Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Devarim Get Out of the Back Seat By: Daniel Listhaus “ These are the words that Moshe spoke to all of [the B'nei] Yisroel, across the Yardein, in the wilderness, in the Plain, opposite [the Sea of] Reeds, between Paran and Tophel and Lavan, and Chatzeiros and Di-Zahav.” -Devarim  1:1 The  Ramban 1   describes that the final  sefer  of the Torah serves three main purposes. One theme of  Sefer Devarim  is to repeat many of the  mitzvos  already commanded earlier in the Torah. For this reason,  Sefer   Devarim  is often referred to as  Mishna Torah , meaning “repetition of the Torah”. Another function of  Sefer Devarim  is to introduce some  mitzvos  which, although taught already on  Har Sinai , were not yet written in the actual  sefer  Torah. Some of these  mitzvos  include  hilchos yibum  (laws of levirate marriage),  motzei  s hem ra  (evil talk 2 ) ,   geirushin  (divorce) ,  and  eidim zomimin 3 . The third facet of  Sefer Devarim  is to docum

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת דברים Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (1:3) Rashi offers four reasons why Moshe  rabbeinu  waited until right before his death to rebuke klal yisroel. Yet in the very next Rashi, Rashi writes that the reason Moshe waited was because he needed to prove to them first that he did something for them – leading them to battle and winning. a.      How can we reconcile this with the previous Rashi? b.      How could we understand this? Didn’t Moshe already lead them in a war against Amalek and defeat them? Also, there were many things that Moshe rabbeinu did for B’nei Yisroel in the midbar, in fact there was pretty much nothing he didn’t do. So why was entering and winning a battle necessary for Moshe to become “ood enough” to rebuke B’nei Yisroel?  

~ Something to Think About ~ מטות    פרשת   Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus 1.      (31:3) If Hashem didn’t command to fulfill right away, why was it mutar for Moshe to do so? 2.      ( 31 :7) Why did the  tzitz  specifically stop Billam and the kings of Midian from being able to fly? 3.      (31:7) How could witchcraft allow people to fly if in order to do  kishuf  one needs to be standing on the ground? (See Rashi Genara Sanhedrin 44b)

~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~ Parshas Mattos-Masei Sickness or Symptom By: Daniel Listhaus וְאֶת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן הָרְגוּ עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר וְאֶת חוּר וְאֶת רֶבַע חֲמֵשֶׁת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן וְאֵת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב “They killed the kings of Midian along with their slain ones: Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Chur, and Reva, the five kings of Midian; and Billam son of Beor they killed with the sword.”  - Masei   31:8             When describing the battle that took place between  B’nei Yisroel  and Moav, the  passuk  (verse)   singles out Billam and mentions that he was killed by sword.  Rashi [1]  writes that the  passuk  does so because when Billam came against  B’nei Yisroel  he did so with their craft of  tefillah  (prayer)   because Billam knew that  B’nei Yisroel  triumph only with their mouth through prayer and supplication. Therefore Billam came and seized their craft by cursing them with his mouth.  Rashi  continues and explains that whe

~ Something to Think About ~   פנחס פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (Rashi 26:46) Why did Sarach merit such a long life? (Rashi 27:22) Why did b’nos Telafchad wait so long to ask? (27:15) Rashi explains that Moshe demanded an answer/response from Hashem. Similarly, Rashi explains in Bamidbar 12:13 regarding Miriam. How could we understand Moshe’s more aggressive behavior at these particular points? (27:18) Hashem told Moshe that he should put his hand on Yehoshua and lean on him to give him  s'meecha . However, the Torah accounts that Moshe leaned on Yehoshua with both his  hands . How could Moshe add to the commandment of Hashem? Isn't that  bal toseif ?      

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Pinchas Core Credentials By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה אֶל ה' לֵאמֹר :  יִפְקֹד ה'  אֱלֹקי  הָרוּחֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר אִישׁ עַל הָעֵדָה :  אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא לִפְנֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא לִפְנֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יוֹצִיאֵם וַאֲשֶׁר יְבִיאֵם וְלֹא תִהְיֶה עֲדַת ה '  כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם רֹעֶה :  וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה קַח לְךָ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ בּוֹ וְסָמַכְתָּ אֶת יָדְךָ עָלָיו :  וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי כָּל הָעֵדָה וְצִוִּיתָה אֹתוֹ לְעֵינֵיהֶם :  וְנָתַתָּה מֵהוֹדְךָ עָלָיו לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל :  וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן יַעֲמֹד וְשָׁאַל לוֹ בְּמִשְׁפַּט הָאוּרִים לִפְנֵי ה' עַל פִּיו יֵצְאוּ וְעַל פִּיו יָבֹאוּ הוּא וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתּוֹ וְכָל הָעֵדָה :  וַיַּעַשׂ משֶׁה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֹתוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיַּעֲמִדֵהוּ לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי כָּל הָעֵדָה :  וַיִּסְמֹךְ אֶת יָדָיו עָלָיו וַיְצַוֵּהוּ כ

~ Something to Think About ~ בלק     פרשת Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (22:22) Why does the Torah describe Balak as “seeing” what B’nei Yisroel did as whereas by Yisro the Torah refers to Yisro’s “hearing”? What is the difference? (22:4) The Torah relates that Moav said to the elders of Midian that B’nei Yisroel will chew up their surroundings like an ox chews up its food. What was the point of this simile and why does the Torah feel the need to write it? (22:21) Why did Billam ride a donkey and not a horse? (22:28) Billam’s hit his donkey three times. When Hashem opened the donkey’s mouth, the first thing its first words to Billam was asking him, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”  Rashi writes that besides for giving Billam  mussar , the donkey was also hinting to him that he will not be able to succeed in trying to uproot a nation which keeps the  shalosh regalim . What is it about the  shalosh regalim  specifically which should be singled ou