Torah Parallels

Parshas Terumah - Mishkan Man

פרשת תרומה Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About What were the three ways which the B'nei Yisroel could participate in to help build the aron ? The Gemara tells us that Betzalel was the one who had to correct Moshe and tell him to build the mishkan first before its keilim (vessels). Didn't Moshe already know this from Hashem? And even if not, why didn't he think to build the mishkan first anyway? Why is it that the dimensions of the aron are all incomplete measures? (Shemos 25:10) Hashem commanded that the poles of the aron never leave it. Why? The aron was made of three arons : gold, wood, and gold. How do we know that it is from three arons together and not just a wooden one with gold on inside and outside? Also, what is the significance of being made with three arons as opposed to one? Rashi (25:21) sites a machlokes as to whether the luchos were placed into the aron before the lid had been placed on it to complete it, or after it had been put on ...

Parshas Mishpatim Peaceful Judgment By: Daniel Listhaus וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם “ And these are the judgments that you shall place before them.” - Mishpatim 21:1 Rashi 1 comments that this parsha opens with the word “ v'eileh ” (literally: and these) in order to demonstrate that just as the Aseres Ha'Dibros (Ten Commandments) in last week's parsha were from Har Sinai , so too all of the laws regarding how to rule in cases of monetary dispute and all the other mitzvos listed in this week's parsha and the Torah. The next Rashi 2 continues to point out that Hashem told Moshe that the judgments in this week's parsha should be “placed before them [ K'lal Yisroel ] . Meaning, that Moshe should not merely teach them these halachos (laws) for them to memorize, but that he should teach it for everyone to understand the reasons behind the halachos . Indeed, financial disputes and claims of damage are a big part of every day life and the cause...

פרשת משפטים Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About The Ba'al Haturim sees a remez (hint) in the parsha to the fact that a Jewish judge must first try to create a compromise between two fighting parties before judging the case. Why is this true though? Shouldn't we focus on getting the correct judgment rather than settling on a compromise which is definitely not the truth? The Jewish slave who decides to stay by his master must get his ear peirced. The mechilta (34) comments that this is because he became a slave by not listening to the commandment at Har Sinai not to steal. Why then should the ear be pierced more here than by one who does any other aveirah? Rashi writes that even if non-Jews judge regarding certain matters as Beis Din , still one should not go to them to judge even in such a case. Why is this? Why would this be considered giving chashivus to avodah zarah if it is well known that the Torah's perspective is the same as society's...

פרשת יתרו Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About What did Yisro hear that no one else did? According to the one who holds that Yisro was attracted by the fact that B'nei Yisroel won the war against Amalek , what was so special about it? Granted they were untrained, but still the B'nei Yisroel had an army of 600,000 men between 20 and 60. Certainly it couldn't have been such a tremendous surprise that they won. Rashi writes that Yisro had 7 names. One of them was Yeser – which became Yisro after he converted. If so, didn't Yisro really only have 6 names at any given time? Yisro came over to Moshe and asked “What are you doing?” Moshe responded, “Judging the people and helping them with their questions.” Yisro then clarified and said that he meant why is Moshe the only one judging instead of creating a system of ranks where more people could be helped at a time. What was this conversation between Moshe and Yisro? And why didn't Moshe think o...

Parshas Yisro The Ten Commandments: A Pangrammatic Lipogram By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹ ק ים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר : אָנֹכִי ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים : לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנַי : לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ פֶסֶל | וְכָל תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם | מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם | מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ : לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי ה ' אֱלֹקיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים לְשׂנְאָי : וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי : לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם ה ' אֱלֹקיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה ה ' אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אֶת שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא : זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ : שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ : וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת | לַה ' אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה אַתָּה | וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשׁ...

From the archives... Parshas Yisro - 5773 - Loud Music and Boiling Frogs  Parshas Yisro - 5772 - Sunken Chunk

Parshas Beshalach True Tests and Calculated Conclusions By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹקים פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה : וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹקים אֶת הָעָם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר יַם סוּף וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם : וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף עִמּוֹ כִּי הַשְׁבֵּעַ הִשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד אֱלֹקים אֶתְכֶם וְהַעֲלִיתֶם אֶת עַצְמֹתַי מִזֶּה אִתְּכֶם “ It happened when Pharoah sent the people that Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, because it was near, for Hashem said, 'Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war and they will return to Egypt.' And Hashem took the people around toward the way of the Wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. And the Children of Israel were armed when they went up from Egypt. Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, for he ha...