Questions tagged [moshe-rabbeinu]
the biblical personage Moses
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Why is the narrative of Moses growing up in Pharaoh's house important?
I begin with the assertion that nothing is arbitrary in the Torah and the history followed the big plan as envisioned by the Creator.
The narrative of Moses' origin is fascinating but its necessity ...
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Did Moses ever meet his parents after the separation?
IIRC the Biblical narrative, after being born, Moses spends 3 months at home and then moving to the royal palace. His mother continues to breastfeed him for a certain period of time but then the link ...
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Seeking a source for a claim about Rabbi Akiva
I saw in a modern book as follows:
דהנה איתא בגמ׳ דר׳ עקיבא היה לו מעלה יתירה ממשרע״ה אשר לו היתה הבנה גם בסודות הניגונים והטעמים, מכיון שמת במיתה משונה לכן זכה לזה המדריגה שמשה רבינו לא זכה לזה.&...
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1answer
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Was the fact that Moshe broke the Tablets Halachicly stealing from the Jewish people?
Famously when Moshe came down from Sinai the first time and saw the Jews sinning he cast down the tablets of the law given to him by God. My question works on the basic assumption that these tablets ...
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Ramifications of lack of Brachah for the tribe of Shimon
I have a hard time understanding Moses' Brochos to the tribes and how it correlates to the actual course of history. As I can see, the interpreters felt the same problem and tried to pick single ...
0
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1answer
80 views
Why did some prominent prophets initially refuse to comply with G-d's commands? [duplicate]
Rambam in Yesodey Hatorah 7 writes that Prophets are very special people that prepare themselves thoroughly to detach themselves from this physical world and serve Hashem.
However, we can clearly see ...
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43 views
How can we recognize Moses' original scroll?
Let's imagine we excavate the Temple Mount area and find an Ark with a 3500-year-old scroll in good condition.
How would we know if it is the original scroll Moses wrote (besides being accompanied by ...
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Does Pharaoh's daughter speak Hebrew in Exodus 2:10 or is the book of Exodus simply translating what she said in Egyptian into Hebrew? [duplicate]
Exodus 2:10 says: "And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said: ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’" Is the text ...
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1answer
63 views
Does “לא בשמים היא” apply to Moses?
גופא אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל:
,שלשת אלפים הלכות נשתכחו בימי אבלו של משה
"אמרו לו ליהושע שאל א"ל "לא בשמים היא
Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: Three thousand halakhot were forgotten during ...
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Why no positive feedback from Moses in his reproof for everything Israel did good?
I'm a big fan of Positive Psychology approach to education, reinforcing positive behaviors instead of discouraging negative ones.
When Moses is scolding the nations for the sins [of the previous ...
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Why did G-d get angry with Moses prayers?
In Parshas Va'etchanan, Moses tells that he begged to enter the Land of Israel until G-d got angry:
וַיִּתְעַבֵּר ה' בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָי וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי רַב־לָךְ אַל־תּוֹסֶף ...
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1answer
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What official position did Moses have acc. to Torah?
The Torah speaks of a couple of official public positions, that have extensive Halachic Nafka-Minahs, e.g. Kohen Gadol, Jewish king, a Judge, maybe Nessi Shevet.
IIRC Moses wasn't officially any of ...
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1answer
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Who wrote Deuteronomy?
I know this has been covered by many commentators in the past, and here also, but I am still looking for a clear resolution of the ambiguities.
Who wrote the Book of Deuteronomy? Does Tradition ...
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1answer
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Why did Moses have a ten-cubit-long axe?
The Talmud in Berachot 54b relates the following tale:
אבן שבקש עוג מלך הבשן לזרוק על ישראל גמרא גמירי לה אמר מחנה ישראל כמה הוי תלתא פרסי איזיל ואיעקר טורא בר תלתא פרסי ואישדי עלייהו ואיקטלינהו ...
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2answers
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Why fight the Midianites with such a huge army?
G-d promises the Israeli Nation that (Lev 26,6):
וְרָדְפוּ מִכֶּם חֲמִשָּׁה מֵאָה, וּמֵאָה מִכֶּם רְבָבָה יִרְדֹּפוּ
וְנָפְלוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶם לִפְנֵיכֶם לֶחָרֶב׃
Five of you shall give chase to ...
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1answer
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How did the 2.5 tribes override a Deoraytah Mitzvah of settling the land of Israel?
