagues who are growing to love Israel but now want to respect it as well? It is often said that although Theodor Herzl envisioned a normal Jewish state, because of his own life experiences, he neither yearned for nor anticipated that in such a state, both the police and the criminals would be dominated by Jews. Corruption is not a sign of normalcy, but rather, the result of conscious decisions by humans to violate laws in pursuit of personal gain. Manipulation of power is nothing new; it existed when the Israelites received the most basic laws from God, and it remains in our midst.

If we acknowledge that malicious drives do not skip over humans based upon religion or ethnicity, we stand a better chance of confronting and discouraging corruption, by Jew and gentile. Does Israel have more political corruption in 2007 than it did in past decades? Probably, but the most significant positive difference is that today, corruption in Israel is exposed more immediately and prosecuted more determinedly. There is no joy in media coverage of Israel that gives us a respite from criticism of foreign policy by reporting on politicians' domestic crimes. Just as we strive to question the motives and actions of politicians and the courts in our country of residence, we should educate our students and ourselves about Israel by monitoring and questioning its political and judicial systems.

To love and to respect are not the same, as we are told in the previous parasha, Yitro. We are commanded to "honor" (respect) our father and mother, but we are not told to love either one. With successful connections to Israel for young Jews - through free trips, Hebrew hip-hop, Israeli cinema, and many other avenues - we are succeeding in developing a love for Israel, but we have much work to do in the way of respect. Love for Israel is the beginning, respect will come from further education and exposure to the good and the bad, passion and lifelong commitment will follow through deeper understanding.

Prepared by Sahar Oz, assistant director, Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

Moses is struggling with Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Through God's help, Moses inflicts the ninth plague upon the Egyptian people. God helps Moses to perform this act, saying:

Exodus 10:21-23

"Hold out your arm toward the sky that there may be darkness upon the land of Egypt, a darkness which could be felt." Moses held out his arm toward the sky and thick darkness descended upon all the land of Egypt for three days. They could not see one another, and for three days no one could get up from where he was; but all the Israelites enjoyedlight in their dwellings.

Your Torah Navigator

1. What does "a darkness which could be felt" mean?
2. Why did darkness fall upon the Egyptians and not the Israelites?
3. What advantages do we have when we can see but others cannot?
4. Do we have a responsibility to help others to "see?"

Exodus Rabba 14:3

All the children of Israel had light in their dwellings: It does not say in the land of Goshen [the area in which the Israelites lived in Egypt], but in their [the Egyptians'] dwellings. This is to show that wherever a Jew went, light went with him and illuminated what was in the barrels, boxes, and treasure-chests [of the Egyptians].

Your Exodus Rabba Navigator
1. It sounds like the Israelites actually brought light with them wherever they went. What does this Midrash infer about what the Israelites did with the light?
2. What possibilities were there for using the light to do good?

A Word

Exodus Rabba actually infers that the Israelites had the power to bring light to dark places or to be an "or l'goyim," a light to the nations. If we take seriously our charge to be an or l'goyim then we have the responsibility to bring light to dark places for positive change. In Exodus Rabba 14:3, we see that at times the Israelite people has not used this light for honorable ends. (Before they left Egypt, the Israelites "borrowed" gold and silver and other riches from the Egyptians). However, we can also use the light, that prophetic wisdom of what is right and good, to help create a better world. For example, bringing light to dark places could mean bringing food to the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, fighting against neo-Nazi and other white supremacist groups, visiting the sick or elderly, becoming a mentor or Big Brother/ Big Sister. What a tremendous advantage it is to have light when others do not! May we use this light for good and not for evil.

Perhaps we can use this text before we go out to do an act of social justice. Go Tzedek Hillel!

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Shmot/Exodus 25

1. And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
2. 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for
Me an offering; of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take My offering.
3. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass;
4. and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair;
5. and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood;
6. oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense;
7. onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
8. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9. According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it...

Torah Navigator

1. God is very present in the lives of the Israelites at this moment in the Biblical text. In previous weeks, God has brought them out of slavery, split the sea, drowned the Egyptians, given the Israelites food, and shown his face on Mt. Sinai. Why then are the Israelites commanded to build a sanctuary to manifest God's presence in their lives?

2. Both here and further in the parasha, God dictates every element in the construction of the tabernacle "God's not-so-voluntary wish list." Why is the detail so important? Do these demands show a need on the part of God? Shouldn't the Israelites have the right to determine the nature of their gifts to God?

3. What is your reaction to the grandeur and materialism of the sanctuary? What is the message conveyed? What is the importance, in your mind, of spending money to beautify our modern-day sanctuaries (synagogues)? How else do we take physical action to manifest God's presence in our lives?

4. Is God equally present everywhere, or is God more present in specific places (i.e., the tabernacle, synagogues, the land of Israel, etc.)?

A Word

The blueprints for building the tabernacle come right after a parasha, Mishpatim, which is replete with legal and ethical prescriptions for the Israelites. These two sections represent a stark diversion in the lives of the Israelites, who have just experienced event after event of great spiritual and practical import. After experiencing a wild ride on the wings of eagles, the Israelites get down to the details of learning how to bring God into their lives on a day-to-day basis. Not every day in their lives, and certainly in our lives, will God make God's presence known in grand ways. The Israelites, and we as their successors, need to do our own work, through the disciplined following of a code of ethics, law and ritual, to bring our lives closer to God. The covenant between us and God is not a one-way street. Much of the rest of the Five Books of Moses gave the Israelites, and gives us today, a start along this spiritual journey.

Prepared by Rabbi Mark Robbins, Jewish Chaplain, Georgetown University.

At the end of Moshe's forty day revelatory experience on Sinai, God reports the news that the people have strayed and are worshipping the golden calf. Before Moshe has a chance to respond, God says:

"I see that this is a stiff-necked people. Now, let me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them, and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation." (Exodus 32:9-10)

Your Torah Navigator
1. Why does God say, "Let me be..." Moshe hasn't said or done anything yet?
2. God is announcing that his anger has yet to blaze forth - why the warning?
3. What happens if Moshe walks away from his people - what does God promise?
4. What do we learn about Moshe that he defends his people instead of opting to become "a great nation" with a different group?
5. In light of Moshe's choice how do we understand his anger upon his return from Sinai - when he breaks to tablets?

A Word
According to Rashi, God hints to Moshe that Moshe has the capability to stop the people from being destroyed - it's as if he is saying indirectly that Moshe could literally hold him back and restrain God's rage. He also tempts Moshe by telling him that if the people are destroyed - you, Moshe - will still have a job with another people.

Moshe's love for his people comes to the fore, and Moshe chooses to defend the nation and protects them from destruction, and just as one who truly loves deeply, he is profoundly disappointed in them. In fact, he has assimilated God's wrath, and turns that anger toward the tablets, breaking them just as the tablets have been metaphorically smashed by worshipping the calf.

Moshe's humility, love and devotion are in great abundance in this small encounter. In God's presence, he puts the people first, but in the people's presence his anger and frustration reign. It is only fitting that some the people endure the wrath of Moshe while being spared the fury of their Creator.

Prepared by Avi Weinstein, Director, Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

"God said to Moses: Stretch out your hand over the heavens, and let there be darkness over the land of Egypt; they will feel darkness!

"Moses stretched out his hand over the heavens, and there was gloomy darkness throughout all the land of Egypt, for three days, a man could not see his brother, and a man could not arise from his spot, for three days.

"But for all the Children of Israel, there was light in their settlements."

Exodus 10:21-23

It is about this time of year that the lengthening of the daylight hours begins to be apparent. The color and character of the winter sunlight changes as the earth's northern hemisphere is increasingly bathed in light. Each day's period of sunlight is about two minutes longer than the day before, and now about six weeks out from the winter solstice, this change becomes quite noticeable. It is a time of the year that serves to remind us of how lucky we are to inhabit a nice planet with a good atmosphere just the right distance from a giant yellow ball of gas engaged in continuous nuclear fusion.

Light is our most important natural resource, and it is not surprising that ancient people worshiped its ultimate source, the sun. Throughout the ages, light has played a central role in humanity's myths and symbols and is a powerful metaphor for intelligence, discernment and inspiration.

Imagine for a moment what would it be like to go without even a winter sun for a few days? In this week's Torah portion, our old friends the Egyptians get to experience the loss of light first hand. The plagues that God uses to persuade the Egyptians of the error of their ways increase in intensity and pain inflicted until the last, the death of the first born. Yet the penultimate plague, darkness, on the face of it doesn't sound so bad. So it was dark, so what? We all know what it's like when the electricity goes out. Sure it's inconvenient, but a plague?

But this was more than just a couple of days without power and all the food defrosting in the freezer. What the Egyptians experienced was complete, total, even tangible darkness, a powerful symbol of all that was missing from their hearts, minds and souls.

What exactly was the nature of this "darkness?" Rashi (1040-1105 CE) says that this darkness was darker than dark and couldn't be dispelled the way normal darkness can. The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797 CE) added that darkness is not merely the absence of light but "darkness is, in fact, an independent creation that is pushed away by light, and that's the way The Holy One, Blessed is He, made nature. Therefore, here (in this plague), God changed nature, because it says, 'a darkness which can be felt,' which means that the darkness 'pushed' away the light...."

I believe that the Egyptians experienced three kinds of darkness.

The first was literal light that enables one to see. Light is the first thing that God creates at the beginning of creation. In doing so God created the ability to discern, to differentiate. Light is the prerequisite for all that follows. It is even created before the sun itself. It is light that illuminates our sense of sight. Without light, we are blind even if the eyes are functional. It is thought that the first human language may have been a kind of sign language and therefore dependent on sight. Think about how important "body" language, visual communication, still is. The Egyptian suffered blindness to emphasize their inability to distinguish between right and wrong.

The second light the Egyptians lost was an emotional light that fills a person the way a cottage in a Thomas Kinkade painting effuses with luminescence. It says in the text that for three days no one could get up from where he or she was. It was a darkness that could be felt in the soul. It was as if a dense fog of depression descended on everyone making it impossible for them to function.

People who are severely depressed often describe it as a darkness that descends and makes it impossible to do anything. It is darkness so thick that it feels like it can be touched. People in this state lose the desire to eat, work and be with other people. Often it becomes difficult to even get out of bed. When the depression lifts, sufferers describe it as a lifting of the darkness. The Egyptians suffered a loss of the will to live because of their oppression of the Israelites. It was as if a light went out in their souls.

And finally what they experienced was a kind of spiritual darkness. The previous eight plagues must have seriously undermined the Egyptian's confidence in their magicians, their gods and their god-king pharaoh's ability to protect them. A kind of darkness of the spirit must have gripped them as they realized that those in whom they had placed confidence and faith were as fragile as they were. To the extent that they were able to perceive the light of the Israelite God, it was a shattering light, which left them blinded. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in "Walden," "The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us."

The Israelites, on the other hand, had light. They had light of discernment that allowed them to see one another and to distinguish between the way things were and the way they could be. They had an emotional light that illuminated within them a love for life. And most importantly, they perceived a greater spiritual light. They did not blindly place confidence in their leaders, who were also flawed. Nor could they rely on physical might, of which they had little. Rather, they found courage and inspiration from a foundation of faith based on a perception of a brilliance far greater than the light of the sun.

Thoreau concluded "Walden" by noting, "Such is the character of that morrow which mere lapse of time can never make to dawn… Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star."

It is the Israelites' ability to envision a greater star than the sun that made it possible for them to "see" amidst the darkness, that made possible their freedom and prepared them to receive the revelation at Sinai.

They understood that the sun was but a morning star.

Prepared by Dennis Kirschbaum, Hillel's associate vice president for adminstration

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Bo at MyJewishLearning.com.

Our people celebrates the crossing of the Red Sea, a miraculous step in the journey from slavery to freedom, in song: "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord" (Exodus 15:1); "Then Miriam the prophetess...took a timbrel in her hand" (Ex. 15:20).

The Song at the Sea, as this poem is known, is beloved. Many recite it daily. It is traditionally read on the seventh day of Passover. The Shabbat on which it is chanted as part of Parashat Beshalach is called Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of song. A special melody adorns several of its verses.

In addition to having a unique sound, the song has a special appearance. It is one of two sections of the Torah that look poetic when seen in a Torah scroll (the other comes toward the end of Deuteronomy). Several rabbinic sources describe the graphic pattern of the song as "a half-brick over a brick and a brick over a half-brick" (Talmud Tractate Megillah, folio 16b).

We may be accustomed to thinking of poetry as free flowing and formless. Yet poetry is often well constructed. In English, we call a small unit of poetry a stanza (Italian for "a room"). In Hebrew, such a unit is sometimes referred to as a bayit ("a house"). In poetry, words can join to form walls, floors and roofs.

Shirat haYam, the Song at the Sea, "builds a house" in more ways than one. Verse by verse, brick by brick and half-brick by half-brick, the song grows as a firm structure. Near the beginning of the song, Israel sings "this is my God ve-anveihu" (Ex. 15:2), to which a Midrashic comment from the second-century Mechilta adds, "this is my God and I will build Him a habitation." The song looks forward beyond the splitting of the sea, across the experiences of the Sinai wilderness, to a "sanctuary" (Ex. 15:17) we know of as the Temple in Jerusalem. As the song draws to a close, the watery walls (see Ex. 14:29) of the sea enclose the people Israel with words:

"...the sea; and the people Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea" (Ex. 15:19).

For us, looking back over the millennia, the song teaches that we can use poetry and the telling of our stories to make a house and home in which future generations of Jews may flourish. Such a house celebrates our common experiences in the present and connects us with our people's history as well as with the future that lies ahead.

The song suggests several strategies for succeeding in this endeavor in a Jewish way:

• Stories are ideally sung and told in groups. Invite others to join your song.
• Musical instruments help. Dancing helps.
• Everyone's voice counts.
• A sturdy, well-built song will speak well.
• Don't be afraid to use Hebrew. The Hebrew language opens up untold storehouses of story, melody and song. If you do not have access to Hebrew...
• ...seek a teacher.
• The wonder of a moment resides not only in its own contours but also in how we perceive it and celebrate it.
• A meaningful song reflects our experience and inspires the future.
• Be boldly imaginative. Do not be timid.
• Write it down. Record it. Post it to a blog. Photograph it.

May we all succeed in building song-houses for the Jewish university students whom we serve, to the benefit of the Jewish people and the world.

Prepared by David M. Rosenberg, executive director, the Johanna and Herman H. Newberger Hillel Center at the University of Chicago

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Beshalach at MyJewishLearning.com.

Shmot/Exodus 21-24

You have just committed murder (God forbid), and now you're on the run! The guy you knocked-off deserved it, right? A real creep! Who could blame you? But now that the deed is done and he is no longer, you begin to worry about your own fate. Perhaps, just perhaps, you acted inappropriately. It was a mistake. Now what?

You race over to the Temple, grab hold of the mizbayach (the altar) where offerings are sent up to God. What could be holier? As the mob appears at the gate, you are comforted by your decision to turn to God in t'shuva, and your desire to return to goodness. The angry mob gets closer, but you're not worried, you're in the Sanctuary. Then you are seized by the violent hands of the people, and ripped away from the alter.

"Wait a second!" you protest. "Isn't the Sanctuary a place of refuge - just like Ducks Unlimited?!" "Haven't I earned a reprieve by turning to God for forgiveness?"

The crowd responds, "Wrong definition of sanctuary. And premeditated murder is unforgivable, anyway!" They take you away, and put you to death. (Check out the lovely wording in the Torah for yourself. Shmot/Exodus 21:14)

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why does the Torah imply that murder is wrong? And why does God take it so personally?

2. The Law in the Torah states that if a person did not plan to kill his victim, then the person can flee from the pursuing mob to a special place. What distinguishes accidental murder (manslaughter) from planned murder? How much of a role does the act of murder itself take, versus other factors?

3. How does the Torah justify the capital punishment (putting to death) of the murderer, when the act of killing is so abhorrent?

4. What qualities and qualifications might the judges in a capital case be expected to possess?

A Word

Our intentions seem to bear heavy the consequences for our actions. Our words and thoughts matter. What we think about and what we do are connected. This is called kavannah – and it is one of the most important aspect in Judaism. If someone decides to end the other's life, and then does it -- then he has done more than play God. He has written himself out of the world. And the Torah demands of the community to remove that person ourselves, even in the heart of the Temple. There are no symbols holy enough to lessen the horror of murder.

Prepared by Rabbi Shmuel Bowman, Director The Ellin Mitchell Hillel Program at Tel Aviv University Ramat Aviv, Israel.

Don't Shake My Tree.

The first Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah teaches that there are actually four different New Years, one of them being the New Year for tithing fruit trees. While it is agreed that the month of Shevat is the appropriate time to begin this New Year, Shammai argues for the first day of the month as the New Year while Hillel maintains it is the fifteenth. The New Year designates the beginning of the trees' fiscal year for tithing, or tributes made to the Priests, the Levites and -- in certain years -- the poor. From this rather benign origin, much grander designs have been imposed on this holiday throughout Jewish history. The mystics of Tzefat created a Seder which paid homage to the Divine connection between trees, their fruits and the nature of God in the universe. The State of Israel enlisted Hebrew schools of the Diaspora in collecting funds for planting trees and greening the state of Israel to the point that the pre '67 borders are known as the Green Line. Tu B'Shevat (the Hebrew Tu literally being the letters designating the number fifteen) became a Jewish Arbor Day and finally, with the emergence of ecological awareness, it now has nuances of Jewish environmentalism.

One of the significant aspects of the Tu B'Shevat Seder is to showcase the fruits of Israel specifically mentioned in the Torah. This is especially poignant this week since Tu B'Shevat falls during the week of Parsht Yitro - the Parshat where the Children of Israel receive the Ten Commandments. In honor of Tu B'shevat, and the fruits of Israel let us consider, one of the seven species, the pomegranate.

Talmud Berachot (Blessings) 57a

One who sees pomegranates in a dream -if they are small, so too, will be the fruits of his business. If they are great, so too will be the fruits of his business. If [the pomegranates] are divided in pieces. If he has wisdom, he
can expect much Torah. If he has no wisdom, he can expect many Mitzvot.

Your Talmud Navigator

1. What is the essential distinguishing feature of the pomegranate?

2. Is it unusual for the seeds of a fruit to be its most edible part?

3. What does it mean when the fruit of the fruit is the fruit?

4. What does that have to do with business?

5. Why does a person need wisdom to expect Torah?

6. Is wisdom innate or is it acquired?

7. What makes wisdom different than Mitzvot?

A Word

In the world of dreams, we surprise ourselves by what we see as possible. Our dreams expand and limit possibility. We dream of small fruits or we dream of large fruits and our successes will and failures will be aided or hindered by our own imagination.

Torah is not innate in anyone -- it requires preparation and work. Even with work, it requires help from heaven, but without working beforehand, even heaven cannot help. Mitzvot, however, are available to anyone, for anyone, at any moment. Both activities are part of this holiday-we prepare a seder and contemplate the nature of the tree, and we go out and plant the tree as well.

Our dreams of a fruitful land are enacted by both thought and deed. We are also reminded that that Hebrew word for pomegranate contains two meanings: One is for the fruit which we celebrate today and the other is for the explosives that destroy the peaceful work of Tu B'Shevat, for "rimon" means both pomegranate and hand grenade.

May we dream of a land and people free to plant pomegranates and celebrate the sublime virtues of this ever evolving feast.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Exodus 14:1-4
The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahairoth, between Migdol andthe sea, before Baal-Tzefon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, "They are NeVuCHIM in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them." Then I will stiffen Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them that I may gain glory through Pharaoh and all his hosts; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord."

Your Torah Navigator
From the context, what do you think the word NeVuCHIM means?

A Word
In Yiddish, a Nebach is a person who lives in a constant state of bewilderment. The Nebach is an endearingly pathetic person in need of perpetual rescue. Its origins come from this verse, when God says, "Do something that makes no sense and Pharaoh will have the pretext to convince his army to pursue you."

The commentatorsRashi,Ibn Ezra and Rashbam each has his own spin on the word "Nevuchim."For Rashi, "Nevuchim" means "trapped because they do not know how to get out orknow which way to go." Ibn Ezra concurs and says it means when a person does not know how to seek counsel and does not know what to do. Rashbam disagrees and says: Nevuchim means that the sea has closed off their route for escape, but does not necessarily refer to their state of mind.

On one issue all the opinions agree. The Israelites had placed themselves in a vulnerable position; the only question is what caused them to do so. Godexplicitly saysthat this will help Him stiffen Pharaoh's resolve to pursue them in the desert and that this is all part of the plan.But the Children of Israel, knowing that this is God's plan, still do not believe God, andfeeling "Nebby," they complain to Moshe who then proceeds to rebuke them andthen takes them across the sea. The children of Israel meekly follow as God inadvertantly casts a label on B'nei Yisrael as a bunch of Nebbishes.It is a stigma we have been trying to remove from time immemorial.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, director, Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Beshalach at MyJewishLearning.com.

Let's say that you're lost - in life - and have no place to go. But then someone takes you in, protects you and gives you a home and solid direction. Soon afterward, they go out to run some errands, during which time you steal their stuff and run off. How could you possibly do such a thing after all they did for you?

Many ask the same question about the Jewish people after the exodus from Egypt. After having been slaves for hundreds of years, they were rescued from bondage with sufficient miracles to demonstrate that God was responsible. So how could they make a Golden Calf to worship just 40 days later? Aside from the miscalculation of when Moses would return from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments (and the people's related panic when he was "late"), Parshat Ki Tissa illustrates two other reasons.

Moses's request to physically see God exemplifies the first reason. By allowing Moses only an obscured view in passing from behind, God effectively tells Moses that he isn't able to truly see God. The Jewish people were also incapable in a different way. Having been acculturated to Egypt they could not (or would not) conceive of a deity without physical form. Though this was common in Egypt, it was not a good enough excuse, per God's reference to the Jews as a "stiff-necked people"-a statement that implies that the creation of the Golden Calf was both wrong and purposeful. Again we might ask, "How could they?"

Another reason is that during the Exodus, the Jews were not alone, as they were joined by a sizeable contingent of "locals" whose influence is seen when the Golden Calf is introduced as "'Your God, O Israel [rather than "the" God] who brought you out of Egypt." But this is also not a good enough excuse. Even though these people did not believe in our God, they were still an accountable part of the Israelite community. This is exemplified by the instructions for creating the fragrant incense used in the Holy Temple. Its "recipe" includes a foul-smelling resin called galbanum to illustrate that even "marginal, disagreeable people have to be included in the community," according to Rashi.

Today we might say, "This Golden Calf statue story isn't relevant to me!" And it may be true that you've never seen a life-sized, cow-shaped wood frame covered in gold leaf. But has anyone you know ever fantasized about a degree from their top-choice college? Drooled over a car on "Pimp My Ride?" Been jealous of someone's infomercial-worthy abs? Secretly longed for another 1,000 songs in their iPod? Though we don't recognize them as such, idols are still part of our society. There is no shortage of achievements, qualities and possessions that we can worship to a level that upsets the balance of our lives and obscures our true purpose.

Still, we needn't be overly hard on ourselves, as everyone is subject to temptations. But we should be careful, because as noted by commentators in the Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary, even if we know conceptually that these forms of modern idolatry can be dangerous, once they grab us emotionally, they're tough to shake. We might even be tempted to just accept an unhealthy level of desire for these "idols," as it is common in our culture. But as with most addictions, the effects aren't always apparent to those who are consumed by desire. This is important because we are all role models, to one another and to future generations. Fortunately, we have a great incentive to be so. Exodus Chapter 34, verses 6-7 show us that if people repeat the sins of their predecessors, they are partially held at fault for the transgressions of up to five continuous previous generations. However, the reward for continued positive acts across generations essentially extends forever.

We live in a fast-paced world where change is constant. But we have normal human tendencies, thus we can't always change quickly. So again, we shouldn't beat ourselves up if we can't be as much as we want to right away, especially spiritually. The study of Torah and the pursuit of a good life are both challenging journeys, but also enjoyable ones. The giving of the Torah to the Jewish people by God is described as tantamount to a marriage contract. Like a marriage, the bond between us and God is meant to be enjoyed, to grow stronger with time and to withstand difficulties. In the end, God does forgive the people for having fashioned the Golden Calf. Similarly, as we strive to learn and be our best, if we lose the path, we are not alone and can find the way back.

Prepared by Lee Hendelman, development communications coordinator

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

Some of you may know that I twirl fire baton - it's true. My favorite part of fire twirling is when my fire baton would be lit by another twirler and eventually, very quickly, the entire field would be lit up with glowing hues.

When I began to look at Parshat Tetzaveh, the opening lines of the Torah portion brought back many fire twirling memories. "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee clear olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually." This opening line describes how God tells Moses to ask the children of Israel to obtain oil so that Aaron can kindle the menorah flames for the mishkan, the portable tabernacle. But why did God or Moses not provide the light? Why did the Israelites need to provide it?

In an ideal world, I would envision that the soul of each Jew is an eternal emission of light - a ner tamid (eternal lamp), if you will. Light symbolizes the goodness in the world or the potential in each of us to perform acts of kindness by engaging in social justice, engagement or other "good deeds." Our bodies are the vessels that hold the necessary ingredients to create light - that is, a wick and the oil. The wick represents the physicality of light in the world - the positive actions that we perform. The wick, burning alone, however, will eventually be extinguished. It is only with the help of the oil's fuel that the wick will continue to burn, and our bodies, these sacred vessels, will continue to emit light. The oil, then, provides the fuel for the light in the world. God did not simply provide the oil, nor did Moses, because God is requesting that we find the oil, the fuel, the energy within ourselves to make this world a better place.

God then helps us determine how to find this energy, the oil, within ourselves. God does this by requesting a specific kind of oil - clear olive oil that is beaten. Rashi, a biblical commentator, tells us that the clear oil refers to pure oil, meaning that God wants our motives to be free of jealousy, hatred and evil. It specifies olive oil to maintain our Jewish identity, for, like the Jewish people, the olive oil does not mix well with other liquid - meaning, we must hold fast to our unique identity and find ways of being a "light unto the nations." (Isaiah). Finally, we need "beaten" oil because, accordingly to the Talmud, we perform our best when we "press" ourselves to be our best. When we provide light to others around us, we encourage others to do the same.

But more important than the specific type of oil is what we do with that oil, what we do with that energy to create more "light" in this world. When we return to the text, the opening lines of the parsha then continue: "[The ner tamid] shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages." In other words, we have an obligation to continue to pass the torch onto future generations by being a light unto the nations.

I now know why my favorite part of fire twirling was when our batons would be lit by another twirler - for I appreciated the human interaction passing off the "light" to others. As Jewish professionals, we, too, can pass off the torch. When we help ignite the sparks in Jewish students on campus, we empower them to find their own oil, their own fuel, so that they, too, can continue to pass the torch and help build a world full of radiant, sustained light.

Prepared by Jennifer Schlosberg, senior associate, Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Tetzaveh at MyJewishLearning.com.

The exodus from Egypt may be the most seminal experience in all of Jewish history. Its importance is central to Jewish theology because it granted us the freedom required to willingly enter into a covenantal relationship with G-d at Mt. Sinai. Like Mt. Sinai it was also a shared experience that every living Jew had a part in, and thus it became a central element in Jewish historical identity.

The centerpiece of the parsha is the "Shirah," the song that was sung after the crossing of the parted sea and vanquishing of the pursuing Egyptians. These verses have assumed a major role in Jewish liturgy, appearing in the morning service each and every day. The song is an acknowledgement of Divine salvation at a time when the Jewish people faced what seemed to be certain annihilation. What is also unique about this song is that it was sung in unison and spontaneously by the entire Jewish people.

