interpretation of parts of Tanach by close reading, not derivation (Pronounced "par-sha-noot")
5
votes
4answers
177 views
Why does there seem to be different standards for future sinners?
In Bereshit (21:17) Rashi tells us that the Angels wanted G-d to kill Yishmael, but G-d said that He wouldn't judge him according to his future deeds, but rather according to his present state:
In ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Why did God invite Moshe to stand on “*the* rock”?
In Parashat Ki Tisa, during the atonement for the Golden Calf, God says to Moshe (Exodus 33:21):
הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי; וְנִצַּבְתָּ, עַל-*הַ*צּוּר
Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou ...
7
votes
1answer
149 views
On Deuteronomy 28:23, Rashi says copper is “mazi'a”. What does this mean?
I have this question on Rashi every year in Ki Savo. Deuteronomy 28:23 says: "And the heavens above your head will be like copper and the earth that is beneath you, iron."
Rashi says that the heavens ...
7
votes
1answer
68 views
What does Rash"i add on B'midbar 2:20?
In describing the layout of B'nei Yisra'el's camp in the wilderness, the Torah records four groups (called d'galim) comprising 3 tribes each, and lists them in order, dictating a diagram of how they ...
7
votes
1answer
57 views
Why is there a “Good” Type of Tzaraas?
I understand there's the type that actually makes a person Tamei, because the person did bad things (e.g. spoke Lashon Hara). But assuming tzaraas stems from a spiritual affliction, what purpose does ...
4
votes
2answers
57 views
Shalom Zachar and "the rain of your land in its season”
Rashi on Devorim 11 (14), “I will give the rain of your land in its season” says this will be on Shabbos nights when everyone will be found in their houses. How does this fit with the institution of ...
7
votes
4answers
395 views
Does “ki” have four meanings or one?
There is a well-known statement by Resh Lakish in Gitin (90) that
כי" משמש בד' לשונות: אי, דלמא, אלא, דהא"
"ki" expresses four meanings...
There has been discussion over the ages as to what ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
Questions surrounding Bilam's death
In Parshas Matos (Bamidbar 31:8) it says וְאֵת בִּלְעָם בֶּן-בְּעוֹר הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב.
Did Bilam do anything to avoid getting killed? What did he do? And who actually killed him?
6
votes
1answer
49 views
Could B'nei M'nashe have been placed with R'uven and Gad as a remedy to their separatism?
Does the following idea have any validity? Is it brought down anywhere?
When members of the tribes of R'uven and Gad approached Moshe to unwaveringly request settlement on the east bank of the ...
1
vote
4answers
105 views
Why was the letter “Hai” added to Avraham's name?
Avarham Avinu was originally Avram - and Hashem added the letter Hai to his name and changed it to Avraham. Why from all letters was the letter Hai added?
7
votes
3answers
147 views
Question about the actions of Pinchas when he killed Zimri
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 82A), while relating the story of Pinchas killing Zimri, tells us the following:
"And Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it." (Bamidbar 25:7) Now, ...
2
votes
3answers
110 views
why isn't moshe considered a “forefather”
if moshe led us out of egypt, into israel, and is a great man why isn't he considered a forefather.
1
vote
1answer
202 views
Why does Pinchas come to the Bris? [closed]
Why does Pinchas who is Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet) come to Brissim and what does it have to do with this Parshas Pinchas?
2
votes
1answer
95 views
3
votes
5answers
165 views
Why is the test (Nisayon) of Kivshan Haish not mentioned in the Torah?
One of the difficult tests Avraham Avinu faced was when Nimrod threw him into the (Kivshan Haish) fire. It is not mentioned in the Torah at all. Why?
6
votes
5answers
189 views
(Neis) Miracle of Sarah giving birth at 90
We all know how in Parshas Vayeira the miracle of Sarah giving birth @ 90 takes place. In Mitzrayim Yocheved gave birth @ 130 yet there is no mention of this. Was it not a bigger miracle? Then why is ...
