Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת כי תצא Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (21:11) How could we understand the concept of eishes y'fas to’ar ? (21:18) How could we understand the concept of ben sorer u'moreh ? How could we punish him based on his future? Doesn't he have bechira? (22:7) The mishna in Berachos states that if one who declares, “Hashem's rachamim extends to the bird's nest” we quiet him. a. Where do we see in this week's parsha that Hashem's rachamim reaches the bird's nest? b. What is wrong with saying such a statement that we quiet one who says it? (22:12) This week's parsha contains the basis for the minhag to start wearing a talis when one gets married. Where is it? (23:8) In this week's parsha is an unbelievable example of the extent we must show hakaras hatov . What is it? Why? (23:14) In this week's Parsha there is a mitzva , which many people do not know, pertaining to

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Ki Seitzei Partners in Crime By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ : כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל “You shall not have in your pouch a stone and a stone – a large one and a small one. You shall not have in your house a measure and a measure – a large one and a small one. A complete [perfect] and honest stone shall you have, a complete [perfect] and honest measure shall you have, so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you. For an abomination of Hashem, your G-d, are all who do this, all who act fraudulently.” - Ki Seitzei 25:13-16             As is most of Sefer Devarim [1] , this mitzva is a reiteration of wh

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת שופטים Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhau s (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) (16:22) Rashi explains that Hashem despises things which goyim use for avoda zarah. If this is so, why are we allowed to have a mizbe'ach? Why are we allowed to pray? Where do the liens get drawn? (17:6) Rashi 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 e

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Shoftim A Seemingly Untraditional Tradition By: Daniel Listhaus עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ וְעַל הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ לְךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה לֹא תָסוּר מִן הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יַגִּידוּ לְךָ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל “According to the teaching that they will teach you and according to the judgement that they will say to you shall you do; you shall not turn from the word that they will tell you, right or left.” -Shoftim 17:11             Rashi [1] comments that this passuk (verse) teaches us that even if one’s Rov (Rabbi) says about right that it is left and about left that it is right we are obligated to abide by his ruling. From the fact that Rashi is describing the Torah’s commandment as “Listen to the Rabbis even if he says to you about right that it is left”, is an indication that we are not just dealing with someone who knows nothing and is asking a Rabbi for a halachik ruling, rather it seems that we are dealing with someone who knows his “rights

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת ראה Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (13:6) The passuk says, with regards to a navi sheker (false prophet), that “he should be put to death, for he has spoken fabrication against Hashem you G-d – Who takes you out of the land of Egypt”. The passuk uses the word “ motzee ” which is the present tense of the word for “take out”. Why does the Torah use the present tense “Who takes you out of…Egypt” instead of “Who took you out of…Egypt”? (15:10) Rashi writes even one who merely commits verbally to give will receive reward for the statement along with reward for the act. Why does one receive reward for merely committing?

~ 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