As educators we know that learning something like a song takes either prolonged exposure to the piece or a concerted effort at learning the words and music. Often we use songs to unite communities in a common purpose, such as prayer, or to forge a common bond, like a college fight song. Not knowing a song can exclude someone from a group, and knowing a song can bring total strangers together without precondition. Often we take comfort in knowing that certain commonly known verses may appear when most needed, such as the kaddish prayer to a mourner, or Hatikvah at an Israel rally. They can bond us together in a shared purpose and a shared experience that becomes an important part of our collective Jewish memory.

Here the Midrash gives us two versions of how the entire Jewish people broke into spontaneous song, almost like the cast of a Broadway musical. In the first midrash, "R. Yose Haglili taught that when Israel came out of the Red Sea they all turned to sing the song of praise. How did they manage to sing altogether? The child was on its mother's knees and the infant suckled at the breast. Then as soon as they saw G-d's Presence, the child stood up and the infant stopped feeding and they sang 'zeh Eylee v'anveyhu, Elohei avi v'arom'menhu' (this is my G-d and I will glorify Him, my father's G-d and I will exalt Him). R. Meir used to say that even the unborn children sang the song." It is the experience that begins literally on the parents' knees (or even in the womb?) that can be such a crucial contributing factor in the development of personal memory and Jewish identity.

In the second midrash, "R. Avin Halevi (commenting on the opening verse of the song 'az yashir Moshe u'venei Yisrael et a shirah hazot' (thus sang Moses and the Children of Israel this song...) said: When Israel sang this first song to G-d, Moses had to lead them, just like a teacher will say the lesson first and the child will repeat it. So our verse makes it clear that Moses and the Children of Israel sang the song, so to speak, in that order." This time it was a "teaching moment" for Moses, who imparted the song which was quickly learned by his attentive students.

Perhaps both of these midrashim offer examples of nurture rather than nature, highlighting the important roles of parents and teachers. Some of our students arrive on campus having experienced Judaism on their "parent's knees." We in Hillel are similarly engaged in this holy work, teaching our own students the "song" of our Jewish heritage as Moshe taught us the Shirah. Let us hope that the common experiences that our students can share of "singing the song" as part of a community of Jews will create those meaningful moments that build a memory and an identity that lasts a lifetime.

Written by Rabbi Joseph Topek, director of Stony Brook University Hillel Foundation.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Beshalach visit www.myjewishlearning.com

Exodus 6:2 - 9:35

Last week Moshe seems to have exacerbated the travails of the Hebrew slaves. He complains to God that his visit has only made things worse and questions the point of the whole liberation enterprise.

In this week's parsha God promises Moshe that "he ain't seen nothin' yet" and he should wait and see what God has in store for Pharaoh. God will judge the Egyptians harshly and the great redemption of Israel will occur.

Suddenly, there is a break in the narrative and we are subjected to a list of Ya'akov's first three sons and the progeny that went down to Egypt. It is a funny place for a partial list to appear and one wonders why it was necessary to give us this list now. Also, why are only the first three sons mentioned? What happened to everyone else?

Your Torah Navigator

1. Note that the history of Reuven, Shimon and Levy are rendered here. Take a look at the first verses of the last chapter of Genesis (49) and see what Ya'akov has divined for their futures.
2. In light of this, why would we take time to single out their family backgrounds at this particular moment?
3. Look at the verses in our parsha that detail the family backgrounds of Reuven, Shimon and
Levy. Why is Levy's family mentioned in greater detail?

Midrash Pesikta Rabati 7:9

"These are the heads of their respective clans...the sons of Reuven...the sons of Shimon...and the sons of Levy..." (Exodus 6:14)

This is what Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Levy explained, but they didn't explain why these three sons of Ya'akov were connected to Moshe and Aharon. "Why are these verses connected to Moshe and Aaron?" Because their father had rebuked them harshly and counted them as a unique group.

Well, that's very nice, but what does that have to do with connecting them to Moshe and Aharon?

Rebbe bar Rebbe Simon said in the name of Rebbe Shmuel the son of Rebbe Yitzchak: It is because they accepted the rebuke of their father, they were merited to be connected to Moshe and Aharon. Thus they embodied the verse: Those who live with rebuke will be lodged with the wise.
(Proverbs 15:31)

Your Midrash Navigator

1. Why is honoring the first three sons of Ya'akov problematic?
2. How does the midrash solve this problem?
3. Going with the reading of the midrash, why is this a particularly significant place for their family histories to be mentioned?

A Word

Rashi, the most popular of the medieval Torah commentators, suggests that Moshe, as we see, was a descendant of Levy who is the third son of Ya'akov and the purpose of this genealogy is to bring glory to Moshe's ancestry.

Well, that may explain why Levy's descendants are mentioned in much greater detail than Reuven and Shimon, but why are Reuven and Shimon mentioned at all?

Rashi goes on to explain that if Levy were mentioned out of order one may have mistaken him for the first born. He is placed third in order to keep the record straight and not to diminish the birthright of Reuven or even Shimon as the second born.

These three brothers share another distinction. Reuven, Shimon and Levy were all given harsh rebukes by their ailing father Ya'akov when they were summoned for their final blessing.

The Midrash sees significance that the three sons mentioned in our parsha, are the same three sons who are consecutively rebuked by Ya'akov at the very end of his life. In our case, however, the three are attached to Moshe, our redeemer. It draws the conclusion that something must have occurred to repair their status. Shimon and Levy, once cursed for their violent tendencies, are now linked by the Torah to Moshe.

Every deed has a brief life span, only to be replaced by another. The Midrash warns that one should never judge a person by a single deed, or for that matter a single character trait, no matter how reprehensible. A life always has the potential to be redeemed, and although Shimon and Levy cannot erase their days of infamy, they can, in fact redeem them, and then be lodged among the wise.

Redemption requires contrition and resolve to change. The Torah "lodges" them with Moshe, and Moshe being a descendent of the house of Levy, brings honor to that house as well as Levy's older brothers.

After God has explained the grand scheme for the redemption of Israel, He alludes to the redemption of Ya'akov's three eldest sons. Their mini-redemption is the precursor of the great redemption of Israel through Moshe and Aharon.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vaeyra at MyJewishLearning.com.

Moshe has been up on the mountain for awhile. He's been given scores of details on who the priests, the Kohanim, should be, how they should dress and how they should perform their duties. We have been given the blueprints for the design of a magnificent Tabernacle, but until now, we have not been given a designer. In fact, it would be fair to assume that Moshe himself would supervise this enterprise. But look at what the verse tells us:

Exodus Chapter 31

1 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:

2 See, I have called by name Betzalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Yehuda.

3 I have filled him with the spirit of God in practical-wisdom, discernment and knowledge in all kinds of workmanship,

4 to design designs, to make them in gold, in silver and in bronze,

5 in the cutting of stones for setting and in the cutting of wood, to make them through all kinds of workmanship.

"I have called by name Betzalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Yehuda. I have filled him with the spirit of God in practical wisdom, discernment and knowledge in all kinds of workmanship."

YOUR TORAH NAVIGATOR

1. What does it mean "I have called by name Betzalel"? Is God reporting that the Holy One has already spoken to Betzalel or can it mean something else? Has Betzalel been pre-ordained to do this?

2. Why wasn't Moshe given this job?

3. What is the difference between practical wisdom (Chochmah), discernment (Tevunah) and knowledge (Da'at).

4.Is this in addition to the "Spirit of God", or does this define the "Spirit of God"?

5. The name Betzalel means "In God's shadow". Does his name offer any hints as to why he was "called by name"?

RASHI on the verse: "I have filled him with the spirit of God in practical-wisdom, discernment and knowledge in all kinds of workmanship,"

"IN PRACTICAL-WISDOM": things you hear from others and learn.

"DISCERNMENT": things you figure out yourself from what you have heard

"KNOWLEDGE": the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh)

YOUR RASHI NAVIGATOR

1. Compare Rashi's understanding of these three terms to the way you understood them?

2. What do you think Rashi means by Holy Spirit? If Betzalel was filled with practical wisdom, and discernment, why was this holy spirit necessary?

3. According to Rashi, "DISCERNMENT" requires one to "figure things out from what you have heard" while "knowledge" is the Holy Spirit--why isn't the practical wisdom enough?

4. Define the essential components of Betzalel's creativity according to Rashi?

5. Could anyone's heart been filled with the "spirit of God", or did it have to be Betzalel?

6. What is your definition of creativity?

7. How would you define inspiration?

8. How would Rashi define inspiration?

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM YOUR NAVIGATOR

Betzalel, like Avraham seems to be chosen out of the blue. Unlike Avraham, he remains in God's shadow, a master designer without a speaking role. Moshe is told on the mountain that God has always known who the master designer would be. According to the midrash, it was already recorded in the archives of the Biblical Adam that there would be a person who would on the one hand be able to follow instructions impeccably, but on the other hand would be creative enough to read between the lines and pure enough to contain and retain the spirit of God. This could not be Moses because it required someone who could embody the design of God's house...someone whose form could be filled with this knowledge, and only this knowledge. A leader of the people could not be as single minded as Betzalel was. He dwelled in the shadow of the Holy One, a pale refection and a magnificent retainer of the ideal form that would house the Holy One. Shabbat Shalom!

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Perhaps one the most obscure episodes in the entire Torah is found in this week's parsha. God has just spoken to Moses at the burning bush and instructed him to go to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh let the Israelite slaves go. Moses takes his family and begins to travel down to Egypt. Our episode takes place during Moses' journey back to Egypt.

Exodus 4:24-26
"It came to pass at the inn that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. So Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched his legs with it, saying, "You are truly a bridegroom of blood to me!" And when He let him alone, she added, "A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision."

These verses are out of context and very troubling. You cannot get more direct contact with God than when Moses is addressed at the burning bush. God tells him what he needs to do and gives him the tools to do this. Even when Moses has his doubts, God throws in some great "coming attractions" to show Moses that everything will be all right. And yet when Moses sets out to perform the will of God, we are suddenly hit with the verse" ... the Lord met him, and sought to kill him."

Your Exodus Navigator
1. Whom is the Lord meeting?
2. Who is God trying to kill, and why?
3. Why does Zipporah circumcise her son?
4. Why does this story appear here?

Traditional midrashim have suggested that God was trying to kill Moses because he forgot to circumcise his son. And even the absence of one mitzvah can delay the redemption of the whole Jewish people. Nice try but that doesn't work.... at least for me.

A Word
On a level this verse works as a timeless stop sign that says no matter how many years you have spent on this parsha, you need to wrestle with this one once again. And I think it works as follows: Life is messy and even when we think we have the "plan" there are forces at work that are going to frustrate that "plan" if not kill you. Even Moses, our greatest teacher, loses his way and collapses, as he is about to embark on his great mission. The only thing that saves his life is (Moses' best friend) Zipporah's quick thinking. Zipporah circumcises Eliezer and throws the foreskin on Moses and declares he is a bridegroom of blood. And God, or the angel, retreats.

Unlike Moses, most of us are not privy to know of what it is that God exactly wants from us or what God plans for us. God's plan for us is called Providence (which is of course a city in Rhode Island, but that's another story). And both the forces that lead us to succeed and lead to our failures (if not our demise) are found within trying to figure out God's will through Torah. This is both messy and paradoxical, but it could lead us to Sinai and ultimately Israel. Zvi Kolitz, writing on the philosophy of Joseph B. Soloveitchick, said: "The religious life doesn't lead to paradise it leads to paradox." I believe that this quote ultimately helps us get an understanding of where our life and where Torah have a wonderful unsettling yet very sobering meeting point.

Prepared by Rabbi Rich Kirschen, Executive Director, Brown Hillel.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Shemot at MyJewishLearning.com.

To paraphrase a great American revolutionary, "These are the parshas that try rabbi's souls."

I have spent some time perusing many midrashim on this parsha which opens with the directive from God to Moses "to have Aaron and Company kindle the light of the Sanctuary with pure olive oil"--the Biblical version of extra virgin. Many of the midrashim deal with how the history of Israel is reflected in the way oil is processed from the olive.

In trying to make sense out of Jewish suffering, the rabbis tell us that the pure oil only comes from the olive after it has been beaten and crushed. It is as if they wish to say that suffering is a necessary prerequisite to a spirit of purity. It is only after the olive is pulverized into pure oil that it is then ready to shed light upon the world.

One of the rabbis even says this is why the dove returns to Noah's Ark with an olive branch. It is a sign that when we emerge from our suffering, we have not only been cleansed, but we have the potential to bring light where there was darkness and desolation. It is this hopeful comment that allows us to rise from the despair that surrounds us. For along with the pain is the potential for new insight which may indeed "enlighten" not only ourselves but the world around us. Enduring suffering may bring forth insight, empathy, and generosity. It is just as likely to bring bitterness, anger and despair. The rabbis say that it was our ability to bring light which ensured our perpetuity.

The olives may be beaten, but their oil rises to the top, and then burns brightlly, defying the waters that surrounds it. This was a powerful metaphor for the rabbis. We have often heard the saying, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." The rabbis, however, seem to be making a different point, "That which does not kill me may make me more pure, and makes my light shine eternally."

It may give me a consciousness that is truly enlightening to others, but first we have to emerge with the olive branch before this transformation can occur.

For those who understand the purpose of living is to grow in awareness, the "oliveness" of our history and our own individual travails require that we strive for hope under the bleakest of circumstances. It is this quality that sets Israel apart. That while the olive is being crushed there were those among us who prepared the oil and then brought the light. The dove searched for the branch and brought it back to the world's creatures assuring all that they had emerged from the waters of destruction.

May all the hidden lights be revealed when we need to see them.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein.

This week's Torah portion begins with the Jewish exodus out of Egypt. Moses leads the people of Israel away from slavery and toward the Promised Land. As the Egyptian chariot army pursues them and they reach an impassable river, miracles from God keep the Egyptians back so Moses can part the waters and the Jews can escape as the Egyptians are drowned. As Moses continued to lead the wandering Jews, they sought food and water, and were provided for by more miracles, such as water from stones and manna on the ground. Finally, the section ends with an attack against the Jews by Amalek, and Moses receives power from God to strengthen the Jewish army and turn the battle in their favor.

This section of the Torah contains elements that allow for both optimism and pessimism as we review it today. It can serve to raise our spirits to see that even as bad as things were for the Jewish slaves in Egypt, they were able to persevere and maintain their Judaism and eventually receive their redemption. As modern Jewish professionals face problems that pale in comparison to these historical troubles, the opportunity to overcome is always present and waiting around the corner for today's leaders to offer the necessary inspiration.

Just as importantly, it is heartening to see the role of these miracles in our Jewish history. At first glance the miraculous events in the portion seem to be the parting of the Dead Sea, and the other acts by God to help the Jewish people. On further reflection, God is all-powerful, so there is no reason to think that anything He does should be considered a miracle. The greater miracle is that the Jews were willing to trust that God would provide for them and that they would trust Moses to deliver them out of Egypt even in the face of a mighty Egyptian army and a seemingly hostile desert without food or water. It is through the people's trust in God's salvation that the true miracle in this portion is revealed.

One area of concern in this section is the doubt exhibited by the Jewish people. Even as they are shown miracle after miracle to lead them out of Egypt and to safety they continuously challenge the laws of Moses and of God. Daily offerings of miraculous manna on the ground do not fully convince them that they are receiving the true word that they should follow. When they learn one day that there is a double portion so that they can take a day of rest, they ignore that instruction and break the Shabbat. If the Jews in Beshalach were not swayed by seeing the acts of God and hearing the explanations from Moses, then it demonstrates how great the challenge can be to communicate effectively and persuasively with a Jewish population that is not seeing manna delivered from the sky.

There is one final way that this passage felt relevant to my work at Hillel. There are many tiny miracles that help make the work that happens today successful. It may not be as dire as a lack of food or water, but there are times when someone forgot to reserve a room, the food for an event wasn't delivered, or the funding for an important program has fallen through. At moments like that, as challenges mount and success seems impossible, sometimes a seeming miracle will appear and provide a solution to the problem. It is impossible to know the causes behind these interventions - whether it is pure coincidence or whether it is possible that the faith that we hold onto, similar to the faith of the Jews walking out of Egypt that they would not perish from famine or war, is what allows those miracles to occur.

Written by Andy Ratto, Washington University Jewish Community Service Corps Fellow, St. Louis Hillel.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Beshalach visit www.myjewishlearning.com

The Talmud says that for us today prayer has replaced the sacrifices. Doing the work of approaching God, exercising the ability of the human to reach beyond and encounter face to face the brute existence of the Most High, is what both sacrifice and prayer are really all about. This is service for no ulterior purpose than encountering the Divine one on One, and standing in relationship with God.

If we experience Being through relationship, as Martin Buber said we do, then the primacy of the experience of approaching, standing before, and interacting with the Divine, may be one of the most powerful and necessary things we can do as humans and Jews.

A famous Chassidic Rabbi once asked, "why does the Torah say, 'Build a sanctuary for me and I will dwell in them (plural)?' Wouldn't it be more correct to say, 'build a sanctuary and I will dwell in it (singular)'?

The answer teaches us that God really desires a sanctuary in each one of us.

Prepared by Rabbi Hyim Shafner, St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.

Your Torah Navigator

Toward the end of Parshat Tetzaveh, we learn that there are two altars, one for the animal sacrifices, the "korbanot" and one for burning the incense, the "ketoret." The design of this second altar is explicated in great detail, but the purpose of the incense is unclear. The altar is, however, to be used exclusively for incense. Only on Yom Kippur is the blood of animals to be sacrificed upon it. The only thing we know is that the aromatic incense is to be burned before the lamps of the menorah are prepared.

1. What does the "ketoret" symbolize?
2. Why is it connected to preparing the lamps on the menorah?

From Midrash Tadsheh Chapter 11 (taken from Rabbi Menachem Kasher's monumental 45-volume anthology, "Torah Shelemah": There were two altars in the sanctuary, one of gold, which symbolized the human life force, and one of copper, which symbolized the body. Just as gold is more precious than copper, so too, the life force is more precious than the body. Yet, each day it was decreed that both always be rendered before the Holy One.

So too, one must always come before the Master of Many Worlds--always with the life force and the body. The copper altar is for sacrifices that are to be eaten--eating is a bodily function. Only incense, something that was made to be smelled, was allowed on the golden altar-and only the soul gets pleasure from fragrance.

From the Midrash Tanchuma on the parasha: The Hebrew word for incense KeToReTH is an acronym: The letter kuf (K) alludes to kedusha-holiness. The letter tet (T) alludes to tahara-purity. The letter resh (R) alludes to rachamim-mercy, and the letter tahf (TH) alludes to tikvah-hope

A Word

The verse in Proverbs teaches that, "A mitzvah is the lamp and the Torah is the light..." (Proverbs 6:23). The most heavenly sense is the sense of smell and the midrash of the Tanchuma connects this feeling with four heavenly qualities, holiness, purity, mercy and hope. Each of these qualities brings transcendence and meaning to the banalities of everyday life. Each day Aaron's morning began with the reminder that existing is not enough, but each day must include kedusha, a commitment to our sacred mission; tahara, a commitment to the cleansing of the spirit; rachamim, a predilection to be generous of spirit; and tikva, a renunciation of despair replaced by a vision of hope. The incense reminds us that this heavenly smoke is meant to light up our souls.

In the beginning of this week's Torah portion, parshat Tetzaveh, God tells Moses to command the Jewish People to take pure olive oil for the menorah, which was to be lit each day in the Temple. This is the first of the Temple services described. The following Midrash (Tanchumah 5) gives some explanation for the menorah's central and prominent place in the daily Temple service.

Midrash Tanchumah 5
"How beautiful are you my beloved, your eyes are like doves" (Song of Songs1:15). Why are the Jewish People compared to a dove in this verse? When Noah sent the raven out of the Ark to check if the waters had receded, the raven flew away on its own. But afterward when he sent the dove it came back with an olive twig in its mouth showing that the world was habitable again. Just as the dove brought light to the world, so you, the Jewish People who are compared to a dove, shall bring pure oil and light a lamp before God, as it says, "command the people and tell them to bring oil ... to bring up a constant flame."

Your Midrash Tanchumah Navigator:
1. How did the dove bring "light" to the world?
2. Is lighting the menorah similar to the dove's light?
3. What kind of light should the menorah remind us to bring to the world?
4. As a Jew how can you bring more of this light in your life and world?

A Word:
When the Jews in the desert dedicate the Temple, the first service they do is lighting the menorah (see Numbers). Similarly, later in history when the Macabees rededicate the Temple the first thing they do is light the menorah. Somehow the lighting of the menorah sets the stage for all other Temple services. The Talmud notes that the windows in the Temple were smaller on the inside and larger on the outside as if the spiritual "light" of the Temple was meant to radiate to the outside world. The dove comes from and returns to the Ark (a special place), and in the process brings light to the outside world. So too should we come from a holy place and return back to holiness, but in the interim bring light to a world that so needs that light. This is what the menorah in the Temple (and in our houses on Chanukah) should remind us of. We are like doves leaving the ark, bringing light to the world. Shabbat Shalom.

Prepared by Rabbi Hyim Shafner, Campus Rabbi, St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Tetzaveh at MyJewishLearning.com.

Exodus 30:11-34:35

These last weeks Moses has been atop the mountain gathering information from God about the building of the tabernacle and all of its features. It has been an awesome and holy experience for him atop Mt. Sinai. Meanwhile, down below, the people are getting anxious waiting for Moses. "He said 40 days! Where is he?" The people begin to question their leadership. Here is what happens:

Exodus 32:1-7

1. When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, "Come make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt we do not know what has happened to him."
2. Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."
3. And all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4. This he took from them and cast in a mold and made it into a molten calf. And they exclaimed, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
5. When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: "Tomorrow shall be a festival of YHWH!"
6. Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance.
7. YHWH spoke to Moses, "GO, GO DOWN, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely..."

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why did the people build the golden calf?
2. Why did Aaron help them?
3. Was Moses a good leader in this situation?
4. Was Aaron a good leader in this situation?

Rashi 32:7

And YHWH spoke, "spoke" and not "said." This implies rough speech [God spoke (roughly) to Moses]... GO, GO DOWN from your high position; I have given you distinction only for their sake! At that moment Moses was excommunicated by a decree of the heavenly court.

Your Rashi Navigator

1. Even God is angry with Moses. Why is God angry?
2. Who is at fault here? Moses? Aaron? The people?
3. What could have been done differently by Moses, Aaron,
or the community?

A Word

The golden calf incident seems to be a case of bad leadership all around. Rashi shows us how God chastises Moses for his poor leadership of the people. If Moses had communicated better with the people before he left to climb the mountain, perhaps they would not have doubted him so much. And yet, Aaron too, was at fault. He had allowed the people to riot by not providing them with any clear leadership instructions. Some interpreters say that Aaron was only trying to stall for time until Moses came back. And yet Aaron's advice created havoc and rioting among our people! Ramban even suggests that Moses later yells at Aaron saying: "What kind of hatred did you have for this people that you thought to cause their destruction and annihilation?" Clearly, Aaron was partly toblame for this disaster. And finally, responsibility also lies in each member of the Israelite community. The commentator Sforno points out that if there had been even one or two Israelites righteous enough to speak out, Aaron would have had enough support to desist from making the golden calf. Indeed, when a situation of chaos and defeat arises in a community, it is easy to blame others. But in truth, each of us is responsible for our actions. And when a community fails, it causes each of us to GO DOWN for a time. May each of us RISE UP to make our communities a place of responsibility and holiness.

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, Midwest Director of Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Ki Tisa, this week's Torah portion, has several intriguing verses.

In Chapter 33, verse 8, Moshe says to God, "Show me now Your glory." Some commentaries say the meaning of this statement is, "Show me how You work in the world. I want to understand Your ways."

After God begins His response in verse 19, he continues with verses 20-23:

20. He said, "You will not be able to see My face, for no human can see Me and live." 21. The Lord said, "Behold! There is a place near Me; you may stand on the rock. 22. When My glory passes by, I shall place you in a cleft of the rock; I shall shield you with My hand until I have passed. 23. Then I shall remove My hand and you will see My back, but My face may not be seen."

What do we see when we see a person's back? Looking over that person's shoulder, we see what she sees. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch comments on verse 21: "…only one point of view exists as the highest goal…and that is not to try and get a sight of God, but …to look at men and human conditions from a height, next to God, … to understand and appreciate all men and the conditions of human life."

Perhaps the implication of this insight is: "Moshe, now as you stand next to Me and see from these lofty heights the world as it is, you, My partner, have a responsibility to do your share to mend this fractured world."

Another possibility: Maybe God is saying: "Moshe, I am going to give you a gift far greater than seeing My face (understanding My ways). That gift: a glimpse of the world from the lofty heights of My perspective. There is a place next to Me ['…Hiney makom iti…']. Stand here, look with Me at the world as I see it ideally could be, and work with me to transform this vision into a reality."

However we understand what God shows Moshe, the message is the same for every human being: Each of us has to do our share as God's partner in Tikkun Olam.

In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, in his book To Heal a Fractured World - The Ethics of Responsibility, "To live the life of faith is to hear the silent cry of the afflicted, the lonely and marginal, the poor, the sick, and the disempowered, and to respond. For the world is not yet mended, there is work still to do, and God has empowered us to do it - with him, for him and for his faith in us."

Written by Rabbi Meir Mitelman of Hofstra University Hillel.

This D'var Torah also includes some ideas of Rabbi Michael Paley and Richard M. Joel.

Up to this point in the exodus narrative, the Torah focuses on the commandments concerning the construction, design and furnishings of the Tabernacle. This week's portion of Tetzaveh focuses on how the Tabernacle functions as a place of worship on a daily basis. Tetzaveh begins with a command that Moses shall instruct the children of Israel to bring him olive oil to keep a lamp continuously lit. This is followed by several detailed instructions for priestly vestments such as a breastplate with ornate stones and jewels.

What interests me right from the start of this parshah is the particular order of the instructions. Just as God began the creation story with a command for light, God begins instructing the functions of the Tabernacle with a command for an eternal light. This eternal light is to burn before the children of Israel forever, from generation to generation. Later, in the Book of Isaiah, God twice describes the Israelites as a "light unto the nations," raising our status to the prominence of the light.

What is meant by the prominence of light in the Torah? Throughout time, light featured prominently in art, philosophy and motion pictures, such as Star Wars, as a philosophical allusion to goodness, benevolence, hope and healing. Why does a shaft of light connect the beginning of creation, to the eternal flame of our places of worship, to our status as a holy nation? I believe that it demonstrates our obligation to continue the works of creation in a daily effort to spread light.

Today on our campuses, our Hillels continue to serve as a beacon of light to Jewish students as a place of comfort, refuge, resource and community while serving as a light unto the rest of the campus. Over the next few weeks hundreds of Jewish students will leave behind the comforts and trappings of life on a college campus and head down to New Orleans, La., as part of Hillel's Alternative Break Tzedek initiative. Through hard labor and compassion, these students will bring much-needed light to an area severely darkened by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and years of failing social policy.

Shemot Rabbah tells us that "just as the light of a lamp remains undimmed, though myriads of wicks and flames may be lit from it, so he who gives for a worthy cause does not make a hole in his own pocket." This reminds us that taking time out for social action is not a sacrifice, but an opportunity.

Spreading God's light need not be limited to huge, annual Hillel initiatives. With the end of the school year approaching on the horizon, the challenges of Passover programming imminent, grants waiting to be written, staff to interview, piles of files to file and e-mails to e-mail, we all sometimes struggle to get out of the dark depths of our work getting in the way of us doing our jobs. A solution: Try shaking things up a bit while also serving as a role model for your students. Reignite the flame within you while enlightening your community through tzedek.

