A nuclear bomb detonates in this week’s Parsha. The Nation selected by God to fulfill the most consequential role in the world, the Nation recently released from bondage with miracle signs and wonders, the Nation being fed a steady diet of manna and water from a rock, the Nation only 40 days after experiencing national revelation at Sinai, committed a grievous, inexplicable sin. The Nation made the Golden Calf. It’s really hard to understand how such a glorious people committed such an inglorious deed, but as always, there are lessons for us. In this interesting and upbeat Parsha podcast, we learned a lesson from this catastrophic, cataclysmic debacle that can enhance our understanding of many portions in the Torah and give us a road map for how to achieve greatness for ourselves and for the world.

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The final instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle are conveyed at the beginning of this week’s parsha. After Moshe is told to appoint Bezalel as the head overseer of this enormous project, the Torah cautions us against constructing the tabernacle on Shabbos. Although we are required to build the Tabernacle, and we are inclined to be expeditious in the performance of this great mitzvah, nevertheless, we may not do it on Shabbos. When the Torah conveys this to us, the verse seems to have a bit of a superfluous phrasing. These seemingly extra words are explained by the commentaries who open up our eyes to the fascinating and powerful world of augmenting Shabbos. We have the ability to increase the Sabbath. We can take a day that is not the Sabbath and transform it and elevate it and render it Shabbos. The consequences of this radical idea are vast and powerful.

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This week’s parsha contains several instructions related to the Tabernacle, but the majority of the parsha is dedicated to arguably the most shocking and troubling episode in the whole Torah, the Golden Calf. Forty days after the nation reached the pinnacle of human accomplishment – a national revelation at Sinai – the same nation committed what seems on the surface to be idolatry.

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Performing service in the Tabernacle was the domain of the cherished few only. Only Aaron, his four sons, and their subsequent children were eligible. Why couldn’t everyone serve as a priest? That’s a question for modern egalitarian sensibilities, and it’s truthfully one that we are averse to asking. After all, this was the question that Moshe’s cousin Korach posed, and we know what happened to him. But why, truthfully, were Aaron and his family alone selected? In this fascinating parsha podcast, we explore many different elements of the Tabernacle, and especially the Golden Altar used exclusively for incense. The secret that we discover reveals the essence of priesthood. The golden crown of the priesthood is quite desirable, and there’s a very specific way for each of us to have a crack at it.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Maury Magids, Michael Ben Shmuel and Yehudit, whose Yartzeit falls out this week. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven.

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This week’s Parsha is dedicated to the priestly class: It begins with the oil that the High Priest kindles; it describes in great detail the special vestments that the priests wore; and it proceeds in outlining the process of inauguration of the priests. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we go deep and deeper behind the scenes, beneath the veneer, under the substratum of the Parsha and see what secrets we uncover. In particular, we examine a peculiar and uncharacteristic statement in Rashi’s commentary; we suggest a novel understanding in the essence of priesthood; and we share  powerful and penetrating perspective in the nature of the sin of the Golden Calf.

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In a natural continuation to Parshas Terumah, in Parshas Tetzaveh we learn about the instructions to build the Tabernacle. Whereas last week the focus was on the edifice itself and its vessels, this week we will orient primarily on the special garments that the priests wore in the Tabernacle, and of course subsequently in the Temple.

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During the Sinai revelation, the nation achieved the peak human experience. The entire people—men, women, and children—experienced God face-to-face (as it were) on the highest level of prophecy. But then it ended. The prophecy ended, the mountain was restored to its pre-Revelation state, and Moshe alone ascended the mountain. Sinai was not supposed to be a one-and-done; it was perpetuated with the Tabernacle. “Build me a tabernacle,” God said, “and I will dwell in your midst.” If we simply follow the precise instructions, the presence of God will be amongst us.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of Joelle Hannah Khorsandi, daughter of my dear friend Parham Khorsandi whose bat mitzvah is this week. We wish her a hearty Mazal Tov from the entire Parsha Podcast family.

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The Tabernacle was a portable Temple in which the presence of God dwelled. Our Parsha begins with the fundraising effort to be conducted in the Wilderness where the nation was asked to donate the required materials for the construction of the Tabernacle, it’s vessels, and the vestments of the high priest. In this enjoyable Parsha podcast we go deep and deeper on three different parts of the Parsha: we discuss the unusual ordering of the materials needed for the tabernacle; we probe the apparently conflicting definitions of cherubs; and we take a fascinating look at the unusual creature – the tachash – whose skin was used to create the upper curtain of the Tabernacle.

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One of the fundamental principles of Jewish philosophy is the idea of “Kedushah”, holiness. Holiness, according to the Jewish definition, is when the physical and spiritual worlds meet. In no location in the world is holiness more present than the Temple, and its predecessor, the “Mishkan”, the Tabernacle. In this week’s parsha we read about the instructions to raise the materials and to construct the Tabernacle and most of its vessels.

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TORAH 101

At the risk of being presumptuous, I can safely say that most members of the Parsha podcast community have never owned any slaves. I imagine that most of us never even had a servant. We certainly never employed a Jewish bondsman for six years. The law that opens our Parsha doesn’t seem to be very relevant to us today. But the first law that follows the Sinai Revelation is extremely pertinent to us. In fact, when you are finished listening to this Parsha podcast, you may credibly argue that this law – and the secrets it contains – is the most relevant and pertinent and powerful message of them all.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by Sylvan Garfunkel in loving memory of both of his grandmothers Eve Goldmann צערלא בת יעקב and Tema Schwitzer טעמא בת דוד הלוי both of whose yahrtzeits are this week, the 21st and 27th of Shevat. May their souls be elevated in Heaven.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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TORAH 101