Why Was Moses’ Arm Stricken With “Leprosy”?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 8, 2022 | Shemot

Leviticus goes into great detail concerning the disease of tzaraat, a spiritual malady that is similar to leprosy in presentation. But the first time this disease is described in the Bible is when Moses first encounters God at the Burning Bush. Moses asks for a sign...

The “Great Sabbath”

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 3, 2022 | Bo, Nisan, Passover, Redemption, Shabbat

The Shabbat that precedes Pesach (Passover) is called ‘Shabbat HaGadol’ (the big/great Sabbath). There are several reasons for this. According to Jewish tradition, the first Shabbat HaGadol was the last Shabbat (Find out more about the laws of Shabbat) that the Jews...

The Accounting of the Materials Used for the Tabernacle: a Precedent for Honest Business Dealings

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2022 | Community, Faith, Holiness, Justice, Leadership, Pekudei, Temple

The Tabernacle and all its components required large amounts of costly materials so, after its construction, Moses gave an accounting of materials that had been used (Exodus 38:21). This required that in addition to being a prophet, politician, judge, and social...

Why Are the Details of the Tabernacle Repeated?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2022 | God, Holiness, Pekudei

After describing the instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle in great detail, the Torah then repeats these details, describing the same elements after the Tabernacle has been erected. Of course, the Tabernacle is the place for God’s holy presence, the...

The Clouds of Glory: Living in God’s Shelter

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 2, 2022 | God, Hebrew Language, Pekudei, Temple

After the Tabernacle is fully assembled, God descends upon it in a cloud of glory: The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of Hashem filled the Mishkan. Exodus 40:34 The Hebrew word for ‘glory,’ kavod (כָּבוֹד), is perhaps more precisely translated as...

The Status of the Priests, Then and Now

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 1, 2022 | Holiness, Israel, Pekudei, Temple

After the sin of the Golden Calf, the tribe of Levi is chosen to serve in the Temple instead of the firstborn as they did not participate in the sin. Aaron is chosen to be the High Priest, and Moses anoints his brother and his brother’s sons. With this, the...