Questions on Parshas Ki-Sisa to think about and discuss:

1. When else in the year do we read from Parshas Ki Sisa?
2. Which mitzvos in Parshas Ki Sisa have the punishment of kores?
3. How did Moshe manage to learn and remember the whole Torah in a mere forty days?
4. Usually the seven aliyahs of the parsha are equally spread throughout the parhsa. However, in Parshas Ki Sisa it stands out that the first two aliyahs are extra long. Why?
5. The person reading of the Torah reads Parshas Ki Sisa at different sound levels – going down and up. Why?
6. What happened to Chur by the egel and how was he rewarded?
7. The Mishna (Megilla 25a) brings a difference between the first and second egel? What does this mean?
8. Chur was killed attempting to stop the egel. Why is this not mentioned explicitly in the Torah?
9. What is the significance of the calf being formed from gold more than any other animal?
10. What was the womens’ reward for not giving their jewellery for the egel?
11. Are we still suffering nowadays from the negative effects of the egel?
12. How old was Betzalel when he led the building of the Mishkon?
13. Where did Betzalel learns all the skills having been enslaved in Mitzrayim?
14. How could the Jews even entertain the idea of an idol after being in a constant state of miracles?

Ideas for answers on the general parsha:

1. The beginning of Parshas Ki Sisa is read as the maftir for Parshas Shekolim. Also, a section of it is the reading for the public fast days, on Shabbos Chol Hamoed and the third day of Chol Hamoed Pesach.
2. Transgressing Shabbos (31:14); Duplicating the anointing oil (30:32); also anointing oneself with it (ibid); duplicating the ketores, incense (30:37)
3. The Gemora (Nedorim 38a) brings from our parsha that R’ Yochanon says that Moshe started learning Torah and forgot it until it was given to him to remember as a present.
4. The only tribe not to participate in the egel was Levi. It is therefore appropriate that they should be the ones to read all the section that discusses the egel. (Kitzer Shulchan Oruch, 78:4)
5. Since we should be embarrassed when hearing our ancestors’ participation in the egel, therefore these parts are read in a lower tone. (ibid)
6. He was killed attempting to stop the people from performing the egel. The Mishkon came to atone for the egel and one of the main people involved, Betzalel, descended from Chur.
7. These refer to the two times the events of the egel are mentioned in the Torah. The first is when it happened and the second is when Moshe rebukes Aaron and repeats what happened…
8. Perhaps for the sake of the Jews to not publicize such a terrible act.
9. The Ramban answers that this is because of spiritual roots that on the Divine Chariot there is an ox on the left side…
10. The were given Rosh Chodesh as a Yom Tuv (Pirkei DeReb Eliezer Chapter 45).
11. Rashi (32:34) brings that the the punishment for any sin comes together also for a punishment for the sin of the egel!
12. Betzalel was only thirteen when leading the building of the Mishkon (Gemora Sanhedrin 69).
14. The Ramban answers that they never wanted an idol as a god. Rather, they wanted a “middle man” to act like Moshe had done…

Questions on the Kiyor, Laver:

1. Why is the Kiyor, Laver, mentioned here separately to the other vessels of the Mishkon?
2. Why is the parsha of the kiyor mentioned here, after the parsha of the shekolim?
3. How often did the Kohen need to use the kiyor every day?
4. Why are there two separate parts to the kiyor – the kiyor that is the container with water that had taps, and the kanoi, the base holding the kiyor?
5. What did the kiyor and kanoi look like?
6. How many taps did the kiyor have?
7. Where did the copper for the kiyor come from and how is this significant?
8. By the other vessels, the Torah gives their measurements. Why by the Kiyor are no measurements given?

Ideas for answers on the Kiyor, Laver:

1. The Sforno (30:18) brings that the purpose of the Kiyor was not to bring down the Shechina in the Mishkon (unlike the other vessels) but came to prepare the Kohanim for the avoda. This is why it is mentioned separate. The Chizkuni brings it was only to prepare for a mitzvah. Unlike the other vessels that were transported with badim, the kiyor was carried on wagons.
3. Every day when he entered the Azara and went to do an avoda on the mizbayach or enter the Ohel Moed. Additionally, after being excused…
6. Originally it had two. Later on, Ben Kotin added more making a total of twelve taps (see Gemora Yuma 37a).
7. See Rashi (Vayakhel, 38:8) who brings that it came from the donations of the women, from their mirrors. These mirrors brought harmony between man and wife. The water of the kiyor was also used to check the sota, suspected adulterous woman, to bring peace between man and wife.

Questions on the Ketores, incense:

1. What is the significance of the number of eleven ingredients to make the ketores?
2. Why aren’t the eleven ingredients of the ketores explicitly mentioned in the Torah and are only learnt out from allusions from the possuk?
3. What was special in how the ketores burnt?
4. Which Jewish family was in charge of the secret of the ketores and what did they do with it?
5. How did the ketores compare with the other korbonos – both being brought up (albeit) on a different mizbayach?
6. Why was the time of day for bringing the ketores immediately connected with work on the menorah?
7. What is a special segula associated with the ketores (that people do nowadays)?
8. Where is the source that ketores is linked to life?

Ideas for answers on the Ketores, incense:

2. See the Ramban (30:34)…
3. Usually smoke spreads in all directions. However, the ketores had its smoke going upwards in a straight pillar upwards.
4. It was the house of Avtilos and they did wrong by giving this secret with them so that now it is forgotten. (Mishna Yuma 3:11)
5.  The ketores was more beloved since it was not brought to atone for sins, unlike the korbonos. This is also seen in it being brought in the inner mizbayach.
7. To read the parsha of the ketores on a parchment written like in a Sefer Torah. It is a segula for long life.
8. The Gemora (Shabbos 89a) brings that when Moshe went up to get the Torah, he was given a present by each Malach. The Malach Hamoves, Angel of Death, gave him the secret of the ketores, seen when Aaron used it to stop the death in the plague.