10
votes
3answers
154 views
In the Bible, why did robbers bother tunneling into houses to rob them?
Exodus 22:1 speaks about the robber who was found "tunnelling in" to someone's house (vis-a-vis self-defense). Is that just a figure of speech, or did they actually go to that much trouble? (What ...
4
votes
2answers
176 views
arachin: dependance on age and sex
Why is the erech (Vayikra 27:1–8) of a woman less than that of a man? And why does erech depend on age? Sources, please.
4
votes
3answers
113 views
Rachav's home in the wall
Rachav's home was built into the wall of Y'richo, with an outward-facing window (Y'hoshua 2:15, M'tzudas David). This window had to be recognizable when the Jews destroyed the city, so they'd know to ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
“The Romans' Book” in Ramba"n
The commentary of Ramba"n on Vayikra 26:16 explains a large swath of parashas B'chukosai as an allegory to the two batei Mikdash and the corresponding exiles. Included therein, he elaborates on the ...
1
vote
3answers
99 views
Egel- Why EILEH is Plural
Why when the Jews made the egel, a single bull, they use the words Eilah Elohecha Yisroel which is plural?
2
votes
2answers
71 views
connection between the mishkan and the egel hazahav
do you guys know of any sources that connect the physical construction of the egal with the construction of the mishkan - both are made of gold and the beginning of parshat terumah starts by talking ...
1
vote
4answers
114 views
Interpretations of the Akeidah
Our Torah class in school is studying the Akeidah. What different approaches do the meforshim take in interpreting it (e.g. Rashbam says it was a punishment, lehavdil Kierkegaard says it was about ...
6
votes
2answers
145 views
riddle about who 2 people in the torah are [closed]
Name 2 figures in the Torah that their mother is their sister, their aunts and uncles are dead, and their father is their grandfather.
2
votes
1answer
48 views
Becoming aware of the sight of Holiness
When Avrohom and yitschok came before har hamoriah for the akaida they both recognized that it would take place top of the mount for they saw from afar the divine presence radiating atop thus they ...
2
votes
2answers
55 views
What would Avraham have done if Lot didn't choose to go to Sdom?
So Avraham tells Lot, "we need to separate; if you go right I'll go left, and vice-versa." Lot chose to go to Sdom, which was wicked.
Had Lot chosen otherwise, would Avraham have gone to Sdom?
4
votes
2answers
75 views
“The drinking was according to doctrine, no forcing.” — Forcing to drink, or forcing to stop drinking?
The party is described at the beginning of the book of Esther as having drinking with "ein oness" -- "there was none forcing."
I'd always heard (assumed?) that meant no one would force you to drink ...
5
votes
3answers
110 views
In the book of Esther, was Haman plotting to kill/overthrow Ahasueros?
At first reading, Haman is very powerful and wants to use that power to kill the Jews, but he's not actually interested in harming his boss, King Ahasueros ("Achashveirosh" to most of us), in any way. ...
5
votes
2answers
139 views
Science of the Rishonim on “celestial spheres”
In the writings of the Rishonim, it is not uncommon to see explanations of pesukim or of aggadic concepts using the "celestial spheres" model of the universe. The Rambam in particular uses the idea ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
Ma'ase avos siman l'banim - prescriptive or descriptive?
The concept of the actions of the forebears being an indication of their descendants' actions is referred to by many commentators and midrashim, including the famous Ramba"n on B'reshis 12.
What is ...
2
votes
2answers
54 views
Took you out of Egypt and the house of slaves
אָנֹכִי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים
Why does it say both מִצְרַיִם then בֵּית עֲבָדִים seems to be the same thing to me?
1
vote
1answer
61 views
400 Years in Egypt (?)
I know that Samuel David Luzzatto (1800-1865) said that we served all 400 years in Egypt as opposed to just 210. Are then any other "famous" commentators that say this?
1
vote
3answers
58 views
Moshe and Klal Yisroel Seprate
כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱ־לֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ
Why are they separate did something happen to one that did not happen to the Other?
