Torah Parallels

~Thoughts On The Parsha~ Parshas Ha'azinu Cheating Death By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה '  אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר :   עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר נְבוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וּרְאֵה אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחֻזָּה :   וּמֻת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ בְּהֹר הָהָר וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו :   עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ מִדְבַּר צִן עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל :   כִּי מִנֶּגֶד תִּרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל “Hashem spoke to Moshe in the middle of that day, saying, “Ascend to this mount of Avarim, Mount Nevo, which is in the land of Moav, which is before Yericho, and see the land of Canaan that I give to the Children of Israel as an inheritance, and die ...

~Thoughts on The Parsha~ Parshas Vayeilech The Ripple Effect: Splash Out of Your Bubble or Take it to the Grave By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר ה '  אֶל מֹשֶׁה הִנְּךָ שֹׁכֵב עִם אֲבֹתֶיךָ וְקָם הָעָם הַזֶּה וְזָנָה אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהֵי נֵכַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא בָא שָׁמָּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ וַעֲזָבַנִי וְהֵפֵר אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי אִתּוֹ “Hashem said to Moshe, 'Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, but this people will rise up and stray after gods of that which is foreign to the land, in whose midst it is coming, and it will forsake Me and it will annul my covenant that I have sealed with it.'” -Vayeilech  31:16             The  Gemara [1] relates that a group of heretics asked Rabban Gamliel, “How do you know that Hashem will resuscitate the dead?” Rabban Gamliel responded with a proof from Torah, a proof from  Nevi'im  (Prophets), and a proof from  K'suvim  (Writin...

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת וילך Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus “ Vayeilech Moshe... ” Where did Moshe go? (31:1) The  S'forno  and others explain that Moshe said to B'nei Yisroel, “ I am old and no longer able to go and come back...and even if I was able to, still Hashem said to me that I anyway cannot enter into  Eretz Yisroel .” What was the point of the first half of Moshe's statement? Let him just say that Hashem said he cannot enter  Eretz Yisroel ? How was this different from Yaakov’s response to Pharoah when asked how old he was? (31:1) How did Moshe know when he was going to die? What is significant about dying on the same day one is born? There are many differences between what Hashem told Yeshoshua and what Moshe told Yehoshua. What are these differences? And why the differences? Rashi (31:12) says that the men come to  hakhel  to learn, the women to hear, and the children to give reward to tho...

~Thoughts on The Parsha~ Parshas Nitzavim 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 addre...

~ 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   mil...

~ Quick Thoughts ~ The Story of Choni: Going in Circles By: Daniel Listhaus The Gemara in Taanis (23a) relates the full famous story of Choni Ha’magel (Choni the Circle Drawer). At that time, it happened that the greater part of the month of Adar had gone and yet no rain had fallen. The people sent a message to Choni to daven for rain. Choni davened, but alas no rain fell. He then drew a circle and stood within (which the Gemara comments was inspired by the navi (prophet) Chabakuk) and davened as follows, “Master of the Universe, Thy children have turned to me because I am member of Your house. I swear that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children.” The Gemara tells us that at that moment rain began to drip. However his talmidim (students) turned to him and said, “We look to you to save us from death. This rain came down merely to release you from your oath.” Choni then further davened, “This is not the type of rain I davened for, rather f...