Torah Parallels

פרשת נשא Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Why is the parsha of sotah so serious that based on suspicion we give her to drink from the bitter waters to determine whether she is guilty? We do not find this by other aveiros. For example, one who we suspect killed someone else, there is no potion to give him to determine his guilt, rather he is innocent until 2 witnesses come and go through the long process of demonstrating that their story is true and that the man is guilty? Rashi (7:11) writes that Moshe did not know which order the n'si'im should bring their offerings: if it should be in age-order or in order of their travels. Why was Moshe unsure though, Hashem had not yet commanded Moshe the order of their travels so that should not have even been an option? Why does the Torah repeat each karbon brought for each of the nasi'im? They are exactly the same! Why not just write it once and say that this is what each nasi brought? The karbanos tha

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Nasso You Can Run But You Can't Hide By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר : דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי תִשְׂטֶה אִשְׁתּוֹ וּמָעֲלָה בוֹ מָעַל : וְשָׁכַב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע וְנֶעְלַם מֵעֵינֵי אִישָׁהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה וְהִיא נִטְמָאָה וְעֵד אֵין בָּהּ וְהִוא לֹא נִתְפָּשָׂה “Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, “Speak to the B'nei Yisroel and say to them: Any man, if his wife will go astray and commit a trespass against him; and a man will have lain with her carnally, but it was hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she became secluded and she was defiled – but there was no witness against her – and she had not been seized...” - Nasso 5:11-13 Our parsha deals with the topic of sotah – the women suspected of meeting another man, who is then warned and then later caught again being secluded with him. Despite the usual stance of “innocent until proven guilty”, the Torah demands that this

Parshas Behar - A Test of Trust (from the archives)

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Emor Passive Peace? I'm a Frayed Knot By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו “Hashem said to Moshe: Say to the kohanim , the sons of Aharon, and you shall say to them: to a dead person he should not become impure among his people...” - Emor 21:1 וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְהוּא בֶּן אִישׁ מִצְרִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי : : וַיִּקֹּב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת הַשֵּׁם וַיְקַלֵּל וַיָּבִיאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל משֶׁה וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְׁלֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי לְמַטֵּה דָן : : וַיַּנִּיחֻהוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָר לִפְרשׁ לָהֶם עַל פִּי ה ': : וַיְדַבֵּר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר : : הוֹצֵא אֶת הַמְקַלֵּל אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְסָמְכוּ כָל הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְרָגְמוּ אֹתוֹ כָּל הָעֵדָה : וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי יְקַלֵּל אֱלֹקיו ו