Whether we count our daily impact on Jewish campus life in ones, dozens or hundreds, we can look to the Torah to guide us in what is at the top of God's to-do list: "Let there be light!" The rest will follow.

Written by Mike Levinstein, Assistant Director, Hillel at Kent State University

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Tetzaveh at MyJewishLearning.com.

As I read Parshat Mishpatim and its impressive list of rules, I was struck by the number of oft-quoted laws that is contained in it. "An eye for an eye," "do not eat a lamb in its mother's milk," "honor your parents," "freeing slaves," "respecting strangers," "respect God," "do not curse your leaders," "be kind to animals," "protect the innocent," the list of harvest festivals - many of the most interesting, complex values of our faith are found here. This parsha provides an opportunity to explore just about any controversial topic in Judaism, from the relative validity of the oral and written law to abortion.

The portion opens with the verse, "And these are the ordinances that you shall place before them." The Torah chooses to use the Hebrew word mishpatim as opposed to mitzvot (commandments) or dibrot (sayings). According to commentary of the Etz Hayim Chumash published by the Jewish Publication Society, the word mishpatim referred to "specific judicial rulings" and has since come to denote laws of general standards of conduct.

So what are these "general standards of conduct" that appear in this portion? Many of these laws seem to boil down to the question, "how much is one life worth?" Judaism attempts to place a value on all life, whether human, animal or embryo. At first glance, human life appears to be placed in a separate category, with the "eye for an eye" category. However, our sages teach us that even this should be converted to a monetary figure.

What value, then, should we place on life? What does that value say about who we are as people and as a people? I have difficulty with the notion that a life can be reduced to a monetary sum. We would all like to think that the beneficiaries of a multimillion-dollar tobacco settlement would trade that money for the life of the person they have lost.

On the other hand, if instead we exact retribution, whether a jail sentence or a "tooth for a tooth," then we are still placing a value on life, using a different currency. Not even capital punishment offers a solution, for as the great sage, Gandalf the wizard, said, "Deserve death? … Many who are living deserve death. And many who are dead deserve life. Can you give that to them? Then be not so quick to deliver the other."

This does not mean that we should allow crimes to go unpunished, however. Pacifism in the face of any provocation is as wrong as any other possibility. We must place a high value on every human life but cannot raise that bar so high that no punishment is possible. Looking back at the opening verse of the portion we notice that the verse does not say "these are the ordinances which you shall command them." Rather, it says "these are the ordinances which you shall set before them." The Sforno, a 16th century Torah scholar, suggested that this language comes to tell remind us we are not dealing with black and white, positive and negative commandments here, but "rather we are being instructed how to deal justly with certain situations as they arise."

Ultimately, the answer is that none of these measures are good enough. Each incident, each act must be evaluated and measured against a just code of values in order to find an appropriate punishment or compensation. It is precisely this balance that our texts force us to search for by placing both a monetary value on life as well as a commandment for physical retribution. While the U.S. criminal justice system reduces everything to a quantifiable number, whether it is years in prison or a fine, Judaism reminds us of the sanctity of life and the impossibility of placing a value upon it.

Prepared by By Ari Dubin, executive director, Vanderbilt University Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Bo contains the final three plagues that God brings against the Egyptians. In introducing the final plague, the slaying of the first born the Torah contains a seemingly odd detail - the Israelites are to ask for objects of silver and gold before leaving Egypt.

Exodus 11:2
And the Lord said to Moses, "I will bring but one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; after that he shall let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you out of here one and all. Please tell the people to borrow, each man from his neighbor and each woman from hers, objects of silver and gold."

Genesis 15:13-14
And God said to Abram, "Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth..."

1. Why does God tell Abraham about the future slavery and eventual redemption of his descendants now - as Abraham is about to enter into a covenant with God?
2. How is it a comfort to Abraham to know that his descendants will leave with great wealth?

Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 9a-b
Please tell the people - the house of Rabbi Yannai says. The word "please" denotes a request. God said to Moses: "I ask of you. Go and tell the Israelites to please ask for objects of silver and gold, so that that righteous one (i.e., Abraham) will not say: 'they shall be enslaved' and 'they shall be oppressed' God fulfilled. But He did not fulfill 'and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.'"

The Israelites said to Moses, "Would that we can leave by ourselves." A parable is told of a man who was held captive in a jail house. People told him, "we are releasing you tomorrow from this jail house and we will give you a lot of money." The man said to them, "I beg of you. Release me today and I will not ask for anything else."

1. Why does the Talmud not identify Abraham by name, but only as "that righteous one"?
2. Why is God concerned that the Jews should stay in Egypt longer in order to get money from the Egyptians? The argument made by the prisoner in the parable seems to make good sense?
3. Are the Israelites in Egypt bound by the promise God made to Abraham?

A Word
As the Jews prepare to leave Egypt they are doing more than simply leaving the servitude and oppression. They are beginning the process of becoming a people, a nation. The fundamental characteristic of the people is that it has a covenant with God. This covenant means that we have responsibilities toward God and at the same time God has responsibilities toward us. This covenantal relationship began with Abraham.

Perhaps this talmudic passage is emphasizing the point of covenantal relationship. The Israelites should not view themselves as any other people leaving slavery. Rather they are entering into the covenant and as such are becoming part of a living history. They are intimately connected to Abraham and the covenant that he struck with God. Thus in their leaving Egypt the Jews have to be made aware of the covenant and the promise that God made to Abraham. Their leaving is the fulfillment of that promise and must therefore fulfill every detail of that promise - including the fact that they are to leave with great riches.

Prepared by Elliot Kaplowitz, Iyyun Fellow, Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Bo at MyJewishLearning.com.

Just last month I helped to install a major (read: really big and heavy) art exhibition for an artist named Tobi Kahn. Since the exhibit was of his Jewish ritual art, it was only natural that we talked about Judaism, Jewish journeys and Torah. In one of these discussions, Tobi said that his favorite Torah portions were the ones that everyone else skimmed-the sections about building the tabernacle. The descriptions fascinated him because they were so mechanical, so planned. As an artist, he appreciated the careful calculations needed to make something simultaneously functional and beautiful.

I thought about what Tobi said as I put together and took down these large art displays, and another thought came to mind about these "construction" portions. The tabernacle, like the art, is portable. The tabernacle was constructed in such a way that it could be deconstructed and reconstructed again and again. Previously, in the minds of the people, God "lived" in the Temple. Later God "moved" to Sinai. But the Israelites were not permanently in one place, and their faith could not be abandoned simply because they could not move a mountain or a building. The popular consciousness did not allow for a God that did not "live" somewhere. The Golden Calf was a well-intentioned, albeit sinful, man-made throne for God. In simple phrasing, they needed to see it to believe it. The people needed a place for God to dwell, and that place needed to be mobile.

The blueprints laid out in the portions about the tabernacle not only provide plans to build a functional and beautiful structure, they are perhaps the first example of psycho-architecture that fulfills the physical as well as emotional needs of the people. Not only did God match these needs, but through the process of building the tabernacle, the needs are changed and formed. Moses' implementation of these architectural plans shapes the needs of the community. In Parshat Terumah it is written, "Build a tabernacle so that I may dwell among them." God does not say to build a tabernacle so that God may dwell "in it," as the people would probably best understand. Instead, God understands that the process of building the tabernacle will not just build a physical structure but a communal structure as well.

Additionally, Moses shows himself in a particularly savvy light by not shirking back and doing the organization and building privately. Indeed, during that time period most religious activities (of cults or of the Israelites) were carried out by priests or elders. Instead, Moses gathers everyone together and the building itself becomes a community activity. The people are starving for spiritual nourishment, as evidenced by the Golden Calf episode. It was not commanded, per se, for everyone to gather, bring their valuables and work on this construction. Rather, Moses requests that those who are skilled come to work. But the community responds tenfold. It is not just the skilled who respond to the call; all of those "whose hearts moved them" respond. They bring materials and valuables until Moses had to tell the people to stop; no more was needed to build the tabernacle.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk said, "Whoever does not see God in every place does not see God in any place." These Torah portions about building the tabernacle exemplify Rabbi Mendel's statement. The portability of the tabernacle allowed the Israelites to visually and tangibly see God wherever they wish to construct or deconstruct God's dwelling place. Through building the tabernacle as an entire community rather than just a few individuals, God's prophecy of "dwelling among them" was fulfilled. These Torah portions describe the monumental change in the way the ancient Israelites thought about God and themselves as a community. Our diverse and dispersed community today is a product of the new shape formed in these few portions that are so often skimmed.

Prepared by Julie Fishman, director of Hillel Program Center: Georgetown University

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vayakhel at MyJewishLearning.com.

Talmud Yerushalmi, Shekalim

Rav Abba Bar Acha said: Who can make sense of this people? When asked to give gold for the calf they gave. When asked to give gold for the Tabernacle they gave.

Midrash Pirke d'Rebbe Eliezer

Aharon said to himself: If I ask for silver and gold, they'll bring it immediately. I know what I'll tell them, "Bring me the earrings of your wives and children, and their idea will be voided. As it is written: 'And Aharon said: Break off the earrings...'"

The women heard and didn't want to participate and they wouldn't agree to give their earrings to their husbands. Instead they said, "To make this foul abomination that has no power to save makes sense to you!" And the Holy One gave them reward in this world, for they observe Rosh Chodesh more than the men observe. He also gave them reward in the next world, that they will become renewed like the new moons, as it is written: He satisfies you with the good things in the prime of life so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalms 103:5)

Midrash Lekach Tov

"Break off the earrings that are in the ears of your wives..." He [Aaron] said, maybe the women will be reluctant to give up their earrings and those of their children, and this enterprise will be delayed until Moshe returns. This, however, did not help at all, as it is written, "And they broke off."

Your Midrash Navigator

1. What is the point of the first midrash? What does it say about philanthropy?

2. Who is the hero of the second midrash?

3. Is Aharon's purpose the same in the second and the third midrash?

4. Who is the hero of the third midrash?

Commonly called "Exodus," its Hebrew name is Shemot, "Names." Why "Names?"

The easy answer, while insufficient, is worth knowing. The first verse of the Book of Exodus reads, "These are the names of the sons of Israel who went down into Egypt." As Genesis is known in Hebrew by its first word, Bereshit, so Exodus is known by its first noun.

But why does the story of redemption from slavery begin with a list of names? Rashi's answer, while insufficient, is worth knowing. Rashi maintains that the naming indicates God's love and concern for the Israelites whom Torah implicitly compares to the stars of the sky whose coming out and night and returning at day is accomplished by God's calling them each by name (See Isaiah 40:26 which Rashi adduces as proof.).

Is being called by name necessarily a sign of love? Anyone who has ever heard their name intoned by an angry or aggrieved superior (parent, teacher, commanding officer) knows that when the other possesses your name they have a kind of access to you, a power over you. Interestingly, love often alters the given name by producing a married name, a nickname, a title, an endearment.

Consider for a moment how the Bard allows young Juliet to speak the lover's sense of nomenclature:

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I'll no longer be a Capulet...
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy,
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand nor foot
Nor arm nor face, O be some other name
Belonging to a man.
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet ...

(Romeo and Juliet II: 1)

Now compare Juliet's poetic privileging of essence over language with a curious observation made by the Mechilta, a first century commentary to the Book of Exodus. The Sages wonder how Israel merited to be redeemed from Egypt for "one may not receive a reward without first performing a deed." What deed (that is, mitzvah) could justify God's liberation of the slaves? What had they done to deserve it?

Rabbi Eliezer HaKapar taught that the Israelites in fact adhered to four mitzvot and thus earned their redemption. These were: 1) they were chaste, 2) they refrained from gossip and slander, 3) they did not change their names, 4) they did not change their language.

They did not change their names!?

Is that fulfillment of a mitzvah? Don't Jews always change their names? Will you change your name when you marry? Would you Hebraize your name were you to emigrate to Israel? Do you know Woody Allen's given name?

Isn't changing your name sometimes the right thing to do? Rambam, for example, rules in his Laws of Repentance (2: 4) that one who wants to change his way of living should begin by changing his name as if saying, "I am other. I am not the man who did these ugly deeds." Didn't Sarah, Abraham, and Jacob undergo major name changes?

Willy nilly we seem to have stumbled onto a minefield of meaning too vast and interconnected for an amateur like me to sweep clean. You think I exagerate? Then consider:

1) The term "Semite" derives from the name of Noah's son, Shem, which means "name."

2) Because God has a name that no one knows how to utter, Jews often reefer to God simply as HaShem, that is, "The Name."

3) "The study of Kabbalah requires knowing and meditating on the different attributes and Names of God." (See p. xvii, Translator's Introduction to Gates of Light, by Avi Weinstein.)

So why does the tale of enslavement and redemption begin with a list of names? Why do we call the book that recounts this history "Names?" A guess: In Avot 1:13 Hillel warns that "one who would make his name big will lose his name." The loss of name, anomie, is the great Jewish curse. Yad VaShem (See Isaiah 56: 5 on the term Yad Vashem) in Jerusalem is the place where the namelessness of the Holocaust is undone. Rabbi Durkheim's son, Emile, saw anomie as the root cause for suicide. See his book, Suicide. When speaking of Haman or Hitler, a Jew will often insert the phrase "Yimach Shmo," "May his name be wiped out."

The names of the slaves in Egypt had been eclipsed. Thus in the early chapters of Shmot the only names that appear are the names of the Hebrew midwives, Shifra and Puah. No name, no life. Exodus then records the process of the recovery of Name.

Herein no doubt lies a book (but see Ecclesiastes 12: 12).

Prepared by Rabbi James Ponet, Yale University Hillel

(2) God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the Lord.(3) I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself know to them by my name YHVH. (4) I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. (5) I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. (6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the Lord. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, the Lord, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I the Lord." (9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage. (10) The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (11) "Go tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites depart from his land." (12) But Moses appealed to the Lord saying, "The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!" (13) So the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron in regard to the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, instructing them to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt.

Your Torah Navigator:

1. Why does God begin with, "I am the Lord?" Doesn't Moses know that it is God who is speaking?

2. What is the significance of God telling Moses of God's appearance before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? How do you understand the distinction made between three of God's names: Elohim, YHVH, and El Shaddai?

3. Classical commentators generally understand repetitive or similar words and phrases in the Torah to mean decidedly different things. (In fact, they often use such seeming repetitions as an opportunity for creative interpretation.) With this hermeneutic principle in mind, how might you understand God's three-fold proclamation in verse six? ("Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the Lord. (1) I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and (2) deliver you from their bondage. (3) I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements.")

4. What does it mean in verse nine that the Israelites did not listen to Moses because, "their spirits were crushed by cruel bondage?" Since Moses is not asking the Israelites at this moment to do anything, they are not disobeying. They are simply not listening. What does this mean?

5. In verse 13, why might the text not simply say, "so the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron instructing them to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt?" Why the inclusion of the Israelites and Pharaoh? And why both?

Your Commentary Navigator:

Ramban on 6:9

But when moses told this to the israelites, they would not listen to moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage. It was not because they did not believe God or believe in God's prophet (that they didn't listen). Rather, they didn't pay attention to his words, because (their) spirits were crushed, like a person whose soul is crushed because of his misery and he doesn't want to live (another) moment in his pain even though he knows it will go away later.

What distinction does the Ramban makes in the course of his commentary? (Hint: In saying what was NOT the reason for the Israelites not listening, Ramban is telling us something about the Israelites' experience.)

What does Ramban suggest about the perspective of the Israelites while in the midst of slavery?

Rashi on 6:9

They would not listen to moses. They did not accept comfort. Spirits Crushed (mikotzer ruach) One who is troubled his wind (ruach) and his breathing are short (ketzarah), and he cannot (take) a long breath.

Try to identify the linguistic basis for Rashi's commentary.

Rashi explains that the Israelites were unable to accept Moses' words of comfort because they were troubled and when one is troubled, one is short of breath and unable to take in a full breath. What is a possible connection Rashi is making between breathing and listening?

How is Rashi's commentary similar to and different from Ramban's?

A Word:

We tend to focus on Pharaoh's cruel resistance as the reason we, the Israelites, were not able to leave the slavery of Egypt immediately upon Moses' return. There is no doubt that Pharaoh was a terrible obstacle to our freedom. But a close reading of the beginning of this
week's parasha suggests a somewhat more nuanced picture.

Our slavery was so crushing -- so completely consuming and Transforming -- we could not even listen to what Moses was telling us about our God. There was no space inside our crushed selves; we simply could not take in Moses' words. Bondage kept us from even being able to envision a life for ourselves beyond our current misery. We were hardly a people ready to pack our bags. (In fact, perhaps it was not only Pharaoh who needed the ten plagues.)

It is not clear from our text whether or not God realized just how incapable we were right then of listening to Moses. Regardless, God immediately continues with plans for Moses to speak with Pharaoh and in verse 13 reveals the heart of the situation: "So the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron in regard to the Israelites and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, instructing them to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt." With the explicit mention of not only Pharaoh, but also the Israelites, God acknowledges our critical role in our own freedom. Moses and Aaron are charged not only with the task of challenging Pharaoh, but with the work of helping us, a crushed people, see and hear beyond our bondage. It is only then that we will be able to transform ourselves into a people living in covenant with God.

Prepared by Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Associate Jewish Chaplain, Columbia University.

The majority of Parshat Terumah's three verses are a detailed set of instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle. God speaks to Moses, instructing him to collect the supplies from the Children of Israel. God says: "They shall make a Sanctuary for me - so that I may dwell among them. […] Exactly as I show you, so shall you make it."

Commentators take note of one particular piece of this statement. As opposed to saying, make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell in it, God specifically states "I will dwell among them." Rabbi Chaim Berlin understands this to mean that God is literally dwelling within each and every person, not within the Tabernacle itself. Rabbi Noson Weisz takes this notion a step further asserting that every Jew is "a living tabernacle in miniature" - God can and will dwell among us and is not tied to a particular specific place.

What follows in the Parsha is a litany of extremely specific instructions and materials to be used. However, there is still a striking simplicity about what it takes to create a sacred space for God to dwell among the Jewish people. In theory, all it takes to create a sacred space is to follow the directions! Amazing, since so few of the so-called important things in life come with directions. Therefore, maybe God has set an example for us in creating a set of instructions for the creation of a sacred space and it is our responsibility to develop a personal set of instructions for the sacred space in our own lives.

As Hillel professionals, we have lists and lists of what we can, should or wish we could get done in a work day. We add things to the list faster than we can cross them off, re-prioritize daily and involve ourselves in multiple projects and tasks because they all need to get done - they are all important. When it comes to our personal lives, our non-work selves, how many of us do the same? Sure, we may write lists of the errands that need to be done, the bills that need to be paid or the groceries that need to be bought, but when it comes to truly making the most of our personal time, do we put in the same kind of energy?

How many times have you heard someone who's just come back from a vacation say, "It was great, but I need another vacation to recover?" How many times have you said it yourself? How many times have you said your weekend was "too short" or that you "just don't know where the time went?" What would it take to truly be satisfied with the time we spend away from work?

Perhaps, a detailed set of directions? Think of a time when you were truly relaxed… think of a time when you were truly refreshed… when you felt God "dwelling among you." Building from that, what elements were present in those moments that you can learn from? For some, it may be the place matters most. For others, maybe the people they're with is the most important aspect. For others still, maybe the activity they're engaging in matters most. For each person the elements may be different, but what matters most is to know what works for you.

Imagine how much easier it might be to create a set of "directions and required materials" for your sacred spaces. This could serve as a reminder at times when you're feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or underappreciated - a reminder that your sacred space isn't out of reach, but maybe you forgot the directions. Our personal sacred space isn't too far out of reach - we can each be "a living tabernacle in miniature" - we just need to remind ourselves how to put it together.

Written by Katie Wexler, Senior International Division Associate,
Hillel's Charles and Lynn Schusterman International Center

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

In this week's Torah portion the Jewish people are commanded their first mitzvah as a nation. In order to leave Egypt in the morning, the previous night all the Jews had to bring a Passover offering. According to the Medrash the Jews were almost completely assimilated into Egyptian culture, and so God wanted the Jews to slaughter and eat a lamb, one of the main Egyptian gods to show their willingness to separate from Egypt. It specifically had to be barbecued, so that their oppressors could smell what they were doing, forcing the Jewish people to be public about their rebellion.

Exodus Chapter 12
3. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house;
4. And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the souls; according to every person's eating shall you make your count for the lamb.
5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats;
6. And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, in which they shall eat it.
8. And they shall eat the meat in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9. Eat it not raw, nor boil with water, but roast it with fire; its head with its legs, and with its inner parts.
10. And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
11. And thus shall you eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover.

Your Torah navigator:
1. If God is trying to separate the Jews from their Egyptian idol worship, isn't telling them to take the god they have been worshiping for 250 years into their houses for a religious ceremony a dangerous proposition? Why not just take them out quickly instead of giving them one last night eating their favorite god?

2. Why all the rules? What would be wrong with eating it alone, leaving some over till the next day (mmmm...cold lamb sandwiches), or breaking one of the bones?

3. If you were choosing a mitzvah to give the Jewish people to would prepare them for their new freedom what would it be?

A word:
Perhaps part of the point of this mitzvah is to teach the Jewish people not to reject their past but to learn how to use it in a holy way. Had God just taken them out, torn them from their enslavement and culture, the process would have been simpler but we would have missed one of Judaism's main messages, that we reject nothing in this world, but have guidelines on how to utilize such things for holiness.

Slaves probably never eat in an organized communal fashion; they eat on the go when they have food (much like 21st century Americans). Now the Jews had to create pre-set communities in which to eat the lamb. It had to all be eaten; none saved for a future time in which there might be no food, complete trust in Hashem was required. They could not break the bones. This is a meal of transition, eaten in hasty leaving, yet respect for it matters. To a slave this is a new notion. This lamb is for free people, not just a food, but conscious respectful communal ritual.

Prepared by Rabbi Hyim Shafner, campus rabbi, St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Bo at MyJewishLearning.com.

Last week, we began our journey from the narrow and constricting conditions of Egypt, to our destiny in the Land of Israel. Shortly after the crossing of the Sea, we move into the desert, the wilderness known by its Hebrew name, Sin (chapter 16, verse 1). The name of this desert is somewhat curious to the eyes of those of us who know English, because "sin" is a well-known concept in religion. Yet, this Hebrew word has nothing to do with the English word "sin." Instead, it is more closely related to the word Sinai, both the vast desert and the mountain where we received the Torah.

The first reference in the Torah to Sinai takes place in this week's Torah portion (chapter 19, verse 1). The first three letters of the Hebrew spelling of Sinai are exactly the same as the Hebrew spelling of Sin. The only difference is that an additional letter, the Hebrew letter yud, appears at the end of the word Sinai. Why an additional letter? Why the letter yud?

The commentary to the Torah penned by the Ba'al HaTurim offers an insight into this, noting: "Initially, this place was called the wilderness of Sin, yet ultimately it is referred to as Sinai. The letter that was added, a yud, symbolizes the 10 commandments." (commentary to Numbers, 33:11) We know what awaits us at Mount Sinai. In order to make it there, all that is necessary is to add one thing to the equation. What is that thing? A quick examination of Hebrew not only as a series of letters and sounds, but also as letters that have numerical values, is quite instructive. As an example, the Hebrew letter aleph has a numerical value - the number 1. Bet = 2, Gimel = 3, and so on. The numerical value for the Hebrew letter yud is 10. Hence, what we were missing in the wilderness of Sin, namely the 10 commandments, we picked up at Sinai.

As a people, many of our formative experiences take place in the wilderness. As a lead up to receiving the Torah, the first two verses of chapter 19 in this week's Torah portion make reference to the wilderness. The Hebrew word for wilderness or desert is miDBaR (note: most Hebrew words are built off of three-letter roots. I have capitalized the root letters DBR of this word). The Hebrew root DBR has a range of meaning mostly connected to "words," "speaking," and "having a conversation." It is in this miDBaR, therefore, that we receive 'aseret ha-DiBRot (Hebrew for The 10 Commandments; literally, the 10 statements). In Hebrew, these concepts fit quite naturally and poetically. You go to the miDBaR to get 'aseret ha-DiBRot. But you also go to the miDBaR for something else. And, in order to understand what this is, we have to look at Aramaic, one of Hebrew's sister languages. In Aramaic, the root DBR means "to lead." It was not until we entered the miDBaR that Moses could emerge as a leader. It also was not until the events of the Sea and Sinai in the miDBaR that we were in the position for a new type of leadership, with a new guidebook. Finally, it was not until we joined together in the miDBaR that we were ready to be led, not as slaves bowing to Pharaoh's will, but willingly and lovingly as best exemplified by the words: 'All that the Lord hath spoken (DiBeiR) we will do.' (chapter 19, verse 8)

Shemot (Exodus), Chapter 16

1. And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

Shemot (Exodus), Chapter 19

1. In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2. And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mount.
3. And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
4. Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself.
5. Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine;
6. and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.'
7. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8. And all the people answered together, and said: 'All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.' And Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.

Prepared by Rabbi Andy Koren, Campus Rabbi, Hillel Foundation at the University of Florida

After Moshe earns harsh rebuke from his people when he acts on God's instruction, Moshe complains to God, "Why did you send me to make this nation's life more miserable?" (Exodus 5:22),
God answers:

Exodus 6:1-6

God spoke to Moshe saying: Now you will see what I shall do to Pharoah. For with a strong hand I will send them forth and with a strong hand I will banish them from his land. God spoke to Moshe, he said to him: I am YHWH. 3 I was seen by Avraham, by Yitzhak, and by Yaakov as God Shaddai, but (by) my name YHWH I was not known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, where they had sojourned. 5 And I have also heard the moaning of the Children of Israel, whom Egypt is holding-in-servitude, and I have called-to-mind my covenant. 6 Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am YHWH; I will bring you out from beneath the burdens of Egypt, I will rescue you from servitude to them, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, with great (acts of) judgment.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Does God give a direct answer to Moshe's question?
2. What was the purpose of Moshe's previous attempt to liberate the people?
3. Does God ever explain why Moshe didn't succeed in this mission?
4. If you were Moshe, would you require an explanation or would you accept God's promise to see what will happen next?

A Word

Implicit in God's response is a rebuke for Moshe's impatience. Your forefathers, God says, received a pale reflection of my presence while you know the essence of My Name, for I didn't reveal my essential Name to them, but only to you. Nevertheless, they understood that they were engaged in a journey while you, Moshe, at the first adverse moment are ready to question the enterprise. Play it through, Moshe. Liberation is fraught with detours, adversity and struggle. The forefathers did not contend with me even though they never knew me as intimately as you do. Knowledge of God requires the trust that each struggle has purpose and that is why Rashi says: Note that it does not say, "I didn't announce [my Name], but that this Name was not known to them, i.e., the attributes of My true essence were not known to them. What is my true essence? That ultimately whatever I promise will be fulfilled. For whatever I promised the forefathers was not fulfilled ultimately in their lifetime."

But Moshe knew God's essence, which meant that whatever God promised would indeed happen while Moshe was alive. Moshe's mission was to keep the faith and be confident that his mission was to be God's messenger, and thus ultimate success was guaranteed.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vaeyra at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Terumah begins with God asking Moses to embark on the ultimate capital campaign. According to God, Moses is supposed to oversee the construction of elaborate objects, including the ark that will hold the tablets given to Moses on Mount Sinai, an ornate golden menorah and the portable temple and altar, or mishkan, that the Israelites will use as dedicated holy space to make daily sacrifices for the next 40 years.

For a people that was recently freed from more than 400 years of slavery, this was an ambitious task to say the least.

What made this task even more challenging was that God did not ask for run-of-the-mill materials to build these important objects. Quite the opposite. God stated that these objects had to be built out of significant quantities of gold, silver, copper, blue, purple and crimson wool, linen, goat hair, ram skins and acacia wood and needed to be crafted in a very specific way. And even more harrowing for Moses was that God expected that all of these items will be donated by "every person whose heart inspires him to generosity."

