Questions tagged [moshe-rabbeinu]
the biblical personage Moses
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Ma'ayan HaChochmah - Written by Moshe?
I found the book Ma'ayan HaChochmah in many editions, all of which are attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Here are some examples: 1, 2, 3, 4.
What is the history of this book? Is it unanimous that it was ...
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If Moses was just supposed to “speak” to the rock, what was the “rod” for? [duplicate]
In this week's Torah portion, Chukat, the people complain that they have no water to drink. So God tells Moses:
You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their ...
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Moses at fault for spies?
Looking to better understand if, per the sources, Moses was at fault for sending spies, especially as it relates to sending them on a seemingly military mission.
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How did the elders help?
In Bamidbar (11:11-15) Moshe tells Hashem how the difficult it is to carry the people and questioning where he would procure meat for he entire nation. Hashem's response was to gather the elders so ...
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Why does Moses use a euphemism in talking to God?
In this week's portion, Behaalotecha, Moses tells God:
If this is how You are going to treat me, then, if I have found favor in Your eyes, kill me, and do not let me witness my evil. [Num. 11:15]
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Is the use of referring to a Torah prescription through the expression “Moses said / commanded” attested in Jewish tradition?
I am an Italian Noahide.
I read in Jewish sources that the expression "Torah of Moses" is sometimes used.
In the Christian Gospels, on the other hand, I have seen that in certain passages it is ...
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Moshe instructed Betzalel to do other than Moshe had been commanded?
The Gemoro Berachos 55a quoted by Rashi on Shemos 38 (22) seems to say that Moshe ordered that the vessels should be made before the Mishkan that was to contain them.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said ...
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Contradiction about Moshe
It says in Shemot 17:12:
"But Moses’ hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur, one on each side, supported his hands; thus his hands ...
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Who First Knew of the Messiah
In Parashah Shemot 4:13, Moses says to G-d, "Send, I pray You, by the hand of whom You will send." On p. 77 of Rabbi M. Schneerson's book "Torah Studies" he explains that midrash (Lekach Tov) ...
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How was Moshe Rabbeinu buried?
This website (thetorah.com) raises some points about Moshe Rabbeinu's death.
https://www.thetorah.com/article/moshe-rabbeinu-never-died-the-hidden-ending
A few points that they make is:
If Moses ...
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Did God want converts in the early days of Judaism?
The Midrash says that Abraham and Sarah made many converts, presumably with God's blessing:
Abraham made converts, for it is written, "And Abraham took Sarai his wife... and all the souls that they ...
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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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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 ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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 אזל ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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“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 ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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25 views
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 ...
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Batya and Moshe
What merit did Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh have that she was the one to pick Moshe Rabbeinu from the waters?
