In Parshat Tetzaveh, Hashem tells Moshe to command the Jewish people, "Ve'yikchu eilecha shemen zayit zach, They shall bring for you pure olive oil." This is in contrast to Hashem's previous command in Parshat Teruma, where He says, "Ve'yikchu li teruma." They shall bring an offering for me." Why is there a distinction between the general command for donations to the Mishkan, for me, and the specific request for oil, which was brought for you?   

The Shem Mishmuel explains based on a mishna in Avot. The mishna says there are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. The fourth crown, a good name, overweighs them all. Why does the mishna note that there are three crowns when there are really four? Furthermore, if a good name means good deeds as the Bartenura explains, shouldn't it be included in the crown of Torah? The midrash says that the crown of kingship corresponds to the Shulchan, which represents wealth, stability, and power. The Aron, which contained the luchot, signifies the crown of Torah. The Mizbeiach Hazahav corresponds to the crown of priesthood, and the Menora corresponds to the crown of good deeds. If the Menora was above all, why did it not have a crown-like ridge as part of its construction, as the other vessels did?    

A crown symbolizes rulership and power. The Torah doesn't encourage exercising control over others. Most people are slaves to their own passions. The Torah ideal is to be a king over your own spirit and desires. The crown of Torah, its laws and wisdom, give us the ability to rule over ourselves. The crown of priesthood, sublimates the kohen's personal ambitions to serve Hashem.  The crown of kingship is given to the one who subdues his own personal interests for the good of his people. Indeed, the Jewish king is called the heart of the nation because his heart is not his own. It belongs instead to his nation.  

The Shem MiShmuel discusses the idea of yesh and ayin. The three crowns of self-control use the yesh, the self, to attain goodness. The shem tov is ayin, losing oneself in Hashem's vastness. Valued above the good performed for a person's own goodness, the good performed solely for Hashem's sake. This is the good beyond good.  

Our sages say that olives are a bitter fruit and make one forget Torah. However, after they are pressed to a pulp and lose their identity, they transform into olive oil, highly prized for its outstanding qualities. This represents bitul hayesh, self nullification with the goal of producing something transcendental beyond the self.  

We can now understand why Hashem first says "ve'yikchu li." Hashem is saying, I will approve your actions in the yesh state. Hashem tells the Jews to use their powers of self to build the Mishkan. However, He then says, "Ve'yikchu eleicha."  Eilecha refers to Moshe, who was the paragon of self- nullification. This is the shem tov, the shemen zayit, which is above the three crowns.  

At some point, we must ascend to a higher level of bitul hayesh, of coming to the realization that we exist only as an extension of Hashem's infinite all-encompassing being. 

·The Mishna Berura notes that inserting a safety pin once into a garment is permitted, but making two "stitches," i.e. sticking the pin into the cloth twice, is prohibited. This is based on the Korban Netanel who rules that a pin has the same halachic status as thread. Rav Moshe differs and maintains that a safety pin is not much different than a button and is permitted, if it will be temporary and is clearly noticeable.

·Brooches are normally inserted once and are therefore permitted according to both opinions.

·Gluing or sticking two pieces of paper together is similar in effect to sewing. Therefore, it is prohibited on Shabbos in the category of sewing.

·Diapers with adhesive tape should be opened before Shabbat. Taping the diaper onto a baby is permitted, as it is meant to be temporary. You should be careful when removing a soiled diaper not to close the tabs around the diaper, since they will remain that way permanently in the garbage. Diapers with velcro tabs are permitted because velcro achieves its stickiness by hooking, not by gluing. Today, most diapers are manufactured with a combination of velcro and adhesive tabs. Therefore, l'chatchila, one should be careful to open them before Shabbat and not re-stick the tabs when disposing.

·Stickers and Post-It notes should not be used on Shabbat.

·Magnets do not pose a problem of tofer, but may be a violation of kotev, writing.

·Suction cups have a medium of permanence and may be a violation of boneh, fixing something to a structure.

·Tightening or loosening the waistline belt of a skirt or pants is permitted.

In the bracha of Binyan Yerushalayim, we pray for national redemption and the restoration of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was set aside for holiness from its very beginning.  Its name literally means "see wholeness." In its heyday, Jerusalem was a place where one could experience spirituality just as easily as one could eat an ice cream. Why did Hashem choose a city as the holiest spot on earth? Why did he not select a scenic valley or a breathtaking mountaintop?

We do not necessarily see people as beautiful. However, we often view nature as awesome.  In contrast, Hashem views people as his most magnificent creations. He therefore chose the city Jerusalem, teeming with people, as the most sanctified place on earth.  We ask Hashem to rebuild Jerusalem so that the invisible partition that separates the spiritual from the physical will no longer exist. We end this blessing with the words Bonei Yerushalayim, He who builds Jerusalem. Why do we say this phrase in the present tense?  Each good deed we do adds another brick to the Jerusalem in heaven. When that heavenly city will be completed, we will finally merit the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem as well.