After reading this parsha, the question that lingered in my mind was what if people were not interested in gifting some of their limited resources to this project? After all, God was asking for a lot from a people who had very little and who were still trying to understand the rules of life as a free people. But how would Moses proceed if the Israelites were the least bit reticent?

Rashi provides an interesting answer to this question. Rashi says that all of the supplies needed to build the Israelites' dedicated space and ritual objects were given voluntarily, except for the silver. Each individual, according to Rashi, contributed half a shekel to the building campaign, which ultimately equaled the amount of silver that God required for the mishkan.

A half shekel of silver may seem like a very minimal individual contribution to make to such an important project. But Rashi's commentary elicits a very important message about equality. By contributing the half-shekel, each Israelite was opting in to the process of creating holy space. It didn't matter if one Israelite was incredibly enthusiastic about the idea of creating dedicated holy space and was prepared to donate significant resources to this project. Nor did it matter if another Israelite was confused and did not understand what was going on. By donating the half-skekel, each Israelite was, quite literally, buying into the process of creating the framework of the Jewish people equally.

To me, this is a beautiful lesson. Every Israelite probably knew that there were people that had more material resources to give to the community for this important project. But when each Israelite paid his or her half-shekel, the spiritual playing field was leveled and the community's paradigm shifted. What could have been seen as an ambitious and exclusionary project that asked for sizeable donations from a few people, the creation of the mishkan became a project that built consensus and unity. By opting in to the building process, each person gained ownership of the framework of the Israelite's uncertain future and received the privilege of saying that they contributed to the building of the mishkan.

There are a number of lessons that can be discerned from this parsha. The most poignant, in my opinion, is best summarized by the great American poet, Walt Witman, when he said that "the habit of giving only enhances the desire to give." Parshat Terumah is the start of the building of the mishkan to give back to God and give thanks for the gifts of freedom, survival and chosenness. But to be able to begin this process, each Israelite had to opt in to this notion of giving and understand that their gifts, no matter how large or small, contributed to betterment of the community and were welcome and equal in God's eyes.

Prepared by Zach Gelman, ICC Israel advocacy fellow

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

What is the power of saying 'no'?

With one exception, all of the mitzvot related to the building of the Mishkan (the temporary desert sanctuary God commands the Israelites to build) in this week's Torah reading, Parashat Terumah, are positive commandments.

That is to say, they all require a positive act: build an ark, coat it with gold, make a lid for it, etc. There is only one moment when God gives a negative commandment in the entire reading: "You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it."

God commands here that the poles may not be removed from their rings on the sides of the ark. Rashi has a single word comment on this phrase, "ever." Rashi notes here that the first part of the verse, "The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark," renders the second part, "they shall not be removed from it," superfluous.

What then does the second part, the negative part of the verse teach us? That the poles may never be removed from the Ark. This is the power of the "no" in our case - it makes the Ark permanently portable.

At any time the Levites may lift the Ark and carry it on their journeys. In our own journeys may we all find the power to say 'no' when that is necessary to propel us forward.

Written by Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz, director of admissions at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

Summary:

In this week's Parsha, we find a hysterical, ever-pessimistic group of Jews watching Pharoah's army advance with only the sea in front of them. From them, we learn that "dieing free"--as opposed to living as slaves--is not an attractive option. In fact, Egypt is looking better all the time. No one seems to offer platitudes of "Let us die fighting." Or, "at least let us die as free men." On the contrary, what you get is:

"Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness? Is this not what we told you back in Egypt? Leave us alone so that we may serve Egypt." (Exodus 14:11-12)

Moses promises them a great salvation, and then tells them to shut up. And then there seems to be a hole in the Torah's narrative:

God says, "Why are you crying to me, take the children of Israel and get going!"

The problem is that according to the text, Moses doesn't cry out to God. God's complaint is totally unprovoked. So, who--and what-- is God responding to? Is God responding to Moses? Or is God backing Moses up by also yelling at the children of Israel?

If Moses was crying to God, what was He asking for? We can assume that he wasn't asking for instructions, because God tells him, in so many words, to "Quit crying and get going." One medieval commentator, the Seforno, says that Moses was afraid that this group would not follow his instructions and that he would not be able to get THEM to do THEIR PART in the miracle. So, Moses was crying to God, asking for guidance on how to handle the people.

According to this interpretation, God is rebuking Moses for not seeing that the children of Israel are merely venting their fears and that Moses is hearing the voice of fear as opposed to the voice of rebellion. God is rebuking Moses for not being able to tell the difference between the two. God says, so to speak, "I can split the sea, but you, Moses, have to bring them across and in order to do that, you must know your people. This is not something that I will do for you."

The Seforno says, that Moses wrongfully suspected them of not wishing to doing God's will, instead of realizing that "it was only the fear talking." Remember, Moses never knew slavery. He has yet to become part of the people he is required to lead. At this moment, God tells him, if you wish for this people to do what I, God tells them, then you have to know not only their words, but their hearts as well. This was Moses' challenge throughout his time in the desert and this was the criterion by which he was ultimately judged.


Parsha

10. And when Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were very afraid; and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.

11. And they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12. Is not this the word that we did tell you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13. And Moses said to the people, Do not fear, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.

14. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

15. And the Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Speak to the people of Israel, that they go forward;



YOUR TORAH NAVIGATOR


In this week's Parsha, we find a hysterical, ever-pessimistic group of Jews watching Pharoah's army advance with only the sea in front of them. From them, we learn that "dying free"--as opposed to living as slaves--is not an attractive option. In fact, Egypt is looking better all the time. No one seems to offer platitudes of "Let us die fighting." Or, "at least let us die as free men." On the contrary, what you get is:

"Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness? Is this not what we told you back in Egypt? Leave us alone so that we may serve Egypt." (Exodus
14:11-12)

Moses promises them a great salvation, and then tells them to shut up. And then there seems to be a hole in the Torah's narrative:

God says, "Why are you crying to me, take the children of Israel and get going!"

The problem is that according to the text, Moses doesn't cry out to God. God's complaint is totally unprovoked. So, who--and what-- is God responding to? Is God responding to Moses? Or is God backing Moses up by also yelling at the children of Israel?

Rashi, the major repository of traditional Jewish memory comments on the verse: What are you yelling at Me for? We learn that Moses was standing in prayer. The Holy One said to him," This is not the time for lengthy prayers when Israel is in major trouble." Another way of looking at it is: Why are you crying out, this episode depends on me as it is written: " Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, "Ask me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command Me." (Isaiah 45:11)


YOUR RASHI NAVIGATOR


1.Rashi gives two opinions. Do they complement or contradict each other?

2.What is wrong with Moses praying here?

3.According to Rashi's first interpretation, what is Moses supposed to do?

4.According to his second interpretation, what should have Moses known?

5.What's the difference between praying and asking for instructions?

And now a Devar Torah from Ravavi...

If Moses was crying to God, what was he asking for? We can assume that he wasn't asking for instructions, because God tells him, in so many words, to "Quit crying and get going." One medieval commentator, the Seforno, says that Moses was afraid that this group would not follow his instructions and that he would not be able to get THEM to do THEIR PART in the miracle. So, Moses was crying to God, asking for guidance on how to handle the people.

According to this interpretation, God is rebuking Moses for not seeing that the children of Israel are merely venting their fears and that Moses is not hearing the voice of rebellion but the voice of fear.

God is rebuking Moses for not being able to tell the difference between the two. God says, so to speak, "I can split the sea, but you, Moses, have to bring them across and in order to do that, you must know your people. This is not something that I will do for you."

The Seforno says that Moses wrongfully suspected them of not wishing to doing God's will instead of realizing that "it was only the fear talking." Remember, Moses never knew slavery. He has yet to become part of the people he is required to lead. At this moment, God tells him, if you wish for this people to do what I, God, tells them, then you have to know not only their words, but their hearts as well. This was Moses' challenge throughout his time in the desert and this was the criterion by which he was ultimately judged.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein.

The Children of Israel, fat and happy in Goshen, get a wake-up call. A new Pharaoh arises who did not know Joseph and as a result the ever-multiplying Children of Israel get to taste the bitterness of exile. They are enslaved and the midwives are instructed to cast every male child into the Nile.

The midwives make heroic excuses for why they have been incapable of executing the orders of Pharaoh. Pharaoh then commands all Egyptians to cast all Hebrew male children into the Nile. It would now seem to be virtually impossible to keep Hebrew male children alive, yet one child miraculously survives. The scene is now set for the birth and survival of Moshe.

Shemot 2:2

"Now a man from the house of Levi went and took (to wife) a daughter of Levi. The woman (Yocheved) became pregnant and bore a son. When she saw him, that he was goodly (tov), she hid him for three months."

Your Torah Navigator

1. What does goodly "tov" mean in this context?

2. If she hadn't seen him as goodly, would Yocheved have treated her baby differently?

The early rabbinic commentary, Midrash Rabba, notes that the first time "good" or "goodly" is used is when God created light. "And God saw the light that it was 'good.'" (Genesis 1:4) Reading the verse very literally, the midrash understands that the words "light" and "good" are synonyms and thus makes the following comment:

Midrash Shmot Rabba 1:20

...The Rabbis taught: "When Moses was born, the whole household was filled with light, as it is written: When she saw him, that he was goodly, she hid him for three months." And it is written in the creation story: "And God saw the light and it was goodly." (Genesis 1:4)

Your Midrash Navigator

1. Why, according to the Midrash, did Yocheved decide that Moshe may have had a chance?

2. What did the phrase "household filled with light" symbolize?

A Word

According to this understanding, baby Moshe was unique. Yocheved instinctively and intuitively recognized that he would "enlighten" the whole of Israel. She also knew that without her efforts, Moshe would not survive. The light was a sign and it was up to her to make sure that Moshe would live to complete his assignment. It is a mother's love and belief in the destiny of her son that sets the stage for the redemption of Israel. Without the efforts of Yocheved, we would have missed this opportunity for redemption.

Many people who effect dramatic change in the world speak of having had a "calling," a powerful pull toward a particular life's work or path of action. In the Torah, God appears frequently as the emissary of Divine calling, inspiring people to rise to their destined paths of duty. Abraham and Sarah's three hungry guests, Jacob's wrestler of the night and Elijah's "sound of small silence" are just a few examples.

Today, in a world where we can't rely on theophany to inspire us to make a difference, how will we recognize a calling?

In Parshat Shmot, the Divine appears to Moses as a burning bush that does not burn up. This "great sight," as Moses describes it, is not random. Midrash actually draws a linguistic connection between the "flame (lavah) of fire" and a heart (lev) of fire. Something burns within Moses that will not go away—his visceral opposition to the slavery in Egypt. This is the message that emanates from the eternal flames, the awareness that arises in his heart of fire.

This is not the first time that Moses feels his deep-seated intolerance for the bondage of "his brothers," but thus far he has been afraid to face it. When he kills the Egyptian in defense of a Hebrew slave, he not only buries the body, he buries the personal implications of his actions by fleeing to the farthest reaches of the desert and beginning a new life in a remote community. Nonetheless, Moses cannot extinguish the fire within him, nor can he escape its heat.

His burning bush revelation ultimately empowers him to return to Egypt and take a stand. "The sages say: Seven whole days previously did God urge Moses to go on his mission, but he refused to go until the incident of the bush." Mere nudging was insufficient. Moses needed to look upon his own heart, to see that he would always remain disturbed by the injustices in Egypt.

When we realize that a certain injustice in the world will always deeply disturb us, we gain the strength to address it—even without total confidence that we will succeed.

Moses certainly lacked confidence. In the presence of the burning bush, he expresses his heaviest anxieties. He feels inadequate and meek. He fears the unknown and the what-ifs of the future. Even God's words and wonders cannot dissolve Moses's doubts. But he takes action nonetheless. He honors his burning bush within, his heart of fire. He realizes that his drive to liberate Israel will never abate, and although he lacks confidence that he will succeed, he is confident that he must try.

This is our paradigmatic tale of a "calling," yet it challenges the conventional definition of this term as something that one was born to accomplish. Moses's epiphany is not that he is destined to complete a mission—God does not promise success. Indeed, Moses's fears and insecurities persist throughout his revelation. Rather, Moses's profound realization is that his passion was present all along—he should honor his heated heart and begin. Perhaps callings reveal more about drives than destinies.

Just as Moses was called to fight for Jewish liberation from slavery, my friend CJ was a young teen when he learned about th e sex slave trade. He felt a burning need to protect the dignity of the victims in this vicious business and to bring the propagators to justice. He recognized the fire of his own reaction. He felt driven to oppose these abuses against women. Today CJ passionately and tirelessly addresses this very issue in Washington. He does not draw strength from a belief that this is the most important fight in the world, but from a sense that it is his most important fight. This self-knowledge enables him to persevere in his work, to continually choose to respond.

Each of us must ask ourselves: What is my burning bush? Which injustice in the world makes me cringe, cry, scream? These are the causes for which we are most equipped to act, as overwhelming as they may seem. The inevitable waves of nervousness and self-doubt cannot deter us from action. We cannot wait until we feel completely ready, for that time will never come. Rather, we must draw strength from the everlasting flames in our own hearts—the burning that will never stop.

Sam Berrin Shonkoff is currently the Jewish student life coordinator at Stanford Hillel. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Brown University and has also studied in Jerusalem at Hebrew University, Pardes Institute and The Conservative Yeshiva.

There are two weekly Torah portions that deal with the concept of Mishpat or Jewish Law. This week we read Mishpatim that deals with details of Jewish law while during the summer we read Shofetim that focuses upon the judiciary itself. I would like to focus on the nature and purpose of judges.

Exodus 21:6
(referring to an indentured servant) "... and his master shall bring him close to Ha-Elohim..."

Exodus 22:8
"The case of both parties shall be brought before Ha-Elohim; he whom Ha-Elohim declares guilty shall pay double to the other ..."

Deuteronomy 17:8
"If a case is too baffling for you to decide ... you shall get up and go to Ha-Makom (the place) that the Lord your God has chosen ..."

Your Torah Navigator
1. What does the word "elohim" usually mean and what can it mean in the verses from Exodus?
2. Why is the word "elohim" used rather than "shofetim" or "dayanim" (both are Hebrew words for judges)?
3. What is the difference in focus between the verses from Exodus and Deuteronomy 17:8?
4. According to the Torah, who decides court cases- God or the judges?

The Torah uses precise language. Usually judges are referred to as either "shofetim" or "dayanim." Yet, in our Torah portion, the word Ha-Elohim is used. According to some commentators, this word still refers to God. According to others, this word very clearly refers to judges. Indeed, the use of the plural verb in Exodus 22:8 seems to indicate that Ha-Elohim cannot refer to God and must refer to judges. Depending on how you translate Ha-Elohim, either God itself or judges decide court cases. It would seem that even if God does not actually proclaim a verdict, he blesses the judges with holiness (and good judgment) and sanctifies the place in which the court meets.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 21:6
"The judges were called Elohim due to the fact that they enact God's laws on earth."

Midrash Rabbah, Exodus (30:24)
"At the time that the judge sits and deliberates in truth, the Holy One Blessed Be He descends from the heavens and places his Shekhinah (divine countenance) next to the judge, for God has established the judiciary and God (remains) with the judge."

Your Midrash Navigator:
1. According to the Midrash, does God sit "on the bench" or "in the gallery"?
2. Under what circumstances will God concur with the judge?
3. How does the Midrash support the statement of Ibn Ezra?

A Word
Judges assume an awesome task in evaluating a case and deciding a case on its merits. They are God's emissaries on earth. However, the judges cannot allow this sense of godliness to go to their heads. Therefore, the Torah deliberately uses the word "elohim" to describe judges. The words "shoftim" and "dayanim" refer to the task that the judge is asked to perform. The term "elohim" reminds judges at all times that they must be humbled in front of God. While the judge decides cases, God is always sitting right next to the judge. Not only has God imbued the judiciary with holiness, he has also consecrated the place in which judgment takes place. In fact, according to Jewish tradition, the Sanhedrin (high court) met in the Beit HaMikdash in the "Chamber of Hewn Stone."

In many secular courts today, the phrase "in God we trust" appears right behind the bench. While judges today do not have the same role as the shofetim of biblical times, they nonetheless see holiness in their work. Indeed, oaths/affirmations of office end with the words, "so help me God." We should not be afraid to ask for help when we need it, whether we need help from God or from other people. You could say "so help me God" in one breath or you could choose to pause and say "so, help me God." We should all learn from the shofetim. It is all a matter of emphasis. The Shekhinah is always at our side to guide us in our ways but not to goad us.

Shabbat Shalom.

Prepared by Akiva D. Roth, Hillel Director, Drew University, Madison, NJ.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

This week's parsha, Yitro contains a recitation of the Ten Commandments by Moses, and although those laws help create the foundation for Judaism, there are other crucial lessons in this portion that can help guide us today concerning the role each of us plays in the Jewish community, our interactions with non-Jews, and the importance of Torah in our work. Yitro begins with Moses in the desert, leading the Jewish people toward Mount Sinai. There, Moses is visited by Jethro (Yitro, in Hebrew), his non-Jewish father-in-law. Jethro offers advice to Moses on how to be a wise leader and advises him to have others help him to serve as judges when disputes arise among the Jewish people. After Moses and Jethro finish discussing these matters, Moses travels to Mount Sinai where God delivers him the Ten Commandments, and Moses recites them to the gathered crowd.

Jethro plays a crucial role in this section of the Torah, when he helps to council Moses during attempts to serve as a mediator when disputes arose. Moses was handling all of these problems himself, and Jethro realizes this is far too much work for Moses to handle without any assistance. Jethro suggests that Moses appoint other Jews to serve as judges and leaders for the groups of thousands, hundreds, fifty, and ten so that these other leaders can handle lesser disputes.

This illustrates the importance that each of us plays within the Jewish tribe. Although Moses is held in high regard for his wisdom and justice, there was far too much work for him to do alone, and if he hadn't been able to turn to others for help, he would have surely failed. In any struggle that the Jewish community might face today, having strong and wise leaders is important, but so is having people to help them with all the other tasks they need, no matter how unimportant they seem, because without all of that combined help, the efforts would not succeed. Similarly, when writing a Torah, tradition says that anyone who writes a single letter in the Torah, it is as if they have done the whole thing, because without that one person's assistance, the Torah would not have been completed.

The role of Jethro in this portion also serve as a useful lesson for today. Jethro is not identified as Jewish in this portion, as he recognizes that God is most powerful, but he also worships other deities. Still, he comes to Moses offering advice, and Moses accepts his counsel and acts on his suggestion. At a time when the Jewish people were all together in the desert, it was still a gentile who came forward with the best advice for Moses. Today, when many of us work on college campuses with only a small number of Jewish students, there are other groups we can turn to for help in creating successful programs. Whether it is an interfaith breakfast to commemorate Yom Kippur and Ramadan or a black/Jewish seder for passover, these type of multicultural activities emulate the spirit of the exchange when Jethro was working with Moses.

Finally, we see in this portion the importance of the Torah to the Jewish people. Previously, Moses has served as the leader of the Jews as they escaped Egypt and wandered in the desert. Moses is a tzadik among his generation, and he received assistance from God in overcoming the obstacles he faces. Finally, in Yitro, Moses appoints others to serve as judges alongside him, choosing people who do not have this personal relationship with God. Although at first it seems like they would not be as wise or fair as Moses, promptly after these judges are appointed, Moses goes up Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments from God. The link between these Jews being appointed as Judges and receiving the Commandments from God shows that all the wisdom these leaders need to help adjudicate matters correctly can be found in the Torah. Today, when we might not have direct instructions from the Lord on how best to handle problems that arise, we still have the Torah, which was used then as a substitute for God's wisdom in helping the new Jewish leaders serve the Jewish people.

Although the struggles we have at Hillel today pale in comparison to what Moses and the Jewish tribe faced as the wandered the desert, we can gain important insight from Yitro. Like Moses, we can turn to non-Jews for assistance, and we can learn the importance of delegating work, and realize that whatever role we might place in accomplishing something (no matter how small) our efforts are crucial for success. Finally, we see that in all the difficulties we face, we have the Torah to guide us, the same way the early leaders did that served under Moses, and by passing on this Torah wisdom to students, we prepare them for being strong leaders themselves.

Prepared by Campus Rabbi Avi Orlow and Senior JCSC Fellow Andy Ratto for St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Yitro visit myjewishlearning.com.

Allright God, I'll grant that you may have had something to do with taking my people out of Egypt, but what have you done for me lately? In an age where employees are rarely allowed to have a "bad year" without being terminated, one might wonder why we haven't "fired" God. We know that our collective story, the story we're obliged to teach our children, begins with our liberation from Egypt. We also know that the Holy One's overt presence has gradually dimnished throughout the ages. We also know that that the purpose of many of the commandments we are told to observe is to "remember the Exodus from Egypt". To name a few: Passover, Succot, Kiddush on Friday night, Mezuza, Tefillin and the redemption of the first born male which is performed a month after the birth of a naturally birthed first born son.

Nachmanides, the Ramban, comments on why is it important to transmit this memory to our children as it says at the end of the parsha, when your son asks "What's this?" [Why is this ceremony of the first born happening?] You tell them that with a strong hand, YHWH took us out from the house of bondage." (Exodus 13:14) He also wonders why so many commandments are committed to preserving this memory. To paraphrase, he says that the redemption foreshadows that God will not be present later on. God embarks on the scene in this sensational fashion to create a memory of the overt miraculous, so that we may appreciate the covert miracles that happen in everyone's lives. For if the sea would have split and no people had been there to cross it, it would not have been a miracle, but rather it would have been a fluke of nature. A miracle happens when you need it. Good timing is the stuff of the miraculous.

The proof of God's overt presence in the past and the observance of commandments which recall the Holy One's presence, remind us to seek out God's presence in the ordinary domain of our reality. Nachmanides would argue unlike his colleague Maimonides that the fact the sun rises everyday is no less miraculous than the splitting of the Red Sea. The fact that we are here to recall the Exodus is as miraculous as the Exodus itself. Beyond the pyrotechnics of the Exodus is what the Exodus represented which was the establishment of a unique relationship between the Holy One and His people. That is the true ongoing miracle. In ancient times we were given a memory to carry with us always. As long as we testify to this memory, we also testify to the fact of a living God in all our lives. A God who is not removed, but who is involved in history.

May we all be blessed with enough insight to witness and acknowledge the miraculous sense of wonder that accompanies our people's ongoing relationship to the Holy One.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, former Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Bo at MyJewishLearning.com.

When we meet Moshe and the children of Israel in this week's Torah portion, less than three months have passed since their dramatic rescue from Pharaoh in Egypt and their triumphant march across the (temporarily parted) Red Sea. In the middle of this portion, in chapters 19 and 20 of the Book of Exodus, we witness the meeting of God and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai, culminating in the first appearance of the Ten Commandments. But this Torah portion is not known as "Sinai" or "Torah"; instead, it is called "Yitro," which begs the question: Why, between the deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and the unparalleled revelation at Sinai, does the Torah shift our focus to the character of Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe?

Perhaps the best-known aspect of Yitro's story is his advice to Moshe on how to set up a system for governing the children of Israel and for adjudicating legal cases. In Exodus 18: 13-19, there is an incredible give-and-take between Yitro and the leader of the Israelites:

"Next day, Moshe sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood about Moshe from morning until evening. But when Moshe's father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said, 'What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you act alone, while all the people stand about you from morning until evening?' Moshe replied to his father-in-law, 'It is because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, it comes before me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make known the laws and teachings of God.' But Moshe's father-in-law said to him, 'The thing you are doing is not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you!'"

Yitro proceeds to instruct Moshe to create a system of judges ("chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens") who will share the burden of lawmaking and governance with Moshe. The answer to the question of Yitro's importance seems apparent: He comes to teach Moshe a lesson about distributing the responsibilities of governance in order for Moshe - and the children of Israel - to be prepared to receive and then implement God's laws. This lesson is key, but Yitro's importance is much deeper than this.

A Closer Look

I believe that the reason for Yitro's presence is expressed in the very beginning of this Torah portion. In Exodus 18:1, we learn that "Yitro, priest of Midian, Moshe's father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moshe and for Israel His people" and then sets out with Moshe's wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, to meet Moshe in the wilderness. He finds Moshe at a critical juncture in his leadership - he is on the verge of burnout after the travails of the Exodus, which have included a series of crises: the terrifying lack of water (twice) and food, grumblings and the early stirrings of rebellion among the people and, most recently, a vicious attack by the nemesis of the Israelites, Amalek.

It is at this moment that Yitro comes, and in this context that Yitro does his most important work - he reminds Moshe of who he is; he helps Moshe understand his interdependence with those he cares about and who form his community; and he clarifies both the importance of his mission and strategies for how best to accomplish it.

Before any of this is possible, Yitro first must establish his relationship with Moshe as both a public leader and beloved family member. Thus he is called "priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moshe." Interestingly, the title "priest of Midian" immediately drops from the rest of the narrative, while "father-in-law" appears 13 times! The text seems to go out of its way to hammer home the relationship between Yitro and Moshe, one where Yitro is father-in-law, mentor, guide and even father figure.

With the relationship established, Yitro then proceeds to remind Moshe of who he is. We see this with the appearance of the two sons of Moshe, with their wonderfully evocative names. The first son, Gershom ("stranger there"), reminds Moshe of where he has come from: "I have been a stranger in a foreign land." This helps us - and Moshe himself - understand Moshe as the alienated outsider, an independent actor and leader. The second son, Eliezer ("my God is help"), making his first appearance in the Torah, reminds Moshe that, "the God of my father was help, and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." This is an acknowledgment of God and of Moshe's reliance on this relationship. Both of these names, tellingly, are apt descriptions for the entire children of Israel; this family reunification helps Moshe understand the value of his relationship with his children - and with God - and helps him recognize his interdependence with all of the people of Israel.

Yitro next reframes Moshe's narrative to one of celebration and optimism, and of moving forward in relationship to God. Yitro has heard "all that God had done for Moshe and for Israel his people," but Moshe then relates "everything that God had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way." Immediately following Moshe's trauma-filled retelling, Yitro retells the story his own way, rejoicing over "all of the good that God did for Israel." He recites a blessing of thanksgiving (the first "Baruch Hashem" ever recorded!) and then brings a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Here, Yitro provides the tools for Moshe (and for Aharon and the rest of the children of Israel) to be able to acknowledge the moment and appreciate his relationship with God.

It is only at this point that the text comes to the famous passage where Yitro advises Moshe on how to govern the people in a way that, as Yitro puts it, "you (Moshe) will be able to stand, and also this people will come to its place in peace." Moshe's leadership style until this point has been one of independence, and Yitro identifies the need to transform that style to one of interdependence, to an integration of the public with the private. Once this is accomplished, the children of Israel - and their singular leader, Moshe - are prepared to receive the Torah and to enter into a truly interdependent covenant with their creator.

As Hillel educators and professionals, the lessons brought by Yitro are critical for us to integrate into our own work, and to model for our students. We are able to be effective teachers and mentors only when we have developed a relationship based on trust and mutual connection. And we can only be effective leaders in the broader community when we recognize our interdependence, beginning with our intimate relationships of family and friends, and moving outward toward larger circles and broader missions in the world.

(In the spirit of interdependence, I would like to thank two of my teachers for their insights about Yitro: Dr. Bernard Steinberg, the director and president of Harvard Hillel, and my treasured colleague and mentor; and Judy Klitsner, my beloved Tanakh teacher at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.)

Prepared by Michael Simon, director of programming, Harvard Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Yitro at MyJewishLearning.com.

