Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת חקת Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Rashi (19:22) writes that the parah adumah is a kapparah for the eigel ha'zahav – it is the mother cleaning after its baby. In fact, the Torah stresses six similarities between the parah adumah and eigel ha'zahav. What exactly is the connection, though, between mitzva of parah adumah and eigel haz'zahav (other than the fact that they are both cows) that it should be chosen to be its kaparah? (19:22) Why should the  parah adumah  cow act as a kapparah for the eigel? What about the concept of  ein k’teigar na’aseh s’neiger –  that the prosecutor does not become the defense counselor? (See Rashi 19:3 for example) Why is it that the eigel ha'zahav has no “settling of its debt”? The Torah states that the Parah Adumah had to be perfectly red. The  Meforshim  explain that even two black or white hairs would disqualify it from being a valid Parah Adumah. Why is it that  two  hairs d...

~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~ Parshas Chukas One Strike and You're Out! By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת הַמַּטֶּה מִלִּפְנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ :  וַיַּקְהִלוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם :  וַיָּרֶם משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם וַיֵּצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם :  וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָכֵן לֹא תָבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם “Moshe took the staff from before Hashem, as He had commanded him. Moshe and Aharon gathered the congregation before the rock and he said to them, “Listen now, rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? Then Moshe raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth and the assembly and their animals drank. Hashem said to Moshe...

~ Something to Think About ~   קרח פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus The  medrash  describes  that Korach approached Moshe and Aharon with two arguments: -  “Does a  talis   made completely of  techeiles  require a string of  techeiles ?” - “Does a room full of  sifrei Torah  require a  mezuza  on its doorpost?”                     a. What are the answers to these questions? Why?                     b. What exactly was Korach getting at with this debate? c. How do these “attacks” on Moshe and Aharon fit with Korach's motto of “ ki kol ha'eidah kulam kedoshim u'vesocham Hashem”  ? The Torah tells us that after Korach came to Moshe  rabbeinu , Moshe fell on his face. There are three different types of “falling on th...

Thoughts on The Parsha Parshas Korach Favors are Easily Forgotten By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן “ Korach son of Yitzhar son of Kehas son of Levi separated himself, with Dasan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and On son of Peles, sons of Reuvein.” -Korach  16:1 Rashi 1  explains that what instigated Korach's argument with Moshe was the fact that he was jealous because Moshe appointed Elitzaphan  ben  Uziel as a  nassi  (literally: prince) over the  B'nei Kehas . 2  Korach based his argument on what he assumed was logical. He assessed the situation and realized that Levi's son  Kehas  had four sons: Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uziel. Amram's two sons – Moshe and Aharon – assumed the two top positions of  B'nei Yisroel . Moshe  rabbeinu  was the leader of the entire nation, and Aharon  HaKohen  was the  Koh...

~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~ Parshas Shelach Who Are You Going to Believe, Me or Your Own Eyes? וְשָׁם רָאִינוּ אֶת הַנְּפִילִים בְּנֵי עֲנָק מִן הַנְּפִלִים וַנְּהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם “...And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, descendents of giants. We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we were in their eyes!” -Shelach  13:33             This week's  parsha  opens with Hashem's response to the  B'nei Yisroel's  request to send spies to scout  Eretz Yisroel . Hashem said to Moshe, “...send forth for yourself men...” [1]  As  Rashi [2]   comments, Hashem was not pleased with the idea of sending the  meraglim  (spies). After all, He promised us that  Eretz Yisroel  was good. What more of a guarantee could we possibly ask for? What better evidence could we possibly discover? Yet, Hashem allowed us to send in spies despite ou...