Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~   מצורע פרשת      Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Where is there an acronym for Motzee Shem Ra in this week's parsha? (14:4) The Rambam writes (Mishna Torah and Shemoneh Perakim) that one who has failed in a particular middah and now wants to work on fixing it, should first balance it out by going to the other extreme. So, for example, one who had become a big ba’al gaivah and want to now work on suppressing his ego and becoming more humble, he should do things on the opposite extreme of what he had been doing until he is able to find the proper balance in the middle. If so, granted the hyssop is very necessary as part of the metzora’s tahara as Rashi explains, but why the cedarwood? Shouldn’t that specically be left out? Rabbah bar bar Shila says on Daf Beis amud beis in Berachos that if in the passuk of “u'va ha'shemesh v'taheir”, u'va hashemesh=beeas ohro and v'taheir...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Metzora A Time to Tweet: Don’t Kill Two Birds with One Tone By: Daniel Listhaus וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹב “The Kohen shall command; and for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, pure birds, cedarwood, a crimson [tongue of] wool, and hyssop.” -Metzorah 14:4                                                                                       After having detailed the characteristics of the various tzara’as afflictions that could appea...

~ Something to Think About ~ תזריע פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (12:3) ”Rashi writes that just like man was created after animals, so too were the halachos of birth commanded after halachos of animals (kashrus).” Indeed sometimes the Torah instructs us that the proper order of teaching and responding is A-B A-B: That when two things are said the proper approach is to respond in the same order (See also when Eliezer responded to Lavan/Besuel). However there are also examples where the Torah orders in a A-B B-A format justifying that since the last thing taught is still fresh on the mind we respond to that first. (See Gemara Berachos 2a and Tosfos Bava Kamma 17a). What are the guidelines when to respond in the order of things mentioned and when to respond to the second item first? (13:14) Rashi writes that when a person thinks he has tzara’as he must go to the kohen have it inspected. However, there are two exce...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Tazria The End is Near:  “Game Over” or “Level Cleared”? By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר : דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּו‍ֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, 'Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall b e impure for a seven-day period, as during the days of her menstruant infirmity shall she be impure.'” -Tazria 12:1-2             Rashi [1] points out that only now after having discussed many of the details regarding bringing animals as karbanos (offerings) does the Torah teach about the very first halachos (laws) that apply at the beginning of every childbirth. Rashi brings from a medrash [2] that the reason for this order is because it is structured after the sequence of Beraishis (Creation). Just as the creati...

~ Something to Think About ~ שמיני  פרשת    Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Rashi (Vayikra 9:1) on the first passuk in this week's parsha comments that Hashem had Moshe call over the elders of B'nei Yisorel to let them know that it was according to Hashem's command that Aharon be the one to assume the position of Kohen Gadol , so that they should not say that Aharon took the position by himself. Was this really a worry? The Kohen Gadol had a very scary job going into the Kodesh HaK'doshim on Yom Kippur. Why would anyone assume this position unless told by Hashem to do so? Why would the elders of Yisroel allow such a possibility to enter their mind? Rashi (Vayikra 9:2) writes that Hashem commanded Aharon to take a calf as a karbon in  order to grant an atonement for partaking in the cheit Ha'Eigel (sin of the golden calf). How could this be a proper atonement for Aharon if we know that there is a princip...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Shemini Self Acceptance, Not Self Exceptance By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת חַטָּאתְךָ וְאֶת עֹלָתֶךָ וְכַפֵּר בַּעַדְךָ וּבְעַד הָעָם וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת קָרְבַּן הָעָם וְכַפֵּר בַּעֲדָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה ' “Moshe said to Aharon: Come near to the mizbe’ach and perform the service of your sin-offering and your olah- offering and provide atonement for yourself and for the people; then perform the service of the people’s offering and provide atonement for them, as Hashem commanded.”  - Vayikra 9:7             Rashi [1] in sefer Bamidbar describes that for the first seven days of the inauguration of the Mishkan , Moshe assembled and dismantled the Mishkan each day. On the eighth day however, which was Rosh Chodesh Nissan , Moshe erected the Mishkan and it remained in place until the anan (Cloud) moved indicating that it was time for B’nei Yisroe...