Grace. Light. Torah.

What is Grace. Light. Torah.?

Searching for inspiration and hope, Orit was introduced to Chani, a teacher and parenting coach who is also knowledgable in all things Torah. They met over Zoom for the first time and then did not miss a weekly learning session for over five years. Chani, originally from Brooklyn, New York is an observant Jewish mom and Orit, an L.A raised public school graduate always wanted to learn more. Their learning is always filled with insight and moments of mind blowing revelations. Please join us for a truly special and motivating listen as Chani and Orit discuss the weekly Torah portion, its meaning and how it relates to all of our daily lives.

Chani:

Hi, I'm Chani.

Orit:

Hi, I'm Orit.

Chani:

Welcome to our podcast. Grace Light Torah. Where we will discuss the weekly Torah portion.

Orit:

And how it impacts our daily lives.

Chani:

But first a little background. I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York and attended religious schools.

Orit:

I was raised in LA going to public school and spending my summers in Israel. A Few Years back I was looking for some inspiration. A mutual friend connected us, it

Chani:

was love at first sight.

Orit:

And we've been meeting weekly for Torah study ever since, and it's been a truly uplifting experience. For both of us.

Chani:

Hi. Hi. How are you? Long time no see. I know.

Chani:

It's so nice that you had us over on Sunday. We had such a good time.

Orit:

I am so glad. We loved having you over.

Chani:

Loved. The boys were all like talking about it and the food. My gosh. Tel Aviv grill.

Orit:

So fun. We love Tel Aviv, and we loved having you over, your kids. Chani, there's something. You say I know.

Chani:

Know. Not gonna let me say,

Orit:

but they are they're incredible.

Chani:

You too. And how you were saying about how, you know, basketball just give boys a basketball

Orit:

on their Just give them a basketball. I thought for your daughter, I was like, What is she gonna do? But she, why did I even have to think about what she was gonna do? She's raised with all these boys. She's coming to my house, that's just boys.

Orit:

She managed beautifully. She was adorable.

Chani:

I wanted to dedicate this podcast, let Ilhan Ishmael, my father-in-law's yard site is this week. Benzion ben Aron. And so my father-in-law actually grew up in Sweden, and his family was nonaffiliated. But in Sweden they all go to Jewish day camp. That's how it goes, as they say you ish.

Chani:

They don't pronounce

Orit:

the J.

Chani:

You ish day camp. And so in this Jewish day camp, he fell in love with Judaism. And from that, he became religious on his own. His parents were very supportive. Nice.

Chani:

I never actually met his father. He passed away before I was there, but his mother was the nicest and loved her. And she was very supportive of his choices, and he became religious, and then he became an advisor in this NCSY camp. Wow. And influenced other people to become religious.

Chani:

We've met a bunch of his friends that say they're religious now because of how he inspired them to become religious. And just like, our families are all a testament to his change that he made his That's so beautiful. And that is actually going to connect what we're gonna talk about this week. So let's get started.

Orit:

Let's go.

Chani:

Okay. So this week's Parashat Vayakal. We are still in the midst of the building of the Mishkan and all the Mishkan things again. And again, the tabernacle, the Mishkan.

Orit:

The tabernacle. I have a question. So I feel like we did Mishkan, Mishkan, lots of building of this portable, what do we call it, a portable

Chani:

House for Hashem.

Orit:

House Hashem. Not sanctuary. Would you say sanctuary? Not really. So until we get our Beta Mikdash, we are focusing on this portable house for Hashem.

Orit:

Yeah. And then in between there was Purim? Yeah. And now we're back?

Chani:

Yeah. Well, Purim wasn't a parsha. Did Purim. Yeah. That that was a holiday that comes around this time.

Chani:

The parsha we actually skipped last week was kitisa. Okay. So we skipped that one because we did a perm special, now we're up to ba Nice.

Orit:

Okay. Got

Chani:

it. Okay. Clarification. Yes, please. So now, there's so many things that we bring out because there's so many different portions about the Mishkan.

Chani:

That's what we asked in the way beginning, there has to be so many lessons here. Otherwise, the Torah wouldn't waste, quote unquote, on telling us about the Mishkan. Right. So from this one a lot, learn out the laws of Shabbos. Yeah.

