Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת כי תשא Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (30:12) Why must B'nei Yisroel be only counted indirectly by using an object? (30:13) When the Torah uses an expression of “zeh” (“this”), it means Hashem showed something to Moshe. What was so complicated about the shekel that Moshe needed a prop to visualize it? (30:18) Why is the kiyur listed in this week's parsha and not in Terumah or Tetzaveh  with the other keilim in the mishkan? (30:19) Why was it necessary for the Kohanim to be mekadeish their feet with the kiyur? (31:3-4) Once the Torah already tells us that Betzalel had ruach Elokim, why was it necessary that he have wisdom, understanding, and knowledge? Furthermore, Rashi explains that “da'as” (knowledge) refers to ruach hakodesh. What is the difference between ruach Elokim, which is mentioned explicitly in the passuk, and ruach hakodesh which is hinted to in “da'as”? (31:18) The

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Ki Sisa Know What You’re Doing By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרַב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֵגֶל וּמְחֹלֹת וַיִּחַר אַף משֶׁה וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ מִיָּדָו אֶת הַלֻּחֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֹתָם תַּחַת הָהָר “It happened as he drew near the camp and he saw the calf an th dance s , that moshe’s anger burned, he threw down the Tablets from his hands and shattered at the bottom of the mountain.”  - Shemos 32:19             There is no doubt that B’nei Yisroel worshipping the eigel ha’zahav (golden calf) was the worst occurrence in history since the episode of the eitz ha’daas (tree of knowledge). In fact, chazal [1] teach us that there is no punishment which comes to the world which does not have in it some retribution for the eigel ha’zahav . Not only did we as a nation worship avoda zarrah (idols), but the timing could not be worse. Only weeks after hearing Hashem Himself say, “I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Mitzrayim”, we failed miserab

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת תצוה Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus The Rosh and Ba'al Ha'Turim along with others point out that this is the only parsha which does not contain Moshe's rabbeinu name (since his birth in parshas shemos). Why is this? And why was this parsha chosen to be the one to leave out Moshe's name (especially considering the fact that the reason Moshe's name was erased has to do with an episode in next week's parsha)? The passuk tells us (28:12) that the avnei shoham were placed on the shoulder straps so that Hashem would remember the B'nei Yisroel as a zechus for us. Why does Hashem need us to remind Him of the greatness of the shevatim ? Rashi (29:24) tells us that the “wavings” were to hold back the harmful winds and the harmful dews. What does waving back and forth, up and down have anything to do with chasing away harmful winds and dews? If the Urim V'tumim had incredi

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Tetzaveh Measure for Measure By: Daniel Listhaus וְעָשִׂיתָ בִגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ לְכָבוֹד וּלְתִפְאָרֶת : וְאַתָּה תְּדַבֵּר אֶל כָּל חַכְמֵי לֵב אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּאתִיו רוּחַ חָכְמָה וְעָשׂוּ אֶת בִּגְדֵי אַהֲרֹן לְקַדְּשׁוֹ לְכַהֲנוֹ לִי וְחֵשֶׁב אֲפֻדָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה זָהָב תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר “You shall make garments of sanctity for Aharon your brother, for glory and for splendor. And you shall speak to each of the wise-hearted people whom I have invested with a spirit of wisdom, and they shall make the garments of Aharon, to sanctify him, so that he shall be a Kohen to Me.” - Tetzaveh 28:2-3 “...[And] the cheishev with which he is beautified, which is above it, like its work, of it shall be of gold, turquoise wool, purple wool, scarlet wool, and twisted linen.” - Tetzaveh 28:8             There is no doubt that the bigdei kehunah (special clothes that the kohanim had t

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת תרומה Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus What were the three ways which the B'nei Yisroel could participate in to help build the aron ? The Gemara tells us that Betzalel was the one who had to correct Moshe and tell him to build the mishkan first before its keilim (vessels). Didn't Moshe already know this from Hashem? And even if not, why didn't he think to build the mishkan first anyway? Why is it that the dimensions of the aron are all incomplete measures? (Shemos 25:10) Hashem commanded that the poles of the aron never leave it. Why? The aron was made of three arons : gold, wood, and gold. How do we know that it is from three arons together and not just a wooden one with gold on inside and outside? Also, what is the significance of being made with three arons as opposed to one? Rashi (25:21) sites a machlokes as to whether the luchos were placed into the aron before the lid had been plac

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Terumah Wood You Think of Me? By: Daniel Listhaus וְעָשׂוּ אֲרוֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי אָרְכּוֹ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי רָחְבּוֹ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי קֹמָתוֹ : וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתוֹ זָהָב טָהוֹר מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ וְעָשִׂיתָ עָלָיו זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב : “They shall make an Aron of shittim wood, two and a half amos in length; an amah and a half its width; and an amah and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from inside and from outside you shall cover it, and you shall make on it a golden diadem.”  - Shemos 25:10-11             The Holiest vessel in the Mishkan was the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark). The aron contained the luchos (tablets) and was positioned in the kodesh hakedoshim (Holy of Holies). The Torah [1] commands that the aron be made of wood with a gold covering on the inside and outside. Rashi [2] , based on his reading of the passuk (verse), understands this to mean that the aron was in fact made of three arons – t