From the Chassidic Masters

It’s all there: the underpinnings of creation, the saga of human struggle, and the ultimate triumph which arises from the imperfections and failings of man—all played out in a four-month period . . .

Following the account of the Giving of the Torah in Yitro and Mishpatim, come five Torah portions that describe the making of the Mishkan (Sanctuary). The portion of Ki Tisa also recounts the sin of the Golden Calf. Which came first, the Mishkan or the Calf? There are three different interpretations regarding the sequence of these events among the Commentaries. The Rebbe analyzes these opinions, the deeper concepts behind them, and how all three are applicable to our lives

The Torah was first given carved in stone and then transcribed with ink upon a parchment scroll. What is the deeper significance of these two forms of Torah?

Often, an extremely fine line distinguishes between the purest truth and the most distortive falsehood. Why was the Golden Calf the gravest of sins and the most perfidious of betrayals, while the golden cherubs in the Sanctuary were the epitome of holiness?

King Solomon was baffled; Moses turned pale. Indeed, only the most incomprehensible of Divine decrees—the law of the red heifer—can act as an antidote for the most incomprehensible of human experiences—the phenomenon of death.