Torah Parallels

פרשת תולדות Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Rashi (25:20) writes that the Torah praised Rivkah that despite being a daughter of a wicked person, and the sister of a wicked person, still she did not learn from their deeds and instead was righteous. Yet, Rashi (25:21) comments that Hashem only answered the tefillos of Yitzchak – because the prayer of a tzadik ben rasha ( a righteous person who is the son of a wicked person) is not comparable to a tzadik ben tzadik (a righteous person who is the son of a righteous person). Why is this so? Shouldn't the tefillos of someone who, despite their background, is a tzadik, be more dear to Hashem than someone who simply “grew up that way”? The Torah relates that Eisav said to Yaakov, “ P our into me , now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted”. Did Eisav not know what the food was called th a t he had to say “that red stuff”? What is the significance of eating in this week's pa r sha ? Hashem promi...

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פרשת וירא Parsha Stumpers The Torah tells us that Avraham was visited by three men who looked like Arabs. How could they have looked like Arabs if Arabs are descendents of Yishmael? The passuk relates that the malachim “ ate” the food which Avraham prepared for them. Rashi explains that the reason they pretended to eat is because it is proper not to deviate from the minhag of the place. Obviously this concept is important enough for the malachim to proactively eat, as opposed to passively just say that they are not hungry. What is so important about not deviating from the minhagei ha'makom ? Where in halacha do we see this concept as well? After Avraham's bris , Rashi (18:1) tells us that Hashem made it extremely hot and sunny in order not to trouble Avraham with guests. When Hashem saw Avraham upset that no guests were coming, Hashem sent three malachim. Why didn't Hashem just make it not as hot and sunny and have the normal traffic of visitors? Rashi t...

Parshas Vayeira Lost in the System By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה  וְהָאֱלֹקים  נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי : וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ : “ And it happened after these words that G-d tested Avraham and He said to him, 'Avraham', and he said, 'Here I am.” And He said, 'Please take your son, your only one, whom you love – Yitzchak – go to the land of Moriah, and bring him up there as an offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you.” -Vayeira 22:1-2 The mishna 1 mentions that there were ten tests that Avraham avinu was given. During this final test, Avraham was commanded to take his son, Yitzchak, and offer him as a karbon (sacrifice) to Hashem – what we now refer to as Akeidas Yitzchak . The Akeidah represents much more than an event in history, but rath...

Parshas Lech Lecha Mind Your Surroundings By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר ה ' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ - לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶלהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ : וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה “ Hashem said to Avram, 'Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.'” -Lech Lecha 12:1-2 The mishna 1 mentions that there were ten tests that Avraham avinu was given and he passed all of them, demonstrating the incredible amount of love Avraham must have had for Hashem. One of these ten tests is the opening passuk (verse) of this week's parsha . 2 Hashem commanded Avraham to leave his birthplace and his father's house and to keep traveling until Hashem would tell him that he had reached his destination. Imagine getting int...

פרשת לך - לך Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About The Gemara says that because Avraham turned the spoils of the war in this week's parsha from the king of sodom, he merited the mitzva if tzitzis. However, in parshas Noach, Rashi said that because Shem covered Noach with a garment, Hashem rewarded him that his children merit the mitzva of tzitzis. How can we answer this contradiction? The passuk (15:6) says that Avraham trusted in Hashem, and that Hashem considered it as righteous of him. Shouldn't have this been expected of Avraham? There are many examples throughout this week's parsha which demonstrate the importance of putting oneself with the right people and surroundings. What are some of these examples? When Hagar ran away from Sarah, a Malach came over and asked “Where have you come from...” Certainly the malach knew where Hagar had come from, and, as Rashi tells us, was only asking as a means to start a conversation. There are a couple of ot...

Parshas Noach Photo Credit: mynews.mumbleabout.com Build Your Ark By: Daniel Listhaus וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקים וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס : וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקים אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁחָתָה כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ “ And the earth had become corrupt before Hashem; and the earth had become filled with robbery. And Hashem saw the earth and behold it was corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.” -Noach 6:11-12 During the sheishes y'mei haberaishis (six days of creation), everything created was designed with the purpose of serving man. 1 Finally, man was created with the single purpose of serving Hashem. Hence, everything was really created with the purpose of serving Hashem in some way. We, as the only beings comprised of the balance between a neshama (soul) and guf (body) 2 are the only beings with the capacity of using mundane things for a higher purpose and turning plain things into things filled with kedusha (Holiness...

פרשת נח Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About A Riddle: סוף סוף ראשי 1. תחילת סוף סופי ויבא נח ... אל התבה מי אני ? ג 2.   Where do we see from this week's parsha that the day starts at night? Why is it that there is a concept of miktzas hayom k'kulo only if the night is part of the “miktzas” , yet if have even the full day without the preceding night, this concept is not applicable? 3. Rashi (6:13) says that despite all the things that the dor ha'mabbul were doing, the gezairah was sealed because of robbery. Why robbery more than avodah zarrah or giluy arayos ? 4. Where is there a remez in the beginning of the parsha that Noach was not involved in any of these three things? 5.  Rashi both in 6:18 and 7:7 writes that it was forbidden to have marital relations in the teivah . However, Rashi in 7:7 adds that the reason for this was because the world was in a state of distress... (a) Why does Rashi re...