Torah Parallels

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Chukas One Strike and You're Out! וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת הַמַּטֶּה מִלִּפְנֵי ה ' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ : וַיַּקְהִלוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם : וַיָּרֶם משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם וַיֵּצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם : וַיֹּאמֶר ה ' אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָכֵן לֹא תָבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם “Moshe took the staff from before Hashem, as He had commanded him. Moshe and Aharon gathered the congregation before the rock and he said to them, “Listen now, rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? Then Moshe raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth and the assembly and their animals drank. Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon, 'Because y...

פרשת קרח Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About The medrash describes that Korach approached Moshe and Aharon with two arguments: - “Does a talis made completely of techeiles require a string of techeiles ?” - “Does a room full of sifrei Torah require a mezuza on its doorpost?” a. What are the answers to these questions? Why? b. What exactly was Korach getting at with this debate? c. How do these “attacks” on Moshe and Aharon fit with Korach's motto of “ ki kol ha'eidah kulam  kedoshim u'vesocham Hashem” ? d. How is the story of Korach similar to the episode of the meraglim and their statement of “ va'nehi  v'eineinu ka'chagavim” ? 2. The Torah tells us that after Korach came to Moshe rabbeinu , Moshe fell on his face. There are  three  different types of “falling on the face” thorughout Tanach . What are they?  Extra  Credit: When  do they occur? 3.   Did Korach die? How did he die? a. Why wa...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Korach Seeing is Believing, but Believing is Seeing וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה בְּזֹאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי ה ' שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי לֹא מִלִּבִּי : אִם כְּמוֹת כָּל הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת כָּל הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא ה ' שְׁלָחָנִי : וְאִם בְּרִיאָה יִבְרָא ה ' וּפָצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת פִּיהָ וּבָלְעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת ה ' : וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַתִּבָּקַע הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תַּחְתֵּיהֶם “Moshe said, 'Through this shall you know that Hashem has sent me to perform all these acts, for it was not from my heart. If these die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, [then] it is not Hashem Who has sent me. But if Hashem will create a new creation and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive ...

פרשת שלח Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Rashi (13:2) writes that the story of the Meraglim was placed in the Torah immediately following the episode of Miriam because they did not learn from Miriam about how one should speak. Miriam spoke lashon harah about her brother, Moshe Rabbeinu, while the Meraglim spoke about Eretz Yisroel – an inanimate object, not a person. There is nothing wrong with doing so. So what did the Meraglim do wrong that they should have learned from the story of Miriam? Calev and Yehoshua each had the help of a tefillah to stay away from the plot of the meraglim. Why was this necessary? Why not just stay away? After the report of the Meraglim, the B'nei Yisroel cried out, “Why is Hashem bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and young will be taken captive! Is it not better that we return to Egypt?” What were the B'nei Yisroel thinking? How exactly were they thinking they would be treated if they went ba...

פרשת בהעלתך Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About (8:2) Rashi explains that Hashem told Aharon, “Your role is greater than theirs...” The Torah in parshas Nasso goes through great lengths to tell us that all the karbanos of the n'si'im were equal in the eyes of Hashem. Why suddenly by Aharon must it be that his be more precious? (8:4) Rashi reminds us of the complexity of the Menorah. Why did Hashem command to make a vessel impossible to comprehend how to construct? And why specifically the menorah? (8:4) Rashi mentions that the Menorah was banged and hammered. I thought there was no hammering in the beis hamikdash / mishkan because they used the shamir worm? (8:24) Rashi comments that regarding levi'im, not being of age disqualiifies them but not physical blemishes. Why is it that physical blemishes disqualify a kohen but not a levi? (9:1) Why was this the only Karbon Pesach that the B'nei Yisroel brought while in the desert? And if th...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Beha'aloscha Everyone Needs Encouragement וַיֹּאמֶר ה ' פִּתְאֹם אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל מִרְיָם צְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּם : וַיֵּרֶד ה ' בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם “ Hashem said suddenly to Moshe, to Aharon, and to Miriam, ' You three, go out to the Tent of Meeting.' And the three of them went out. Hashem descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent, and He called, 'Aharon and Miriam'; and the two of them went out.” - Beha'aloscha 12:4-5 After giving us the Torah at Har Sinai , Hashem was ready to take us straight into Eretz Yisroel . 1 However, if there was ever a time to use the expression “so close but yet so far”, it was then. Despite the fact that B'nei Yisroel seemed to have everything living with the shechina in their midst, the Torah relates a series of disturbing events which beg...