Chani:

Hilkosh Shabbos a lot. We learn from the 39 of Shabbos. They're not written out here. That's in the oral Torah. But the laws of what you're not allowed to do on Shabbos come from what they did in the Mishkan, the work that was done in the Mishkan that you're not allowed to do on Shabbos.

Chani:

So there was cleaning of, like, the wool and things. Okay. So now in Shabbos, there's you are not allowed to clean.

Orit:

And you get it from this Torah portion?

Chani:

Yes. A lot of it comes from this Torah portion.

Orit:

Interesting.

Chani:

So the first thing that it starts with specifically, Moshe brings everybody together. And right? For some reason, it starts with six days you should do work, and on the seventh day should be Shabbos Tashem.

Orit:

Mhmm. So it's very specific. It tells us.

Chani:

It tells us it's gonna be Shabbos.

Orit:

Okay.

Chani:

And then it only goes into one malacha, one of the What is the malacha? Malacha are the work. Really, malacha means work. So one of the work that you're not allowed to do on Shabbos. All the things you all do on Shabbos, we call malachas.

Orit:

But you don't use it for any other part of the week? Just on Shabbat?

Chani:

Right. We wouldn't say, oh, it's work, bake. Right? Like, let's say you're baking something, we wouldn't say

Orit:

It wouldn't be considered work, you're You're baking. But on Shabbat, it's considered Work.

Chani:

Got it. Exactly.

Orit:

And that's Malacha.

Chani:

Exactly. Very good. So the only one that's actually listed out right here is, Don't light a fire in all of your dwellings.

Orit:

And

Chani:

the rest of them are not listed. It does not then go on and say, and don't clean and don't gather and don't separate. There's 39 of them. So it doesn't then go on to all the other ones. I'm sure it

Orit:

won't say don't try back then. Just saying.

Chani:

So very interesting. A lot of the things, there's of malachos, there are the main heading malachos that you're not allowed to do, and then there's subcategories. So let's say not to have a fire, under that would be electricity, right?

Orit:

Yes. Makes sense. And no cooking, no baking, don't turn on lights.

Chani:

Right. So baking is its own. Okay. But a lot of different things that we do fit in under different top headings, we'll call them. And in this So there's 39 top headings.

Orit:

There's 39. Okay. They're not listed out in the parsha. Right. You said that.

Orit:

That's right.

Chani:

We get them from the work that was done in the Mishkan. From there, we extrapolate and we learn. This we cannot do on Shabbos.

Orit:

Whatever they did, we are now taking that and using it as a guide not to do on Shabbat.

Chani:

Exactly. And we don't have to. It's already the rabbis expounded it out for Yes. And it's in the oral law. Yeah.

Chani:

So it's not for we don't interpret it. Right. Okay. So but very interesting. Why do they have just the fire one right now?

Chani:

What's is this the most important? Why is this here?

Orit:

That's what I was wondering. Is it Very important.

Chani:

Right. So the Shla actually says one of my favorite Dvar Torahs is that usually during the week, everybody's busy. And you see each other not so often, you know? Yeah. You're dinner, run quick.

Chani:

Doing homework, Yeah. Homework bed, and then there's not so much time for togetherness and bonding, hopefully. Sure. But also Shabbos, since you're together so much, can have the opportunity for strife and fighting.

Orit:

Mhmm. That's a great point.

Chani:

Yeah. So he says ish is like a fight, fire.

Orit:

Oh, it's symbolic of like tension. Tension. And and aggravation and fighting. Exactly. Oh, wow.

Orit:

So is he saying basically, take it literally, don't light a fire, don't turn on the lights, but also don't fight with your family members and

Chani:

your A hundred percent. Yes. He's saying, for sure, there is you're not allowed to do fire on Shabbos. Yes. But what's the significance of it that it's the only one mentioned here?

Orit:

Right.

Chani:

He's saying the significance of it, he thinks, is more that it's to to show how important peace is and not to have strife and fighting in your home.

Orit:

That is amazing. I love that. Yeah. Because I never understood it. So it was just a rule.

Orit:

You know, you don't turn on the light. You don't strike a match. You don't do that on Shabbat. But I love that there's so much more meaning to it than just the rule. I understand it now.

Orit:

Right. It's so interesting. Like, use that as a symbol not to start a fight with somebody.

Chani:

Not to start a fire fight.

