Torah Parallels

~ 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 :  ...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Balak The Letter S: Which Side Are You On? By: Daniel Listhaus וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם לָאָתוֹן כִּי הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ בִּי לוּ יֶשׁ חֶרֶב בְּיָדִי כִּי עַתָּה הֲרַגְתִּיךְ “Billam said to the she-donkey, ‘Because you have mocked me! If there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you!’” - Balak  22:29 The Torah [1] relates that Balak, king of Moav, realized that  B’nei Yisroel  a small nation of slaves that recently escaped Egypt, not only managed to defeat the Emori, but even obliterate the giant guardians Sichon and Og who Moav. [2] This made Balak and all of Moav very worried and they went to seek counsel from the elders of Midian. Rashi [3] points out that Moav seeking advice from Midian was not typical as the two nations hated each other. However, the circumstances were such that they found themselves hating a common enemy even more - the  B’nei Yisroel , and they were willing to look the other wa...

~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~ Parshas Chukas The Power of a Zechus By: Daniel Listhaus וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל הָעֵדָה מִדְבַּר צִן בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם בְּקָדֵשׁ וַתָּמָת שָׁם מִרְיָם וַתִּקָּבֵר שָׁם וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם לָעֵדָה וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל משֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן “The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Tzin the first month, and the people settled in Kadeish. Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the assembly so they assembled against Moses and Aharon.” -Chukas  20:1-2              Rashi [1] comments that from the juxtaposition of these  passukim  (verses) we see that for the entire forty years in the desert prior to this point, the well that the Jews had access to, which followed them on their journey, was only deserved through Miriam's  zechus  (merit). This is why when she died, the well ...

~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~ Parshas Korach To Kill a Mockingbird: Dutch Tulips and Mad Crowd Disease By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן ““Korach son of Yitzhar son of Kehas son of Levi seperated himself, with Dasan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and On son of Peles, sons of Reuvein.” -Korach  16:1             Rashi [1] and the  Medrash [2] describe that Korach came to Moshe with the following two questions. The first was, “Does a  tallis  made entirely of  techeiles  (blue-dyed wool) require a string of  techeiles ”? The logic behind this question is that we know that we are required to put  tzitzis  strings on each corner of every four-cornered garment that we wear. [3] The real  mitzva  of  tzitzis  includes that one of the strings on each cor...