IIRC, the Pshat of the Torah clearly implies that the purpose of the Exodus was to inherit the Land of Israel, and G-d commands Bney Israel many times to enter the promised land, to settle it, etc. It ...
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1answer
39 views
Why didn't Moses argue to spare lives of Midianites?
IIRC Avraham was praised for arguing with G-d about the fate of pious Sodomites asking G-d to spare their fate. G-d spared Lot and his family but the two cities were destroyed. Some speculate whether ...
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1answer
122 views
Were Moshe's sons Jewish?
Moshe's wife was the daughter of a Midianite priest so she was not Jewish. Does this in fact mean Moshe's sons Gershom and Eliezer were not Jewish as well? There are various questions on Mi Yodeya ...
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Why didn't Moses and his siblings ask to be buried in Israel?
It appears that the merit of being buried in the Holy Land of Israel is huge and our forefathers, as well as numerous prominent Rabbis, demanded to be buried here.
Why didn't Moses, Aharon and ...
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Where did Moses' applied scientific knowledge disappear?
I had a series of seemingly true statements that lead me to a contradiction I'm unable to solve:
Moses knew all the Torah => Moses knew all the Halacha.
Moses knew all the Halochos of Shabbos => when ...
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0answers
22 views
Moses' briefing before sending spies - Land vs People
Here's how the Torah depict Moses' briefing to the spies (Numbers 13) - first the whole passage:
וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא וְאֶת־הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַמְעַט הוּא אִם־...
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Why Moses broke the chain of command in the spies story?
Previously, G-d appoints Aharon as Moses' vice. There are the 12 Nessiim, excelled in [probably] Torah and piety. Yitroh makes Moses elect multiple judges. In the previous Parasha G-d chooses the 70 ...
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1answer
104 views
When beseeching God, why does the kohein gadol appeal to “the torah of Moshe” and not directly to “your torah”?
Yoma 6:2 reports what the kohein gadol says over the goat to be offered:
“Please, ‘Hashem’! They have done wrong, they have transgressed, they have sinned before You, Your people the House of ...
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2answers
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What made Moses want to be killed after people asked for meat?
In Parashat Bealotchah, when the people asked for meat Moses' reaction went eccentric (Num. 11:10):
מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת לְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי־יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־לָּנוּ בָשָׂר ...
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How did Jethro know Moshe's God?
Jethro appeared to be a friendly guy to Moshe, and even appeared to agree with what Moshe believed in, especially in theological terms (i.e. worshipping Hashem).
If that's the case, then how did ...
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3answers
90 views
Why is “Moses was the greatest of prophets” a principle of faith?
The 6th and 7th of the Rambam's 13 principles of faith (ikkarim) are:
God revealed Himself through the prophets
Moses was the greatest of prophets
Why the 7th as a separate principle? The Rambam ...
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43 views
Why the Torah is not read in public every day?
Following my previous question, the Prophets (Moses) commanded the Jewish nation to read the Torah in public three days a week (B"K 82a):
עמדו נביאים שביניהם ותיקנו להם שיהו קורין בשבת ומפסיקין ...
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The boy in Zarephath died when Elijahu came. Why did not people die around Moshe?
My question is based on the premise that a difference in spiritual levels/righteousness between individuals can cause people to die, get sick, or receive some other form of punishment as evidenced by ...
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1answer
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Was Moses born on 6 Adar or 7 Adar?
If it is said that Moshe Rabbeinu was put into the basket on 6th Sivan after 3 months of his birth, won't his birthday be 6th Adar?
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3answers
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“Teiku” (תיקו): why Eliyahu and not Moshe Rabbeinu to resolve unanswered Talmudic questions?
Sometimes in the Talmud when there's a difficult question, the Talmud concludes with "תיקו".
Usually "Teiku" is translated to mean "let it stand" but another suggestion is that "תיקו" is actually ...
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2answers
44 views
In Exodus 2:2 why is the baby Moses described as TOV?
In Exodus 2:2 what did Moses' mother notice about him that made her name him this? Is it why she hid him?
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3answers
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If Moshe received ALL future Torah at Har Sinai, why didn't he understand R' Akiva's shiur (Menachos 29b)?
(inspired by this question)
The Talmud Yerushalmi Peah 2:4 - (daf 13a) states:
ריב"ל אמר... אפי' מה שתלמיד ותיק עתיד להורות לפני רבו כבר נאמר למשה
בסיני מה טעם (קוהלת א) יש דבר שיאמר אדם ראה זה ...