In the next blessing we ask Hashem to bring Mashiach. The world is built like a spiral in which each progression leads to something higher. Each day of creation parallels a thousand years. The first day, when Hashem created light and darkness, corresponds to Adam. The second day, when Hashem split the higher and lower waters, relates to spiritual reality and its physical consequences which were separated. The Great Flood was the ultimate division between Noach, who represented spirituality, and his generation, who defined themselves as physical. The third day signifies fruition. The third thousand years of the world's existence were enormously fruitful. It was the era of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the Egyptian exile, the Great Redemption, the splitting of the sea, and the giving of the Torah. The fourth day, when the sun and moon were created, corresponds to the beginning of time. In history, this parallels the two temples. The first temple was compared to the sun as it gave light, warmth, and vitality to the world. The second temple was a reflection of the first, just as the moon is a reflection of the sun.  The fifth day, when the lower level animals were created, signifies the Middle Ages, an era of terrible chaos. This was followed by the sixth day, on which the higher level animals were created, culminating with the creation of man. During this era, empires became more developed and adopted new ideologies. The wars fought today are not just material, but a battle for the world's identity. There is a certain level of higher progression, where the soul is involved.

This millennium is meant to have a happy ending. In the book of Daniel, Mashiach is referred to as "the man." He is meant to humanize the world and bring us to our fulfillment. Everyone's individual salvation is intertwined with everyone else's. We are all yearning for redemption. We just lack the awareness.

The last blessing in this group is Shomeah Tefila, a catch-all request, where we ask Hashem to listen to our voice of longing. Many times people wonder, I prayed but I did not receive what I wanted. This is wrong. We don't always know what we desire. We think we want an easy life, but on our deepest level we want to reach our highest possible self, and for that to happen, we need to struggle. One should never ask because one thinks one deserves. Tefila should be an expression of our reliance on Hashem.  Any prayer that is sincere will ultimately be heard.

We move on to the blessing of thanks. Modim can be translated as either confession or thanks. This is because true gratitude requires admitting how indebted we really are. In this blessing, we call Hashem tzur, our rock. This is related to tzayar, an artist. Hashem draws the contours of our lives by directing us in specific directions, but then he conceals himself and lets us fill in the rest. 

In the last request, we ask Hashem for peace.  Peace is compared to a basket. No matter what Hashem gives us, if it isn't in its place, it is not good. Peace is the source of all blessing. If one has no peace he has nothing.  In Hebrew, shalom connotes wholeness and harmony. We ask Hashem to relate to us with both love and boundaries so we are never alone or afraid. We ask for peace within ourselves. We ask for our limbs and organs to remain healthy and to work in harmony with each other. We ask for spiritual peace so that our body, mind, and feelings all flow in one direction. We ask for family harmony so that each family member fulfills his role. We ask for national peace so that every segment of Jewry appreciates each other. We then conclude, "For with the light of your face, you gave us, Hashem, a living Torah." The light of Hashem's face is the way He projects himself to the world. It is the Torah through which we can come to know Him.

After the last blessing we say, Elokai netzor. It is so difficult for us to have verbal self-control. We pray for resilience and humility. This can result only from having a strong sense of Hashem within us. We ask for Hashem's right hand, the symbol of chesed, to come forth and save us. Before the final closure, there is a custom to add verses that begin and end with the first and last letter of one's name. This is meant to give us a sense of our spiritual identity. We conclude by asking Hashem to restore the Temple and grant us our portion in His Torah. This is Jewish prayer in microcosm.

Question:

What is Judaism's view on bad dreams? Can they just be disregarded or do they have some credibility?

Answer:   

A dream may sometimes be a message from Hashem, coming via the emotions rather than the mind. If a person's intellect isn't sufficiently pure to receive ruach hakodesh, divine communication may come in a dream in the subconscious state.   

Orchot Tzadikim teaches that speaking the truth is only part of the challenge and obligation to lead a truthful life. We must also think the truth. One who can distance himself from his own inner life so that he can objectively look at his thoughts and ask himself, "Is this true?" will have dreams that are genuine. The filter of self-interest and fantasy that would make dreams false isn't part of his thinking process.  

I will assume that is not your level. Nevertheless, if you have a recurring bad dream, most rabbis will advise you to take it seriously. You can recite the prayer of the amelioration of dreams, preferably in front of three people, and request everything negative in your dream be turned around for good. The Shulchan Aruch notes that one should fast after a frightening dream. This is generally no longer practiced, but the Igrot Moshe writes that one should "redeem the fast" by giving charity in the amount of money that he would spend on food in a day.  

The way you interpret your dream strongly affects the message you perceive from the dream. Try to see the dream as an indication of something good.  

If you have a reason to think that your bad dream is true, consult with a knowledgeable rabbi, warning him beforehand that you are going to ask about a dream. If you give him a negative interpretation he will interrupt you and attempt to change it to something positive.   

Our Sages say that dreams are indicative of our inner workings. It is like receiving your own uncensored script. The Gemara says seeing oneself dying in a dream is a good sign. If you can envision your own physical death, it means your essential identity is your soul.

Let your dreams talk to you and tell you where you really are.