Tikun Lego Shavuot

(א) איתא בזוהר שחסידים הראשונים היו נעורים כל הלילה ועוסקים בתורה. וכבר נהגו רוב הלומדים לעשות כן. ואפשר לתת טעם על פי (ה)פשוטו, לפי שישראל היו ישנים כל הלילה והוצרך הקב"ה להעיר אותם, כדאיתא במדרש, לכן אנו צריכים לתקן זה.

LEGO Challenge

Design a machine to help people stay up for the entire night.

Maagen Avraham

17th Century Poland

It is taught in the Zohar that a long time ago, on Shavuot, the most religious people would stay awake all night and study Torah. The majority of Torah students have adopted this practice. A reason for this is it says in the Torah that the children of Israel slept all night [the night before the Torah was given] and that God had to wake them up [to receive the Torah.]... so we stay up all night to make amends.

שמות רבה כ״ט:ט׳

אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, כְּשֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, צִפּוֹר לֹא צָוַח, עוֹף לֹא פָּרַח, שׁוֹר לֹא גָּעָה, אוֹפַנִּים לֹא עָפוּ, שְׂרָפִים לֹא אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ, הַיָּם לֹא נִזְדַּעֲזָע, הַבְּרִיּוֹת לֹא דִּבְּרוּ, אֶלָּא הָעוֹלָם שׁוֹתֵק וּמַחֲרִישׁ, וְיָצָא הַקּוֹל: אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ,

Shemot Rabbah 29:9

Said Rabbi Abbahu in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: When the Holy One gave the Torah, no animal made a sound, no bird flew, no ox lo'ed, none of the angels flapped a wing or sang the song "Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh (Holy, Holy, Holy!)" The sea did not roar, and none of the creatures made a sound. The world was completely silent and then God said : I am the Lord your God/Anochi Adonai Elohecha

LEGO Challenge

Build the scene described above

שמות כ״ד:י״ב

(יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֛י הָהָ֖רָה וֶהְיֵה־שָׁ֑ם וְאֶתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ אֶת־לֻחֹ֣ת הָאֶ֗בֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה֙ וְהַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתַ֖בְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָֽם׃

Exodus 24:12

(12) The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and commandments that I have written so you can teach them.

LEGO Challenge

Build the Mountain and build the tablets.

Extra Challenge - How many of the 10 commandments can you name? Count with your fingers.

שמות י״ט:י״ב

(יב) וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙ סָבִ֣יב לֵאמֹ֔ר הִשָּׁמְר֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם עֲל֥וֹת בָּהָ֖ר וּנְגֹ֣עַ בְּקָצֵ֑הוּ כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּהָ֖ר מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃

Exodus 19:12

(12) You shall make boundaries for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Beware of going up to the mountain, dont touch it at all, or you'll die.

LEGO Challenge

Add the people to your mountain. Don't let them get too close.

שמות י״ט:י״ח-י״ט

(יח) וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיַּ֤עַל עֲשָׁנוֹ֙ כְּעֶ֣שֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָהָ֖ר מְאֹֽד׃ (יט) וַיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל׃

Exodus 19:18-19

(18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the LORD had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder.

LEGO Challenge

Add smoke and fire to the scene. How do you think the people felt?

שמות ל״ד:כ״ט

(כט) וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃

Exodus 34:29

(29) So Moses came down from Mount Sinai. And as Moses came down from the mountain carrying the two tablets, Moses wasn't aware that the skin of his face was radiant/there was light shining out of his eyes, since he had spoken with Him (God).

LEGO Challenge

Design something that would protect your eyes against the light

שמות ל״ד:א׳

(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה פְּסָל־לְךָ֛ שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְכָתַבְתִּי֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃

Exodus 34:1

(1) The LORD said to Moses: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.

LEGO Challenge

Construct two tablets with writing on them.

Extra Challenge: Can you write a Hebrew letter or two?

שבת פ״ח א:ה׳

(שמות יט, יז) ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר א"ר אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם

Shabbat 88a:5

The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17). Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Ḥasa said: the Jewish people actually stood beneath the mountain, and the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there will be your burial.

Added by: Rabbi Andrew Markowitz

LEGO CHALLENGE

Construct an upside down mountain above the Israelites

Added by: Rabbi Andrew Markowitz