There is a discussion regarding the purpose of the clothing the Kohanim wore. According to Rashi, it was primarily clothing-to cover up out of modesty, but also to accord honor and glory. According to the Rambam, it was primarily for honor and glory which expressed itself in the clothing. Therefore, when it came to the Efod, Rashi explains that it was designed longer and wider to cover up even more, because that was its purpose. Rashi shares that his heart says it’s like the noble women that ride on horses who wear this type of robe. According to the Rambam however, it was shorter because it was about being an ornament for honor and glory. The story is told that Rashi went out in public and saw a

noblewoman riding a horse wearing this robe and it bothered him why he had to see something that is not so modest. Yet, he was able to transform this experience to give him clarity on what the Torah means when it discusses the Efod, and he says that ‘my heart says, which is the place of Yecheda-the deepest part of the Neshama. It is from here, the deepest part of our Neshama ( our heart) that we are able to transform even a negative experience.

לקו״ש כו-א

Why is it that when Bnei Yisroel built a home for a Hashem fit was also constructed with silver and copper? Wasen’t gold alone the best choice? The answer is because each one of these metals represents a different type of Jew. In order to have a proper home for Hashem we need representation from all types of Jews. This is similar to the Aron-the holiest place in the Bais Hamikdash- which represented all types of Jews. The First Luchus symbolized a Tzadik, the broken Luchus epitomized the Rasha and the second Luchus personified the Bal Tshuvah.

לקו״ש ו-א

If a person’s animal damages on three occassions, it is called a Mued -one with a destructive behavior.

There are two ways to revert it back to its original tame state. One is to train it long and hard until it eventually returns to its original state. Another way is to either sell it or gift it. With the change of ownership and its environment, the animal reverts back to the original tame state. The same idea can be applied to the animal soul. It is not naturally inclined to do bad, but sometimes in a bad environment it could be affected to commit actions that it wouldn’t normally do. After repeated times it develops a destructive behavior. As well, there are two ways for it to revert to its original state. One option is long and hard- by working on oneself , to train one’s animalistic soul back to the original state. Another option is to bring it to a new reality. The person should throw himself into a life of Torah and Tefila, immersing himself into a new environment of life and light, thus reverting the animal soul

back to it’s original state of health.

לקו״ש לו-א

There are two approaches to learning Torah and fulfilling Mitzvos. One is similar to a servant that does everything his master commands him to do, yet his own identity remains important; he takes care of his own affairs and lives his own life. This individual is compared to a person that keeps the Torah; he does everything Hashem commands him to do, but he is his own person and lives his own life. A deeper approach is where every aspect of the individual is devoted to Torah; he doesn’t have an independent life because Torah guides him in every aspect of his life. This is hinted at in the word Torah itself which means “lesson/guide“.

In addition, Hashem says the first of the Aseres Hadibros in singular in order to allow Moshe the ability to defend the Jewish people who served the Egel. It would afford Moshe the ability to say that the Jews may have mistakenly assumed that Hashem was just talking to him. Therefore, Hashem goes out of His way to change the wording just so Moshe should be able to help a Jew, although he may have opposed Hashem.

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לקו״ש כו-ב

When the Jews left Mitzraim, Torah relates that the Jewish people took the bones of Yosef with them. In Hebrew the word bones can also mean essence. This refers to the fact that they took the essence, the core of who Yosef was, what he stood for and what was important to him with them in the desert. His name Yosef signifies taking somebody who is “other“ and adding or making him a child of G-d. Since it is both physically and spiritually very dangerous in the desert, and the Jewish people were becoming children of Hashem, it’s possible for some of them to fall away and become disconnected. In actuality, at the end of the Parsha, we learn that Amalek comes to fight with the few Jewish people that were spit out of the clouds because they misbehaved, and yet Moshe tells the holy people to stop learning and go out to help them. Interestingly, this Shabbos is Yud Shvat and the core and essence of what the Rebbe taught was the same idea; to bring all Jews close and make them all children of Hashem.