Orit:

Not to start a fire.

Chani:

Yeah. And be more conscious of it on Chavez when there's so much more opportunity for that.

Orit:

A % there is, yeah.

Chani:

Because everybody's home. Together. And see, it was so funny. I was like, one time somebody was telling me about, like, that all the movies are made around, like, Christmas and all the families together. How are we gonna deal with it?

Chani:

Like, all family together. And I was thinking in my head, we literally have that every Shabbos. Like, all family, gets together. You have to deal with it. You're sitting across from a brother, a sister, in law, who knows what.

Chani:

Yes. And you have to deal with all those emotions and and once a

Orit:

week. Right. Right. No. I also love sorry.

Orit:

This is a side note completely of when Thanksgiving comes around. Yes. And it's a very big thing and planning and weeks. Then if I speak to you or anyone else that does these massive incredible Shabbat dinners. It's like, this is Thanksgiving every Friday.

Chani:

Yes. When I'm in routes on, like, the week before Thanksgiving, I'm like, why are the shelves empty? Why are

Orit:

the lines so long? This is what I do every week. And they're freaking out.

Chani:

I have my grandmother over. I'm having my sister over. And Yes. Online, they're freaking out talking to each other, and I'm laughing. I'm like, okay.

Orit:

I know. I love that. I think about that a lot.

Chani:

Yeah. And so we really get this practice Yes. To not have arguments and fights.

Orit:

Yes. But again, and we say this every week, these are reminders. Because tension in my family, it happens. If we're all home, I feel it over these long breaks sometimes. They happen.

Orit:

They just do. This one's in your space. This one wants this. This one. Especially on Shabbat to remember that that's written for us, don't ignite, is very helpful.

Chani:

Right. How important is that? And then a cute thing also, it actually spells out shalom. So the last letters, tiva'aroo is a vav, ish is a shin, lamed, bechol, machvothechem, mem, and that mix up is shalom.

Orit:

Which is peace.

Chani:

It's peace.

Orit:

So that's what that line symbolizes. That's beautiful. I love that. So cute.

Chani:

Fits in. And then also we learned that there's 39 Melachas that you're not allowed to do on Shabbos. If you count from Vayakel until the word Shabbos, it's 39 words.

Orit:

Wow. That's amazing. So many symbols, so many signs.

Chani:

Yeah. It all it all fits. Yes. How it comes in. Okay.

Chani:

So they're collecting again, it's going into that that Hashem is saying bring trumas for the for the Mishkan, for his house. And it's so interesting that it points out that the men and the women are very involved in donating to the Mishkan.

Orit:

They're into it.

Chani:

But a lot of times, it brings out the women specifically. Mhmm. Are very involved in donating. This is our feminism bell. Right.

Chani:

Ding ding. We need

Orit:

to get one. I'm getting one for us. Ding ding every time.

Chani:

Yeah. Because it's really amazing how much the women are really highlighted in this week.

Orit:

It's nice to point that out.

Chani:

Yeah. And over here, actually, interesting thing, in Parikh Lama Adhaith thirty five twenty two, it says, So the men are coming above the women, or on the women, it should say.

Orit:

You mean to the Mishkan,

Chani:

you say?

Orit:

The men are coming al anashim. Right, I really understand that. Pretty simple Hebrew, right? With, with, not on top. Because al means on top.

Orit:

Right,

Chani:

the wrong word seemingly.

Orit:

Is it meaning like, I don't know.

Chani:

So why? Yeah. Strange.

Orit:

Meaning they're carrying the men, maybe?

Chani:

Interesting, interesting perspective. I don't want

Orit:

to hang thought maybe they're above the women, but I don't What is the meaning?

Chani:

So I like that one, that they're carrying the men, so to speak.

Orit:

I wanna say not physically.

Chani:

I wanna say like No, hear you.

Orit:

They're leading the men

Chani:

Interesting, I like That could work, definitely. What I read about in the Hidush e Harem.

Orit:

Probably more concise definition.

Chani:

So there's 70 ways of the Torah. Your way is just as good as this one, you know, 100%. That one is a Arete's interpretation. And how it works. What's on above?

Chani:

So the women did not participate in the egal. The egal was this that did Moshe went up and they miscalculated the When

Orit:

they came down and they saw the when Moses came down and saw the Jewish people with this golden calf.

