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Vayakhel 5765 - March 4, 5765

A Brief History of Shabbat

The creation of rest . . . Sarah’s miraculous Shabbat lamp . . . Bread from heaven . . . “Work” defined . . . The invention of cholent . . . Sacrifice and martyrdom . . . Candle-lighting campaign . . . The World to Come . . .
Parshah
Vayakhel in a Nutshell
The Jewish nation donates the necessary materials to the Tabernacle, and Moses has to tell them to stop giving. Moses reiterates the laws of Sabbath observance. The Tabernacle and its vessels are built by a team of artisans.
On the Essence of Pleasure

The world, the sages tell us, is made of pleasure. Pleasure condenses and contracts and becomes Wisdom. Wisdom condenses further and becomes Understanding...
Story
Hospitality, 1939

The Jewish refugees slept in the train stations, exposed to the elements, awaiting deportation to Siberia. It was strictly forbidden for any Russian citizen to communicate with these “foreign spies” . . .
Parenting
How to Make Time for Your Family

“I can’t work any harder than I’m working now!” one busy father asserted. But maybe the trick is not to work harder but to work smarter.
I Feel Like a Hypocrite!

How can I exclaim, “love G-d with all your heart” when I don’t really feel that way?
In a time of increasing darkness, we must respond with an increasing of light
— The Lubavitcher Rebbe, launching a world-wide campaign that all Jewish women, including young girls, should light Shabbat candles
Print Magazine

Take these words of Mine to your hearts and to your souls…teach them to your children so that this will be what they speak about, when you are sitting at home, walking on your way, lying down to rest, and arising from your sleep. (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

The simple meaning of this instruction is as follows:

You must ...