Torah Links

Parsha Summary
by Rabbi Moshe Rockove

Parshas Ki Sisa begins with G-d commanding Moses to take a census of the Jewish population by collecting one half-shekel piece from each male between the ages of twenty and sixty. G-d then describes to Moses the kiyor (copper wash basin)that the kohanim (priests) were to use to sanctify their hands and feet before doing the daily service. The oil used to anoint holy vessels before their initial use and the recipe of the daily portion of incense are also discussed.

The Torah then describes the terrible sin of the Golden Calf. Moses, who had been in heaven receiving the Written and Oral Law, descends from the mountain holding the Ten Commandments. Upon witnessing Jews dancing around a golden calf, he smashes the tablets on the ground. Moses prays to G-d to spare the Jews from annihilation; G-d relents. Once again, Moses ascends Mt. Sinai and remains there for forty days and forty nights. Ultimately, he returns with a second set of tablets and the promise of a renewed covenant between G-d and the Jewish People.

Mirrors of Joy
by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

One of the most interesting donations to the Sanctuary was the copper mirrors, donated by the women. At first Moshe wasn't sure if he should accept their donation. He wondered if it was proper to use their copper mirrors to build the holy Mishkan. Hashem told him: Accept them, because Jewish continuity was achieved through these mirrors.

Rashi explains that in Egypt the men would arrive home from a hard day of slave labor, and they were very tired. All they wanted to do was collapse in bed exhausted. The women, by use of the mirrors, were able to revive their husband's spirits. They managed to change the Jewish home from one of sadness and depression, to one of pleasantness. How did they do it?Rashi tells us: The women would look into the mirrors together with their husbands, and they would say endearingly, "Look, I am more beautiful than you." It took teasing; it took creativity. But by using the mirrors, they created an aura of fun and joy in the Jewish home.Sometimes a person does mitzvos mindlessly or by habit without expending effort to get excited. Our sages, however, speak of the correct route in life as being "the long route, which is really shorter". By this they meant that a person should expend extra effort in the beginning. It is worthwhile to be innovative and to get excited. By taking the long route in the beginning, the tasks of life seem shorter, because you do them out of joy.

We all know, for example, that many people buy flowers or treats for Shabbos. Similarly there are people who pause before they recite a blessing to make sure that they say it with the proper intent. Let's face it: The mitzvah of observing Shabbos can be done without flowers or treats. Similarly, a blessing is technically valid even if you didn't pause before reciting it. But by pausing, by thinking, by using creativity, one can make mitzvos so much more pleasant and fun.Hashem instructed Moshe to use the copper mirrors to make the Kiyor from which the priests would wash their hands each morning. As they began a new day of service they would remember how a bit of creativity imbues life with pleasantness. They would be reminded to take the extra moment to think about what they were doing, so that they would serve Hashem with joy.In Judaism there is an interesting mitzvah for every Jew to wash his or her hands in the morning. One reason that is given is so that we should be just like the priests in the Temple. Just as the priest was reminded to take the extra moment to serve Hashem with joy, so should we carry that invigorating message with us as we begin each new day.So when you wash your hands in the morning, take a moment and look in the mirror. Look beyond your own face, and see the faces of Jews throughout the ages who confronted the daily humdrum of life with a bit of creativity. Take the time to make mitzvos fun, and infuse them with the qualities of the "route which is a bit longer", but so much more meaningful.