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In this week’s parsha the Torah explicitly states the sin of Nadav and Avihu which led to their death. Indeed, it is repeated four times in the Torah - each time we are told that they offered an aish zoroh before Hashem. Granted that there is room for different explanations of this aish zoroh – but why do Chazal toil to find so many other sins to attribute to them when the Torah is so specific?

The Chochom – the wise son – asks a detailed question at the Seder. “What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws that Hashem our G-d has commanded you?” The answer that the Ba’al Haggadah says is to be given doesn’t seem to respond to the points in the question: “You should also answer him, “Like the laws of the Pesach, one must not eat anything after the Pesach afikomen.”” How does that address his comprehensive query?

As Pesach approaches one of the events that is pencilled in to many of our calendars, is ‘kashering’. I am not referring to when one kashers one’s kitchen from chometzdig to pesachdig; but rather to the date when many take their silver bechers or cutlery to shul for hagolas keilim so that they can use it for Pesach.

At the beginning of Vayakhel, Moshe Rabbeinu gathers together the entire Jewish People and informs them of Hashem’s instruction for the Mishkan to be built. Donations are requested to be brought from everyone “whose heart motivates him”.

The age-old question of Theodicy is raised by Moshe Rabbenu in our Parsha. He pleads ‘Please show me Your Glory’, which the Gemara (Brachos 7) understands to mean that when Moshe realised that it was a propitious time (an עת רצון ), he made three requests of Hashem, one of which was that Hashem should explain why “tzadik v’tov lo, tzadik v’ra lo, rasha v’tov lo, rasha v’ra lo.” Why is it that there are some righteous people who prosper and others who suffer; additionally, why is it that there are wicked people who are successful and others who suffer?

We all know the importance of knowing your enemy. Without understanding the source of their hatred and animosity, it is very difficult, if not impossible to defeat them.