Torah Parallels

פרשת שופטים Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About (16:21) 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? (see Kli Yakar) (17:18) 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 ? (see Kli Yakar) 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...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ 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 officers 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 syste...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Re'eh All You Need is One By: Daniel Listhaus רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse.” - Re'eh 11:26             When reading the first passuk (verse) of this week’s parsha , one may notice the inconsistent Hebrew grammar. The word “ re’eh ” (see) is written in the singular form, yet the word “ lifneichem ” (before you) is written in the plural form. Why does the Torah switch the form from singular to plural mid-sentence?             The Kli Yakar [1] raises this question and explains the passuk with the following gemara . The Gemara [2] brings a Baraisa which states that a person should always perceive himself as being half-guilty and half-meritorious. If he performs a mitzvah , his is praiseworthy for having tipped the scale in his favor to the side of merit. If he howev...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Re'eh Baseless Beliefs By: Daniel Listhaus אֵת כָּל הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם אֹתוֹ תִשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לֹא תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ “The entire matter that I command you, you shall guard it to do; you shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it.” - Re'eh 13:1             Rashi [1] explains that when the Torah here commands us not to add to the mitzvos , it means that we are prohibited from adding to the details of the mitzvos themselves, such as bringing a fifth species on Succos with the lulav or adding in a fourth beracha (blessing) to birkas kohanim (the blessing that the kohanim give which is divided into three parts). Presumably we could assume that Rashi would similarly explain that when the passuk (verse) says not to subtract from the mitzvos it means not to, for example, bring three species on Succos or recite only two berachos of birkas kohanim. ...