Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת נצבים Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (29:13-14) The passukim   say, “Not with you alone do I forge this bris  and this oath, but with whoever is here, standing with us today before Hashem, our G-d, and with whoever is not here with us today…” How could a bris be made with people who are not present? (29:15) The passuk says, כִּי אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָשַׁבְנוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עֲבַרְתֶּם Why switch from “that which we passed ” to “that which you passed ” (29:28)There are nekudos (dots) above certain letters/words in the passuk . Why is this and why over those particular ones? (30:12) The Rosh and Da’as Zekainim mention that there is a remez in the passuk that in the zechus of bris millah , Moshe was able to enter shamayim . Which zechus millah is being referred to? And why this particular zechus ? (30:19) Rashi writes that “Hashem tells us to look at the sun, which obeys H...

~Thoughts on The Parsha~ Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech Following the Leader By: Daniel Listhaus אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ: “You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d; Your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers – all the men of Israel; your small children, your women, and your convert who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water.” - Nitzavim  29:9-10              Rashi [1]  writes that on the day of his death, Moshe  rabbeinu  gathered all of  B’nei Yisroel  before Hashem in order to enter them into the  bris  (covenant)   between them and Hashem. Every single member of  K’lal Yisroel  was present and Moshe addresse...

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת כי תבא Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Why is it that upon the time of bringing bikkurim is the proper time to say the whole tefillah of history starting from Lavan and Yaakov? What is the connection to bikkurim ? And why must it be said to the kohen as opposed to one saying it to himself in the field? (26:1) The Mishna in Bikkurim (1:4) states that a ger (convert) brings bikkurim but cannot be korei (read) the paragraph which is recited because he is not able to say “l'a'voseinu” since his ancestors were not Jewish. If so, why is it that a ger could say “ elokeinu v'elokei avoseinu ” in shemoneh esreh ? [ Peirosh Ha’Rosh ] (26:8) There is a passuk in this week's parsha with a remez to the five seforim of the Torah. Which passuk is it? What are the remazim ? And how do they hint to their respective sefer they are hinting to? [Ohr Hachaim] (28:6) In the passuk of “ baruc...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Ki Savo The Secret Life of Avatar City By: Daniel Listhaus אָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה פֶסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה תּוֹעֲבַת ה' מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי חָרָשׁ וְשָׂם בַּסָּתֶר וְעָנוּ כָל הָעָם וְאָמְרוּ אָמֵן “‘Accursed is the man who will make a graven or molten image, an abomination of Hashem, a craftsman’s handiwork, and emplace it in secret.’ And the entire people shall speak up and say, ‘Amen’.”  - Ki Savo 27:15 בַּבֹּקֶר תֹּאמַר מִי יִתֵּן עֶרֶב וּבָעֶרֶב תֹּאמַר מִי יִתֵּן בֹּקֶר מִפַּחַד לְבָבְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּפְחָד וּמִמַּרְאֵה עֵינֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּרְאֶה “In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘If only it would be morning!’ – for the fright of your heart that you will fear and the sight of your eyes that you will see’.” - Ki Savo 28:67             The Torah [1] describes that half of B’nei Yisroel , divided by shevatim (tribes) went up on Har Gerizim and ...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Ki Seitzei Partners in Crime By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה : אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ : כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה ' אֱלֹ ק יךָ כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל “You shall not have in your pouch a stone and a stone – a large one and a small one. You shall not have in your house a measure and a measure – a large one and a small one. A complete [perfect] and honest stone shall you have, a complete [perfect] and honest measure shall you have, so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you. For an abomination of Hashem, your G-d, are all who do this, all who act fraudulently.” - Ki Seitzei 25:13-16             As is true of most of ...