Chani:

The golden calf.

Orit:

Right. Because they had miscalculated and they didn't trust anymore, so they were now bowing down to this idol. The women did not do

Chani:

that? The women did not let the men take any of their gold. The men had to forcibly take it or take their own.

Orit:

To create this cap. But the women were not on board.

Chani:

Yes. A %. The woman said, no, we're waiting for Moshe. He said he's coming

Orit:

down. Always know.

Chani:

They did not participate in the golden calf. And the this Mishkan is a Shuva, is a repentance for the golden calf. Hashem forgave them and He said, Now you can

Orit:

It's so interesting, and I learned this from you. It's not like you can say, Sorry. There is a process. That's Teshuva? I

Chani:

saying it? Teshuva. Teshuva. 100%.

Orit:

You have to do it a certain way. You can't just say, Sorry. Move on. So that's what they had to do that

Chani:

golden ga. It was symbolic also that this was now Hashem forgave you, and this was the forgiveness that Hashem forgave us, that we were able to now build the Mishkan for Him. And so the men did the tuva because they did the golden calf, and now they are bringing their same gold for the good. Right.

Orit:

I see.

Chani:

Right? That's part of the tuva process. Yes. They did it wrong over there. And like you were saying, the tuva process, the Rambam specifically says, teshuvah is complete when you're put in the same situation and you react the proper way.

Chani:

Right. So now they're putting in the same situation, donate, but now donate in the proper way. Before they were donating for

Orit:

An idol. An idol. Now you're donating for a house for God.

Chani:

Exactly. So this is their teshuvah. But the women, they don't need to do that. Right. We weren't involved.

Orit:

Yes. In the In the golden calf Exactly. Fiasco, we'll call it.

Chani:

And so there's a big foundation part of Judaism that a person that does teshuvah is even higher than somebody that didn't do teshuvah. Somebody that repents and fixes the connection with Hashem is at even a higher place than the one that didn't actually do the sin.

Orit:

So I'm gonna try to remember, or you're gonna maybe try to remember this. You told me a story years back, and I think it has to do with this, and it has to do with kind of ropes that connect you to Hashem. Yeah. And you I believe this had to do with am I

Chani:

saying this? Yes, t'chuva.

Orit:

T'chuva. I wanna say t'chuva, but it's t'chuva. Okay. And basically, somebody that does t'chuva and makes every time they make a knot, and then a knot, and the string that is from Hashem down to you gets shorter and shorter every time you

Chani:

ask for Exactly. Because when you do the sin, you sort of cut the rope. Right. So now it's cut, and now you're disconnected.

Orit:

Yes. But then when

Chani:

you do teshuvah, it ties the knot.

Orit:

That's the

Chani:

And now your knot, or whoever's knot, is shorter, than the person that didn't ever do this in and cut the rope and make another knot.

Orit:

Right. That's what you were saying.

Chani:

Exactly. That's exactly. Thank you for bringing that. Exactly. So now the men are above the woman because right now their string is closer to Hashem.

Orit:

That's what that line means.

Chani:

They're doing tshuva. And so right now they are above quote unquote the women because they are doing tshuva in a place where a person who's doing tshuva is closer than somebody who's not, who did not have

Orit:

to do that I see that visual. You know, you see all these strings hanging because that's our, like, a visual attachment. And every time it gets shorter and shorter.

Chani:

Exactly, and it's such a strength for us. Because sometimes when you do a sin, you're like,

Orit:

Yeah. How can I get back to where I wanna be? Right. And there is a way.

Chani:

And there's a way. And it's even Hashem even loves it more, which is Yes. Incredible. An incredible thought. Not that anybody should go and sin

Orit:

No.

Chani:

In order for the purpose.

Orit:

But that there's hope. If you, God forbid, do do that, there's hope.

Chani:

And how much Hashem loves it and how zero it is to Him once a person does teshuvah and comes back, and that's even a closer point than the person that did not do. Right. That's incredible. Yeah. And it comes up so much.

Chani:

We'll bring it up at other points as well. It's a good foundational topic. Okay, then what comes up here is also the Nissim that we spoke about two parshas ago, I believe, that the Nissim, they did not

Orit:

Nissim are there.

Chani:

Nissim by the heads of each commendable.

