Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Behar We Never Let Go By: Daniel Listhaus : וְכִי תַשִּׂיג יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ עִמּוֹ וְנִמְכַּר לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ אוֹ לְעֵקֶר מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר : אַחֲרֵי נִמְכַּר גְּאֻלָּה תִּהְיֶה לּוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו יִגְאָלֶנּוּ “If the hand of an alien and a resident with you will achieve, and your brother becomes improvised with him, and he is sold to an alien, resident with you, or to an idol of an alien’s family; after he has been sold, he shall have redemption; one of his brothers shall redeem him.”  - Behar 25:47-48             The Torah [1] describes a scenario where idol worshippers are living amongst Jews and the possibility that a destitute Jew might resort to sell himself as a slave to an idol worshipper in order to be provided for. In such a case, as the next passuk (verse) states, we are commanded to redeem the Jew from his slavery to the idol worshipper. The Sifsei Chochomim [2] and Kli Yakar [3] explain that the obliga

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת קדושים Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus What does it mean to be kedoshim ? The Gemara in kiddushin describes that the rabbanan termed the hebrew word for engagement as “Kiddushin” because essentially by marrying a wife you are making her “assur to everyone else just like hekdesh”. What is the root of what it means to be a kadosh? Parshas Kedoshim contains many mitzvos – within these the eseres hadibros are present. Some of them are straight out and some of them are alluded to. Where? The passuk (19:17) says tjhat there is a mitzva to give others mussar...'and you should not bear a sin because of him'. What does this mean? Why is 'v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha' a 'zeh k'lal gadol ba'Torah? The passuk (20:3), when describing prohibition of giving children over to molech ( a certain form of avodah zarrah ), says that Hashem will direct his face upon them and cu

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Kedoshim Approaching Understanding By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי ה ' “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem.”  - Kedoshim 19:18             The concept of v’ahavta l’ray’acha ka’mocha is one that is taught to children already at a young age and is one which is universally accepted as fundamental to Torah life, in fact, Rabbi Akiva famously taught, “ v’ahavta l’rayacha ka’mocha zeh k’lal gadol ba’torah ”. [1]             As important and fundamental, and arguably conceptually obvious as this mitzvah is, there are two big issues with such a commandment which the Ramban points out. First,       the Ramban [2] writes, how could the Torah command a person to love others as much as one loves himself? It is impossible! A person’s heart could love someone a lot, but not as muc

~ Something to Think About ~  אחרי-מות  פרשת   Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Rashi 16:1 – Why necessary to spook Aharon out here by this mitzva more than anyone else by any other? And why Aharon more than anyone else? He understood right away with “va'yidom aharon ” that his children deserved to die? Rashi 16:5 – Why would merely changing the clothes require tevilas yadayim v'raglaim? 16:8 – Why were the two goats chosen via lottery arbitrarily to decide which one was la'hashem and which la'a'za'zel? 17:10 The passuk (17:10) when describing prohibition of eating blood says that anyone who eats blood – Hashem will direct his face upon them and cut them off from their people. Rashi explains further that Hashem will turn aside, so to speak, from all his other concerns to deal with this person. What is so bad about eating blood that the Torah takes so seriously? (Extra Credit: Where else in the Torah does

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas ACharei MOs Vampires and Blood Poisoning By: Daniel Listhaus וְאִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם אֲשֶׁר יֹאכַל כָּל דָּם וְנָתַתִּי פָנַי בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת אֶת הַדָּם וְהִכְרַתִּי אֹתָהּ מִקֶּרֶב עַמָּהּ “Any man of B’nei Yisroel and of the proselyte who dwells among them who will consume any blood – I shall direct my face upon the soul consuming the blood, and I will cut it off from its people.”  - Acharei Mos 17:10             The passuk [1] warns us that it is forbidden to consume blood. Even the blood from a perfectly kosher animal which was properly shechted (slaughtered) is prohibited to eat. This is the reason for the thorough salting process with its accompanying complex halachos . However, the way the Torah warns about this particular commandment is very different from what we find by other negative commandments. Regarding the prohibition of consuming blood Hashem says in the Torah, “I shall direct My face upon