Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~    משפטים פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus The Ba'al Ha’turim sees a remez (hint) in the parsha to the fact that a Jewish judge must first try to create a compromise between two fighting parties before judging the case. Why is this true though? Shouldn't we focus on getting the correct judgment rather than settling on a compromise which is definitely not the truth? The Jewish slave who decides to stay by his master must get his ear peirced. The mechilta (34) comments that this is because he became a slave by not listening to the commandment at Har Sinai not to steal. Why then should the ear be pierced more here than by one who does any other aveirah? Rashi writes that even if non-Jews judge regarding certain matters as Beis Din , still one should not go to them to judge even in such a case. Why is this? Why would this be considered giving chashivus to avodah zarah if it is well ...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Mishpatim No Dogs Go to Heaven By: Daniel Listhaus וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי וּבָשָׂר בַּשָּׂדֶה טְרֵפָה לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ לַכֶּלֶב תַּשְׁלִכוּן אֹתוֹ “People of holiness shall you be unto me; and flesh in the field that has been torn you shall not eat; you shall throw it to the dog.” - Mishpatim 22:30             Rashi [1] comments that the passuk (verse) is not really precise because certainly, just as one could feed the treif [2] meat to the dogs, one could also sell or give it to a goy (non-Jew). Rashi then offers two reasons as to why the Torah did not just write that it could be given to a goy . The first reason is because the Torah is coming to teach that it is better to be a dog than someone who worships idols. [3] Furthermore, Rashi writes, the passuk is trying to demonstrate that Hashem does not deprive any creature of its reward.          ...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Yisro Loud Music and Boiling Frogs By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן משֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹקים לְמשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא ה ' אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם “And the father-in-law of Moshe, Yisro, the priest of Midyan, heard all that G-d had done for Moshe and for [ B'nei ] Yisroel , His people, that Hashem had taken [ B'nei ] Yisroel out of Mitzrayim. ” - Yisro 18:1 וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד משֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹקים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל “And the sound of the shofar grew increasingly stronger; Moshe would speak and G-d would answer him with a voice.” - Yisro 19:19             Rashi [1] on this passuk (verse) brings a Gemara [2] which is bothered what was it that Yisro heard that inspired him to convert and join B'nei Yisroel in the midbar (desert)? Rashi answers by bringing two of the three suggestions offered in the Gemara: th...

~ Something to Think About ~ יתרו פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus What did Yisro hear that no one else did? According to the one who holds that Yisro was attracted by the fact that B'nei Yisroel won the war against Amalek , what was so special about it? Granted they were untrained, but still the B'nei Yisroel had an army of 600,000 men between 20 and 60. Certainly it couldn't have been such a tremendous surprise that they won. Rashi writes that Yisro had 7 names. One of them was Yeser – which became Yisro after he converted. If so, didn't Yisro really only have 6 names at any given time? Yisro is called Choveiv because of his love for the Torah. Why did Yisro receive such a name any more than Moshe, Aharon, or any of Bnei Yisroel in the midbar? (18:2) Rashi sounds good in the broad sense but what specifically was Aharon worried about? Moshe’s wife and children would not have become slaves? Moshe was from shevet...

~ Something to Think About ~   בשלח  פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus  How could Hashem use ba'al-tzefon as a reference point if it is an avodah zarrah ? Rashi (14:15) writes that because of zechus avos and B'nei Yisroel's belief in Hashem after leaving Mitzrayim, they merited to have kriyas Yam Suf . How do zechusim work? Certainly zechus avos could not have been exhausted at that point that they would have to utilize the zechus of their emunah , because zechus avos is something we still depend on today. So how do zechusim get calculated to figure out what different zechusim could do, how much power they have, and to what extent they could be used in various circumstances? (15:15 – Rashi) What is so significant and great about recognizing that Hashem was able to kill the horse with its rider? The Rambam writes that it is assur to attribute any physical characteristics to Hashem. Yet, we...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Beshalach Thinking Like a Leader By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ " Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the B’nei Yisroel and let them journey!” - Shemos 14:15             After B’nei Yisroel left Mitzrazyim, the Torah [1] relates that Pharaoh took 600 chariots of the Egyptian army and pursued them. When B’nei Yisroel saw that the Egyptian army was camped not far from them, they became very frightened and cried out to Hashem for help. They then turned to Moshe and said, “Are there no graves in Egypt that you had to take us out to the midbar (desert) to die? Did we not tell you it would be better for us to stay in Egypt?” [2] Moshe immediately responded that there was no reason to worry because Hashem will do battle for them, and then turned to daven to Hashem. However, the next passuk (verse) is very in...