Orit:

Sure.

Chani:

Right. That's

Orit:

Also, I see them as like head of them. You know, let everyone else kind of bring you and then we'll be the final Right. Donate donators.

Chani:

And really, Hashem is saying, no. That wasn't good. We see that because Hanaseem is written without a yud. It's usually spelled with a yud and over here. Uh-huh.

Chani:

And 35 again, it's written without a yud. Hanaseem doesn't have the yud. Why is it missing a yud? Because Hashem took away yud is the start of Hashem's name. Yud Kavavkay took away his letter of his name from their from their name, saying that you didn't do the right thing here.

Chani:

I see. It was not correct how you acted. Oh, interesting. Even though it could seem like it's okay, why isn't that right? Because when a mitzvah comes in your way, you should grab it.

Chani:

I see.

Orit:

Makes sense. Yeah, take it. Don't sit back and wait until everyone else does, and then if you need to, you'll fill in.

Chani:

Yeah. Yeah. When a mitzvah when you have a mitzvah opportunity

Orit:

Take it.

Chani:

Run for it. Grab it. Yes. Don't say like, okay, if you need help after that, I'll be here for you. Right.

Orit:

No. If some yeah. No. That's that's another lesson. Yeah.

Orit:

Take it.

Chani:

Yeah. Yeah. If something comes your way, grab it. Don't sit back and say, somebody else will deal with it. And it even could be commendable.

Chani:

Like, I'm gonna fill in. Don't worry. I'm gonna do Even still, even if you're willing on giving so much.

Orit:

Do it then and there. Don't hesitate. Exactly. And this is what's so amazing. So you're reading from the homage.

Orit:

The homage.

Chani:

Homage. Homage. Yeah.

Orit:

And you're looking at one word. And you're showing me that this one word is missing one letter. And from this one letter, you're explaining the entire moral we're learning something, right? That there's a mitzvah that's presented to you that you should take it from one word missing one letter. Yeah.

Orit:

That's amazing.

Chani:

It is. It's incredible. That's true. Okay. So now we move on in the parsha, and Bitzawel is chosen to basically lead the building and the making.

Chani:

He's an artist. And he is making the construction of all the calim, of all the furniture, I guess, in the Mishkan. Who is Betzalel? Betzalel ben Uri ben Hur. Who is that?

Chani:

So that is Moshe's sister, Miriam.

Orit:

Okay.

Chani:

It's her great grandson.

Orit:

So it's Miriam's great grandson. Miriam is the one that took Moses, that followed him in the river, right? As a little girl. Exactly. So now this is her great grandson.

Chani:

Yes. Kor was her son, Uri's her grandson, and this is her great grandson. And there's a lesson here that why are they telling us? It would have been Uri. Going another generation back, not so necessary.

Chani:

So the Meshe Chachma says that it was a reward for Chor, because when they were building the Golden Calf, Chor was opposed to it.

Orit:

And this is Betzalel's grandfather, Miriam's son. Exactly. Okay.

Chani:

Chor was opposed, and he got killed by the mob. Really? Yes. Because he said, no, don't do the Egal, Moshe's coming, let's believe, let's wait for him, and they killed him. So because he was, he stood up for Hashem over there, his grandson gets the reward, gets the schlitz, gets the honor of building the mission.

Chani:

That's beautiful. As the repentance for what they had done, his grandson gets the reward for it. That's nice. It's even, like take it a step further that so many times actions that we do in our life affect not only us. Yeah.

Chani:

Us and our children and our grandchildren?

Orit:

Well, that's what they're telling us here. That don't just think of your life as, like, finite, and what you do and how you act is done in this set of years, that it can affect your great grandchildren, your grandchildren. Amazing.

Chani:

Exactly.

Orit:

That's what I get from that. Like, how I behave can affect.

Chani:

And that really connects beautifully back to what we were saying about my father-in-law, how he was, and also about the Balachuva. His family was not religious, and he became religious on his own through camp. Uh-huh. And look how he affected generations. Yes.

Chani:

Later, how many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Orit:

That's right.

Chani:

Now he has

Orit:

Such a beautiful family and such a big, beautiful family.

Chani:

In the path of Torah. And because of what he decided

Orit:

to do in his own life. Right. One person.

Chani:

Right. Yeah. One What a change. It's amazing. Yeah.

