Question 1

What is the mitzvah of מַחֲצִית הַשֶקֶל?

Accepted Answer

Every year when the בֵּית הַמִקְדָש was standing, each man inבְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל gave a half-shekel coin to the כֹּהָנִים.

Question 2

What does the Torah say the מַחֲצִית הַשֶקֶל money was used for? What does Rashi add?

Accepted Answer

The Torah says לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשִתֵיכֶם - "to atone for your souls" (30:15). Rashi (ד"ה לְכַפֵּר) explains that this money was used to buy public korbanot that were brought in the בֵּית הַמִקְדָש.

Question 3

What does this פָּרָשָׁה teach us about שַׁבָּת?

Accepted Answer

Hashem says about שַׁבָּת, כִּי אוֹת הִיא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם - "it is a sign between Hashem and the Jewish people forever" (31:13). Rashi explains that it is a sign that Hashem chose the Jewish people to keep Shabbat and the other

Question 4

מִי אָמַר אֶל מִי - Who said to who? קוּם עֲשֵֹה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים - "rise and make us a god" (32:1)

Accepted Answer

בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל said this to אַהֲרֹן when they thought מֹשֶׁה was never coming back.

Question 5

מִי אָמַר אֶל מִי - Who said to who?   זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְישְֹרָאֵל - "remember אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק, and ישְֹרָאֵל" (32:13)

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה said this to Hashem. He reminded Hashem of his promise to the Avot so He wouldn't destroy the Jewish people.

Question 6

מִי אָמַר אֶל מִי - Who said to who?  לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי - "no man can see me and live" (33:20)

Accepted Answer

Hashem said this to מֹשֶׁה, explaining that Hashem cannot show himself to מֹשֶׁה.

Question 7

What was the difference between the first luchot, that מֹשֶׁה smashed, and the second luchot?

Accepted Answer

The first luchot were "מַעֲשֵֹה אֱלֹקִים", made by Hashem, and the words were "מִכְתַּב אֱלֹקִים", written on the luchot by Hashem. (32:15-16). The second luchot were made by מֹשֶׁה. (34:1-2)

Question 8

Where was מֹשֶׁה at the time the בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל made the golden calf?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה was on הַר סִינַי for forty days and forty nights receiving the Torah from Hashem for בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל.

Question 9

After מֹשֶׁה saw that בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל dancing around the golden calf, what happened next?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה broke the luchot from Hashem and he took the calf that they had made and burned it in the fire. He ground it to a fine powder and sprinkled it over the water and then he made the בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל drink the water. (32:19-20)

Question 10

What did Hashem ask מֹשֶׁה to do after מֹשֶׁה destroyed the luchot?

Accepted Answer

Hashem asked מֹשֶׁה to carve new two stone tablets that Hashem would inscribe with the words that were on the first Tablets that got shattered. Hashem told מֹשֶׁה to go up the mountain and stand by Him there on the mountain top. Hashem then descended in a cloud and stood with מֹשֶׁה.

Question 11

What was different about מֹשֶׁה when he came down the mountain the second time with the second set of tablets?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה's face was shining because he had been so close with Hashem.בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל got scared so מֹשֶׁה wore a veil over his face.

Question 12

What is a census?

Accepted Answer

A census is counting how many people there are in the nation. מֹשֶׁה did a census of בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל at the beginning of our פָּרָשָׁה.

Question 13

How did מֹשֶׁה count בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה asked each person to bring a coin called מַחֲצִית הַשֶקֶל, half shekel to him and then these silver coins were counted. (30:13)

Question 14

Before the Kohanim (אַהֲרֹן and his sons) could enter into the מִשְכַּן what did they have to do?

Accepted Answer

The Kohanim had to wash their hands and feet in the כִּיוֹר, a copper sink that was made just for them to wash in. (30:18-19)

Question 15

Why did בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל decide to make the egel hazahav, the golden calf?

Accepted Answer

The people waited forty days after מֹשֶׁה went up toהַר סִינַי to get the Torah. When מֹשֶׁה did not come down on the 40th day, they got scared that he would never come back. They ran to אַהֲרֹן and told him to make them another god. (32:1)

Question 16

What did מֹשֶׁה do when he came down from הַר סִינַי?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה came down with שְנֵי לֻחֹת הַבְּרִית(shnei luchot hab'rit), the two tablets, that Hashem wrote the Torah on. When he came down and saw what the people were doing, מֹשֶׁה smashed the tablets. Then he took the egel hazahav, burnt it, ground it to dust, put it in water, and made בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל drink it in order to punish them. (32:19-20)

Question 17

Which people took מֹשֶׁה's side when מֹשֶׁה looked for help to get rid of avodah zarah, worshipping idols, from בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל

Accepted Answer

said "מִי לַה' אֵלָי" (Mi ladoshem elai), "whoever is on Hashem's side, come to me!", and the tribe of Levi took his side. (32:26)

Question 18

What reasons did מֹשֶׁה give Hashem not to destroy בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל?

Accepted Answer

מֹשֶׁה said that if Hashem destroys the Jewish people, then Egyptians would say that "Hashem took בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל out of מִצְרַיִם just so he could destroy them". מֹשֶׁה also reminded Hashem that he promised Avraham, Yitzchak ,and Yaakov that he would make בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל into a great nation in the Land of Israel. (32:12-13)

Question 19

What was the difference between the first luchot, that מֹשֶׁה smashed, and the second luchot?

Accepted Answer

The first luchot were "מַעֲשֵֹה אֱלֹקִים" (ma'aseh elokim), made by Hashem, and the words were "מִכְתַּב אֱלֹקִים" (michtav elokim), written on the luchot by Hashem. (32:15-16). The second luchot were made by מֹשֶׁה. (34:1-2)

Question 20

What are some ways that אַהֲרֹן tried to stop בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל from doing avodah zarah?

Accepted Answer

First, אַהֲרֹן told them that if they wanted an idol they would have to use all their gold jewelry to make it. אַהֲרֹן was hoping this would make them change their mind But this didn't work. After they made the idol, אַהֲרֹן told them they had to wait until the next day to pray to the idol. אַהֲרֹן was hoping that מֹשֶׁה would come back before the next morning. . But he didn't.

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