Torah Parallels

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת לך-לך Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus The  Gemara  says that because Avraham turned the spoils of the war in this week's parsha from the king of sodom, he merited the mitzva if tzitzis. However, in parshas Noach,  Rashi  said that because Shem covered Noach with a garment, Hashem rewarded him that his children merit the mitzva of tzitzis. How can we answer this contradiction? (12:13) Why did Avraham mention getting gifts before mentioning having his life spared? (12:13) Why was Avraham willing to take the gifts of Mitzrayim sand not the gifts after winning the war between the 4 and 5 kings? (13:5) Why did Avraham take Lot with him? (14:10) Rashi writes that it was only after seeing miracles for themselves that the kings believed that Avraham was right. This is similar to Haran who also only listened to Avraham after seeing him survive from the furnace. So why was Haran killed in the fire? Why was more expected of Haran than of the kings? (15:1)

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~   Parshas Lech Lecha L'iluy nishmas Calev ben Amitai Yoel Ha'kohen   Test by Design By: Daniel Listhaus   וַה' אָמַר אֶל אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָמָּה: כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד עוֹלָם: “Hashem said to Avram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Raise now your eyes and look out from where you are: northward, southward, eastward, and westward. For all the land that you see, to you will I give it, and to your descendants forever. ” -Lech Lecha 13:14-15             The Torah [1] relates that Lot’s shepherds of Lot started quarreling with the Avraham’s shepherds. Rashi [2] explains that the cause of the dispute was that Lot’s shepherds would graze their cattle in the fields of others, and Avrahams’s shepherds would rebuke them saying that they were stealing by allowing their animals to graze in other’s f

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת נח Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus                                                A Riddle:      סוף סוף ראשי      1.    תחילת סוף סופי            ויבא נח ... אל התבה                      מי אני ? ג       (6:9) Where is there a  remez  in the beginning of the  parsha  that Noach was not involved in any of these three things? (6:9) Rashi brings down an opinion that Noach was only great compared to those who lived in his generation, but had he lived in Avraham’s generation he wouldn’t have been anything remarkable. Why would we compare an individual to others? All that should matter was if Noach was righteous based on expectations of him alone, not based on what others are capable of? (6:13) How could the  dor ha'mabul  be punished if there were no  mitzvos  yet? [Chizkuni] (6:13) Rashi writes that because of the  zenus  of the generation, the  gezairah  (decree) was that all mankind – good and bad – were to die. Why should the good people be swe

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Noach Peace Is Not So Easily Disturbed By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים “The whole earth was of one language and of unified words.” - Noach  11:1 The Torah [1]  tells us that a mere 340 years after the  mabbul  (great flood), the people of the world joined together with a plan of action to rebel against Hashem. As  Rashi [2]   elaborates, the people blasphemously declared, “G-d does not have the right to select the Higher realms for Himself alone. We will go up to the firmament and wage war with him”. In response to their thoughts and actions, Hashem said, “Behold one people, and there is one language for all of them, and this is what they begin to do! And now, should it not be withheld from them all they proposed to do? Come, let us descend and confuse their language, that they should not understand one another’s language.” Rashi [3]   points out that the sin of the  dor haflagah  (Generation of the Disunion)  

~Thoughts on The Parsha     ~ Parshas Ve’zos Ha’Beracha    B for Effort By: Daniel Listhaus וּלְכֹל   הַיָּד   הַחֲזָקָה   וּלְכֹל   הַמּוֹרָא   הַגָּדוֹל   אֲשֶׁר   עָשָׂה   משֶׁה   לְעֵינֵי   כָּל   יִשְׂרָאֵל “…And for all the strong hand, and for all the great awesomeness that Moshe performed before the eyes of all  Yisroel ” - Ve’zos Ha’Berachah  34:12 After restating the uniqueness and greatness of Moshe  rabbeinu , the very last  passuk  (verse) of the Torah states, “…And for all the strong hand and for all the great awesomeness that Moshe performed before the eyes of all  Yisroel ”. [1]   Rashi [2]  comments that when the  passuk  says “the strong hand”, it refers to Moshe’s receiving the  luchos  with his hands. The  Sifsei chachomim [3]   further explains that indeed it took a strong hand to be able to carry the  luchos , as the  luchos  were extremely heavy. This  Rashi  presents a difficult problem.   We know that during the  B’neio Yisroel’s  traveling in the  midbar  (des