Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Shemos Why Save the Babies? By: Daniel Listhaus וַתִּירֶאןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת הָאֱלֹ קים וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶן מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת הַיְלָדִים “And the midwives feared G-d and they did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them, and they kept the boys alive.” - Shemos   1:17             The Torah [1]  describes that the seventy members of  B’nei Yisroel  who originally descended to  Mitzrayim multiplied and increased tremendously within a short period of time. [2]  A nation was being born right in the land of Egypt, and Pharaoh and his advisors started to worry. In order to slow down  B’nei Yisroel’s  population growth rate, Pharaoh decided to make all the Jews work as slaves doing hard and crushing labor. Additionally, he commanded the Jewish mid-wives to kill all boys that they were asked to deliver, and keep alive only the girls. The  passuk  (verse) [3]   testifies that the midwives feared Has

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Shemos! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: : Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  What was the forgotten decree?  The passuk (1:8) tells us that there was a new king of Mitzrayim who did not know Yosef. Rashi brings the machlokes Rav and Shmuel - one opinion holding that this Pharaoh was indeed a new king, while the other maintaining that it was the same king who made new decrees now that Yosef and the shevatim had all died. Onkelos translates the passuk as “There became a new king over Mitzrayim who did not keep Yosef’s decree. Which decree is Onkeles referring to and how did not keeping it impact his realization that he needed to solve the “Jewish problem”?   Concept I am considering : Practice what

~ Something to Think About ~ שמות  פרשת    Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (1:1) Where is there a  רמז   in the Parsha that one who does Shnayim Mikrah V'echad Targum nicely will merit to be able to do many more  shnayim mikrah v'echad targums ? (1:2-4) Why isn't Yosef listed among the other  shevatim  in the beginning of the  parsha ? (1:8) Onkoles explains that when the Torah mentions that there was a new Pharoah who “didn't know Yosef” that it means that this new Pharoah did not keep Yosef's decrees. Which decrees did Yosef make that this could be referring to? (2:1) Miriam reasoned to her father that he was worse than Pharoah because by separating completely from his wife, he was preventing even girls from being born whereas Pharoah was at least letting the girls live. Was she really right in her argument? Wouldn't taking that chance of having children be considered a  safeik sakanas nefashos ? (2:3) Rashi writes t

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayechi I Thought That You Thought By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח יוֹסֵף אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶת אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת מְנַשֶּׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֵלָיו :   וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה שִׂכֵּל אֶת יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר “And Yosef took the two of them – Ephraim with his right hand, to Yisroel's [Yaakov's] left, and Menasheh, with his left, to Yisroel's right – and he drew close to him. But Yisroel extended his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head though he was younger and his left hand on Menasheh's head. He moved his hands with intelligence, for Menasheh was the first born.” - Vayechi  48:13-14             The Torah [1] carefully details the way that Yosef came to Yaakov with his sons, Menasheh and Ephraim. Menasheh was the older son and Yosef knew that he wo

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Vayechi! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday: Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  What was so convincing?  The passukim and Rashi relate (50:15-21) that after Yaakov passed away, Yosef’s brothers noticed that his attitude towards them started changing. Out of concern they approached Yosef asking forgiveness. Yosef replies “Don’t be afraid. Am I instead of Hashem?” As Rashi explains, Yosef told them that even if he wanted to harm them he would be unable if it is not Hashem’s will just as they tried to harm him but were unsuccessful. The passukim continue recording Yosef’s speech to them and then the Torah comments, “And he comforted them and spoke to their hearts.” Rashi writes two potential strong arguments that Yosef said to convince them: 1. Before the brothers came dow

~ Something to Think About ~ ויחי פרשת  Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (47:28-29) Why in the Torah is Yaakov sometimes referred to as Yaakov and sometimes as Yisroel? (47:28) What purpose was there in Yaakov trying to tell the B’nei Yisroel when  mashiach  would arrive? (47:29) Rashi lists a few reasons that Yaakov gave Yosef why he wanted to be buried in Eretz Yisroel. Why did he need these reasons? Why not just tell Yosef he wanted to be buried in  ma’aras ha’machpeilah  with his wife and ancestors? (47:31) Why did Yaakov make Yosef swear that he would bury him in  Eretz Yisroel ? (48:2) Why did Yaakov get up in bed when Yosef entered the room? Forget the fact that Yosef was King, still Yaakov was not feeling well and he should have stayed in bed sick so Yosef would realize and spread the word to have everyone daven for him? (48:5) Why did Ephraim and Menashe receive special status to be lieke  shevatim  and get their own portions I