Questions tagged [parshat-devarim]
The weekly Torah portion of Devorim (Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22)
39
questions
11
votes
2answers
265 views
How do we understand Moshe's rebuke
On Devarim 1:1, Rashi comments that the various places listed are in fact veiled references to episodes in which the Jewish people rebelled. Thus Moshe was offering a kind of concealed rebuke. My ...
asked Jul 10 '13 at 2:09
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10
votes
2answers
171 views
Limud for Levi not being part of the spies
Devarim 1:23 reads:
וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינַי הַדָּבָר וָאֶקַּח מִכֶּם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֲנָשִׁים
אִישׁ אֶחָד לַשָּׁבֶט׃
And the matter pleased me; so I took twelve men from you, one man for
each ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
How many stars did Rashi think there were?
According to the Chabad translation, Rashi on Deut. 1:10 implies that there are more than 600,000 stars:
The Lord, your God, has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the ...
8
votes
2answers
135 views
Whatever happened to the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000?
In Parshas Yisro (Shemos 18:25) Moshe appoints the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000.
"וַיִּבְחַר מֹשֶׁה אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם רָאשִׁים עַל־הָעָם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי ...
8
votes
1answer
82 views
Inconsistent base-10 system of judges
In Devarim 1:15 (also Shemot 18:21) we see the numerical system of the hierarchical system of leaders:
ואקח את־ראשי שבטיכם אנשים חכמים וידעים ואתן אתם ראשים עליכם שרי אלפים
ושרי מאות ושרי חמשים ...
7
votes
3answers
860 views
Why translate Torah to 70 languages?
Midrash Tanchuma, brought in Rashi to Devarim 1:5 says:
בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב הוֹאִיל מֹשֶׁה בֵּאֵר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת לֵאמֹר׃ (Moses commenced [and] explained this Law, saying...)...
7
votes
2answers
198 views
Did Moshe say that he had punished Miriam?
Summary
A woman I don't know posed the following question to me while getting a quick ride to her car: It seems that Rashi and Sifrei on Devarim 1:1 say that Moshe said that he himself had punished ...
7
votes
1answer
131 views
First Use of the Phrase “Cheit HaMeraglim”
The negative report given by the people who are sent to scout the land of Cana'an before Bnei Yisrael go in, resulting in the punishment that they have to wander for another 38 years in the desert, is ...
6
votes
2answers
864 views
Where are there discussions about Torah commands that nobody is known to have broken?
Where are there discussions about Torah commands that nobody is known to have broken? These discussions can come anywhere, from the Talmud to the Midrashim.
We read from Devarim 21:18 כִּי-יִהְיֶה ...
6
votes
2answers
123 views
Why the hidden mussar?
The first few words of Sefer Devarim are understood to be Moshe Rabbeinu hinting at different mistakes the Jewish people made in the desert, and he is giving them disguised rebuke.
Rashi to Devarim 1:...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
38 years or 40 years in the desert?
I'm confused regarding several apparently contradictory verses:
Bamidbar 14:33 says that B;nai Yisra'el will wander the desert for 40 years.
In Devarim 1:19 - 22, Moshe says that they arrived at ...
5
votes
1answer
280 views
Why is “Yehoshua” spelled with a full Vav in Devarim 3:21?
I think this is the only place in the Torah where "Yehoshua" is spelled maleh - with a full vav (Shuruk). I think there are other places in Tanac"h where a similar thing occurs, but, I don't know for ...
4
votes
2answers
204 views
Was the Golden Calf associated with a particular deity?
Are the Golden Calves constructed by Aaron and Jeroboam affiliated with any specific deity? In Ugaritic literature Baal is portrayed as a bull mating with his sister Anat who was a female calf. Does ...
4
votes
3answers
184 views
Intermarriage in the written Torah
In Leviticus 19:20 they speak of a Canaanite slave being betrothed to a Hebrew (and defiling herself with another man). From this I understand that a non Jewish slave women was going to marry a Jew.
...
4
votes
1answer
134 views
Why is there a parsha break in the middle of a verse?
In this week's parsha, we see a parsha (stumah) "break" in the middle of Devarim 2:8.
There are several other places where there is a parsha break in the middle of the verse. Another example occurs ...
3
votes
2answers
160 views
Og's bed made of iron
Devarim 3:11 desribes Og's bed as being made from iron. What does the the Torah add by describing Og's bed as being made from iron?
The Ramban comments that it demonstrates how tall he was, that wood ...
3
votes
1answer
89 views
Understanding an apparent conflict regarding Israel's Biblical eastern boundary
I'm trying to understand what appears (for me) to be a conflict regarding the Biblical eastern boundary of the "Promised land".
It seems that the land promised to the fathers went all the way as east ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
Moshe appointing leaders & judges - different accounts in Yitro & Devarim
I am trying to reconcile the events leading up to Moshe's decision to appoint leaders for the people (heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.) It seems that we get two different stories.
In ...
2
votes
1answer
402 views
Why is the Mountain Sinai called Chorev as well?
I was studying today parashat ha shavua (Devorim) and it is written there that Jews went from the Mountain of Chorev. Why is not called Sinai? What significance lies behind this name?
