Parsha discussion

Question:  28:4 Why are the ציץ and מכנסיים missing from the initial list of garments to make? Approach: We can perhaps suggest that the list of the garments at the start of the פרשה relate to actual garments that are for the purposes of לכבוד ולתפראת - honour and glory. The מכנסיים, worn under the כתונת, seem to be purely functional in order to fulfil the edict of לא תגלה ערוותך עליו.  The ציץ is also not a piece of clothing in the classic sense of the word. Rather it is a form of jewelry, with a specific purpose and nature, but not a garment per se.

Question:  Why is the covering of the משכן described before the actual structure? This order is repeated in ויקהל Approach: Based on the גמרא, we see that the order in פרשת תרומה is based on importance of the item, whereas in פרשת ויקהל, it's based on practical considerations of what to build first. On the one hand, the covering - especially the lower one, which itself is called the משכן - would seem to be the more important part of the actual building. And in terms of practicality, the weaving and creating of the covers could be done simultaneously to the building of the boards and sockets, and hence the more important one is mentioned first.

  Question:  Why are the laws of damaging animals interrupted? Approach: It would seem that the order of the damages listed relates to the monetary effects in terms of "punishment". As such, we first have the rule of the animal which kills a human (שור הנסקל), then the rules of בור (full payment), and then the שור שנגח (regular case is half payment)

  Question : What was the expectation of a judicial system before the suggestion of יתרו? Approach: It could well be that we are presented with an idyllic situation whereby people are able to sort out financial issues between themselves, with the guilty party paying the injured party on their own volition, based on the rules set down in the תורה. In practice, not every case is clear-cut, as the two parties are not always present when an incident happens. Or perspectives on the respective levels of "guilt" are differing. And this is what משה found out, and יתרו recognised that this would be the norm, rather than a one-off.