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Moshe Judges דָּבָר הַגָּדֹל or דָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה
In the first Posuk it says:
וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּכָל עֵת וְהָיָה כָּל הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ
Then in the later Posuk it says:
אֶת הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה
The ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
Number then Names
וְאֵת שְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָאֶחָד גֵּרְשֹׁם כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה
וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר כִּי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי וַיַּצִּלֵנִי מֵחֶרֶב פַּרְעֹה
Why tell us how ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
To Fear or not to Fear that is the question
The Posuk starts off:
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָעָם אַל-תִּירָאוּ
Then it goes on too say:
וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל-פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ
The question is she we fear or not?
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vote
2answers
64 views
Daughters First
כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
Rashi say that בֵית יַעֲקֹב refers to the women He has an answer to this question but I know there are other good ones Why the Women first?
1
vote
1answer
37 views
Why does the Torah repeat the prohibition against touching Har Sinai?
First it says
כָּל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהָר מוֹת יוּמָת
Then a Posuk later:
אִם בְּהֵמָה אִם אִישׁ לֹא יִחְיֶה
Why is there a double death warning?
4
votes
2answers
132 views
Why does the Torah list animals before converts?
אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ
Why would the Torah List animal before the Geirim?
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Why did Moshe want to go into Eretz Yisroel
The famous question of the Gemara (סוטה יד, א)is why did Moshe want to go into Eretz Yisroel did he want to eat of its fruit? The answer would seem to be simple he wanted to do the Mitzva of living in ...
2
votes
4answers
171 views
“Moshe cried out” - really?
In Parashat Va-eira, Pharaoh, plagued with frogs, asks Moshe and Aharon to "entreat" God to remove the plague and says that he'll respond by releasing the Israelites. Moshe agrees, and then we have ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
Pesukim seemingly out of order in Parshas Bo
יד וְהָיָה כִּי-יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ, מָחָר--לֵאמֹר מַה-זֹּאת: וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו--בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ יְהוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם, מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים.
טו וַיְהִי, כִּי-הִקְשָׁה פַרְעֹה לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ, ...
2
votes
2answers
67 views
And all the Army of Hashem Left
What does the Posuk mean when it says all of the Army of Hashem Left when did Bnei Yisroel turn into an Army or is it referring to Bnei Yisroel?
יָצְאוּ כָּל צִבְאוֹת יְ־הֹוָ־ה מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
3
votes
2answers
48 views
תֹּאכַל Versus יֵאָכֵל
Why does the Posuk from one posuk to the Next change the word for eating they could have both said יֵאָכֵל?
Also why in one Posuk is it spelled מַצֹּת and the next posuk מַצּוֹת?
Posuk Vov:
...
5
votes
5answers
130 views
The Meaning of Aishdas
I have read that Aishdas (Deut. 33:2) means "fiery law" or something of the sort. However, doesn't the word das with the meaning of law/religion come from Persian (i.e. did not have the meaning of ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
Yocheved giving birth so late [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
(Neis) Miracle of Sarah giving birth at 90
I think the RambaN ask the question that if Yocheved was born when Yaakov came down,
then why doesn't the Torah mention the ...
5
votes
1answer
78 views
Order of birth of Ya'akov's children
The back of my Feldheim Tanakh has a timeline which gives the birth and death years of various Tanakh characters. The birth years of the sons of Ya'akov are not listed in the order given in Parashat ...
1
vote
2answers
74 views
Why was Esav still angry
Why was Esav so angry at yaakov for stealing the bracha even though it was over 20 years since he saw him?
4
votes
1answer
62 views
Shiurim on Approaches of Meforshim
Does anyone know of any good shiurim that I could find online going through the approaches of the various meforshim on Torah?
4
votes
1answer
60 views
Was Binyamin aware of Tzofnas Paaneach (aka Yosef)'s true identity?
While Yosef recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
I heard a Rosh Yeshiva suggest that Binyamin, who wasn't so absorbed in the soap opera, was able to recognize Yosef, but played ...