Chani:

And how everybody has that ability to think like I can do something that is going to affect the future generations

Orit:

for years and years to come.

Chani:

It's also a big responsibility.

Orit:

It is. And I also think that it's something that's not common for everyday people, like everyday thoughts, everyday busy people. I think we all kind of get into a mode of this is my life, my life, my life. I'll do with it when I want. I'll make my decisions, I'll have to live with my consequences.

Orit:

This is a new way of thinking. This is not so common in everyday, you know, culture. And it's a very interesting and very I feel like it means more because it's affecting so many future Isn't that what we're here for? That's why we love our kids.

Chani:

A %. That's so beautiful. And you're right. Because sometimes we do get stuck in that survival mode.

Orit:

Yes. And it becomes about us. Of course, you worry about your kids, but it's your life. You'll deal with the consequences. You'll make the choices.

Orit:

But this here is telling us it's not only about your life. It can affect future generations. How do you want that to look in a good positive way? Think about it for years to come.

Chani:

Amazing. And that could be a little heavy at times.

Orit:

It could, but it's actually also freeing because it doesn't seem so finite. This is your life, and then it ends. It feels like it will possibly affect. But like you said, it's a That's beautiful. Because you do get more pressure now.

Orit:

Yeah. You You

Chani:

have think But that's really beautiful because that also connects to Yakov. It says, Yakov lo mate. That Yakov never died. How do we say Yakov never died? We literally say this in the past like that.

Chani:

Right.

Orit:

They carry his body, don't they?

Chani:

Right. Exactly. They say because his his his children continued on his lineage, and it we're still living like Jakob now. It's like as if he never died because we're continuing on his legacy.

Orit:

That's nice.

Chani:

And so that's like what you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. It's not only about me and myself. Right.

Chani:

Beautiful. And look how much we got just from that word. From the extra Ben Horror. Ben Horror. Wow.

Chani:

That they said also the the grandfather.

Orit:

And this is why I wanted to say one thing here for somebody who didn't know and wasn't raised with this. The fact that we read this Torah portion every single year, and every single year there's probably, you know, can find so many new things. If it was done and finite and we learned everything, we would not read it every single You know, it's unbelievable.

Chani:

It is. It's amazing, The wisdom of the Torah. Yeah. Okay. Next, we're moving on.

Chani:

I just like this reminder over here that that so Hashem is saying that Betalel and Aholiyav is gonna be like his assistant, and then anybody else who wants to help, anybody who's smart in the heart, that Hashem gave smartness, chachma, in his heart, and that the Hashem gave. And it's always a good reminder that everything we have, I love telling you this, you know, is like you're supposed to know your own worth, but at the same time, have a humility about it. Yes. And the humility is, it's a gift from Hashem.

Orit:

Yeah.

Chani:

And I yeah.

Orit:

No. It's easy to get caught up sometimes.

Chani:

Right.

Orit:

I did this. I was amazing. Yeah. You know? I and it's true.

Chani:

Yeah. Yeah. And there's, a cute song on the marvelous meatos machine, which I did not grow up listening to, but my kids love it. I'm not my older kids. Tamara and Alicia, the six and the three year old.

Chani:

And there's this song about, like, arrogance. And it and it's it sometimes just, you know, plays in my head because I after I'm driving and I'm still singing the song, I'm like, no. No. Why am I still singing this song? And it's just a very cute song.

Chani:

That's cute. It's just a really important lesson to remember that whatever, if you're smart or beautiful, like the song says, it's not, you didn't do anything for it. Hashem just gifted that

Orit:

to you. Yes.

Chani:

And say thank you and use it, but knowing that this is a gift from Hashem. Yeah. So like over here, it literally says it out, that gave him the chachma. Like it's just a gift from Hashem, and he's giving it to you. Yes.

Chani:

And it's amazing. Okay, moving on, Parikh Lamed Zayin. So then it says, Vayas B'zal al eta'aron. So B'zalel makes the ark. That's how you say ark in English.

Chani:

Yes.

Orit:

Where you put the Torah inside.

Chani:

Exactly. Yes. And so this is special because B'Sallah made that on his own. The other things we said, anybody can volunteer and join and help us And help build. Yeah, a lot of commentary say B'Sallah made this on his own, and it was done in such a holy manner that when the third Besamechdash comes, we are going to have that same arc that he made over here.