לקו״ש כו-א

There is a discussion whether the plague of darkness was considered as one or two miracles. According to one opinion, it was one miracle; the combination of the darkness for the Egyptians whilst the Jews had a natural light to be able to see the wealth of the Egyptians, thus fulfilling the mitzvah of emptying them of their wealth. The second opinion suggests that there was a second miracle, a miraculous light that enabled the Jews to see the Egyptians’ hidden treasures, thus fulfilling the mitzvah of cleansing them of their wealth in the ultimate way. The discussion is whether a mitzvah has to be fulfilled naturally or not.

Today Hashem changes and rearranges things in this world, even sometimes performing miracles, to enable us to accomplish Torah learning and doing Mitzvahs in an easy and natural way.

לקו״ש לא-א

Although Moshe Rabeinu is mute, Hashem tells him not to worry but to go with his brother Aron and both should address Paroah. First Moshe should repeat Hashem’s words exactly in Lashon Hakodesh (although Paroah wouldn’t understand) and then Aron should translate it, explain it and try to convince Paroah to let the Jews go . The question arises: if that is indeed the case, what is the point of Moshe just repeating Hashem’s words if Paroah would not understand them?The answer is that Moshe was a messenger from Hashem. The fact that he was mute meant that he was completely nullified to Hashem, and therefore, had no words of his own. It was actually Hashem’s voice coming out of his mouth. Since only Hashem has the power to break evil when evil is at its peak, therefore, only a Moshe Rabeinu who was completely one with Hashem, was able to break this power. The lesson we derive is that being connected to the Moshe Rabeinu of our generation gives us the power to overcome all challenges.

לקו״ש טז-ג

Usually, when we reference the relationship of Hashem and the Jewish people, we use the example of the love of a father to a little child, since such a love is essentially pure- and not yet dependent upon additional external virtues. Why then when Moshe Rabbeinu approaches Pharaoh does he reference the Jewish people using the term of an older child? The answer is, that although when we are older and develop our minds and hearts and start doing Torah and mitzvahs, Hashem also loves us for everything we accomplished, Our achievements only enhance the pure essential love and commitment of the little child - which is the basis of our relationship with Hashem. We know that Hashem wants us to utilize all our capabilities to serve Him, and therefore, even though He loves us now, He also does for what we accomplished. That doesn’t diminish the initial love of the little child. Therefore, when referencing the relationship of a Hashem to the Jewish people we utilize the terminology of the love to a little child, but when we’re talking about who the Jewish people are and what they’re capable of accomplishing, we utilize the terminology of an accomplished older child, that still maintains the special relationship, the innocence and the connection of a father to his little child.

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לקו״ש כא-ג

Why do we finish the first safer of the Chumash with something seemingly negative? It relates that Joseph dies and they bury him in a coffin in Mitzraim. Also, why does the Torah begin with the creation of the world rather than about mitzvahs?Rashi tells us that if the nations complain about the ownership of Eretz Yisroel, that this teaches us that Hashem has the strength to give the land to whomever He wants. This conveys the message that the main component of the Torah is not just to survive, but to thrive ; that we must transform the physical world and make it Eretz Yisroel- at all times and at all locations. It is especially in Golus that we get the strength to not just survive but thrive and transform the place that we are in- and that comes from the Yosef of our generation who is in Mitzraim yet he controls everything that goes on. Therefore, when we conclude about Yoseph being in Mitzraim, it gives us not only strength to not be affected by anything, but the power to thrive despite being in Golus.

לקו״ש ל-ג

Although Yakov is excited to go down to see Yosef his son before he dies, he is still afraid, because he knows that this means the Golus is about to start. He doesn’t want to establish the Jewish nation in a morally depraved place like Mitzraim. Hashem comes to him and tells him, “Yakov, do not be afraid to go down to Mitzraim, there is a reason for the plan”. Do not worry, you will have all the power and energy to be able to overcome all the difficulties and hardships. It is specifically there where you will become a great nation. However, at the same time you still have to have the feeling of being in pain, of leaving Eretz Yisroel, because a Jew has to always know that his real home is not in Golus but rather in Eretz Israel. That will give him the power to overcome and to stay strong.

. לקו״ש ל-ג