Exodus 12:1-2

And YHWH said to Moshe and to Aharon in the land of Egypt saying: This month is for you, the first of months, the first it is for you for the months of the year.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why is it significant that we count our months from this point?

2. Why can't this commandment wait until Sinai? Why does the calendar have to be set in Egypt?

Deuteronomy 1:1-3

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all of Israel in the country across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plains near Suf, between Paran and Tofel, Lavan, Hatzerot, and Di-Zahav -- 11 days (it is) from Horev by the route of Mount Se'ir (going) by Kadesh-Barnea. And it was in the fortieth year, the eleventh New-Moon one (day) after the New Moon, Moshe spoke to the children of Israel according to all that YHWH had commanded him concerning them...

Your Torah Navigator

1. The eleventh new moon is also the eleventh month, the month of Shevat. God spoke to Moshe and Aharon on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Now Moshe is speaking to the children of Israel on Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Is there any connection?

2. The Book of Deuteronomy is often referred to as the "Mishneh Torah" or the "Torah Review" because much is reviewed in the book, but there is new information as well. What's the purpose of the repetition?

Talmud Rosh Hashanah 11a

Rabbi Yehoshua says the world was created in the month of Nissan and Rabbi Eliezer says that the world was created in Tishrei.

Your Talmud Navigator

1. What does it mean that the world was created in Nissan? Does it mean creation began, or does it mean the creation was finished?
2. What difference does it make?

Talmud Sota 2a

Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rav: 40 days before a fetus is formed a heavenly voice calls out: The daughter of so and so will be married to so and so.

A Word

The world was finished on either the first of Nissan or the first of Tishrei which means the world began on the 25th of Adar or the 25th of Elul.

If the world was created on the first day of Nissan, then when the verse in our Parsha says that "This month is for you..." It is saying that we have a special relationship to the creation and the Creator. If we count back 40 days from the beginning of creation -- the 25th of Adar -- we see that the world was conceived on Tu B'Shevat, for The Talmud teaches "Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rav: 40 days before a fetus is formed a heavenly voice calls out: The daughter of so and so will be married to so and so.." (Sota 2a) We belonged to God already on Tu B'shevat according to this tradition because the Torah teaches, "This month, this "Chodesh" -- chodesh from the root Chadash which means "new" -- this newness is for you.

We plant trees, renewing our world, renewing ourselves and renewing our covenant, for it was during the month of Shevat that Moshe taught us the Torah before we entered the Land. The Torah that prepared us for our entry was during the month we now plant seeds. It is no wonder that the Torah is called a tree of life.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director of the Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, Hillel's International Center.

After the 'Golden Calf Disaster,' the Israelites returned to inviting the Presence of God into their midst by building the tabernacle, a physical construction that would serve as a "Dwelling Place" for God. They had already received the detailed instructions; now the actual labor lay before them. But first, Moses reminded them of a spiritual invitation:

Exodus 35:1-3
Now Moses assembled the entire community of the Children of Israel and said to them, "These are the words that YHWH has commanded, to do them:

For six days is work to be made, but on the seventh day there is to be holiness for you, Sabbath, Sabbath-Ceasing for YHWH; whoever makes work on it is to be put-to-death!

You are not to let fire burn throughout all your settlements on the Sabbath day."

Your Torah Navigator
1. Why does Moses choose this particular moment to teach about Shabbat? In other words, why this moment and why Shabbat?
2. What explanation does Moses give for Shabbat? What does it mean that there is to be holiness?
3. Why does Moses specifically mention fire as something prohibited?

The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 97b) suggests that the reason that Moses teaches about Shabbat precisely at the moment before the work of the Dwelling begins is to instruct us on the nature of work; besides the prohibition against fire, we don't really know what it means to "make work." Based on the subsequent chapters of Exodus, the rabbis derive 39 categories of labor which include the following:

baking
extinguishing a fire
grinding
kindling a fire
kneading
plowing
reaping
sheaf-making
sifting
sowing
threshing
winnowing

bleaching
combing raw material
cutting to shape
dyeing
inserting thread in a loom
removing finished article
scraping
selecting
separating into threads
sewing
sheep-shearing
skinning or flaying
slaughtering
spinning
tanning
tearing
trapping
tying a knot
untying a knot
weaving

building
carrying in a public place
demolishing
erasing
marking out
the final hammer blow
writing

Your Rabbinic Navigator

1. Does this definition of work help you make sense of Shabbat or hinder you? Why?
2. Here the 39 categories of work are shown divided into sub-categories. How would you title each section?
3. Why do you think these particular categories were chosen to define work?
4. Would you add anything? Subtract anything?

A Word
After the terrible fire that produced an idol, we return to the physical blueprint of how to remember God's Presence in our lives. Yet, this building is fraught with danger. How will we remember that God is infinite, greater than the splendid Dwelling? And how will we remember that God is truly in our midst--in the midst of us all--if the Dwelling is limited to one specific location?

Shabbat is that reminder.

As my teacher, Dr. Michael Chernick taught me, the rabbis taught all of us that we have six days a week to think about physical things. We have six days a week to do everything we need to provide for the three categories listed above: food, clothing and shelter. We have six days a week to take care of our survival. On the seventh day, we stop and consider what we are surviving for. On the seventh day, we invite the spiritual and the holy into our dwellings and bask in the Presence of God.

Prepared by Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, Executive Director, Hillel of San Diego.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vayakhel at MyJewishLearning.com.

For the past book and a half, the Torah has not disappointed any reader who likes a fast paced plot, rich character, moral ambiguity, romance, tragedy, adventure and passion. Even the statutes of the last parsha seem important and critical to our story. It is in chapter twenty-five where the pace of our narrative flags, where we are all of the sudden treated to the excruciating details of a building where the Holy One will dwell and speak to Moshe. It is easy to gloss over these phrases, but it is also a mistake. Within God's house there must be clues to the very nature of God. Otherwise, why else regale us with details which are of interest to only architects and interior designers.

For those who wish to be intimates, to know God as much as humanly possible, most of our clues lie within these buildings. It is our job to plumb these details and learn about the Holy One as much as possible with the humble understanding that we may come up with more questions than answers.

For instance, the Torah says:

18 You are to make two winged-sphinxes of gold, of hammered-work are you to make them, at the two ends of the purgation-cover.

19 Make one sphinx at the end here and one sphinx at the end there; from the purgation-cover are you to make the two sphinxes, at its two ends.

20 And the sphinxes are to be spreading (their) wings upward with their wings sheltering the purgation-cover, their faces, each-one toward the other; toward the purgation-cover are the sphinxes? faces to be.

21 You are to put the purgation-cover on the coffer, above it, and in the coffer you are to put the Testimony that I give you.

22 I will appoint-meeting with you there and I will speak with you from above the purgation-cover, from between the sphinxes that are on the coffer of Testimony? all that I command you concerning the Children of Israel.

If you were trying to promote a religion that shunned the worship of graven images would you place two "Sphinxes" (keruvim) directly below the presence of your voice. On top of that, would you not give any explicit purpose for these "Sphinxes"? The Talmud in the tractate of Baba Batra gives several possibilities which in many ways evoke a pattern that begins in Genesis and continues throughout the desert journey.

The description of the "Sphinxes" in Exodus contradicts the way they are described in Solomon's Temple. In Exodus, it says that "their faces should be each one toward the other." While in Chronicles it says, "And their faces were inward." (II Chronicles 3:13) Making the assumption that these two verse are not in contradiction, the rabbis offer different explanations.

How did they stand? R. Johanan and R. Eleazar [are in dispute on the matter]. One Says: They faced each other; and the other says: Their faces were inward. According to the one who says they faced each other, [it may be asked]: Is it not written, "And their faces were inward?" There is no contradiction here. They [faced each other] when Israel obeyed the will of the Holy One; they [turned inward] at a time when Israel did not obey the will of the Holy One. According to him who says that their faces were inward [it may be asked]: Is it not written, "With their faces one to another?" He would say, "They were slightly turned sideways.

For [so] it was taught: Onkelos the proselyte said, "The sphinxes were of childlike imagery and their faces were turned sideways as a student who takes leave of his master." (Babylonian Talmud 99a)

In resolving a contradiction between two verses we are given two different purposes for the "Sphinxes". One says they functioned as barometers for the beliefs of the community. Much as Moses' hands served as barometers for the faith of the people when they battled with Amaleq (See the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah Chapter 3 Mishnah 8). Their faces, however, were not turned toward the people, but toward each other. Seeming to say that we are doing God's will when we are seeing God's image in each other.

While the other says, they serve as models for how one should relate to the Holy One. One never turns one's back on God. Upon leaving the presence of the Holy One, one never truly leaves--God accompanies you.

Neither of the opinions view the "Sphinxes" as representations of the Divine, but idealized representations of the holy human and her/his relationship to the Holy One.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

This week's parshah, Parshat Terumah deals with the building of the Tabernacle, or Tent of Worship that the Children of Israel carried with them in the Desert and that served as the model for the Temple in Jerusalem. The Torah goes into great detail about the measurements and requirements of each vessel that was in the Tabernacle.

The first vessel that the Torah describes is the ark, which carried the two tablets with the Decalogue.

Exodus 25:10-16
They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold - overlay it inside and out - and make upon it a gold molding round about. Cast four gold rings for it, to be attached to it four feet, two rings on one of its side walls and two on the other. Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; then insert the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark, for carrying the ark. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark: they shall not be removed from it. And deposit in the Ark [the tablets of] the Pact which I will give you.

Your Torah Navigator
1. Why do you think the Ark is the first vessel described?
2. Why must the Ark be overlay with gold on the inside and outside?
3. Why can the poles never be removed from the ark?

One detail to which many commentaries are sensitive is the fact that the ark must be covered on the inside and out with gold. The Talmud makes the following observation based on this fact:

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 72b
Overlay it inside and out - Rava says any Torah scholar whose inside is not like his outside is not a Torah scholar

Your Talmud Navigator
1. What does it mean for someone's inside to be like his/her outside?
2. Why does Rava find this trait to be necessary for one to be a Torah scholar?
3. Why does Rava learn this trait for a Torah scholar from the Torah's description of the Ark?
4. Can you think of other leadership positions for which you would require one's inside to be like one's outside?

This description of a Torah scholar is used in another passage in the Talmud. Rabban Gamliel, who was the head of the Sanhedrin, had embarrassed Rabbi Joshua on a number of occasions. The other rabbis decided to depose Rabban Gamliel from his leadership position. The Talmud says:

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Brachot 27a
A Tanna taught: On [the day that Rabban Gamliel was deposed] the doorkeeper was removed and permission was given for all students to enter. For Rabban Gamliel had issued a proclamation [saying]: No disciple whose interior is not like his exterior may enter the House of Study. On that day many stools were added. Rabbi Johanan said: There is a difference of opinion on this matter between Abba Joseph ben Dosethai and the Rabbis: one [authority] says that four hundred stools were added, and the other says seven hundred. Rabban Gamliel became alarmed and said: "Perhaps, God forbid, I withheld Torah from Israel!" He was shown in his dream white casks full of ashes. This, however, really meant nothing; he was only shown this to appease him...

It is taught: The Talmudic tractate Eduyot was learned on that day. And anywhere in the Talmud that refers to "that day" refers to this incident. There was no law debated in the house of study that was not explained.

Your Talmud Navigator
1. Why were so many people prevented from entering the House of Study when Rabban Gamliel was the only one in charge?
2. What does it mean to have your exterior be like your interior?
3. What is the meaning of Rabban Gamliel's dream?
4. If the dream did not support Rabban Gamliel's actions, why did he merit having a dream that appeased him?
5. Why were they able to learn a new tractate of Talmud specifically on that day?
6. Given the story of Rabban Gamliel, are Rava's standards for a Torah scholar too demanding?

A Word
For one's inside should be like one's outside means that one is sincere and perfectly honest in all that one does. This is an appropriate trait for our Torah scholars and leaders to possess. Our leaders and Torah scholars should be held to higher standards because they represent the ideal for which we strive. Rabban Gamliel's fault lay in the fact that he expected everyone to meet the standards of our sages. The passage in Brachot clearly demonstrates, to prevent people access to Torah study benefits no one.

It is appropriate that this discussion is started by the description of the Ark, which represents Torah. The Ark's poles could never be removed, symbolizing that Torah is accessible to anyone willing to grab onto it. Everyone has a part in Torah and a unique contribution to make in the study of Torah. Our understanding of the Torah and of Judaism will flourish and be complete only if we ensure that these conditions are met.

Prepared by Elliot Kaplowitz, Iyyun Fellow, Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

By now, in Chapter 32 of Exodus, we have been through great highs and lows as a Jewish people. We have witnessed miracles and built the tabernacle. But now, as we wait for Moses to come down from the mountain, we build the golden calf. With it, we realize just how frail and vulnerable we are as a people and recognize how we are searching for connection, for relationship, for something greater than ourselves. It never changes, does it?

Exodus 32:1-6

Now, when the people saw that Moses was shamefully late in coming down from the mountain, the people assembled against Aaron and said to him, "Arise, make us a god who will go before us, for Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!"

Aaron said to them, "Break off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring [them] to me."

All the people broke off the gold rings that were in their ears, and brought [them] to Aaron. He took [them] from their hand, fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf. Then they said, "This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!"

When Aaron saw [this] he built a slaughter-site before it. And Aaron called out and said, "Tomorrow is a festival to God!" They [started] early on the morrow, offered offerings-up and brought shalom-offerings; the people sat down to eat and drink and proceeded to revel.

Your Torah Navigator

1. What motivated our people to build the golden calf?
2. Who was most to blame and why?

• Moses for being late?
• Aaron for organizing the people and building the calf?
• Our people for participating and giving our rings and jewelry to the deed?

3. How do we reconcile the making of the golden calf with the second commandment "not to make a 'carved image' or any figure that is ...on the earth beneath" (20:4)?
4. "Some scholars have tried to soften the sin of the golden calf by explaining that the Israelites did not view it as an idol but rather merely as a representation of the divine" (from Everett Fox's edition of The Five Books of Moses, p.440). Do you agree? Disagree? Why?
5. Can you liken the golden calf to anything we have today?

Alternate View: Another Golden Calf?

Recently, some leaders of certain ultra-Orthodox sects in Israel signed a proclamation warning of the danger of the Internet in the home. They do not accept the unbridled freedom of the Internet as a positive human value. If we extend their argument, we could say that the Internet is, for them, the "golden calf" of our generation. With the Internet we are allowed to "take matters into our own hands," just as our people did when we made the golden calf while waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain.

These individuals feel that the Internet allows our yetser ha-ra, our evil impulse, to take over, making it easier and more convenient for people to engage in "unholy" behavior. The Internet, they say, is a tool for people to secretly stray from Jewish life and perform acts contrary to the beliefs of the Torah. They believe it is a way for secular life to infiltrate the world and shut out God.

Your Internet Navigator

1. What is your reaction to the proclamation made by these groups?
2. Does freedom always lead to our evil impulse taking over?
3. What are the positive aspects of the Internet?
4. Is it possible to find community on the Internet?
5. What do we do with the notion that Jews can study Torah, even practice tikkun olam on the Internet?
6.Rather than viewing the Internet as a modern-day 'golden calf', is it possible to perceive the Internet as leading to the divine?
7. Can we find God on the Internet?

A Word

The Internet makes things easier. Now with the click of a button we are connected. All the things we once only wished we could do, we can now do. Fight hunger, learn Torah, meet new people, possibly even connect with others in deeper ways than we could in person. Yes, the Internet brings about freedom and with it, temptation. And yet, the Internet allows us to go "face to face" with the world in ways we could not do before. What an irony!

We still await Moses coming down from the mountain. Even today, we seek out God's presence in our lives. Until we know God for sure, maybe we can search the Internet.

What an amazing world.
Perhaps God is in it.

"A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph." (Exodus 1:8)

To a people whose liturgy demands that we remember, this statement stops us cold. It is fewer than 400 years since an Israelite saved the Egyptians from starvation. How could a king not remember?

On the other hand, until this point, there hasn't been a reason for the Israelites to remember, either. Throughout Genesis, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are promised that their descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and each patriarch remembers this promise. But they do not recall the stories of their ancestors. They are not asked to remember history.

Only with the creation of a people does remembering history become important. With this line in Exodus, the Torah turns from being a chronicle of individuals to the story of a people. The important fact is not that the king did not know Joseph, but that, not remembering Joseph, he oppressed an entire people.

"A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph" is a call to conscience that tells us the consequences of forgetting. As a people, we take this very seriously. Each year at Passover we are called to remember that we were strangers in the land of Egypt. Each day we are called to remember our redemption from Egypt, the creation of the world, the covenant of the rainbow.

But this must not be all we remember. We must also remember the consequences of sinat chinam - the baseless hatred of one Jew toward another. Tradition suggests that the fall of the second temple is due to hatred of one Jew for another. With this in our memory, we must work to make sure that despite our differences, we treat each other with the respect and love due from one sibling to another.

At the International Professional Staff Conference, we embraced colleagues from 14 countries. We applauded each other's accomplishments. We welcomed new staff into our fold. Together we talked about writing the next chapter in the Hillel story. Together we planned the future of the organization. Avraham Infeld told us of those who do not want to write chapters 11, 12, 13, 14 - 20 of the Jewish story because it has all been written. He told us of the other half of the people who are dying to write these next chapters but have no interest in reading the first 10.

But it is these first 10 chapters that give us the perspective with which to write those next 10. Our differences of opinion on how to deal with issues regarding Israel, Jewish continuity, halacha, liturgy and more must not make us lose our perspective. If we remember nothing, we must remember that we are all in this world together. We are all members of the nation of Israelites whom the Pharaoh oppressed. If it is shocking that a king arose that did not know Joseph, it is even more shocking when we forget that this king oppressed every single one of us, regardless of our opinions.

Am Yisrael is called to remember. It begins here.

Prepared by Susan Detwiler, Executive Director, University of Delaware Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Shemot at MyJewishLearning.com.

It has almost become cliched. Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, has become the Biblical prototype for that ubiquitous nineties phenomenon -- the management consultant. You know, the "expert" that offers you advice, collects a hefty fee and then leaves. Being related by marriage, Yitro foregoes the fee, but suggests a design for the tribal judicial system. His advice is taken, and now all management consultants can say when asked, "What is it that you actually do?" -can answer, "See Exodus 18, we're one of the world's oldest professions."

The job description offered in Shemot for those who are supposed to relieve Moshe of some of his judicial duties is given as follows:

"You are to have men of vision (to select) from all the people, men of caliber, holding God in awe, men of truth, hating gain..." (Exodus 18:21)

Your Torah Navigator

1. This is a job description for the judges of Israel. Go through the list and try to discern why each of these qualities are necessary.
2. What does "hating gain" mean? Why is that important?
3. What does "men of caliber" mean?

Rashi says:

One must hate the possibility of being litigated against in court, so he must hate his own money in this instance. As it is written in Baba Batra, "Any judge who has money exacted from him in court, cannot be considered a judge."

Your Rashi Navigator

1. Isn't it possible that a court and the judge could have a legitimate difference of opinion? Why does this disqualify a judge from the bench?
2. Why is this considered the definition for "hating gain."
3. When you read the verse did you think that this is what Yitro was describing?

A Word

Here is the job description of a public servant. The person must be a visionary, a person of stature, a person who feels subject to God a greater power, a person of integrity who hates gain.

Rashi, the most authoritative and popular of traditional commentators offers an interesting perspective. This judge, he says, must hate the idea of being suspected of illicit behavior in financial dealings. He would never engage in any business practice that would have the potential to be legally questionable. Rashi says the judge must have contempt for the behavior that brings these questions before him. The judge must understand that the process is necessary but profoundly regrettable that financial differences need be resolved in such a painful, and time consuming fashion.

Only one who finds this recourse distasteful is worthy of giving this relief to others. The one who bears the qualities of vision, truth, integrity, and Godliness must also be the one with perspective. He must realize that if he were to be a defendant who had lost the case in the courtroom of another, he has crossed the line and is no longer a credible judge for anyone else.

Things were not going well for Moses and the Israelites in Egypt. Moses' and Aaron's diplomatic approaches to Pharaoh were rebuffed. In fact, the situation had worsened immeasurably. Moses had asked Pharaoh for three days of rest to celebrate a religious festival, but Pharaoh refused. Pharaoh increased the hardship on the Israelites by making them provide their own straw for the production of bricks.

Faced with these increased hardships, the people of Israel were emotionally crushed and demoralized by Moses' unsuccessful meetings with Pharaoh. This week's portion, Vaeyra, begins with God reaffirming his covenant with Israel to deliver them from bondage. However, their spirit was so crushed that the people of Israel would not even listen to Moses. God instructs Moses to demand their freedom from Pharaoh, but Moses hesitates. "The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!" (Exodus 6:12)

At this point, God reaffirms the special role that Moses will play with Pharaoh with Aaron as his spokesman. Mindful that Moses has expressed his own skepticism regarding his ability to persuade Pharaoh, God advises Moses that "[he] will harden Pharaoh's heart…" (Exodus 7:3). After seeking to astound Pharaoh with some magical signs, we now read the detailed accounting of the infamous 10 plagues, though only the first seven plagues will be described in this portion.

As explained in Etz Chaim Torah and Commentary, published by the Rabbinical Assembly of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, the seven plagues were caused by the following:

Blood: Most likely caused by heavy rainfall washing a large amount of red sediment into the Nile River

Frogs: The flooded Nile created bacteria that would kill its fish and thus force the frogs out of its natural habitat onto the land.

Vermin: Lice or mosquitoes are plentiful in Egypt under ordinary circumstances; the prior plagues would have caused even more.

Wild beasts or flies.

Pestilence was likely exacerbated by diseases created from the rotting frogs.

Boils.

Hail: destructive thunderstorms. Before this plague struck, Egyptians were, for the first time, provided with warning and an opportunity take shelter. After the hail stopped, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and agreed to free the Israelites if the plague stopped. Vaeyra concludes with Pharaoh changing his mind. "So Pharaoh's heart stiffened and he would not let the Israelites go; just as the Lord had foretold through Moses." (Exodus 9:35)

Among the many themes in this portion, there is an interesting question raised here about free will and choice. If God hardened Pharaoh's heart, how can he be held accountable for his actions? When Egypt is afflicted with the seven plagues described in this portion, it is written that God hardened Pharaoh's heart and then brought along a sequence of additional, more intensive plagues. It could be argued that this was fundamentally unjust because Pharaoh was only acting in response to God's action in hardening Pharaoh's heart. If God had hardened his heart, why should we hold Pharaoh responsible?

However, the events are not so unfair or harsh. Pharaoh was responsible for his own actions and consequences during the first five plagues because he hardened his own heart for them and refused to liberate the Israelites. It was only after these five plagues that we see that God hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Pharaoh's hardened heart was due to his being overly stubborn and arrogant. He had five separate opportunities to do the right thing and allow the Israelites to leave, but he chose not to do so. At each different plague, Pharaoh could have given up his stubbornness, avoided the hardships on his own people and freed the Israelites. Instead, he chose to continue his self-destructive behavior. With each impending plague looming over him and his people, Pharaoh weighed whether it made more sense for him to free the Israelites, as he was being demanded to do, or cling to his stubbornness. With each new calamity and suffering inflicted on his own people, Pharaoh chose not to change his ways.

How many times do we obstinately cling to our behaviors and refuse to change? We do not change even when we know that we should. We become comfortable in acting a certain way even when we know we need to change. These destructive behaviors may take many forms such as arrogance, procrastination, apathy or, in the case of Pharaoh, stubbornness. They may start out as isolated actions, but over time they become ingrained in our personality and difficult to change. However, the lesson of this portion is that it is up to each individual to decide to change him- or herself and then purposefully act in a different way. Pharaoh could have ended his stubbornness; he was given at least five chances to do so. We all have free will, including the freedom to change.

Prepared by Howard Horowitz, Florida Director of Campus Advancement

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vaeyra at MyJewishLearning.com.

We are in the midst of significant times, moving events in history that shape our future and inform our past. Around the world, things are happening that define nations and the people of those nations. Some of these events are rewarding, while many are challenging, and in some cases, frightening. Looking back through history, however, gives us a glimpse into other significant times that were both influential and moving. As we reflect on these experiences, we can use that history to help inform how we understand the placement of these experiences.

In our reading of the Torah, we are also in the midst of significant times. Just last week, we read Parashat Beshallach, which details the Israelites escape from Egypt and their crossing of the Red Sea. The Torah outlines this tremendous journey culminating with "Shirat Hayam," the Song of the Sea, which the people sang as they walked on dry land with water raised high on either side.

This week, we follow the Israelites into the next phase of their existence beginning with Moses, and his father-in-law, Yitro, setting up a judicial system and concluding with the handing down of the Ten Commandments. This seemingly out-of-place story of building the judicial system is the subject upon which we will focus.

According to the JPS Torah Commentary, commentators debate whether Yitro actually appeared chronologically in this section of the Torah or was later placed here. Yet, there seems to be some reasoning to why he appears. To understand the reasoning, we look back to the end of last week's parasha where the Israelites encounter the Amalekites, a people who attack Israel from behind. We are then commanded by God to "blot out the name of Amalek" (Exodus 18:14).

In what seems like an abrupt transition, immediately after Amalek, we meet Yitro, a Midianite man. The commentator Radak speculates why Yitro follows so closely after Amalek. He explains that Yitro serves as a positive transition to the Ten Commandments. Had Yitro not appeared in the Torah in this place, he goes on, the Ten Commandments would have directly followed feelings of intense distrust and even possibly hatred. To separate this treacherous attack from the power and positivity of the Ten Commandments, the Yitro story is inserted.

Why, though, is this Yitro story so important? Commentators point out that Yitro and Moses' interaction highlight a positive relationship between the Israelites and the Midianites. Yes, there is the familial relationship that should not be overlooked. But the instance of exchanging advice is an important one in the relations of two nations.

A second interpretation of Yitro's place brings a link between the implementation of the laws (setting up the judicial system) and the giving of the laws themselves. When viewed in the context of the Ten Commandments, it makes perfect sense that a system be put in place to administer the laws that the people are about to receive.

Both commentaries ask us to reflect on the place of one event in context with other events around us. Moses clearly was aware of the significant times in which he was leading. We, too, are in the midst of significant times, moving events in history that shape our future and inform our past. How we relate to those times lays the foundation for what shape that future will take. As we continue forth on our path, may we collectively view the challenging times as steps toward something larger and the rewarding times as the culmination of determination and effort.

Written by Adam Broms, human resources fellow at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman International Center.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Yitro visit myjewishlearning.com.

This week's parsha opens with a conversation between God and Moses. God states, "I am YHVH. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but by my name YHVH I did not make Myself known to them."

Why the two names for God? The rabbis might have responded to this questions with another, "Why only two names?" For they teach that there are at least 70 names for God. Adonai, El, HaMakom, Elohim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and Shechinah are only a few of them.

Why are there so many names for the One?

If we believe that someone's name carries their essence, we can explain the need for so many ways by which to call God. God is everything. It would be impossible for one name to capture all aspects of the Divine. Despite the various ways in which the tradition models how we can refer to God, it is still a struggle to understand and access God.

Our text, Ex 6:2-3, imparts more than the insight that there are two names for God. It teaches us that God chose to be revealed by one name to Moses and by another to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The name YHVH is not pronounceable. Only the high priest was able to utter this name in the holy of holies and only on Yom Kippur. El Shaddai is translated as God Almighty. God must have had a reason for revealing these different aspects to our ancestors. Why was it fitting for Moses to connect with YHVH at the time when he is being coached on freeing the Israelites from slavery? What was it about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they were connected with the Almighty?

We can, in fact, choose which name we will reveal to others. Think about the people in your life and by which name they know you. To many I am Kate. To the telemarketer I am Mrs. Speizer. To my son I am Mom. To some I am Rabbi. These names all capture aspects of the essence of who I am.