Chani:

That one went into the first Besamechdash that Shlomo built. Uh-huh. King Solomon. King Solomon. This was the Ark that B'Sallah built.

Chani:

That was in the first base of Mikdash. And then before the destruction of the base of Mikdash, Yoshio, I believe, hid the Ark, hid our own underground. This is where the movie comes from. Know? Jones.

Orit:

Indiana Jones, was gonna say. Is she thinking what I'm thinking in Indiana Jones? Jones.

Chani:

That's looking for the what is it? Indiana and the Lost Ark. Yes. Yes.

Orit:

Yes. Goodness.

Chani:

You're right.

Orit:

I never knew this part. So this is where they get it from.

Chani:

Yeah.

Orit:

So it's still hidden. Yeah. And so when the third Beta MacDosh is built

Chani:

Hashem will bring it out to us. Wow. So you should

Orit:

So it's very special. There's something very special about this ark.

Chani:

Yes. Yeah. So Yoshiyahu hit it. So by the destruction of the first temple

Orit:

Right.

Chani:

Everything we just had the Purim story. Yahush Pharaohs had the big day kahuna.

Orit:

Had the kit.

Chani:

He had the things from the first base of Mikdash.

Orit:

They wore the clothes Right. Everything.

Chani:

And then by the second base of Mikdash, see on the Arch Of Titus, they took the menorah. They took the Mizbath. They took they took it. It was It's and it's also a victory. Right?

Chani:

Right. They're showing we conquered the Jewish people. We conquered. We we took the things from the temple.

Orit:

Right.

Chani:

So we didn't want that to happen to the ark. So it was very Because it was so holy. So Yoshio hid it underground. And by the second temple, they didn't have it.

Orit:

Yeah. That's what I was wondering.

Chani:

Why did

Orit:

they put it for the second temple?

Chani:

I don't know if they knew

Orit:

where it Oh, interesting. But the third, tough.

Chani:

And we don't know where it is now. Yeah. And by the third, Hashem will bring it out for us. Wow. Yeah.

Chani:

So it's a very special

Orit:

Yeah.

Chani:

Arun that he built over here in this in this parsha. And then we will end with the kiur, it's one of the last things that's in this week's parsha, and it's very special for women. Uh-huh. Because

Orit:

What is kiur?

Chani:

Kiur is the sink, like the big basin that they had in the Mishkan and the Basin Mishkan eventually. But this quiore was So it was this copper, but it was also with mirrors.

Orit:

Interesting. Okay. I can picture it. Yeah. Beautiful big sink that has copper and mirrors.

Chani:

Yeah. It sounds beautiful, Yeah.

Orit:

Does. It does.

Chani:

I mean, the pictures of the base of Mikdash is like Yeah. Stunning. Yeah. Beauty like a and they say that if you've never you've never seen beauty if you've never seen the temple. Wow.

Chani:

So it was a beautiful structure. And so this, what are these mirrors? So these mirrors are that the women brought to Moshe. They were donating things and women were donating things. And one thing that women brought were these mirrors.

Chani:

And Moshe was unsure if he should take these mirrors. And in the passage, it says, of the and Rashi explains what's, who are the, like, legions, or, like, army legions. What does that mean? Rashi says that it's the B'nai Israel, but they stood there waiting to see if Moshe would take it from them. They wanted to bring their mirrors.

Chani:

They're bringing a donation.

Orit:

And these are women you're Yeah. And they're coming to Moses, and they're saying, take our mirrors for the Mishkan. See what you could do with it. And he doesn't know what to do with

Chani:

And so not only doesn't know what to do with them, he doesn't want to accept them. He thinks it's a vain a vain object.

Orit:

Because it's a mirror.

Chani:

A mirror. What do do with a mirror?

Orit:

You look. You look at yourself. You see yeah. Okay.

Chani:

How beautiful? How do I look? Moshe's like, I don't know if there's a place for mirrors in the house of God. Uh-huh. It's not so appropriate.

Orit:

Okay. Maybe. Alright.

Chani:

And so the women are at Tzvakot, Rashi says they're literally standing there like an army waiting to see what Moshe's gonna take these mirrors. So Moshe goes to ask Hashem, and Hashem says, Take the mirrors. These are the most precious to me from everything. Wow. That was brought.

