REMEMERING AMALEK President Zelensky has no need to be reminded this Shabbat of the cruelty of Amalek. The inhumane and indiscriminate attacks made by Russia on civilians, even a children’s hospital, graphically conjures up the attack by Amalek on the most vulnerable section of the Israelite camp. We recall that brutality in this week’s special Maftir of Parashat Zachor. The Israelites won their battle against the Amalekites, who retreated, defeated. The direct battle against Amalek continued in later generations. However, even after the Amalekite nation disappeared, Amalek came to symbolize the ugly face of evil in the world. The battle...

TEMPLE VERSUS TABERNACLE Two houses for G-d: Temple and Tabernacle (Mishkan). This week’s parasha describes the completion of the Mishkan. This week’s haftarah describes the completion of King Solomon’s Temple, 480 years later. The Mishkan was essentially a simple structure. The Temple was much more lavish and ornate. Which one, would you think, was superior? You might expect that the, magnificent Temple in Jerusalem should top the bill. Yet, if we look more closely, we see this is not necessarily the case. When donations were needed to build the Mishkan, the gifts came in readily. In fact, so much was...

LUXURIES AND NECESSITIES Why is there so much detail relating to the building of the Mishkan (mobile Temple)? This is the fourth week that we are reading about it! Ramban (d. 1270) explains that actually there were two commandments to build a Mishkan. The original commandment occurred before the Israelites made the golden calf. The Israelites had assembled at Mt Sinai to receive the Torah. The Mishkan, with the Ark in the Holy of Holies, was to be a travelling reminder of the experience of G-d’s closeness at Mt Sinai. When the Israelites sinned, the whole notion of a Mishkan...

ARE YOU STIFF NECKED? Is being stubborn a good quality or a bad quality? In this week’s parasha, G-d says to Moses that he is going to punish the Jewish nation after they had sinned with the golden calf, VeHinei Am Keshei Oref Hu, “behold this is a stiff-necked people.” (Shemot 32:9) Yet, when Moses pleads with G-d to forgive them, one of the arguments he uses is: “this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our sins and errors…” (Shemot 34:9) The same phrase, Am Keshei Oref, a stiff-necked or stubborn people is used both as an indictment and as a...

PURE LIGHTS This week’s parasha begins with the commandment to kindle the Menorah in the Temple and the Mishkan (mobile Temple): “Command the Israelites to bring you pure olive oil, pressed for illumination, to kindle the lamp every night.” (Shemot 27:20) We all kindle Shabbat lights and Chanukah lights. Some of us will use candles and some oil. The Torah specifies that for the Temple Menorah only olive oil could be used. The Torah is very specific about which kind of olive oil could be chosen. Look around the oil section in the supermarket and there are many varieties of...