It is an intimate thing to know someone by name. At our programs we use name tags to make people feel welcome and at home. There is great comfort in knowing people by name. In some cases we know people by multiple names. This gives us greater insight into who these people are.

The midrash teaches that people actually have three names; one given by their parents, one that others call them, and one that they acquire for themselves. By what name do you appear to the various people in your life?

Written by Rabbi Kate Speizer, director of Jewish education and program at Cornell Hillel: The Yudowitz Center for Jewish Campus Life.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vaeyra at MyJewishLearning.com.

In the portion of the Torah we read this coming Shabbat, Parshat Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, Yitro, comes to greet the children of Israel after they have crossed the Red Sea. Yitro was a priest who had served many gods, and when he saw what HaShem had done for Israel, he blessed God as greater than all other gods. Later, when he saw Moshe judging the people all day long, he questioned Moshe's actions - basically saying he was crazy to do this all by himself.

Instead, Yitro suggested Moshe set up a system of judges, whom he would instruct, to decide matters of law for the people. Only the major cases would then be brought to Moshe. Moshe willingly accepted this suggestion, and the people also bought into it, thus establishing both a judiciary and an educational system, as this system of judges would also be a mechanism for transmitting the law.

In terms of storyline, this comes right after Israel has been saved from Egypt and Pharaoh (with all that he represents) destroyed, and before they reach Mount Sinai and the giving of the law, matan Torah.

Makes perfect sense, no?

Yet, two oddities stand out. The first is that this suggestion comes from "outside of the camp." On the one hand, this is not surprising. Those who appreciate therapy, consulting or good friendships can attest to the benefits of an outside perspective. However, there is a longstanding religious question that exists about whether wisdom, and what kind of wisdom, exists outside of Israel. Given Yitro's pedagogic role in establishing the first Torah educational institution, it would seem that there is such wisdom, and perhaps not just on technical details. Yet, perhaps we can take this line of thought even further with our next consideration.

The second oddity is perhaps a bit more substantive. The interplay between Moshe and Yitro, and institutionalization of this legal/educational system took place before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. Not to say that Moshe didn't have what to teach (and I am not suggesting going down this road, as I am sure HaShem gave Moshe enough Torah previews to share in their earlier interactions), but don't you think God might have provided a teacher's guide to go with the Torah? (Or at least a student workbook?) Or, perhaps more to the point, why didn't Moshe wait to see what the whole package looked like, and whether it included such a teacher's guide, before setting up this system?

Given that this system continued after the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, it clearly had its merits. So what can we learn from this?

First and foremost, there is room for human innovation and wisdom when it comes to bringing Torah to the world. Divine revelation is not the only source of wisdom in the world, nor is it a one-way street. If revelation implies that there is one source of truth (i.e. God) and one distribution system (i.e. fireworks at Mount Sinai or the pronouncements of the prophets), then acceptance of Yitro's initiative and recommendations contradict this.

Yitro offers an alternative to divine wisdom, complementary as it was. Moshe and Israel affirm the acceptability of this non-revelatory innovation, thus setting an example for other possible contexts. And the fact that the source was from outside the Jewish people further enhances possibilities for learning from "the other" and benefiting from wisdom in other cultures and peoples. As it says in the Midrash Tanchuma 4, "Why is he called Yitro (from the root YTR - to add)? Because he added a parsha to the Torah."

Given this understanding, it is important that the interchange with Yitro and the development of the system of judges take place before the actual revelation at Mount Sinai - thereby highlighting the role of independent human thought and action. Were it to take place afterward, there would always be interpretations that link this innovation to the revelation at Sinai, thereby minimizing the role and possible scope of such non-divinely instigated wisdom.

Furthermore, in addition to highlighting the role for human innovation, Yitro's recommendation, and the establishment of a cadre of judges drawn from the people themselves, leads to a more egalitarian system, with maximum access and "ownership" of the Torah by the people.

There are many lessons we can see from this Torah portion, such as how vision requires an implementation strategy to be successful; the importance of effective institutions, educational and judicial, for molding and modeling a culture; and the notion of Lo Bashamayim Hi, that the Torah is not in heaven - i.e. divine and inviolate - but a part of the world for us to explore, interpret and understand.

Credit to Rav Alex Israel of Midreshet Lindenbaum, whose divrei Torah helped inform this one.

Prepared by Keith Krivitzky, associate director of development

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Yitro at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Yitro tells a most astonishing tale - the first account of the revelation of God's Presence to the entire community of Israel at Mount Sinai. We point with great pride to this, our most significant collective memory - not a revelation to a single individual but a transcendently grand mass experience whose multiple significances continue to reverberate across the millennia in the life of the People of Israel, the Jews. Interestingly, a close examination of the text narrates a less than sublime experience for the people, one filled with terror and fear, one that describes a rejection of the direct experience of God's glorious and immediate Presence in their lives, a failing with profound consequences for all the subsequent history that then began to unfold. The experience at Sinai was to be our collective initiation into assuming the role of a nation set apart and to be a light unto the nations and a kingdom of priests, a status we have yet to realize in this world no matter what we choose to believe.

The crucial sentences are in Ch. 20, verses 15-18, immediately after those that contain the Ten Commandments: 15. The entire people saw the thunder and the flames, the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain; the people saw and trembled and stood from afar. 16. They said to Moses: "You speak to us and we shall hear; let God not speak to us lest we die." 17. Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for in order to elevate you God has come; so that awe of Him shall be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin." 18. The people stood from afar and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

These verses relate that our ancestors succumbed to fear, they were completely daunted by the prospect of immediate and direct contact with the Divine, even a momentary one, to say nothing of establishing a continuous, ongoing relationship characterized by deep communion with the Holy Inmost One. The contemporary translator Nahum Sarna comments that an encounter with the Holy can easily arouse feelings of awe, often terror, frequently fear of death. "The unique, transcendent, supernal holiness of the Divine Presence is felt to be beyond human endurance." I like to imagine though that had the Israelites stood their ground, a completely egalitarian, classless society based on Divine communion as an ordinary, everyday experience would have emerged. Instead, the people begged Moses to act as their intermediary, their expert, who would hear the Voice of God and then tell them what to do. And isn't that what happened? Isn't the next command in the Torah to build an altar to sacrifice to God and wasn't that new communication device placed in the hands of a separate class of people, the priests, who were put in charge of all future communication with God? Because they were afraid, direct experience was misplaced, and the people were forced to rely on the good will of the 'experts' who were put in charge of the means for reaching God indirectly on their behalf. We lost an opportunity at Sinai, even though we were given this secondary, and by my reckoning, thoroughly inadequate and indirect method of realizing our birthright to walk with God every step of the way through life.

None of this should be taken as discouraging news. The story is humbling and begs for completion. We as a nation are still in school, we have yet to learn the lesson that God is always reaching out to us, always talking to us, always inviting us to merge with the Glorious Presence as the most efficacious means to repair our broken and imperfect universe. The story of Sinai may be about a missed opportunity but it also tells us that nothing is lost, that all we need to do is pay attention, and to pay attention we must put an end to every hindrance that manifests in life as our fears. When that day finally dawns, only then will the true work of the Nation of Israel in this world begin to be realized.

Written by Michael Faber, Director of Hillel at Ithaca College.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Yitro visit myjewishlearning.com.

We live in a world in which the exploration of things of the spirit has far greater richness and potential than ever before. The journey of the individual, their story and their quest for meaning are of paramount importance.

In such an environment, this week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, seems almost incongruous. The structures and strictures of a legal system are not the stuff of spiritual exploration. The parashah offers rules for how to handle those guilty of breaking and entering, for how to make restitution for property destroyed by fire, for how to handle a pledge given as collateral for a loan. It is filled with rules which would make Plato proud, describing how to craft and build a society and a social network.

As the 'People of the Book,' we are indeed formed by the laws contained in the Torah. Some would suggest that the legalism of Jewish life is a limitation, an interference with one's true spiritual nature. On the other hand, the late Emanuel Rackman, in his book One Man's Judaism, calls Judaism a 'legal order,' and does so with the greatest reverence and appreciation.

One law in this parashah stands out for me as a bridge between the legal and the spiritual. We are commanded (Exodus 23:14) to celebrate the three pilgrimage festivals, Pesah, Shavuot and Sukkot. Each is defined by its purpose, to mark the Exodus, to mark the collection of first fruits (no, the Torah here does not acknowledge Shavuot as the time it is received) and the collection of the final harvest. Tucked in among these descriptions is a very particular instruction: v'lo ye'ra'u panai reikam (my face shall not be seen empty -- Exodus 23:15). What could this possibly mean?

The language echoes God's words to Moses some 10 chapters later, lo tukhal lir'ot et panai (none shall see my face - Ex. 33:20). These verses share two root forms, see and face. In the second, the words which follow make clear that God is explaining to Moses why he cannot see God's face. But in the first instance, the verb form of the root see implies being seen, rather than seeing. In addition, the qualifier reikam, empty, calls out for explanation - what is an empty face?

This passive, plural verb form of being seen leads us to understand that we are the ones being seen here, not God. How we appear before God can have an empty quality and it is about this that we are being cautioned. And while the Torah gives this a context specific to festival observance, it is a lesson which can be broadly applied.

It is true that a society with a legal structure can be reduced to no more than laws. But the fulfillment of the letter of the law, in the absence of any attention paid to the spirit of the law becomes an empty gesture. And just as we are commanded not to appear before God empty handed on festivals (to bring the offerings associated therewith), we ought not present ourselves before God with empty gestures.

The gift of halakhah, of Jewish law, is that it helps give form to an otherwise chaotic world, enabling us to channel our craving for Divine contact through a system which both provides opportunities to articulate that desire and enriches that contact by giving us a shared language with others on that same path. The Talmud teaches us that the purpose of the mitzvot (commandments) is both l'tzaref (to refine) and l'tzrof (to bind) - the legal system helps us to elevate our own spiritual selves as well as joins us together as a community. It is how we fulfill the mitzvot, what we bring to their observance and how we let them influence our lives that makes all the difference.

Seen this way, Judaism's legal system becomes a rich and varied portal to spiritual expression, a starting point for building a life filled with meaning. God calls out to us to fill the emptiness, to bring our best and growing selves to all that lies before us, offering us a guidebook to help make that dream come true.

Written by Rabbi Elyse Winick, associate director of KOACH, the college outreach department of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Jewish Chaplain at Brandeis University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Bo is one of the most influential and important parshiot we read all year. It tells of the last three plagues God brings upon Egypt , including the killing of the first born. We are given our first commandments as a community- the keeping of the new moon and a Jewish calendar-- as well as the holiday of Passover. We are told of tefillin. We see the inclusion of a "mixed multitude" of other peoples fleeing Egypt with us. And we head for the wilderness which brings our redemption from Egypt .

The parsha begins immediately with God declaring to Moshe why the plagues are happening to Egypt: so that you (the Hebrews) will tell, in the ears of your children and your children's children that God acted upon Egypt and put signs (the plagues) in their midst to let them know it was God that was acting on their behalf. (Exodus 10:2)

Alcalay's dictionary tells us the Hebrew word for acted here implies a wickedness, a false accusation, or a cruelty. Rashi, the Medieval commentator, tells us that this act is one of God mocking Egypt for God's own amusement.

On first look, I was troubled and disturbed by a God who brought down destruction and death onto an entire people for the sake of amusement.

When I read the verse over again, though, another point shines brighter: "so that you will tell, in the ears of your children and your children's children…"

I first came to Hillel as a sophomore in college after admitting that I want to lead a family Passover Seder someday as a dad. As someone who was bar mitzvah-ed out of Judaism, I realized I needed to seek resources in this journey. Hillel became the place for me to begin my new quest for Jewishness.

Eight years later, I find myself a Hillel professional writing a d'var Torah for the parsha in which the Torah tells us to have a Seder. And at a Seder, we should feel as though we, ourselves, are slaves in Egypt.

Parsha Bo tells us how to recreate this experience calling upon our five senses throughout the story.

We are first told experience the story with our ears: into the ears of our children. (Exodus 10:2)

We are then reminded to use our eyes in experiencing the story. The ninth plague of darkness reminds us of sight and the word "eyes" appears in the text multiple times throughout the parsha. (Exodus 10:22-11:3)

Next we are told to use our nose. As Moshe tells Pharoah of the tenth and final plague, the killing of the first born of Egypt, we experience the great emotion Moshe feels as his "nose was burning" (Exodus 11:8). One can image the intensity of this scene as we are reminded of the heat of Moshe's heavy breathing and the smell of death that surrounds Egyptat this time.

We are then instructed as a people, with the impending doom of the tenth plague upon us, to use our hands and to touch death and blood with the Pesach offering. By marking our doorposts we bring about our own redemption. This is the first time the Hebrews are called upon to do anything as a piece of their redemption and it serves as a crucial lesson in the quest for social justice and change in the story, that while we must be awakened to bondage with our eyes, nose, and ears, only action will bring deliverance. (Exodus 12:3, 12:7, 12:13)

Finally we are told to use our mouths. More than the eating of the Pesach offering (Exodus 12:4, 12:8, 12:9-12:11, 12:15, etc.) we are told to speak. As we are given the commandment of tefillin (Exodus 13:9), we are told that "God's Torah will be in our mouth." For some of us this alludes to daily prayer, for others informal conversation, and still for others, it may be a speaking that occurs within - no matter which way, the act serves to bring closure to the process of redemption while ensuring an evolving continuity.

The brilliance of the Torah, divine or not, in bringing the use of our senses as an act of remembrance, enables us to fully experience but also pause and reflect. In being told to use each sense in a sequence: hearing, seeing, smelling/emoting, touching/doing, and tasting/speaking, we are able to spend time with each enabling for a deeper experience.

As we as Jews work for social justice and change in the world, let us not forget our own history and the reminders it gives us to relate to ourselves and others. We see in the beginning of the parsha that God acts for reasons that may not make sense or even seem just. Let us not forget that though our own memory of oppression is unique, we are not alone in experiencing it.

Written by David Basior, J-Connect Seattle.

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Bo visit myjewishlearning.com

Exodus 32:1-4
"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him: Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this man Moses, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And Aaron said to them: Break off your golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me. And all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it a molten calf: And they said: These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt."

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language offers a number of definitions for "golden calf." The first definition says it is a golden image of a sacrificial calf fashioned by Aaron and worshipped by the Israelites, and the second definition says it is money as an object of worship; mammon.

The first definition is descriptive of the text and the second definition comes to a surprise to many Jews: this infamous incident in the life of our people is understood as the sin of the worship of money.

Your Torah Navigator
Rabbinic commentary doesn't seem to see this sin as one of greed. Why might others suggest that? Could a root of the anti-Semitic image of Jews as greedy (Shylock) come from this (mis)interpretation of this incident?

Does it matter that the calf was made of gold? What is the role of money in religious life?

A Word
Just last week we read (Exodus 25:1-3): "And the Holy One said to Moses saying: Speak to the people of Israel: Bring me offerings; from anyone whose heart desires, you shall take gifts. And these are the gifts you shall take from them: gold and silver and bronze...."

Gold is clearly not a problem here. The Holy One requested that we offer it to build a Mishkan. Beauty and worship have always gone together.

This is not a story of money, but of fear. Where was Moses? Where is "this man" who had disappeared on the mountain 40 days earlier with no food and had not come back? What had happened to him? What would happen to them?

They gave their gold to assuage their fears - to build for themselves a leader, not a God. In Parshat Terumah, God says "they shall build me a holy place and I will dwell among them." Moses, who had spoken God's words to them, had gone. How would they know what to do?

Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman writes:
"They did not ask for a god-calf representing the supreme powers of life and death but merely a substitute for Moses' leadership. [Aaron said:] They only asked me to make them a god who would lead them in your stead since they didn't know what had befallen you, whether you would come back or not. For the meantime while you were still away they required a leader. But once you came back they would forsake it and follow you once more."

And why did Aaron ask them for their gold? Ramban continues: "[Aaron] selected gold... because gold indicates the attribute of justice, its appearance being as the appearance of fire (Ez. 1:27). It is for this reason that the House where the sacrifices were brought was made wholly of gold, as also the altar of incense and the cherubim."

Our search for leadership must always bring us toward justice and truth. By living lives of justice and creating a righteous society we build a place for the Holy One to dwell. May we put our gold to its right use.

Prepared by Rabbi Lina Grazier-Zerbarini; Associate Rabbi, Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Terumah

God begins Parshat Terumah by instituting the first fund-raiser. The Holy One details exactly which materials Moshe should solicit. Once the details are complete, The Holy One concludes the pitch with a charge to all of Israel.

Shemot 25:8-9

"Let them make me a Holy-Shrine (a Sanctuary) that I may dwell amidst them. According to all that I grant you to see, the building-pattern of the Dwelling and the building-pattern of all its implements, thus are you to make it."

Your Shemot Navigator

1. First God requires a Holy-Shrine or a Sanctuary, and then the Holy One refers to the Shrine as a "Dwelling." What does this change of language imply?

2. The first verse may be divided into four sections: "Let them make me" "a Holy-Shrine", "that I may dwell" "amongst them." Each one emphasizes a different aspect of the human relationship to the Divine. What four components comprise our relationship with the Holy One?

Many rabbinic commentators have grappled with this verse which is the most popular verse to interpret in this Parsha. One question often asked is why the site is called a Holy-Shrine or a Mikdash when it is referred to in the next verse as a Dwelling, a Mishkan. Is a Mikdash a synonym for Mishkan, or are they referring to two different things?

If they are synonymous then the Holy-Shrine, the Mikdash, defines another aspect of the Dwelling, the Mishkan, but if we assume that the words are not synonymous, what does the commandment, "Let them make me a Holy-Shrine (a Sanctuary) that I may dwell amidst them" come to teach us?

One answer is found in the Zohar:

Zohar, Bamidbar 126a

Eleazar began a discourse on the verse: "Why, when I came, was no one there?..." (Isaiah 50:2). 'How beloved', he said, 'are Israel before the Holy One, in that wherever they dwell the Holy One is found among them, for the Holy One never withdraws His love from them.

We find it written: "And let them make me a Mikdash Holy-Shrine, that I may dwell amidst them" (Exodus 25:8). That is, ANY HOLY-SHRINE whatever, so any Synagogue, wherever situated, is called a Mikdash, a Holy-Shrine, and it is to the synagogue the Shekhinah hastens before the worshippers assemble.

A Word

The Zohar says we are commanded to build places in which the Holy One may dwell.

This verse is not only referring to the tabernacle in the desert, but also requires us to build sanctuaries for the Holy One wherever Jews are to be found. Building the Holy Shrine ensures the presence of the Holy One when worshippers appear. But the Holy One expects the community not to keep Him waiting, for the verse continues "that I may dwell amidst them." The Zohar continues, announcing that it is important that a quorum of worshippers be present at the appointed time so that He will not be able to say, "Why, when I came, was no one there?" (Isaiah 50:2) The Holy One is not present to be the custodian of an empty building when time for worship has arrived.

A building poorly attended or neglected by the community will ultimately be abandoned by the Holy One. In other words, if you build it the Holy One will come, but if you leave it so will He.

Laws, laws and more laws. And what do the Israelites say? "Sure Moses, you got it. All those laws - we love them!" The Israelites eagerly accepted this litany of laws about slaves, animals, strangers, widows, orphans and so on. And then what happens right after that? "Let us build a golden calf." Did they purposely build this golden calf in order to spite the very words God had just spoken, or was there simply a miscommunication about what these laws actually entailed?

The other morning I woke up to a noise in the kitchen. I tiptoed down the stairs and lo and behold, what did I see? My dog eating a delicious plate of baklava cooling on the countertop next to the hot oven! Our dog is not allowed in the kitchen. We created a rule that she was not allowed to step onto the linoleum. When we are in the kitchen, she waits on the other side of the invisible line for a rub behind the ear or to play ball. The "no kitchen" law is obeyed. However, when the lawmaker was not in the kitchen, the law seemed to disappear as well (according to the dog). Needless to say, the dog was relegated to the laundry room, and a new batch of baklava was created at 5 a.m.

The opening lines of this week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, begin, "These are the laws that you shall set before them." Laws not only help protect us from certain dangers, but they also help draw us closer to God and help to define a just society. However, what happens when those laws are not understood? How does the law-giver explain the laws, and how do the law-abiders understand the laws?

My dog, a smart black lab, did not receive all the information regarding the law of the kitchen. She was not to enter the kitchen when humans were in there. That is what she understood. There were no physical reminders that she was not allowed in, so how was she to completely comprehend the entirety of the rule? Now we have a broom that sits across the kitchen entranceway that reminds her that the kitchen is not the place for dogs. There are things that are dangerous - a hot stove, chocolate and glass. She sees the broom and is reminded that that is not her place. She turns away and heads down to the laundry room for her Kibbles and Bits.

Similarly, the Israelites had just been given a long list of laws to follow but had not yet had the knowledge to grasp what they were each really about. In Judaism today, we have physical reminders that also help us remember and observe these laws - the mezuzah, tallit, tefillin, kippah, the Torah scroll, a synagogue. We are reminded each day that these laws are more than written words. They help to form a code of conduct for society. Seeing from the golden calf experience, a list of laws are only beneficial when they are understood to be significant in the lives of the people for whom the laws are made. There need to be reminders along the way that shout out, "Look, this law is here because there are significant and important reasons to have it." When people understand the laws and commit to observe them because they know the reasoning behind them, only then do the laws become a useful and significant tool for decision makers.

Let us take these laws that we are given in Mishpatim, and throughout the Torah, and find ways to understand them in the context of our own lives. Then they are transformed from a litany of laws to be followed into a part of the continuing story of the Jewish people.

Prepared by Bethany Friedlander, program director, University of Pennsylvania Hillel

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Mishpatim at MyJewishLearning.com.

What an intersting beginning Parshat Ki Tissa has. The children of Israel are mandated to contribute a half of a Shekels worth of silver for the Tent of Meeting. We are told that whether one is poor or rich they are not allowed to give more or less than the prescribed amount. We are also told that those over the age of twenty are obliged to contribute and that this contribution will be considered an atonement.

Rashi, the most renowned of medieval commentators, explains that the Hebrew word for contribution, Terumah is used three times in these verses and therefore, he learns that there were three specific projects for which the contributions were used.

One of those projects was the hundred talents of silver from which the sockets, the ADaNYm were created. Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla, a 13th century Kabbalist, the author of Gates of Light, notices that the Hebrew word ADaNYM has the same root as ADoNaY (which because it is a Name of God is traditionally pronounced only in ritual contexts, and otherwise is pronounced as Adoshem).

The Name Adoshem according to Jewish mystical tradition represents the aspect of God that is closest to the people. This Name receives all the everflowing energy from all the other Names and aspects of God, just as the Adanym are open to receiving the poles of the tabernacle, so, too, Adoshem receives the channels of holiness from all the other emanations of God.

In order to have this intimacy with God the children of Israel had to equally contribute as one, to build the place where God would dwell. Now, God would be able to channel that everflowing energy through the building that represented all of Israel equally.

Rabbi Gikatilla also noticed that there were one hundred ADaNYM, and that there was a Talmudic requirement to say one hundred blessings a day. He noticed that the Hebrew word for blessing, BRaCHa, shared the same root for the hebrew word for pool, BRAyCHa. A pool is the receptacle for the blessings we would receive from the Adanym. Just as the Adanym received Adoshem in the sacred structure, so, too the hundred Brachot receive the everflowing energy from the celestial Adanym.

Our hundred blessings, our consciousness of the sacred create a sacred space through which God is present. We bask in the light that is created by our blessings. Just as God built the sockets with our silver, we now equally together garner the blessings for Israel through our blessings.

Ourt collective consciousness of holiness creates an intimacy with the Creator from which the whole world benefits. As we plod along with mundane concerns, blessing the ordinary makes the world extraordinary and creates a structure of consciousness, an idealized form of the Sanctuary of Moses.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein.

This week's torah reading (Ki Tissa, Exodus 30:11-34:35) teaches us important lessons about the traditional Jewish value of preserving the stability and peace of the community, and about what kind of leadership is needed to that end.

Coincidentally, this year's Summit Conference theme will be "imagining a more civil society." It shouldn't come as a surprise that Jewish tradition is a rich source of thought on how to achieve the goals we'll talk about in Washington on March 24-26.

To set the stage for this week's reading, we're now in the last third of the Book of Exodus. We are several weeks past reading about Revelation at Mount Sinai, and in recent weeks, we've been focusing on the construction of the Tabernacle (the portable shrine housing the Ark of the Covenant).

These technical details are now interrupted by a return to biblical narrative. What follows is familiar to all fans of the movie version of The Ten Commandments: Moses is given the tablets, he descends from Mount Sinai and sees the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf. He smashes the tablets, the evil doers are punished, and the faithful are saved.

Just before Moses comes down from the mountaintop, the text informs us (Exodus 32:1) that many of the Israelites had become nervous when Moses failed to return. They insisted that Aaron, Moses' brother - who was left in charge while Moses was away - fashion an idol for them to worship. At first, Aaron seeks delay: he tells them to come back the next day and he asks them to bring their gold and jewels (assuming a natural reluctance to part with their treasures). But these tactics fail to work, and Aaron winds up helping to make the Golden Calf.

Some traditional commentators, trying to find something positive in Aaron's actions, focus on Aaron's effort to delay until Moses could return. Others simply state that this was a terrible failure of leadership by Aaron, who could not stick to his principles and instead gave himself over to the power of the mob. For Jewish professionals, Aaron's role in these events is interesting, if not intriguing.

Here's the connection between this week's reading and the upcoming Summit: Aaron utilized a form of conflict management to maintain his society and prevent the disintegration of the People into warring factions. He engaged in conflict prevention, because the preservation of peace was his most important goal. He did not confront the people who demanded an idol; instead, he eventually accepted their demands. He believed that open conflict would have been catastrophic for the community as a whole, and he chose what he perceived to be the lesser of two evils: it was better to make an idol than to see the community dissolve. His attempts to delay failed, and when these efforts failed, he went along. Why?

This was an example of the traditional Jewish value of "mipnei darchei shalom" - acceptance of an undesirable practice in order to avoid conflict in the community. It is also an example of shalom bayit - the imperative to maintain peace in the house. Perhaps this is one reason why Aaron is not only forgiven for his participation in the events of the Golden Calf, but he and his descendants are rewarded with the hereditary high priesthood. Our tradition goes a long way to stress the importance of maintaining communal peace!

From another perspective, Aaron's role in the story of the Golden Calf raises questions about leadership. Should a leader always reconcile differences within the community, or is there room for creative differences? Is every principle subject to compromise, or are there limits to what one is willing to abandon? Is avoiding confrontation always the correct path, or is confrontation sometimes necessary? Aaron's role in this story teaches us the essence of the art of leadership: knowing when to reconcile, when to compromise, and when to confront.

Prepared by Gary Simms, director of administration at the Schusterman International Center.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

In this week's torah portion, Shemot, we read that "A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph". In this single sentence, we see the beginnings of a tragedy that will repeat itself throughout millennia. Seemingly in every generation there is an "Amalek" who preys upon the generations that fail to remember what happened to us in Egypt.

In the last week's torah portion Vayechi, we read that Joseph said to his brothers, "I am dying. And God will surely remember you again one day and bring you up from this land to the land which God swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

This is an odd statement to make to a population that the Torah tells us was every bit as influential, wealthy and respected as our own community is today in North America. One wonders what spiritual pull this promise could hold for a population that had only known the privileges of position in society? How relevant could the promise of some ethereal land in a distant location hold for a community that had assimilated so successfully into Egyptian life that Joseph was second in power only to Pharaoh himself? With all the distractions of "modern" Egyptian life and the wealth of opportunities available to them, what could our forefathers and foremothers see in this promise that they didn't already have? In other words, what could God possibly offer to improve upon an already (perceived) high quality of life?