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The World As Known to The Hebrews (Sons of Japhet, Ham and Shem) [duplicate]
Would you be so kind and tell me how accurate this map is? Especially, I'd like to know views from Rabbis. I also appreciate other views.
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Where did Moshe stand in the Tabernacle?
Where did Moshe stand when HaShem spoke to him from the Ohel Mo’ed (tent of meeting), from above the cover of the ark from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony? (Leviticus ...
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2answers
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Moshe's missing years
During the years Moshe was missing from Egypt, was he travelling abroad, to Saudi Arabia perhaps or Paran? Are these missing years documented somewhere?
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What did Moses learn during the second ascent?
If I understand right Moses spent the first 40 days, from 7 of Sivan to 17 of Tamuz studying the "whole Torah". The Gemora (Nedarim 38a) says he learned and forgot until G-d gave Moses the Torah as a ...
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0answers
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Where exactly did Moses stand at the 10 commandments?
I know that Moses did a couple of ascends to the top of Mt Sinai at different times.
In the text, right before the 10C G-d says to Moses to descend but he was called to ascend with Aharon and the ...
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1answer
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Why didn't Moses leave the chain of command?
This is a follow-up to "why-didnt-they-ask-aharon-to-lead".
In Parshas Yisro and later we learn that the Jewish People had some kind of "the chain of command" or at least "the chain of judgment": ...
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0answers
24 views
How did Moses know he'll spend 40 days at the mountain?
As we all know the Golden Calf started with Moses coming up the mountain to learn with Hashem (Ex 24,17):
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁה עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וֶהְיֵה־שָׁם וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת־לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן ...
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1answer
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If Adar I is the “extra Adar”, why does Parshat Tetzave line up with 7 Adar I, and not 7 Adar II?
According the Talmud and most sources, the extra month added during a Jewish leap year is the first month of Adar, and not the second one.
Why then, is Parshat Tetzave, which is supposed to coincide ...
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0answers
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Moses' problematic communication with the nation in the Golden Calf incident
In my plain understanding, the matter that triggered the story of the Golden Calf was Moses' bad explanation of his plan spending the next 40 days and coming back.
He told the nation, he'll be back ...
2
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1answer
84 views
Batya and Moshe
What merit did Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh have that she was the one to pick Moshe Rabbeinu from the waters?
2
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1answer
122 views
Why Moses named his son Eliezer “after” Avraham's slave?
"וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם ה"א מַה תִּתֶּן לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי וּבֶן מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי הוּא דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר." (Gen 15,2)
"וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר כִּי אֱלֹהקי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי ...
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3answers
114 views
Why didn't Paroh have Moshe killed?
Follow up to this question.
Moshe shows up with his brother and makes a demand of Paroh -- give up a chunk of your labor, or else. Then time and time again, Hashem, through Moshe, effects a major ...
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1answer
43 views
Source for Moses' life divided into 3 parts of 40 years
I am looking for a source (Gemara? Midrash?) that says that Moshe Rabbeinu's life was divided equally in 3, first forty years in Egypt, then 40 years in Midyan and 40 years in the desert with the Bnei ...
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2answers
76 views
Was Moshe punished for converting the Erev Rav?
Does anything in the Torah mention that Moshe was punished for converting the Erev Rav and taking them out of Egypt?
2
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0answers
132 views
7 Adar, Tachanun and Leap Years
A followup to this question.
For those who do not say tachanun on the birth/death anniversary of Moshe Rabbeinu, how do they handle leap years? Do they not say tachanun on the seventh of both months ...
4
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2answers
55 views
How was Moshe protected by the sand in Egypt?
Moshe does not enact the third plague. Rashi explains that,
לֹא הָיָה הֶעָפָר כְּדַאי לִלְקוֹת עַ"יְ מֹשֶׁה, לְפִי שֶׁהֵגֵן עָלָיו כְּשֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַמִּצְרִי וַיִּטְמְנֵהוּ בַּחוֹל,
That the dirt ...
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1answer
40 views
Is Aaron's lesson one of nepotism?
Is Aaron's lesson one of nepotism? In Exodus 32, Aaron takes the lead in creating the golden calf, but in Deuteronomy 9:20 all is forgiven because Moses prays for him. One could say the lesson here ...
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0answers
24 views
Why there were TWO separate tablets - Luchot HaBrit?
Following my previous, unanswered question:
The-halachic-importance-of-the-luchot-habrit-the-tablets...
This seems trivial as we're so used to the idea of the two tablets, but still...
"וַיִּתֵּן ...
