Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read
on Shabbat Ki Tissa, 18 Adar 5786/March 7, 2026
Torah: Exodus 30:11- 34:35; Haftorah: Kings
I 18:20-39 (parallels to Golden Calf episode)
Ki Tissa is the 9th Reading out of 11 in Exodus and it contains
7424 letters, in 2002 words, in 139 verses..
Commandments to make a census in which each male over the age of 20
gave half a shekel, and to make a washstand and basin, anointing oil,
and incense for the Tabernacle. Betzalel and Oholiav were chosen as
the head craftsman for the construction of the Tabernacle, its contents,
the priestly clothes, oil, and incense. The Jews were commanded to observe
Shabbos, the day of rest. Believing Moshe’s descent overdue, the Jews
asked Aharon to make them a deity. From gold the Jews gave, a calf was
formed which the Jews began to worship. On the mountain, G-d told Moshe
of what the Jews had done. Moshe pleaded with G-d not to annihilate
them, reminding His promise to the forefathers to make the Jews a nation.
Upon his descent, Moshe saw the Jews idolatrous behavior and threw down
the tablets of the 10 commandments, breaking them. Then G-d, Moshe and
the Levites punished offenders. G-d said that an angel would lead them
in the desert, but eventually agreed to Moshe’s plea that He directly
lead the Jews. G-d granted Moshe a special vision of His glory. G-d
told Moshe to carve out two new tablets and return to the mountain top.
Moshe recited special verses which mention G-d’s attributes of mercy.
The Jews were reminded not to commit idolatry, not to make peace treaties
with the nations living in Israel, to observe Passover, Shavuos and
Shabbos, to dedicate first born males, animals and first fruit to G-d,
that all men should appear before G-d at the Temple thrice yearly at
certain times, and not to mix milk and meat. Moshe wrote down all the
commandments, and G-d wrote the ten commandments on the two new tablets.
When Moshe descended this time, his face was so luminous that he had
to wear a veil over it.
An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a
free weekly email subscription, click
here)
What
makes Purim [this Monday night and Tuesday the 14th of Adar, unique
from all the other holidays? Purim is the idea of something new, in
Hebrew chidush as we will explain.
What does this mean? When speaking about Purim, we use the word nahafochu,
which means "turning over". The destruction of the Jewish
people was imminent and all of a sudden, pow, everything turned around
to complete salvation. As the verse in the Megilah tells us, "A
month (meaning the month of Adar) that was turned over from sorrow and
mourning to joy!" [Megilat Esther / Scroll of Esther
9:1].
The idea of total transformation is not just something new, i.e. mere
renewal, but something new in the most extreme way. For example, you
can have something new where you add to what was there before. But when
the something new is in the aspect of turning over, this is the most
radical change possible.
Accordingly, this concept of renewal and transformation is not only
expressed in the story of the Megilah, it is also demonstrated in the
most dramatic way in all the main observances of Purim's commandments
- first and foremost in Reading the Megilah, then Sending Food Portions
to One Another and thirdly, Gifts to the Poor.
One of the reasons our Sages instituted the reading of the Megillah
is because the story is connected with the positive commandment from
the Torah, i.e. a biblical commandment to "Remember what Amalek
did to you …and erase his memory" [Devarim/Deuteronomy
25:17].
Haman, the nemesis of the Megillah, is "the offspring of the Agagite"
- a direct descendant of Amalek. By reading the entire Megilah story,
one fulfils this positive Torah/Biblical commandment of destroying Amalek.
But there is something new here! By reading the Megillah there is not
only the fulfilment of a Torah/Biblical commandment of erasing the memory
of Amalek - - but also fulfilling an additional Rabbinic commandment
(one of seven instituted by our Rabbis) to read or hear the Megila on
the Rabbinic holiday of Purim. The Rabbinic commandments are considered
even more beloved to G-d than observing the Torah commandments (and
therefore something new, a chidush) because we took on something
new and additional.
We have a similar idea of something new in the commandment to send food
portions to one another and give gifts to the poor.
Sending food portions to one another expresses the Torah/Biblical commandment
of love between one person and another. As such, it is part of the general
Torah/Biblical commandment of ahavat Yisrael ("love of Israel").
This Biblical commandment of "Love your neighbour as yourself"
[ Vayikra/ Leviticus 19:18] can be expressed in
several ways.
Before the morning prayers, chasidim have the custom to say, "I
hereby accept upon myself the positive commandment of 'Love your neighbour
as yourself'". By sincere acceptance of this commandment, one fulfils
it and all the more so, through actions that express this love, and
certainly through the action of sending food portions to one another.
The difference (chidush) on Purim is that from the general perspective
of the Torah commandment "Love your neighbour as yourself,"
there is no obligation to give specifically "portions" (plural).
For even when giving one portion, one fulfils the commandment of "Love
your neighbour as yourself." But during Purim, there is an obligation
to give specifically two food portions.
Although in the action of "sending food portions to one another"
there is nothing additional regarding the general obligation of "Love
your neighbour as yourself," nevertheless, through this action
on Purim there is a renewal, a chidush - that through it one
also fulfils another special commandment of the Rabbis, "sending
portions to one another."
Similarly regarding "gifts to the poor" - the matter of charity.
In the fulfilment of "gifts to the poor" on Purim, we have
fulfilled the daily Torah commandment of charity, which is to give assistance
to one person. But we have not fulfilled the Rabbinic Purim commandment
of "gifts to the poor."
So here again is the aspect of something new, of chidush and
renewal - that by giving gifts (plural) i.e. to more than one poor person,
one fulfils not only the Torah/biblical commandment of charity, but
also a special additional Purim commandment from the Rabbis, "gifts
to the poor."
We see through all of the above that on Purim, through the same [Purim]
actions we not only fulfil a positive Torah commandment [that we observe
throughout the year] but also, the chidush, a special additional
Rabbinic commandment in the three main mitzvot [precepts] of
Purim. Similarly, in each of our lives, just as through Purim we tap
into the nahafochu transformational energy, this also gives us
the personal power in all of our actions for the entire coming year
to transform darkness to light, sadness to joy and disaster into total
redemption and salvation.
May it be so right now!
[Adapted from the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in Sha'arei
HaMoadim pp149-151 section 36]
We also
see the idea of nahafochu transformation in this week's Torah
portion, Ki Tisa. On the one hand we have the tragic incident
of the Golden Calf, idol worship and betrayal of G-d forty days after
receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Through the teshuva [return
to G-d] of the Jewish people and the intervention of Moshe, the Jewish
nation went from the lowest spiritual depths possible to being raised
to the highest level of reconciliation through the revelation of the
Divine Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in which G-d articulates his eternal
covenant with the Jewish people that transcends all physical limitations.
Teshuva is the highest level of nahafochu.
[Adapted from The Chumash written by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky. Kehot Publishing.
Introduction to Purim. From the talks of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson]
Purim
Sameach and Shabbat Shalom, Shaul.
For
last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Ki
Tissa
one sample:
The Zohar
The Fanciest of Fancy Dress
.jpg)
From the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; translation and commentary
by Shmuel-Simcha Treister, based on Metok MiDevash
After fasting and praying for three days, Queen Esther had purified
and refined her physical body so that she was worthy to receive spiritual
garments even in physical reality. When Esther entered in front of King
Ahasuerus, he saw this outer appearance of spiritual light and she found
much favor in his eyes.
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