Between Vayechi and Shemot, we arrive at a generation of our forefathers, that like Pharaoh, had also forgotten Joseph. They forgot where they came from and who they were and, as such, became so ensconced in their material wealth and cultural distractions that, in going into slavery, all that they lost was their power, position and wealth. The most precious possession, their sense of self, had already been lost long before.

It is this question, that we Hillel professionals on campus are faced with every day as we seek to inspire every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life. How can the memories (the Torah) of our people and the promise of a spiritual homeland far away hold relevance to a generation that is equally self-absorbed and similarly challenged with a disconnect from their spiritual memory?

In the second paragraph of Shemot, it is written "Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground." Throughout Shemot, we read how Pharaoh cruelly tried (unsuccessfully) to eradicate the Jews, eventually calling for the death of all male children so that through attrition and time we would erase ourselves. This story, retold each year at Pesach, is filled with modern allusions to events like the Holocaust to remind us why we should be Jewish. "Thou shalt not hand Hitler posthumous victories. To despair of the God of Israel is to continue Hitler's work for him," claimed Emil Fackenheim a German philosopher and rabbi. In other words, the scourge of assimilation is a self-inflicted, unintended homage to both Pharoah's and Hitler's dream and, as such, reason enough for us to go out into the world and raise Jewish children.

To the pre-millennial generation of the post-Holocaust era, this argument has been at the forefront of Jewish communal efforts to engage in outreach to "the next generation." However, on the campus these arguments hold little meaning for a generation that does not know Joseph any more than Pharaoh did. With the generation of Holocaust survivors quickly fading into memory, today's college students feel neither the insecurity, nor the fears of previous generations and with that, no sense of requirement to follow Fackenheim's famous "11th Commandment."

In Michael Goldberg's "Why Should the Jews Survive?" he describes a world in which Jews increasingly find little reason to remain Jews and to commit themselves to Jewish ritual life and practice. "Within the context of the Holocaust-framed story there are no positive reasons Jews can give for remaining Jewish. Thus, the challenge to Jews today is not outliving Hitler and the Nazis but overcoming the life-threatening story created in their aftermath!" says Goldberg.

With this statement, we see the second challenge facing Hillel professionals today and that is "how to avoid using "the fear factor" of Shemot, the Holocaust and even the nuclear threat from Iran to as a kind of "scared straight" to encourage our students to embrace Judaism, but rather to focus our efforts on the promise Joseph bequeathed to his descendents that God would remember them and in doing so, offer something that is even more meaningful, more satisfying and more alluring beyond (not instead of) the things they currently perceive as such. The land that God was referring to (we read later on) was to be filled with "milk and honey," a land filled with sustenance and abundance. In other words, God did not intend for us to forsake the myriad enjoyments this world has to offer, but rather to provide us with a national conscious, as a framework through which to enjoy these blessings and relate to the world around us, so that through our actions we would be "a light unto the nations."

As Hillel professionals, we must work to reinterpret the words of George Santayana who wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." For us Jews, the past is a collection of traditions we have accumulated as a people, not merely for the sake of remembrance, nor out of obligation or fear, but rather because that past enriched the lives of several millennia of Jews. It stands to reason that such a tradition that has lasted thousands of years, must also offer us something as well; so that we can truly say, "those who can remember the past are able to repeat it."

Written by Aaron Weil, executive director, The Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh.

Shemot is about the birth of Jewish leadership, a type of leadership that may not have come to be if it hadn't been for one brave soul, Moses. This is a story that shows we can all be leaders, no matter how small we may be.

The story begins when Pharoah demanded that all baby girls could live but all boys must be thrown into the Nile River. Moses' mother made a decision to hide him for as long as she could. Finally, she bundled him tight and prepared him for a journey in a basket along the Nile.

One day, when the Pharaoh's daughter came down to wash, she saw the basket and sent her maid to retrieve it. And when she opened the basket, she discovered Moses. Miriam, Moses' sister who had followed the basket, asked if she should fetch a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Pharaoh's daughter said, "Yes," and Miriam returns with Moses' mother.

As Moses grew older, he began to become aware of problems arising for the Jewish people and took the first step toward becoming a leader of what is now a great nation. One day Moses saw a burning bush, but the fire was not consuming the bush. He was puzzled. This is the moment of truth: God appears to Moses at this moment and tells Moses that God had chosen Moses to be the leader of the Jewish people. God explains His plan to Moses and assured him that He will be with Moses as Moses executes the plan. Moses listened to what God had to say but was worried because he had trouble speaking and had little self-confidence. According to the torah commentator Rashi, Moses was so taken aback by God's suggestion that he, Moses, should be a leader that he asked God, "Of what importance am I to be speaking to kings?" God told Moses not to fear that even as a leader, he would never be alone. God promised him He would be there to guide Moses, and that his brother Aaron would also be by his side.

Since joining Hillel in September, I've been privileged to see a wide range of people work together in various forms of leadership. One great example came from the staff of the Schusterman International Center and the entire field, putting down their pens, pencils, cell phones and laptops and going down to New Orleans to help rebuild the area. I was amazed in reading about how universities in Israel stepped up by allowing Jewish students to enroll for the semester. I saw so many e-mails and heard from different people, all taking leadership roles. My own effort was in telling my friends and family about what Hillel was trying to do and thankfully, they donated to the efforts.

The Professional Staff Conference was another time where I witnessed great leadership, especially when seeing some of my own peers that I went to college with who have become leaders. Seeing the many JCSC fellows and directors come together as one amazed me and showed how we can truly work together

Each day, I learn that donors are leaders as well. The donors that we associate with every day are often leaders in their own communities besides what they do for us. Every day I become more amazed with the Jewish leadership here at Hillel.

Moses, the greatest Jewish leader of all, found himself in the right place at the right time for God to choose him for his task. Like Moses, we find ourselves in positions to do great things, but let us also remember that we are never alone. Let's all remember that we can lean on each other's shoulders just like Moses and Aaron and elevate each other to great places.

Prepared by Amy M Coleman, administrative assistant, Hillel's Charles and Lynn Schusterman International Center

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Shemot at MyJewishLearning.com.

A model for integrating Jewish learning and student leadership

If Moses were to take the Myers-Briggs test, what would his personality type be? What would we learn about how he works in a group? During the first session of a Hillel course at Stanford, "Leadership Through a Jewish Lens," we asked students this question. They had just taken their own personality inventories, discussing individual styles of leadership and group participation. So which categories would Moses fall into? He might be labeled "perceptive" and "sensing" if we analyze his conversation with G-d at the burning bush, since he is slow to make the decision to take on leadership, seeking as much data as possible. He pays attention to details, seeks out and trusts facts.

It is clear that Moses stands out as the obvious hero in the Exodus story. But what about the other figures who were crucial to our liberation narrative? There are so many other key characters in this dramatic opening five chapters of Exodus alone, who remind us to look across the entire Myers-Briggs spectrum for our role models. Yes, some people will heroically lead people across a sea, but others will contribute in very different ways. These figures - the midwives, Miriam, Aaron, Pharoaoh's daughter - remind us that there are a plethora of leadership styles. Take a look at the following passages and ponder their modes of leadership:

Exodus 1:17-19
The midwives Shifrah and Puah, after hearing Pharoah's decree that they should kill all male Israelite babies, courageously defy his command: The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?" The midwives said to Pharoah, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth."

Exodus 2:4, 7, 8, 9
After Moses' mother placed him in the river, saving him from being thrown in the Nile to his death: "His sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him." After Pharoah's daughter saved him, Moses' sister asks her, "'Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?' And Pharoah's daughter answered, 'Yes.' So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharoah's daughter said to her, 'Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.'"

Exodus 4:30-31
After Aaron has been assigned to be Moses' mouthpiece: "Aaron repeated all the words that G-d had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, and the people were convinced."

A Word
As Passover approaches, this is a great parshah to explore in a leadership venue. What can we learn about ourselves from this parshah? Which personality types are more inclined than others to risk their own necks for what they believe is just? Do we sometimes need to suppress some of our needs or even our egos in order to see a task accomplished (Aaron)? When is not revealing your true intentions acceptable (midwives, Miriam)? Why do we often overlook or undervalue those who serve in discreet ways, "behind the scenes" folks (the midwives usually aren't even mentioned in haggadot)? Even bringing in Pharoah as a leader can be instructive in terms of conflict management: What about his personality brought about the impasse? Examining Moses' complex personality along with these often overlooked figures with student leaders can reveal a great deal about the necessity for different leadership styles while infusing a basic leadership exercise with Jewish content.

Prepared by Rabbi Mychal Copeland, campus rabbi, Stanford University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Shemot at MyJewishLearning.com.

Up to this point in the exodus narrative, the Torah focuses on the commandments concerning the construction, design and furnishings of the Tabernacle. This week's portion of Tetzaveh focuses on how the Tabernacle functions as a place of worship on a daily basis. Tetzaveh begins with a command that Moses shall instruct the children of Israel to bring him olive oil to keep a lamp continuously lit. This is followed by several detailed instructions for priestly vestments such as a breastplate with ornate stones and jewels.

What interests me right from the start of this parshah is the particular order of the instructions. Just as God began the creation story with a command for light, God begins instructing the functions of the Tabernacle with a command for an eternal light. This eternal light is to burn before the children of Israel forever, from generation to generation. Later, in the Book of Isaiah, God twice describes the Israelites as a "light unto the nations," raising our status to the prominence of the light.

What is meant by the prominence of light in the Torah? Throughout time, light featured prominently in art, philosophy and motion pictures, such as Star Wars, as a philosophical allusion to goodness, benevolence, hope and healing. Why does a shaft of light connect the beginning of creation, to the eternal flame of our places of worship, to our status as a holy nation? I believe that it demonstrates our obligation to continue the works of creation in a daily effort to spread light.

Today on our campuses, our Hillels continue to serve as a beacon of light to Jewish students as a place of comfort, refuge, resource and community while serving as a light unto the rest of the campus. Over the next few weeks hundreds of Jewish students will leave behind the comforts and trappings of life on a college campus and head down to New Orleans, La., as part of Hillel's Alternative Break Tzedek initiative. Through hard labor and compassion, these students will bring much-needed light to an area severely darkened by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and years of failing social policy.

Shemot Rabbah tells us that "just as the light of a lamp remains undimmed, though myriads of wicks and flames may be lit from it, so he who gives for a worthy cause does not make a hole in his own pocket." This reminds us that taking time out for social action is not a sacrifice, but an opportunity.

Spreading God's light need not be limited to huge, annual Hillel initiatives. With the end of the school year approaching on the horizon, the challenges of Passover programming imminent, grants waiting to be written, staff to interview, piles of files to file and e-mails to e-mail, we all sometimes struggle to get out of the dark depths of our work getting in the way of us doing our jobs. A solution: Try shaking things up a bit while also serving as a role model for your students. Reignite the flame within you while enlightening your community through tzedek.

Whether we count our daily impact on Jewish campus life in ones, dozens or hundreds, we can look to the Torah to guide us in what is at the top of God's to-do list: "Let there be light!" The rest will follow.

Written by Mike Levinstein, assistant director, Hillel at Kent State University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Tetzaveh at MyJewishLearning.com.

In this Torah portion, God asks the people of Israel to build a temple, with the Holy Ark in it.

Tanach - Exodus Chapter 25
...Speak to the people of Israel, that they bring me an offering; from every man that gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering.

3. And this is the offering which you shall take from them; gold, and silver, and bronze,
4. And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
5. And rams' skins dyed red, and goats' skins, and shittim wood,
6. Oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
7. Onyx stones, and stones to be set on the ephod, and on the breastplate.
8. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9. According to all that I show you, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all its utensils, so shall you make it...And make one cherub on one end, and the other cherub on the other end; of the cover shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.
20. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings on high, covering the cover with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the cover shall the faces of the cherubim be.
21. And you shall put the cover upon the ark; and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.
22. And there I will meet with you, and I will talk with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubim, which are upon the ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the people of Israel

Your Torah Navigator
What is the purpose of making a temple or a tabernacle to a God that has no face or body to worship?

If one does build a temple to God it is obvious that it is for God to dwell in. Why does God specifically command "and let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them? Why the repetition?"

What are the Cherubim? What is the purpose of the Cherubim, and why do we need an image of Cherub for a God that condemns any type or form of image as it says in the 10 Commandments:

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below?"

Talmud Yoma 54. A-B
R. Kattina said: Whenever Israel came up to the Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the Cherubim were shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another, and they would be thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before God as the love between man and woman...

Resh Lakish said: When the heathens entered the Temple and saw the Cherubim whose bodies were intertwisted with one another,they carried them out and said: These Israelites, whose blessing is a blessing, and whose curse is a curse, occupy themselves with such things! And immediately they despised them, as it is said: All that honored her, despised her, because they have seen her nakedness.

Your Talmud Navigator
How can an inanimate object move?

What is the meaning of this movement in the first paragraph?

What is the meaning of the same movement in the second paragraph?

A Word
The most important question is, what can we derive from this Torah portion today since we don't have the opportunity to build a physical building for God? The answer is that today we have the same responsibility to build a temple for God as commanded in the text. However, we have to do it on a personal level. Our sages said that the body is a small temple; meaning we, as human beings created in God's image, have the ability and responsibility to sanctify ourselves in order to make our bodies a place that God can dwell in.

But like the original building of the tabernacle, the first step is that one has to desire to "build" a temple for God. This is actually the first words God tells Moses:

"From every man that gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering. With the correct will and heart we can build our own temple for God within ourselves."

In the practical sense, one needs to realize that the same holy behavior required in the original Temple, is required in one's own spiritual temple as well. When one walked in the original Temple, one felt the holiness of the place and acted there accordingly. The same applies to us. Whenever we do even the simplest and most mundane actions like walking or talking or eating etc., we are doing it in our temple. Keep it holy!

Prepared by Rabbi Menachem Even-Israel, Campus Educator, University of Maryland - College Park.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Terumah at MyJewishLearning.com.

"If everyone lived by 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' the world would be blind and toothless." -- Tevye, "Fiddler on the Roof"

Tevye may not have realized it, but he summarized, very accurately, the Talmud's understanding of "an eye for an eye," which first appears in this week's Torah portion, Mishpatim.

Last week, we heard Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments, the headlines of Jewish belief and ethics. Imposing and impressive, they convey moving moral messages. Yet they say little about the details of how to live an ethical Jewish life.

This week, the Torah turns its attention to the details of Jewish law and practice: "Mishpatim" = ordinances, rules, regulations. There are more specific mitzvot, more explicit commands, in this week's portion than in almost any other. The abundance and variety of these mitzvot reinforce an ancient insight of Judaism: there is an innate connection between the ritual and the spiritual, between the ethical and the ethereal. In our portion, "mundane" matters of diet and farming mingle with "profound" issues of personal sacrifice and capital punishment. Every moment, mundane or profound, carries the potential for holiness.

The potential for holiness actualizes most acutely in matters of justice, deciding between right and wrong. In matters of personal injury,Mishpatim sets out one of the most (wrongly) infamous passages of the Hebrew Bible. Consider this oft-quoted phrase in its actual context:

Exodus 21:22-21:27

(translation Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses)
When two men scuffle and deal a blow to a pregnant woman, so that her children abort-forth, but other harm does not occur, he is to be fined, yes, fined, as the woman's spouse imposes for him, but he is to give it only according to the assessment.

But if harm should occur, then you are to give life in place of life - eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, burnt-scar in place of burnt-scar, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.

When a man strikes the eye of his serf or the eye of his handmaid, and ruins it, he is to send him free at liberty for the sake of his eye; if the tooth of his serf or the tooth of his handmaid he breaks off, he is to send him free at liberty for the sake of his tooth.

Questions to consider:

1. What does and an eye "cost?" A tooth? A bruise?
2. What if a blind man took out a seeing man's eye? Or a toothless man knocked out someone's tooth?
3. Does the servant get better or worse treatment than the average citizen based on these verses?

The Big Question: Does an eye for an eye really mean an eye for an eye?

Answer One:

The Talmud comments (Baba Kamma, 84a):
"An eye in place of an eye" means monetary compensation; if you want to argue that it means an actual eye, look at what

Rav Ashi says:
Later in the Torah, we learn (in the case of a man who has been caught having sex with an unengaged virgin) that the phrase "in place of" means monetary compensation - just as it means money there, so too it means money here.

Come on, really? Answer two:

The Talmud comments (same place):
IF the Torah really meant an eye for an actual eye,THEN there would be no way to punish a blind blinder or a toothless dental assailant.

SO the Torah must really mean monetary compensation. BUT if it meant "money," why didn't it just say "money?" BECAUSE the Torah comes to teach that taking a life, an eye, a tooth, is so wrong IT IS AS IF the offending party should lose what they themselves have taken.

But what did this mean way back when? Answer three:

Everett Fox, footnote to this passage:
This has historically been taken to indicate a kind of strict Hebrew vengeance, as in the current expression "an eye for an eye." But the passage (note, by the way, its length) may have been meant as a contrast to the Babylonian system, where the rich could in essence pay to get out of such situations. In Israel this could not be done, and thus we are dealing not with "strict justice" but with strict fairness.

A Final Thought

Whichever interpretation you find most compelling, in each case the Torah refutes a mistaken opinion that the reader held before encountering this passage. The laws of the Torah usually come to teach something unexpected, some new way of considering an ethical situation that its readers may not have considered. We read the Torah to discover these new insights; we reread the Torah, every word every year, to find new, even more relevant meanings in the insights we discovered the year before.

Prepared by Rabbi Ben Lanckton, Associate Rabbi and Director of Student Activities, Boston University Hillel.

A few weeks ago I visited a friend for Shabbat and he warmly welcomed me into his home. When I arrived late Friday afternoon, I could already smell the chicken cooking and the aroma smelled of a strong nutmeg. He looked at me, proud of the Shabbat meal that he had prepared, and then laid out a disclaimer: "I read the recipe for the squash dish and even though it called for one-fourth of a teaspoon of nutmeg, well, I accidentally (gulp) put in one-fourth cup." One-fourth of a cup? I thought he was going to say he accidentally put in one-fourth of a tablespoon. Oy, that was a bit different.

We've all had our share of recipe disasters as well as successes. Sometimes these are recipes for our favorite dish. Other times, they are recipes for a meeting, for a relationship, for our Hillel.

This week's parsha, Ki Tissa, is full of recipe images, but primarily, I'd like to focus on the recipes for the golden calf and for the annointing oil that was used to make the sanctuary holy. What we notice here is striking. When the Israelites are waiting for Moshe to come down from Mount Sinai and they cannot wait any longer, "Aaron said to them, 'Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me" (Exodus 32: 2). It was from all of this precious jewelry that the idolatrous golden calf was soldered.

Earlier in the parsha, we see a different recipe. God asked Moshe to take choice spices, and God was very specific about the amount of each required: "five hundred weight of solidified myrrh, half as much-two hundred and fifty of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of aromatic cane, five hundred - by sanctuary weight - of cassia, and a hin of olive oil" (Exodus 30:23-24). This recipe created an oil that was so holy that whoever touched it "shall but cut off from his kin" (Exodus 30:33).

Recipe #1:
Ingredients: Precious golden jewelry.
Amount: Arbitrary.
Bake at 725 for five minutes.
Yields: Idolatrous golden calf

Recipe #2:
Ingredients: Natural oils and spices.
Amount: Very specific.
Blended by experts.
Yields: Holy anointing oil.

The lesson to me is beautiful. Some of our most valuable material possessions can create in us idolatrous moments: when we'll do anything to get that flat screen television, iPod or new car. We arbitrarily bake these things together and before we know it, sometimes we lose sight of our even more valuable possessions.

When we open our eyes to the natural spices of our lives: the friends, family, colleagues, health and security, we find that the right measurements of these ingredients truly flavor us with the holiest moments and delights.

Prepared by Jen Schlosberg, Jewish Campus Service Corps program associate.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Ki Tissa at MyJewishLearning.com.

Parshat Bo is one of the most influential and important parshiot we read all year. It tells of the last three plagues God brings upon Egypt , including the killing of the first born. We are given our first commandments as a community- the keeping of the new moon and a Jewish calendar-- as well as the holiday of Passover. We are told of tefillin. We see the inclusion of a "mixed multitude" of other peoples fleeing Egypt with us. And we head for the wilderness which brings our redemption from Egypt .

The parsha begins immediately with God declaring to Moshe why the plagues are happening to Egypt: so that you (the Hebrews) will tell, in the ears of your children and your children's children that God acted upon Egypt and put signs (the plagues) in their midst to let them know it was God that was acting on their behalf. (Exodus 10:2)

Alcalay's dictionary tells us the Hebrew word for acted here implies a wickedness, a false accusation, or a cruelty. Rashi, the Medieval commentator, tells us that this act is one of God mocking Egypt for God's own amusement.

On first look, I was troubled and disturbed by a God who brought down destruction and death onto an entire people for the sake of amusement.

When I read the verse over again, though, another point shines brighter: "so that you will tell, in the ears of your children and your children's children…"

I first came to Hillel as a sophomore in college after admitting that I want to lead a family Passover Seder someday as a dad. As someone who was bar mitzvah-ed out of Judaism, I realized I needed to seek resources in this journey. Hillel became the place for me to begin my new quest for Jewishness.

Eight years later, I find myself a Hillel professional writing a d'var Torah for the parsha in which the Torah tells us to have a Seder. And at a Seder, we should feel as though we, ourselves, are slaves in Egypt.

Parsha Bo tells us how to recreate this experience calling upon our five senses throughout the story.

We are first told experience the story with our ears: into the ears of our children. (Exodus 10:2)

We are then reminded to use our eyes in experiencing the story. The ninth plague of darkness reminds us of sight and the word "eyes" appears in the text multiple times throughout the parsha. (Exodus 10:22-11:3)

Next we are told to use our nose. As Moshe tells Pharoah of the tenth and final plague, the killing of the first born of Egypt, we experience the great emotion Moshe feels as his "nose was burning" (Exodus 11:8). One can image the intensity of this scene as we are reminded of the heat of Moshe's heavy breathing and the smell of death that surrounds Egyptat this time.

We are then instructed as a people, with the impending doom of the tenth plague upon us, to use our hands and to touch death and blood with the Pesach offering. By marking our doorposts we bring about our own redemption. This is the first time the Hebrews are called upon to do anything as a piece of their redemption and it serves as a crucial lesson in the quest for social justice and change in the story, that while we must be awakened to bondage with our eyes, nose, and ears, only action will bring deliverance. (Exodus 12:3, 12:7, 12:13)

Finally we are told to use our mouths. More than the eating of the Pesach offering (Exodus 12:4, 12:8, 12:9-12:11, 12:15, etc.) we are told to speak. As we are given the commandment of tefillin (Exodus 13:9), we are told that "God's Torah will be in our mouth." For some of us this alludes to daily prayer, for others informal conversation, and still for others, it may be a speaking that occurs within - no matter which way, the act serves to bring closure to the process of redemption while ensuring an evolving continuity.

The brilliance of the Torah, divine or not, in bringing the use of our senses as an act of remembrance, enables us to fully experience but also pause and reflect. In being told to use each sense in a sequence: hearing, seeing, smelling/emoting, touching/doing, and tasting/speaking, we are able to spend time with each enabling for a deeper experience.

As we as Jews work for social justice and change in the world, let us not forget our own history and the reminders it gives us to relate to ourselves and others. We see in the beginning of the parsha that God acts for reasons that may not make sense or even seem just. Let us not forget that though our own memory of oppression is unique, we are not alone in experiencing it.

Written by David Basior, J-Connect Seattle

Learn More
For more information on Parshat Bo visit myjewishlearning.com

I

"Bezalel [Shadow of God], son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything God had commanded Moses." - Exodus 38:22-23

Artists exist in the Shadow of God

We all do what we have to do to maintain our daily lives;
the mundane tasks of eating, sleeping, paying our bills
driving from one place to the other, the paperwork,
the errands, the chairs in front of our computer screens.
These are the essentials.

But when we engage in activities outside the essential,
art for example, we become hyper-aware of everything;
our mind and surroundings, our soul, and we're particularly
aware that what we are doing at the moment doesn't
need to be done to ensure our physical survival.

It is these artistic endeavors, these unessential tasks,
that give our lives a meaning beyond survival. We don't need
to write poems to exist, but when we do, we begin
to exist in an elevated way. We get higher and higher
with each piece of art we create, until soon, we are so

elevated, we reach the point necessary to exist in the
shadow of God, like Bezalel, who completed the Mishkan,
who created, with God's blueprints, a place for God do dwell
amongst us. We do this too, every time we paint, or sing, or
write, or draw, or build, we are elevated beyond the mundane.

We are doing so much more than having lunch
we are light years beyond balancing our check books
we are traveling one mile per hour down the road
noticing every detail of the journey
paying no attention to the destination
existing in the Shadow of God.

II

" and he [Moses] blessed them." - Exodus 39:43

"At every stage of their journey when the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites broke camp; but if the cloud did not lift from the Tabernacle, they did not break camp until it lifted." - Exodus 40:36-37

We are all Looking for Clouds of Smoke

These days of rain and mud in Los Angeles
We tend to associate clouds with weather,
weather we have no use for, an inconvenience,
closed roads and in the most unfortunate cases
destroyed homes and lost lives.

When a cloud hovered over the Mishkan,
the Israelites knew that God was there.
They wouldn't travel until it lifted, and then they too
would lift up their tents and continue the journey
to the home none of them had ever seen.

We are home now but still looking for clouds.
Wouldn't it be nice, something floating in the sky,
letting us know we are not alone, teaching us when
to go and when to stay? Perhaps there are different
signs now and we need to learn how to see them.

Perhaps our clouds are in the faces of our lovers,
our parents, our children. Maybe our cloud is the
satisfying glow after a good meal, a warm dry room
protecting us from the rain, telling us Stop, I'm here,
there's no need to travel anywhere now.

The Mishkan was beautiful, but today it is a memory.
We need to make our own holy place or at least
recognize when the cloud is there, whatever form it takes.
There are tiny miracles in our fingers and faces; even in the
rain. We are given Moses' blessing every day.

Quick Takes

I

One thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels
was used to make hooks to hang posts. With that kind of
money, we'd have some pretty nice hooks in our house too.

II

Moses blessed all of the workers
after he saw what a good job they had done.
I like to give my guys pizza
which after a long days work
is just like a blessing.

III

Moses set up the Tabernacle, put all the sockets in place,
the planks and crossbars too, all because God commanded
him to do so. We hired a painter from Craig's List to paint our new
house and now there is paint on our new door knobs.
Never hire your own subcontractors.

IV

At night there was fire in the sky over the Tabernacle.
These days, fire in the sky would lead to frantic phone calls,
home video being sold to Fox, and suspicions of conspiracy.
Back then, they wrote the Torah.

V

Chazak Chazak V'nitchazeik
We finish a book this week.
We will read this book again next year
and every year, for the rest of our lives.
It's that good of a book.

Prepared by Rick Lupert, assistant director, Hillel at Pierce and Valley Colleges

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Pekuday at MyJewishLearning.com.

(Exodus 35:1-40:38)

"AND THE LOVELIEST OF ALL WAS THE UNICORN: THE MANY SHADES OF A TACHASH"

As we distance ourselves from the sin of the Golden Calf, we are once again engaged in building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle that will be the focal point for all Divine encounters. The fabrics, gems and precious metals are of many kinds and Israel has been astoundingly generous.

