בּ“ה
Parshas Pekudei
Unfortunately, around 4 or 5 AM Thursday morning, my dear Rebbe, HaRav Rosenblatt shlit"a had a severe stroke and so he is currently in the hospital. Please, please be mispalel for HaRav Elyakim Getzel ben Sarah for a refuah shleimah. May you be blessed for your efforts, and may all of our tefillos be answered! These divrei Torah are all l'zechus refuah shleimah mi'heira for HaRav Elyakim Getzel ben Sarah, and may all the learning that come from them be so, as well!
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‘These are the countings of the Mishkan’ (Shemos 38:21)
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We read about it Parshas Pekudei a tally of the materials donated for the Mishkan, etc. and how they were used and appropriated. It appears, says HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, that this reckoning teaches us that we need to do an accounting on everything that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave to us. Our life; what are we doing with the time on this world that Hashem has granted us? Are we using it for Torah and Mitzvos, or, Chas V’Shalom, for nothingness and meaningless matters? And our money; are we giving to charity requisitely? Are we properly keeping the Halachos that deal with monetary matters?
And this applies to everything Hashem has kindly blessed us with -- all our strengths, our talents -- everything. We need to ask ourselves; are we using them in accordance with Hashem’s Will?
(Darash Moshe)
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‘And the Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. . . And when the Cloud ascended from upon the Mishkan, the Bnei Yisroel would travel in all their journeys. And if the Cloud would not ascend, and they would not travel until the day that it ascended.’ (Shemos 40:34, 36-37)
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With this topic we finish off the Book of Shemos. That Hashem would lead the Bnei Yisroel, letting them know when they should travel and when they should not.
We must understand that this is true as well in our own lives: Hashem leads us and helps us on the right path through life with certain signs and messages -- whatever they might be. As we say in our morning blessings, ‘Who prepares the footsteps of man.’
This assurance that Hashem leads us and guides our way through decisions, etc. and is always involved in our personal lives is a wonderful way to leave -- and thing to leave with -- from Sefer Shemos. And B’Ezras Hashem, to go forward with in the Holy Torah.
(Tal U’Matar)
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‘For the Cloud of Hashem was upon the Mishkan by day, and fire would be on it at night, before the eyes of the entire House of Yisroel in all their journeys.’ (Shemos 40:38)
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HaRav Shalom Schwadron zt”l suggests that this passuk alludes to the bitter Galus, Exile, that has been “home” to the Jewish People for the last few thousand years. The passuk is telling us that during all of Klal Yisroel’s journeys, throughout the Exile following the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, “fire” has always been burning to guide us through the darkness of Galus. What is this fire? It is the Torah, as it says in Yirmiyahu (23:29); ‘Behold, My Words are like fire -- the Word of Hashem’. This is a reference to the daled amos shel Halacha, “the four cubits of Torah Law,” -- a place where Torah is studied -- which illuminates the road for us as we travel through the long, harsh night of Exile.
Adds HaRav Avraham Leib Scheinbaum shlit”a: This is how it has been throughout our Exile. The Torah has been our sanctuary, our island of serenity, our place of refuge, our tower of hope. In the Torah, we have always felt that we were with Hashem. We never felt alone. The continued study of Torah was a remarkable phenomenon, especially during the Holocaust, when Jews turned bunkers, cellars or underground tunnels into Battei Midrash, houses of Torah study.
In the Vilna Ghetto, an entire religious school system continued while the Nazi guards were unaware that it was going on. In the Daltmorgan Camp in southern Germany, a group of Yeshiva students would convene at night to study Mishnayos. This was after a day of hard labor in the clay pits. Bone tired and near starvation, covered with vermin from lack of showers, they would listen as a young student from Novhardok recited chapter after chapter of Mishnayos aloud, from memory, and the rest would repeat after him. Others studied Talmud by memory as they marched for hours in the biting cold. Their bodies were cold, but their hearts were warmed by the fire of Torah. They were not alone. Hashem dwelled -- and dwells -- in the daled amos shel Halacha which they maintained.
(Peninim on the Torah; sixteenth series)
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As we know, at the end of every Sefer of the Torah, we say the words ‘Chazak Chazak Vi’Nischazeik!’ -- ‘Be strong, be strong, and we will be strengthened!’
Rebbe Aharon of Chernobyl zt”l taught that the repetition -- ‘Chazak Chazak’ -- means that we must strengthen ourselves time and again to do the right thing. Even if you tried once and failed, strengthen yourself and try again, a second time, and a third time, etc. And if we do this, then ‘Vi’Nischazeik’ -- Hashem will help to strengthen us.
(Torah Wellsprings)
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|~Maaseh~| Once, government officials came to Rimanov, and said that they were commandeering the Shul to be used as a warehouse for army supplies. The community leaders came to Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zt”l for suggestions how they might be able to avert this tragedy. One member of the community spoke up and said there might be a saving grace, because the roof of the Shul leaked, and if the officials became aware that the supplies may be damaged by water, they would forgo use of the Shul.
Rebbe Menachem Mendel said, “What?! You have allowed the Shul to fall into disrepair? No wonder this has happened! Hashem has punished you for evidencing disrespect for His House. Have the roof repaired immediately and see that all necessary repairs are done, and you will see that they will withdraw their plan.”
The townspeople did as Rebbe Menachem Mendel had instructed, and, miraculously, when the Shul was repaired, they were notified that the government no longer needed it as a warehouse.
The townspeople did as Rebbe Menachem Mendel had instructed, and, miraculously, when the Shul was repaired, they were notified that the government no longer needed it as a warehouse.
(Four Chassidic Masters)
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
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