Chani:

Wow. These are precious to me from everything.

Orit:

And why is that?

Chani:

Why, right? Just because Hashem loves us. We're so special. So why are these so special? So first of all, like we said in the other parsha, whatever is special to you and you're giving that up, that's more special, Tasha.

Chani:

I see. Right? So that's one reason.

Orit:

Right. Because that's special to the women. They had them, and now they're giving them up.

Chani:

This is something that's ours special for us, we're giving that, so Hashem loves to see that donation from the heart. That's just something special. For sure that Hashem's gonna love it. And then on top of that, these mirrors were part of the reason how we were got through the slavery and the gullus in Egypt. So in Egypt, the men, we were both working really hard.

Chani:

And Abu Dhabi Paraf, we were being tortured and slaves by the And it was interesting, though, there was still the family unit. They would still come home at night to a house together. And the women, even though we were oppressed and also being tortured and worked hard, we would beautify ourselves in the mirrors. We would look in the mirrors and beautify ourselves for our husbands in Egypt. Still continue that family union.

Chani:

Right. And we saw there's gonna be a redemption. There's gonna be a gulah. We have to get through this. We can't just let the family fall apart.

Orit:

Right. And let ourselves fall apart.

Chani:

Right. Yeah. And so in that way, they continued the Jewish people through using these mirrors.

Orit:

See, this is a beauty because I would have never in my life thought that keeping yourself feeling good and feeling beautiful, whatever that means to you, is something that would be written, that would be important, that would come from Hashem, that would say to us, No, it's important that you dress nice. Know that's in other places. It's important that you look good. It's important that you take care of yourself and look in the mirror and make sure that you feel good, look good. Isn't that part of Judaism?

Chani:

For all the right reasons,

Orit:

for For all the right reasons. Yes.

Chani:

With the right intentions, with the right reasons. And that makes a big difference sometimes.

Orit:

100%. Right? Yes.

Chani:

When you're doing something with intention, or when you're doing something just to be frivolous, and just to look in the mirror and waste your time that maybe that's not right. Right.

Orit:

But it's written there. So there is some significance.

Chani:

And it's huge.

Orit:

Yes. There is something there. Just don't let everything fall apart.

Chani:

Yeah. And that's what Anja Hashem said, For sure, take the mirrors. And I love these mirrors. Yeah. And that was the donation, one of the donations of the I

Orit:

love to picture the women standing there with their arms crossed going, you gonna take it or are you not gonna take it? Such a visual. We're giving you something big.

Chani:

Such a visual. Yeah, love Right? Like, it's like literally standing there waiting.

Orit:

It just also shows the strength, you know?

Chani:

Right.

Orit:

Like, come on. Take what we're giving you.

Chani:

Right? Such strength.

Orit:

We're not lingering away. Okay. We'll take them back.

Chani:

Right. I love it. You're right.

Orit:

Yeah. Such a good visual of them standing there. Like, they

Chani:

knew this was something good and not something to be embarrassed about.

Orit:

No. No. Again, for the right reasons.

Chani:

Right.

Orit:

All the right reasons.

Chani:

Such strong women. Yes. We also have to learn from that. Yes. Well, okay, let's go to takeaways.

Chani:

Much we went through so much this week.

Orit:

So good. So takeaway this week for me would be the concept of Truvah bringing you closer to Hashem. Again, am I intentionally going to go out there and do? No, I'm not. But if something should happen, to understand that I'm always able to do teshuvah and get closer to Hashem and get on the right path, for me, I think that's really a beautiful thing to have It is.

Chani:

It's in our lives. Such an amazing gift. And for me, I love Jewish history. So I love the fact that the Aaron was made then, all the way back then, in the desert when they were leaving. I could just picture it, the whole scene, and how then Yoshiyahu hides in, how that same one is still waiting for us.

Orit:

That's incredible.

Chani:

That one, we're gonna see the third Reza Mikdash, God willing, in our days.

Orit:

That's amazing.

Chani:

And it's gonna be like, wow, that was the Arun that was made in the desert. Wow.

Orit:

We were traveling. Can't wait.

Chani:

Yeah. You do have lot. That is very exciting for me. And thank you

Orit:

so much. Thank you, have a beautiful rest of your week. You too.