Amid the myriad of materials donated are skins of a certain animal, in Hebrew it is called a "Tachash." The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) translation of this portion hazards a guess and translates these skins as those of a dolphin with a disclaimer saying that the Hebrew is "uncertain." In Hillel's Bronfman Edition of the Five Books of Moses, Everett Fox translates Tachash as "tanned" skins. Others have offered "sealskins."

The earliest Aramaic translation, the Targum Onkelos, translates the word Tachash with an equally cryptic Aramaic word, "sas-gavna" which later Talmudists endeavor to unpack. Here are some sources for you to ponder:

The Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Shabbat 28a "Sas-gavna," The word "Sas" comes from the Hebrew and means joy, "gavna" means colors. It's rainbow quality brings joy.

Your Talmud Navigator

From this Rav Yosef of the Talmud understands Onkelos as saying, that these skins are described as the animal's "coat of many colors," but what kind of animal is it?

A modern commentator, Rav Menachem Kasher, sees the word "sas-gavna" as being of Aramaic origin. A "sas" is a worm, and "gavna" means color. He understands that this animal radiated the many colors that one may see in a caterpillar, or colorful worms. It becomes an adjective describing the colors of the hides.

The following midrash takes us deep into the realm of rabbinic imagination.

Midrash Tanchuma Vi

R. Yehudah and R. Nehemiah disagreed about the nature of the Tachash.

Rabbi Yehudah said: It was a huge kosher animal in the desert, and it had one horn in its forehead, and its hide had six colors from which they made the curtains of the Tabernacle.

Rabbi Nehemiah said: It was a miraculous beast that was hidden away after it was used in the Tabernacle. Why was it necessary to create such a beast? It is written that the curtains of the Tabernacle were thirty cubits long. And it is written that the skins of the Tachash that were used for the curtains were also 30 cubits long. What animal hides are 30 cubits long? Rather it was a momentary miracle that was hidden away soon after it happened.

Your Midrash Navigator

1. Do you see the definition of Onkelos as the Talmud understood it, surface here?

2. What has been added?

3. Rabbi Yehudah made a point of saying it was a kosher animal, why?

4. Does Rabbi Nehemiah consider this fact important?

5. According to Rabbi Nehemiah, why does the fact that the skins needed to be thirty cubits long
require a miracle?

6. Do Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nehemiah disagree? If so, how? In yet a further discussion in the Jerusalem Talmud, and other places the Tachash was not considered a kosher animal.

Combining these different points of view, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, one of the great modern Hasidic masters, viewed the Tachash as a metaphor for the layers of meaning behind a person's speech. He saw the hide of the Tachash as something that was unattractive -- even impure -- on the outside, but magnificent on the inside. He likened this to the nature of humor. Sometimes, he said, a joke can be seen as frivolous and lacking any spiritual value whatsoever, but often, it has the power to penetrate a person's consciousness and lead him to an awareness of heaven in a way that is completely surprising. What seemed to be a distraction from the work of the spirit ends up being spiritual work of the highest order.

Many times spiritual magnificence is cloaked within the garments of that which may not seem so kosher. The jokers are often the most serious among us. The idea that the Tabernacle where God dwelled includes this lesson reminds us that the deepest connections are not necessarily those that seem most apparent.

Exodus 35:1-40:38

"You got your W2?" "Check!" "1099?" "Check!" "Wisconsin taxes? Property taxes?" "Check. Check." So went the conversation between my father-in-law, who is our accountant, and me last Sunday afternoon as we prepared my family's income taxes for the year 2000. I kept my attention, although my inclination was to let it all slip by, for the numbers and rules were starting to confuse me. And yet my father-in-law's advice stayed with me. "You have GOT to keep good records. And you must know where everything goes. It has to add up."

And what I learned on Sunday in terms of numbers is no different than what we learn this week in Torah. That a person must be accountable for his job, his money and his actions. Such was the case with Moshe Rabbenu with our teacher, Moses.

Our Torah Text goes:

Exodus 38:21

These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses' bidding the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Why does Moses have to give a detailed accounting of the Tabernacle to the Israelites? Isn't it enough that Moses' instructions came from God?
2. Why did Moses involve other people in the accounting? Couldn't he have done it all himself?

Exodus Rabbah

There is a discussion (the midrash,) in Exodus Rabbah 51:2 about Moses' responsibility as treasurer to the Israelite people. In it our rabbis taught: "One who entered the Temple treasury (a place of public funds) to take out money should not enter wearing clothing with pockets or with shoes, for if he should become rich, they will say, 'He has become rich from the Temple Treasury.' A man needs to be free from suspicion among his fellows, just as he is morally clean before God, as it says, 'You shall be clean before God and before Israel.'" (Numbers 32:22)

And another:

According to the midrash, it appears that not even Moses was above suspicion. Again in Exodus Rabbah (51:6) we read: "Why did Moses give the Israelites a detailed accounting of the expenditures? And why did Moses say to the Israelites, 'Come let us discuss the Tabernacle and examine its expenditure?'... It was because Moses overheard some scoffers speaking behind his back... They used to gossip, 'See how fat this son of Amram (Moses) has become.' And his friend would reply, 'What! Do you expect a man in charge of the construction of the Tabernacle not to be rich?!' When Moses heard all this he said, 'By your lives, as soon as the Tabernacle is completed I will give you a full accounting of everything.' (And as soon as it was finished) he said to them 'Come and let us do the accounting.' This is why it says, "These are the accounts of the Tabernacle (Exodus 38:21)."

Your Midrash Navigator

1. Why does Midrash say that a temple treasurer (or one who handles money) should not wear pockets?
2. How does this statement relate to Moses' situation regarding the Tabernacle?
3. How does the second midrash help us understand the opening verse: "These are the accounts of the Tabernacle (Exodus 38:21)?"
4. How can you relate these stories to our own accountability as citizens? As leaders? As honest human beings?

A Word

From these midrashim we can see that we should not only be financially responsible, but appear to be financially responsible. Great leaders, like a responsible treasurer, should be able to be free of suspicion of bribes or other rewards they may have received as a result of their jobs. And sometimes that means taking extra precautions to ensure that we do not appear to be benefiting in an unfair way from our job or a position of leadership. Inherent in this interpretation is the idea that if we wear pockets, we may be tempted to use them, taking a little out from the account, and putting a little in forourselves. It is a fence around the law, preventing us not only from actingunlawfully, but from appearing to act unlawfully.

Here we see that in Exodus Rabbah "Pekude," translated as"accounts" is understood to mean much more than an accounting of Temple vessels or community taxes. "Pekude" is about moral accountability. The story of Moses' audit provides us with the opportunity to consider our own audit. In a narrow sense, it comforts me to make this connection as I am slaving away at my taxes to recognize that this Torah portion is particularly timely, for each of us is responsible for our own accounting this time of year. And in a wider sense I realize that we are not only fiscally accountable, but morally accountable, too. As members of a community, it is our responsibility to be accountable for our actions. No one is above scrutiny. Not the president, not a leader in the community, and not even you or me. As Jews we learn that each of us must periodically undergo a cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of our soul. We do this each year at the High Holy Days, and we can do it periodically throughout the year as well.

When given the opportunity, people begin to doubt. Just last week in Torah we read that while waiting for Moses to come down the mountain, the Israelite people began to doubt he would ever return. (And Jewish tradition says Moses was only one day late returning!) Perhaps if Moses had communicated better with the Israelite people, they would not have doubted his trustworthiness upon his return. Or perhaps if Moses had watched his time better up on the mountain, it would have appeared to the people that he felt responsibility to them. It is sometimes difficult to remain accountable for our actions. But it is necessary.

As so many of us scurry around to finish our income taxes these next few weeks, let us remember to wear clothes without pockets. And let us remember to act accountable and to be accountable for our actions and our finances. May April 15 pass speedily and responsibly for us all.

Prepared by Rabbi Andrea Lerner, Midwest Director of Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, Hillel at University of Wisconsin, Madison .

Midrash Mishnat Rebbe Eliezer Ch. 13
"And Moshe saw all the work [of the Tabernacle], and, behold, they had done it just as the Lord had commanded, and Moshe blessed them."(Exodus 39:43)

How great is work that the Divine presence only dwelled in Israel amidst those who work, as it is written: And Moshe saw all the work [of the Tabernacle], and, behold, they had done it just as the Lord had commanded, and Moshe blessed them.

The Holy One could have made the Tabernacle Himself, so why did He command Israel to make it? Work is dear to Him, and know that this is so, for God speaks of work in a way He does not speak of "fear of heaven." When speaking of fear of heaven, it is only written: Happy is the one who fears the Lord. (Psalms 112:1) When speaking of work, it is written: You shall be happy with the fruit of your labors; you shall be happy AND you shall prosper.

Your Midrash Navigator
1. What question is the Midrash dealing with? What could possibly be troubling in this text?
2. Why would the Midrash compare fear of heaven with work? How are they comparable?

A Word
There is a tendency to value the contemplative life at the expense of a life of physical creativity. The midrash is cautioning that God, as much as He appreciates reverence and adulation, He ultimately values those who choose to be partners in creation and the creative process. He desires those who make things happen with God's words, fashioning the material from the ethereal. This is a person who is not only happy, but will have the means to partner his destiny with the Creator. Because he has engaged in the world, he will have more of a hand in fulfilling his purpose, he will not only be happy, but he will have helped fashion his happiness which is the Torah's view of prosperity.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Pekuday at MyJewishLearning.com.

Bezalel, standing in the shadow of God

The Parsha begins by telling us that Bezalel heard everything God had said to Moses regarding the construction of the Divine dwelling place. Usually, this is not the chain of command. God would speak to Moses and then Moses would speak to Bezalel in God's Name.

"And Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah made all that the eternal commanded of Moses." (Exodus 35:22)

Rashi comments: "It is not stated here that Bezalel made all that he had been commanded, but Bezalel made all that the Lord had commanded Moses--even those things that his master (Moses) had not told him, his own opinion intuited the conversation tht had occurred on Sinai. For Moses told Bezalel to make the vessels first and the dwelling place afterward, but Bezalel responded, "Don't we usually build the house first and then place the utensils within?" Moses answered, "What you have said is indeed the way I heard it. You are just like your name BTZAL- EL (In the shadow of God) for it is if you were there when we had the conversation. And this is the way Bezalel made it, the Dwelling Place first and the vessels later."

Rashi gleans this opinion from a Talmudic passage in Berachot 55a. There are, however, other opinions offerred on the page. One says that Bezalel was capable of combining the letters that created the heaven and earth. This opinion does not wish to view Bezalel as one who is only sensible and rational. A person who understands the way God must want something built because in practical matters God must want that which is most practical.

For the second opinion, standing in the shadow of God requires more than just good common sense. Bezalel does more than just figure out that the house is built before the vessels, he intuitively has insight into the nature of creation, of a Divine aesthetic which makes the Torah see him as the wisehearted one, who inspires the other wisehearted artisans who create a thing of beauty together. Each one manages to engage in an individual creation which is subordinate to a majestic whole.

Bezalel, the wisest of the wisehearted commandeered a formidable force allowing room for the creative spirit within a collective structure. He not only had common sense, he also had uncommonly brought the senses of all wisehearted individual artisans to collectively create a magnificent home.

It is no accident that Bezalel and King Solomon, the great builders of our tradition are the two who are considered the most wise.

Throughout the last few Parshiyot Bezalel is characterized as wisehearted. He represents the seamless merger between the cognitive and the intuitive, between the contemplative and the pragmatic. Everything he creates is as if he was standing in "the shadow of the eternal."

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein.

As this week's Torah portion begins, Moses, having come down from the Mount Sinai with a set of intact tablets, gathers (vayakhel) the Children of Israel and begins relating the commandments to them. He starts with the commandment of rest on Shabbat and continues with the subject that will dominate the rest of the parsha, that of the donation of raw materials to and the building of the mishkan, the tabernacle, and the vessels and garments associated with it.

As the parsha unfolds, men and women alike come forward to contribute many of the items needed for construction - gold, silver, and copper, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, semi-precious stones, animal hides, acacia wood, oils, and spices. They bring so much in fact that - in Exodus 36:6 - Moses asks them to stop their donations, their gifts having been more than sufficient for the tasks at hand.

In general, we are not told which individuals donated which objects. We read that "all whose hearts moved them" made offerings. Additionally we learn that people gave both according to what they owned (everyone who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought that), and to the trades they knew (all the women who excelled in that skill spun the goats' hair).

It is curious then, that in Exodus 38:8 we read the following: He (Bezalel) made the laver of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of the women who performed the tasks at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

Here the text not only tells us who made the gift but also the purpose of the material before and after its donation. We learn from the Midrash that Moses did not want to accept these gifts - signs of vanity - for use in a place of holiness, but that God implored him to do so.

Rashi teaches that, while in Egypt, women used these mirrors - in a playful game of "who's the fairest of them all" - to entice their husbands who might have otherwise been too physically and mentally beaten down to participate in the creation of future generations. To the women, the mirrors were not a symbol of vanity but rather a precious possession which symbolized their faith in the future.

Rashi, Exodus 38:8
From the mirrors - The Israelite women had in their possession mirrors that they would look in when they put on their jewelry. Even these mirrors they did not withhold from the donations to the Tabernacle, and Moses was disgusted with them because the mirrors were made for the evil inclination. God said to [Moses], "Accept the mirrors, for they are more precious to Me than anything else, since with the mirrors the women brought many hosts of children into being." When their husbands were oppressed with slave labor, the women would go and bring them food and drinks, and feed them. They would bring the mirrors with them and each one of the women would look at herself in the mirror with her husband and entice him with worlds, saying "I am more beautiful than you." From this they would make their husbands desirous and have sex, and the women became pregnant there (in the fields), as it says: "Under the apple tree I roused you" (Song of Songs 8:5). And this is why [the Hebrew for the word mirror in our verse is] "marot tzovot" which can be read as "mirrors of hosts." The laver was made from these mirrors because its purpose was to bring peace between husband and wife in the Sotah ceremony (see Numbers 5).

Your Rashi Navigator
1. Why was Moses disgusted by the women bringing these mirrors? Do you think he was correct?
2. Why does God treasure the mirrors more than anything else that was offered for the construction of the Tabernacle?
3. What does this Rashi teach about making holy that which on the surface appears not to be?
4. Can you think of other things that seem to be intended for the evil inclination that we make holy? What?

A Word
The Hasidic rabbis taught that before entering the Mishkan, the priests would first wash their hands and feet in the laver, or basin and, as they did this, would see their own reflections in the mirrors. The mirrors reminded them that they had to be pure of heart when they went into the Mishkan as they did not serve on their own behalf but on behalf of all of the people - the people who donated to the creation of the Mishkan because their "hearts moved them". Here as well, mirrors are not a symbol of vanity but rather objects through which the communal leaders were reminded of their priorities and their role.

I recently heard the story of a Jewish communal leader who attached a sticker, on which the sh'ma was written, to his bathroom mirror. He said that as he shaved in the morning and brushed his teeth in the evening he was reminded of his place in the world, and was thankful.

In Jewish life, there are very few things which are inherently holy, but many things that can be imbued with holiness. What will you make holy today?

Prepared by Rabbi Toby Manewith, Senior Director of Jewish Education, George Washington University.

Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Vayakhel at MyJewishLearning.com.

A recent Newsweek article took readers on a tour of Hanger 5 in JFK Airport's Cargo Area D, one of two such hangers - of an original five - still filled with donations made to the Salvation Army after September 11. Among the item stored there are stuffed animals, rubber boots, blankets, and gallon after gallon of bottled water. But, the Salvation Army was not the only agency coordinating the post 9-11 American largesse. In the months directly after the tragedy, elementary school children, church and synagogue groups, and grandparents across the country filled nearly two dozen warehouses with items such as dog food, cell phones and medical supplies. None of these items was asked for - the Federal Emergency Management Agency widely discourages donations of material goods after most disasters - and very little of it was actually needed.

This week we read a double portion of Torah, Vayakhel and Pekudei, which concerns the building of the Tabernacle. Taken together, these are the last two portions in the biblical book of Exodus. In the chapters preceding this week's portion we find the incident with the Golden Calf and the subsequent renewal of the covenant between God and the Children of Israel.

In the opening verses of Vayakhel, Moses gathers the community and readies them for construction, asking them to give of themselves through both skilled labor and a specific list of material goods, such as goat's hair, acacia wood, gold, and oil. And give, they did.

Approximately 40 verses after Moses asks for contributions from the community, Bezalel and Oholiav, the artisans charged with overseeing the construction, approach him. Following is an excerpt from the Torah portion:

Exodus 36:1-7

1. And Bezalel and Oholiav shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord hath commanded.' 2. And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiav, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it. 3. And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, wherewith to make it. And they brought yet unto him freewill-offerings every morning. 4. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they wrought. 5. And they spoke unto Moses, saying: 'The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.' 6. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying: 'Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from bringing. 7. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

Guiding Questions

What inspires you to give? What inspired the Children of Israel in our Torah portion? What inspired people after 9-11? Is there a common thread to all of this giving?

Is it possible to be too giving? If so, why do you think people give to excess?

What are the consequences of giving more than is needed?

A Word (More Precisely, a Few Related Words)

The word for which our Torah portion is named, vayakhel, means "and he gathered." The root of this word is found in a slightly different form in Exodus 32:1, vayikahel, where it is used to show that the people gathered themselves, in that case in conjunction with the building of the Golden Calf. Both of these words share a root in common with the word kehilla or community. It is clear from both our Torah portion and life experience that it takes a great deal of giving to sustain a community. It seems equally clear that this giving can be as crippling as it is sustaining if it is done to excess or to meet the needs of the donor and not the intended recipients.

As I learned as a child from the oft-played album "Free to Be You and Me," "Some kind of the help is the kind of help that helping's all about, and some kind of help is the kind of help, we all could do without."

It is natural, perhaps laudable, to want to give when asked as were our ancestors in this week's Torah portion or when confronted with the terrible scenes which flooded our vision throughout the fall. May we continue to have the strength to respond to the needs of our community.

Prepared by Rabbi Toby Manewith, Director: Hillel's She'arim - Gateways Initiative.

Upon completion of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, Moshe inspects the sacred structure. The building is "fit for a God". Moshe, the Torah teaches, is pleased:

"And Moshe saw all the work, and behold they had done it just as God had commanded so had they done it and Moshe blessed them." (Exodus 39:43)

Your Torah Navigator
What was the content of Moshe's blessing?

Rashi Answers:
"He said to them, May it be God's will that the Shechina will dwell upon the work of your hands. 'May the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; let the work of our hands prepare us...'" (Psalms 90:17). This is one of the eleven Psalms that are considered to be a prayer of Moshe."

Your Rashi Navigator
If you look at Psalm 90 you will see that it begins with "A prayer of Moshe". It is a rabbinic tradition that Moshe was the author of Psalms 90 through 100, since his name is invoked at the beginning of Psalm 90. The Talmud in Baba Batra attributes authorship of some of the Psalms to Moshe, Rashi reiterates that these eleven Psalms are the ones that Moshe had written. Rashi quotes the last line of Psalm 90 as the blessing that was said once the Mishkan was completed.

Did his blessing look back on what had been achieved or look a head to what had yet to be accomplished?

A Word
Rashi understands that any building, even the Mishkan, is a means for a desired purpose. With all the hard work and with all the attention to meticulous detail, God must desire to dwell in the building. The building serves a higher purpose. The details -- exhausting and as excruciating as they are -- must serve a higher purpose. The building must truly represent a sacred people -- it can never replace that component. It contains a Divine presence and it contains our desire that all our deeds are devoted to serving that presence.

The last verse of Psalm 90 expresses our hope that the building's perfection reflects our purity of purpose. This should be the blessing we say for every program we present. We aspire to a sacred purpose that serves beyond the structure, beyond the demographics and beyond the incessant details. We ask that the Holy One recognize that we desire to sanctify our work for the greater good of Israel, and that we pray that the Shechina chooses to dwell among us, and bless each endeavor. Because, in our own way, we have tried to make each event a blessed one.

Rabbi Meir Mitelman, executive director and campus rabbi of Hofstra University Hillel provides a d'var torah on Parshat Pekuday in his "Torah in 2" YouTube video series.



Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Pekuday at MyJewishLearning.com.

After the 'Golden Calf Disaster,' the Israelites returned to inviting the Presence of God into their midst by building the tabernacle, a physical construction that would serve as a "Dwelling Place" for God. They had already received the detailed instructions; now the actual labor lay before them. But first, Moses reminded them of a spiritual invitation:

Exodus 35:1-3
Now Moses assembled the entire community of the Children of Israel and said to them, "These are the words that YHWH has commanded, to do them:

For six days is work to be made, but on the seventh day there is to be holiness for you, Sabbath, Sabbath-Ceasing for YHWH; whoever makes work on it is to be put-to-death!

You are not to let fire burn throughout all your settlements on the Sabbath day."

Your Torah Navigator
1. Why does Moses choose this particular moment to teach about Shabbat? In other words, why this moment and why Shabbat?
2. What explanation does Moses give for Shabbat? What does it mean that there is to be holiness?
3. Why does Moses specifically mention fire as something prohibited?

The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 97b) suggests that the reason that Moses teaches about Shabbat precisely at the moment before the work of the Dwelling begins is to instruct us on the nature of work; besides the prohibition against fire, we don't really know what it means to "make work." Based on the subsequent chapters of Exodus, the rabbis derive 39 categories of labor which include the following:

baking
extinguishing a fire
grinding
kindling a fire
kneading
plowing
reaping
sheaf-making
sifting
sowing
threshing
winnowing

bleaching
combing raw material
cutting to shape
dyeing
inserting thread in a loom
removing finished article
scraping
selecting
separating into threads
sewing
sheep-shearing
skinning or flaying
slaughtering
spinning
tanning
tearing
trapping
tying a knot
untying a knot
weaving

building
carrying in a public place
demolishing
erasing
marking out
the final hammer blow
writing

Your Rabbinic Navigator

1. Does this definition of work help you make sense of Shabbat or hinder you? Why?
2. Here the 39 categories of work are shown divided into sub-categories. How would you title each section?
3. Why do you think these particular categories were chosen to define work?
4. Would you add anything? Subtract anything?

A Word
After the terrible fire that produced an idol, we return to the physical blueprint of how to remember God's Presence in our lives. Yet, this building is fraught with danger. How will we remember that God is infinite, greater than the splendid Dwelling? And how will we remember that God is truly in our midst--in the midst of us all--if the Dwelling is limited to one specific location?

Shabbat is that reminder.

As my teacher, Dr. Michael Chernick taught me, the rabbis taught all of us that we have six days a week to think about physical things. We have six days a week to do everything we need to provide for the three categories listed above: food, clothing and shelter. We have six days a week to take care of our survival. On the seventh day, we stop and consider what we are surviving for. On the seventh day, we invite the spiritual and the holy into our dwellings and bask in the Presence of God.

Prepared by Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, Executive Director, Hillel of San Diego.

Introduction

It's all very confusing this time of year. Every shabbat we wonder, is this a two Torah shabbat or is there only one. If it's a two Torah shabbat, what's the name this week, and why, pray tell, do we need to read this now. Here's some basic information.

Before Passover there are four special parshas (parshiyot) which are required reading. Prior to or on the first of Adar, we read Parshat Shekalim (Exodus 30:11-16) (Shekels) which make everyone aware that its time to ante up for the maintenance and upkeep of the Temple. In order to keep us in synch with what was happening when the Temple was still with us, we read this Parsha at the time when messengers were sent out throughout Israel to collect the half shekel tribute.

We then skip a week until we get to the shabbat before Purim, Parshat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) where we fulfill the mitzvah of remembering what Amalek did to us and to obliterate his memory. Since Haman, a possible descendant of Amaleq and certainly a fellow traveler this portion is read as we prepare for Purim.

Then we have Parshat Parah (Numbers 19:1-22) which is read to remind us that before we partake of the Passover sacrificial meal, all of Israel must purify itself from any contact it may have had with the dead.

The last Parsha is Pashat Hachodesh, (Exodus 12:1-20) the Parsha of the new month of Nissan which is the month of our redemption. It recounts that this month is the beginning of the months of the Jewish year and the Torah always refers to this month as the "first month" as opposed to the first of Tishrei when we celebrate Rosh Hashana which the Torah counts as the seventh month.

Note that the first order of business is to finance the communal practices. The next order of business is to prepare for an upcoming feast, Purim, by connecting it to events that occurred in the Torah. The third order is to purify our bodies before we celebrate our redemption and the fourth is to prepare our consciousness for the beginning of our redemption.

Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei

GETTING TOGETHER, BUT FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

Introduction

A traditional way to approach these parshas is to focus on one verse, remove it from its context, and then find a midrash which through a very close or one might say hyper-literal reading emerges with a message of moral, theological, or philosophical import. These are the layers of meaning which the tradition views as embedded in every single word. Unlike the more racy narratives in the Torah, the dryness of the details of this parsha makes us run to the midrash for something that makes this material "come alive". In this teaching we will compare two very different kinds of "assemblies" which may have more in common than we would like to think.

Last week, our ancestors were told to contribute with their half-shekels, Moshe goes up for forty days, the people miscalculate--or Moshe was late--and the people panic with a golden calf. Read Chapter 32 of last week's parsha and then read chapter 35 of this week's parsha. I have excerpted the verses which should be emphasized for this teaching.

Your Torah Navigator

1. Both the golden calf and the assembly of the holy Tabernacle begin with the same verb "Assembled." Note the difference in the two "assemblies".

2. The children of Israel willingly contribute to the golden calf (with the noteworthy exception of the women, according to the midrash) and also generously contribute to the Tabernacle, (see Ex. 36:5-6) What need motivates them in each case? Is it the same?

3. In the case of the Golden Calf, who does the calf represent for the children of Israel, God or Moshe?

4. Why does Moshe open his assembly with instructions regarding Shabbat? What does Shabbat have to do with the Tabernacle?

5. How does Moshe set up his assembly? How is Aharon "set up" for his? Why do the people give Aharon any authority at all? What does that say about their rebellion?

Exodus 32:1-4

1 Now when the people saw that Moshe was shamefully-late in coming down from the mountain, THE PEOPLE ASSEMBLED AGAINST AHARON and said to him: Arise, make us a god who will go before us, for this Moshe, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!

2 Aharon said to them: Break off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring (them) to me.

3 All the people broke off the gold rings that were in their ears, and brought (them) to Aharon.

4 He took (them) from their hand, fashioned it with a graving-tool, and made it into a molten calf. Then they said: This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!

Exodus 35:1-7

1 Now MOSHE ASSEMBLED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY of the Children of Israel and said to them: These are the words that YHWH has commanded, to do them:

2 For six days is work to be made, but on the seventh day, there is to be holiness for you, Sabbath, Sabbath-Ceasing for YHWH; whoever makes work on it is to be put-to-death!

3 You are not to let fire burn throughout all your settlements on the Sabbath day.

4 Now Moshe spoke to the entire community of the Children of Israel, saying: This is the matter that YHWH has commanded, saying:

5 Take, from yourselves, a raised-contribution for YHWH, whoever is of willing mind is to bring it, YHWH?s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,

6 blue-violet, purple, worm-scarlet, byssus and goats?-hair,

7 rams? skins dyed-red, tanned-leather skins, acacia wood, 1Fox, Everett, The Five Books of Moshe, (New York: Schocken Books Inc.) 1995.

Your Navigator Concludes

The difference between a sacred assembly and a crowd is often a fine one. In this case it hinges upon who does the assembling and for what purpose. Moshe sanctifies his assembly by reminding the community of the sanctification of time, and then he urges them to contribute to a sacred place. The urge of the people to have some physical conduit to God whether it be Moses, a calf, or a Mishkan may come from the darkest place of passion. How those passions are channeled will make the difference between an idolatrous orgy or a sacred assembly.

Prepared by Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director, Hillel's Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning.