interpretation of parts of Tanach by close reading, not derivation (Pronounced "par-sha-noot")
1
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0answers
54 views
Toldos Noach vs Toldos Yitzchok [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why are parshat Noach and parshat Toldot named that way?
Was wondering. Why is Parshas Toldos not called Parshas Yitzchok just like Parshas Noach. In addition why is ...
13
votes
7answers
291 views
“I never saw a tzaddik be abandoned…” - how do we understand this?
At the end of bentching we say that "I was young, and I also became old, and I never saw a righteous person be abandoned, and his children asking for bread".
How do we reconcile that with the ...
9
votes
6answers
210 views
20 years for Sin, 7 years for beauty
In the first pasuk of Parshat Chayai Sarah (Genesis 23:1), the Torah says:
א. וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה
שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע
שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה:
And the life ...
6
votes
5answers
191 views
Why didn't Avraham tell Eliezer to go get Rivka?
In Parshas Chayei Sara, Avraham tells Eliezer to go find a wife for Yitzchok from his family, כִּי אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָק: and not from the ...
2
votes
1answer
115 views
Was Lot's Wife transformation into a Salt Pillar a miracle?
We tend to envision Lot's wife becoming a salt pillar as a (lehavdil) medusa-like sudden freezing from a normal human-organic state to a stone-cold hard mineral state.
Was this incident a miracle?
5
votes
2answers
62 views
Primacy of Rash"i
How did Rash"i's commentary on the Torah become the primary (phrasing intentionally vague) commentary among the hundreds of others that have been written?
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?
3
votes
5answers
164 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?
2
votes
1answer
86 views
First Barren Woman to Bear Children [closed]
Who was the first akarah (barren woman) in the Torah to bear children?
9
votes
1answer
127 views
Why did Hashem not tell Avraham to have a Bris earlier?
Avraham Avinu was told to have a Bris at 99 years of age. Why didn't Hashem have him do a Bris earlier?
3
votes
6answers
182 views
What else was in the Ark (Teiva)?
I heard that there is a Medrash that says that besides Noach, his wife, 3 sons, 3 daughters-in-law, animals, birds, and garbage there were others in the Teiva. What else was in the Teiva?
0
votes
2answers
89 views
Both with the same name [closed]
Who is the only person in Tanach whose father and father-in-law are two different people and have the exact same name?
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 ...
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
2answers
289 views
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Something like a Little Midrash Says, but based on just the psukim (simple verses), not all the medrish?
5
votes
1answer
132 views
Description of the Yetzer HaRa in Parshat Bereshit
In Parshat Bereshit, the yetzer hara's relationship to man is described in very similar langauge to the woman's relationship to man.
Regarding the woman, it says (Gen. 3:16) וְאֶל-אִישֵׁךְ ...
2
votes
3answers
286 views
How many Kosher animals were in Noach's Ark?
How many animals total of each Kosher species were in the teivah during the flood?
2
votes
2answers
98 views
3
votes
3answers
181 views
How old were Avraham and Sarah when they got married?
How old were Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu when they got married?
9
votes
3answers
218 views
How do scientists such as Natan Aviezer and Gerald Schroeder understand the fourth day of creation?
If I understand correctly, scientists such as Natan Aviezer and Gerald Schroeder have readings of Genesis Chapter 1 that fit with the current scientific understanding of how the universe/planet/life ...
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Riddle: 3 generations all have name that can be read backwards and forwards [closed]
Where in Tanach do you have 3 generations - father, son, grandson, - all have names that can be read backwards and forwards?
4
votes
1answer
92 views
Riddle: 3 people with the same name [closed]
In the Torah - 3 people with the same name - One is Jewish - One is a Ger - One is a Non-Jew?
4
votes
1answer
74 views
Who initially populated Chanoch City?
The Torah tells us (Genesis 4:17) that Kayin built a city and named it after his son, Chanoch. If Chanoch was only of the third generation of humans, how was the total human population at the time ...
7
votes
2answers
82 views
Why are several Biblical characters called “man of the Lord” (Ish HaElokim), but no one in the Bible is ever “man of God” (Ish Hashem)?
Ramban makes this observation (Deut. 33:1), and says "anyone with a good intellect" can figure out the reason. Okay I'm stumped ... help me out here please?
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
36 views
Shabbos Breishis
Why is only Shabbos Breishis known as Shabbos Breishis. (As opposed to any other week - we do not call Shabbos Noach etc.)
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Panim ba Panim?
How is it that Gd said to (moses) that "no man shall see me face to face and live".
yet in bereshit-32;31 (Jacob) said "I had seen Gd face to face and my soul was saved", thus naming the place peniel. ...
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 ...
1
vote
3answers
74 views
Returning to Egypt on Boats
The Posuk says (Devarim 28:68):
וֶהֱשִׁיבְךָ יְ־הֹוָ־ה מִצְרַיִם בָּאֳנִיּוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ לֹא תֹסִיף עוֹד לִרְאֹתָהּ
And the LORD shall bring thee back into Egypt in ships, by ...
3
votes
2answers
49 views
כְלִי גֶבֶר Versus שִׂמְלַת אִשָּׁה
Why does the Torah switch the word for men from כְלִי to שִׂמְלַת for women?
9
votes
2answers
120 views
verb + its infinitive
Many, many times in Tanach, including Chumash, a verb has its infinitive nearby. Examples include B'reshis 2:16 מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל (I think that's the first example in Chumash) and ...
1
vote
3answers
49 views
Lesson in Proper Chinuch
The Posuk(יא,יט) Starts off:
וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם
: "Teach THEM"
plural,The Posuk ends:
וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ: When YOU lay down and get up
singular, Why The change?
1
vote
4answers
81 views
Why the Heel of the foot? (Parshas Ekev)
Parshas Ekev starts off
וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים
Rashi says on this:
אם המצות הקלות שאדם דש בעקביו תשמעון:
What is the significance of the so called lite Mitzvos ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
Adding to Torah and connection to Hashem [closed]
The torah has these two Posukim right next to each other: Dovarim 4:2 has:
לא תספו על הדבר אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם ולא תגרעו ממנו לשמור את מצות ה׳ אלקיכם …
And 4:4 has:
ואתם הדבקים בה׳ ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Torah is a Watching
The Posuk says
ושמרתם ועשיתם כי היא חכמתכם ובינתכם לעיני העמים
To which Rashi Comments:
'ושמרתם' זו משנה
Reb Moshe Feinstein in Darash Moshe asks why is it that the torah is referd to as a ...
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
1answer
70 views
Why does the pasuk describing idols leave out “speaking?”
In Parshas Vaeschanan the Posuk says:
עֲבַדְתֶּם שָׁם אֱ־לֹהִים מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִרְאוּן וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּן וְלֹא יֹאכְלוּן וְלֹא יְרִיחֻן
Translated as:
And there ...
1
vote
3answers
117 views
How many people died before Pinchas killed Zimri?
In the mass death at the end of Parashas Balak, how many people died before Pinchas killed Zimri?
-4
votes
1answer
143 views
0
votes
1answer
103 views
1
vote
2answers
76 views
Why did they eat?
It says that before the Jews had relations with the Midyanite women that eventually led Pinchas to kill Kozbi and Zimri they ate of their Idolatrous sacrifices and then it says and they bowed to their ...
0
votes
1answer
109 views
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?
3
votes
3answers
166 views
Shimon and Levi and Killing for Immorality?
Shimon and Levi single-handedly Killed out an entire city because of immorality against Dinah their sister illustrating their character of anger, later Pinchas a descendant of Levi followed in his ...
3
votes
2answers
64 views
Action in Balak and Reward in Pinchas
Why is it that in Parashas Pinchas we see the reward of Pinchas (Bamidbar 25:7), even though his to-be-rewarded action was in Parashas Balak (Bamidbar 25:12)? Why wait a Parsha to say what reward he ...
1
vote
2answers
67 views
Cursing and Money
The Posuk says that Billam said even if you give me all the money in the world I can not curse the Jews, Rashi says this indicates that he was a lover of others money.There is a small problem with ...
8
votes
2answers
228 views
Different types of Nevuah
What are the differences between the "typical" navi's prophecy, Moshe Rabbeinu's prophecy, and Bil'am HaRasha's prophecy?
(Answers with sources [and preferably links to sources] only please!)
6
votes
2answers
114 views
Donkey Talked and an Angel Appeared - Who Knew?
Why is no mention made of the reaction, of Balak’s officers who were accompanying Bilaam, to the talking donkey or the revelation of the angel?
2
votes
1answer
89 views
Why is the weekday reading for Devarim different than for Shabbos?
Generally, the short Torah reading used on Shabbos afternoon, Monday and Thursday morning is the ~10--15 verses that will constitute the first Aliya the coming Shabbos morning.
But for Devarim, the ...
2
votes
3answers
522 views
Which parts of the Chazon Haftorah get sad tune (Eicha trop)?
The Shabbos before Tisha B'Av gets a very sad Haftorah, known as Chazon. It's Isaiah 1:1--27. (I recommend you open the text in a new window, or else the answers to this question will make no ...
