Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת וארא Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus This week's Parsha contains one of the ten Kal V'chomers found throughout Tanach. The Kal V'chomer seems to be that Moshe said to Hashem, “If B'nei Yisroel won't listen to me, then certainly Phroah will refuse to listen!” The question is that the Torah told us earlier that the reason B'nei Yisroel didn't listen was because they were under stress and hard work. Certainly these concerns did not apply to Pharoah. So what was the Kal V'chomer? Rashi (6:13) writes that because Moshe said “I am of blocked lips”, Hashem required that Aharon be just as vital as the mouthpiece of Moshe. How could that have been the cause if Aharon had already taken this role in last week's parsha? Where is there a proof from this week's parsha to techiyas ha'meisim? (6:25) Rashi writes that one of Yisro’s names came from the fact that he us...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Va'eira   Let There Be Hope By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה לִפְנֵי ה' לֵאמֹר הֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלַי וְאֵיךְ יִשְׁמָעֵנִי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם “Moshe spoke before Hashem saying, 'Behold, the Children of Israel have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have blocked lips!” - Va'eria 6:12             This week's parsha continues to relate the unbelievable conversations that Moshe and Hashem shared. We know that Moshe was the greatest navi (prophet) to ever live, [1] yet it is still incredibly difficult to comprehend the relationship between Moshe – a person, and Hashem. Hashem had commanded Moshe to say to the B'nei Yisroel , “I will bring you to the land about which I have raised My hand to give it to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; and I shall give it to you as a heritage – I am Hashem.” [2] However, when Moshe relayed this message to th...

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת שמות Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Where is there a רמז in the Parsha that one who does Shnayim Mikrah V'echad Targum nicely will merit to be able to do many more shnayim mikrah v'echad targums? Why isn't Yosef listed among the other shevatim in the beginning of the parsha? (1:8) Onkoles explains that when the Torah mentions that there was a new Pharoah who “didn't know Yosef” that it means that this new Pharoah did not keep Yosef's decrees. Which decrees did Yosef make that this could be referring to? (2:1) Miriam reasoned to her father that he was worse than Pharoah because by separating completely from his wife, he was preventing even girls from being born whereas Pharoah was at least letting the girls live. Was she really right in her argument? Wouldn't taking that chance of having children be considered a safeik sakanas nefashos ? (2:3) Rashi writes that there wa...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Shemos Stop and Smell the Coffee By: Daniel Listhaus וּמשֶׁה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת צֹאן יִתְרוֹ חֹתְנוֹ כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיָּבֹא אֶל הַר הָאֱלֹקים חֹרֵבָה “Moshe was grazing the sheep of Yisro, his father-in-law, the minister of Midyan; he guided the sheep far into the wilderness, and he arrived at the Mountain of G-d, toward Choreiv.” - Shemos 3:1             After running away from Mitzrayim, Moshe found his way to Midyan and married one of Yisro’s daughters. The Torah [1] relates that one day, while Moshe was shepherding Yisro’s sheep, he arrived at Har Ha’Elokim and witnessed a burning bush which miraculously was not being consumed by the fire. Rashi [2] comments that the passuk (verse) goes out of its way to describe that Moshe would guide the sheep far into the wilderness before allowing them to graze, in order to publicize Moshe’s great care and respect of ...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayechi I Thought That You Thought By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח יוֹסֵף אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶת אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת מְנַשֶּׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֵלָיו : וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה שִׂכֵּל אֶת יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר “And Yosef took the two of them – Ephraim with his right hand, to Yisroel's [Yaakov's] left, and Menasheh, with his left, to Yisroel's right – and he drew close to him. But Yisroel extended his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head though he was younger and his left hand on Menasheh's head. He moved his hands with intelligence, for Menasheh was the first born.” - Vayechi 48:13-14             The Torah [1] carefully details the way that Yosef came to Yaakov with his sons, Menasheh and Ephraim. Menasheh was the older son and Yosef knew that...