The Shmuz On The Parshah

One of the daily activities in the Mishkan was taking out the ashes. The Chovos HaL’vavos explains that Hashem commanded Aharon to do this action each day “to lower himself and rid himself of the arrogance in his heart.”

The Sefer HaChinuch explains that the mitzvah to destroy sorcerers is based on the foundation that Hashem created a perfect world. Everything in this world has a plan and a purpose, and everything is in exact balance. To maintain a perfect physical world, Hashem created a spiritual world to guide it. From the stars and planets, down to the trees and grass, behind every physical entity is a spiritual counterpart that is responsible for its existence. Chazal tell us, “No blade of grass grows without an angel guiding it” (Bereishis Rabbah 10:6).

Moshe Rabbeinu was the single greatest human being who ever lived. The Rambam tells us that of all the N’viim, he alone was able to speak to Hashem directly. Normally, a prophet must go into an altered state of consciousness to experience Hashem. Otherwise, the experience would cause sensory overload, and he would die. Moshe was able to speak to Hashem in a totally clear, conscious state of mind. At any time, he could approach Hashem and speak, experiencing Hashem as I do a neighbor or friend. Moshe was also granted access to the entire Torah, in all its depths and its secrets.

The Ramban explains that one time in the course of history, Hashem demonstrated that He alone created, maintains, and orchestrates all of physicality. When taking Klal Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, He showed the world His might and His control over every facet of nature.

Moshe was commanded to make garments for the kohanim.

Moshe was commanded to make garments for the kohanim. Included in these was the eifod, a piece of clothing similar to an apron, with two shoulder straps on top holding the avnei shoham, gold settings that contained precious stones. Hashem told Moshe to engrave the names of the 12 sh’vatim (tribes) onto these stones as a remembrance. Rashi explains that this was so that the memory of Reuven, Shimon, Levi, etc. would be invoked when the Kohen Gadol did the avodah, and Hashem would then remember their righteousness.

After 210 years of bondage, Hashem led the Jews out of Mitzrayim. By all rights, the first stop should have been Har Sinai where they would receive the Torah and then straight to the Land of Israel. Yet that wasn’t what happened.