Torah Parallels

Parshas Ki Seitzei Partners in Crime By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ : כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל “ You shall not have in your pouch a stone and a stone – a large one and a small one. You shall not have in your house a measure and a measure – a large one and a small one. A complete [perfect] and honest stone shall you have, a complete [perfect] and honest measure shall you have, so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you. For an abomination of Hashem, your G-d, are all who do this, all who act fraudulently.” - Ki Seitzei 25:13-16 As is most of Sefer Devarim 1 , this mitzva is a reiteration of what was commanded earlier in the Torah. 2 ...

פרשת כי תצא Parsha Stumper In this week's Parsha there is a mitzva , which many people do not know, pertaining to going out to battle: ויתד תהיה לך על אזנך … a. What is this mitzva ? [Hint: It shows the importance of כבוד הבריות even in extreme circumstances such as war.] b. Where is there a רמז in this פסוק as to what a person should do when in danger of hearing a דבר שאינו הגון ? How could we understand the concept of eishes y'fas toar ? How could we understand the concept of ben sorer u'moreh ? How could we punish him based on his future? Doesn't he have bechira ? The mishna in Berachos states that if one who declares, “Hashem's rachamim extends to the bird's nest” we quiet him. a. Where do we see in this week's parsha that Hashem's rachamim reaches the bird's nest?                 b. What is wrong with saying such a statement that we quiet one who says it? In ...

Parshas Ki Seitzei Hangman, Shovels, and Fingers in Your Ears Kavod Ha'adom vs. Kavod Hashem: Same Difference By: Daniel Listhaus וְכִי יִהְיֶה בְאִישׁ חֵטְא מִשְׁפַּט מָוֶת וְהוּמָת וְתָלִיתָ אֹתוֹ עַל עֵץ : לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ בַּיּוֹם : i הַהוּא כִּי קִלְלַת אֱ־לֹ ק ים תָּלוּי וְלֹא תְטַמֵּא אֶת אַדְמָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר ה ' אֱ - לֹ ק יךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה “ If a man will have committed a sin whose judgment is death and he shall be put to death, and you shall hang him on a wooden beam. His body shall not remain for the night on the wooden beam, rather you shall surely bury him on that day, for a hanging person is an insult of Hashem...” -Ki Seitzei 21:22-23 Rashi 1 comments that we do not leave the body hanging because man is made in the image of Hashem, and the Jews are His sons. Therefore, to leave a body hanging would be deemed a degradation of the King. Rashi continues and gives the following moshol (parable): There were two identical twin...

Parshas Shoftim Guard Your Gates By: Daniel Listhaus שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הֹ אֱל קיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק “ Judges and officers shall you in all your gates [cities] -which Hashem, your G-d, gives you – for your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” -Shoftim 16:18 Rashi 1 explains that this passuk (verse) is teaching us the necessity to have Batei Dinim (Jewish courts), as well as people to enforce the rulings of the Batei Dinim , in each and every city. Although this is certainly the meaning of the passuk on a simple level, many meforshim (commentaries) are bothered by the choice of the singular form “ l'cha ” and “ sh'arecha ” (“to you [singular]” and “your [singular] gates”). If the Torah was speaking to the entire B'nei Yisroel and commanding them to institute a judicial system, the Torah should have said “ lachem ” and “ she'areichem ”. Why does it instead u...

פרשת שופטים Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About The Medrash Rabbah says that Shlomo HaMelech's throne had 6 steps leading up to it. On each step  was one of six consecutive לא תעשה found in this week's parsha . What are they and what is the  connection between them? There are three important dinim pertaining to a melech . What are they and where is there a remez to them in the word כסא – as if to say that a king who keeps these three things will merit to stay on  the כסא ? Rashi (16:22) explains that Hashem despises things which goyim use for avoda zarah. If this is so,  why are we allowed to have a mizbe'ach? Rashi (17:6) writes that if three witnesses come to testify, they do not become eidim zomemin until all  three of them become zomemin. Why should this be true? How could we even understand the din of eidim zomemin ? They never even completed the evil they  intended to do!? Rashi (17:8) writes that the Beis ...