Torah Parallels

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Nasso Pieces of Peace By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר : דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי תִשְׂטֶה אִשְׁתּוֹ וּמָעֲלָה בוֹ מָעַל “ Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: Any man, if his wife will go astray and commit a trespass against him....” -Nasso 5:11-12 וְכָתַב אֶת הָאָלֹת הָאֵלֶּה הַכֹּהֵן בַּסֵּפֶר וּמָחָה אֶל מֵי הַמָּרִים And the kohen shall inscribe these curses on a scroll and erase it into the bitter waters....” -Nasso 5:23 This week's parsha discusses the topic of sotah – the story of a woman who was specifically warned by her husband not to be with a certain man, and yet was caught secluded with him. The Torah 1 describes that when she is brought to the kohen , there was an interesting process she had to go through. First, her husband brings a karbon 2 on her behalf. Then, the kohen takes an earthenware cup filled with mayim kedoshim (s...

פרשת במדבר Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Rashi (1:2) writes that the way Moshe counted B'nei Yisroel was through  collecting a half-shekel per person. Why did he have count them like this? What is the significance of a flag? Rashi (3:1) notes that the passuk refers to Elazar and Isamar as the children  of  Aharon and Moshe – Aharon because he was their biological father, and  Moshe because he was their rebbe. However, in the following passuk (3:2) it  repeats and only calls them the sons of Aharon. Why should being someone's rebbe make one considered his father? Why is the passuk switching in the next passuk to just call them the sons of  Aharon? When it came to counting shevet Levi, Rashi (2:16) comments that Moshe did not know what to do. He said, “How can I enter the tents to know the  number of their nursing infants?” Hasem replied, “You go outside the tent  and I will let you know the number of who is in whi...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Bamidbar AND SHAVUOS To Infinity... and Beyond: Be a Shooting Star! By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר : שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם “ Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their exodus from the land of Egypt, saying, 'Take a census of the entire assembly of the B'nei Yisroel according to their families. According to their fathers' house, by number of the names, every male according to their head count...” -Bamidbar 1:1-2 This was not the first time during the B'nei Yisroel's travels that Hashem counted them. Rashi 1 explains that the reason why Hashem counted us so often is because of His great love for us. When Hash...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Behar Basic Training By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת עֲמִיתוֹ וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹקיךָ כִּי אֲנִי ה ' אֱלֹקיכֶם “ Do not harass one another, and you shall have fear of your G-d; for I am Hashem, your G-d.” -Behar 25:17 אַל תִּקַּח מֵאִתּוֹ נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹקיךָ וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ “ Do not take from him interest and increase; and you shall have fear of your G-d – and let your brother live with you.” - Behar 25:36 וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ וְנִמְכַּר לָךְ לֹא תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ עֲבֹדַת עָבֶד ... לֹא תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹקיךָ : If your brother becomes impoverished with you and is sold to you; you shall not work him with slave labor...Do not subjugate him through hard labor – and you shall have fear of your G-d” - Behar 25:39,43 No less than three times does this week's parsha mention “and you shall have fear of your G-d” alongside a mitzvas lo sa'aseh (negative commandment). The first time it is mention...