2
votes
1answer
107 views
Source and reason of the Minhag to end Cohen aliyah of parshat Devarim 1 pasuk early
In some shuls that I have attended, they end the Cohen aliyah of Shabbat parshat Devarim one pasuk before the one where "Sheni" is marked (i.e. - they end it before pasuk 11 instead of 12).
I'm not ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Yachid v.s. Echad
What is the definition and difference between Yachid and Echad?
I read some where that Maimonides told HaShem is Yachid, but isn't He Echad?
2
votes
1answer
40 views
What sons of Noach are the nations disposed of by Edom, Ammon, and Moav descended from?
Edom disposed of the Horites, Moav and Ammon the Rephaim/Emim/Zamzumim etc. (Devarim 2:10-12)
What sons of Noach are these peoples descended from?
If they’re giants (Emim/Zamzumim), are they ...
2
votes
1answer
112 views
Unusual pronunciation of “Mol” in Devarim 1:1
Devarim 1:1 uses the phrase "Mol Suf". The word is pronounced "Mol" vs. "Mul". I assume that the literal definition of the word is "against" or "near".
In other locations in the Torah, the word is ...
2
votes
0answers
55 views
Why does the Torah use the term עַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר instead of אַחַ֨ד עָשָׂ֥ר for the number 11? [duplicate]
There are two places in the Torah that I can recall (if there are others, please inform me) where the term עַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר is used for the number 11.
Numbers 7:72:
בְּיוֹם֙ עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עָשָׂ֣ר ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Why isn't borrowing from non-Jews forbidden because of Devarim 15:6?
Devarim 15:6 says "For the Lord, your God, has blessed you, as He spoke to you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule ...
1
vote
2answers
41 views
B'midbar 32:17 - Why did the tribes of Re'uven and Gad need to build fortified cities?
Numbers 32:17:
וַאֲנַ֜חְנוּ נֵחָלֵ֣ץ חֻשִׁ֗ים לִפְנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֛ד
אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִם־הֲבִֽיאֹנֻ֖ם אֶל־מְקוֹמָ֑ם וְיָשַׁ֤ב טַפֵּ֙נוּ֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י
הַמִּבְצָ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֖י יֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
...
1
vote
3answers
168 views
Sefer Devarim not part of the original Torah?
I've been told by a few separate people that Sefer Devarim (as evidenced by historians' accounts and the stylistic differences between it and the other 4 books of Torah) was in fact written at a later ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
Did the Moabites give water and food to B'nai Yisra'el or not? Contradictory verses?
Devarim 23:4 - 5 says that we should not accept a Moabite into the nation of Israel because they did not give B'nai Yisra'el food and water as they left Egypt.
But, there is a seemingly contradictory ...
1
vote
2answers
57 views
Had B'nai Yisra'el not sent the spies, would they have had to fight against Amalek?
Rashi on Devarim 1:8 says that if it weren't for the sin with the spies, we would have never needed armaments.
Bamidbar 14:25 tells us that Amalek lived in the valleys, and Devarim 25:29 states that ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
Why did Moshe complain about the Spies in Bamidbar if he thought it was a good idea?
The Posuk (Deut 1, 23) says:
,וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינַי, הַדָּבָר
.וָאֶקַּח מִכֶּם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֲנָשִׁים, אִישׁ אֶחָד לַשָּׁבֶט
[Moses replied to people's offer] It was good in my eyes...
...
1
vote
0answers
79 views
Is it allowed to live in a place which has brazen Avodah Zarah?
Is a Jew allowed to live in a place which has brazen Avodah Zarah? I'm talking about places like India, China and Cambodia. While Christians worship idols as well they say that doing so is wrong. I'm ...
1
vote
0answers
73 views
Respect the stranger?
The word גר is commonly translated convert. However, we are commanded to love the גר as we were גרים in Egypt. Exodus 22:21, ibid 23:9, Deuteronomy 10:18-19. How can the Jewish people be said to have ...
1
vote
0answers
126 views
Esau, Edom, Rome and the Jews
In parshat Devarim, Hashem tells the Israelites to leave the Edomites alone and bypass them: "You shall not provoke them, for I will not give you of their land...because I have given Mount Seir to ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Where is exactly is שָֽׁם in the pasuk גַּם־בִּי֙ הִתְאַנַּ֣ף יְהוָ֔ה בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה לֹא־תָבֹ֥א שָֽׁם (Devarim 1:37)
In Devarim 1:37, Moshe tells us that
גַּם־בִּי֙ הִתְאַנַּ֣ף יְהוָ֔ה בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה לֹא־תָבֹ֥א שָֽׁם
Because of you the LORD was incensed with me too, and He said: You ...
0
votes
3answers
69 views
Why does Moses give `Tochecha` to people who did not sin
Acording to Rashi (and the sifrei, onklos and probably much more mefarshim), the first few psukim(1-4) do not describe a place as the Pshat suggests:
אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ ...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
וקמת ועלית - how did they measure Jerusalem's highest point?
On the Pasuk (Deut 17,8):
כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר ... וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' א' בּוֹ׃
If a case is too baffling for you to decide, ... you shall promptly ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Immediately after the sin of the spies, did B'nai Israel travel or did they stay in Kadesh?
There appear to be contradictory verses / explanations.
Numbers 14:25:
וְהָֽעֲמָלֵקִ֥י וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּעֵ֑מֶק מָחָ֗ר פְּנ֨וּ
וּסְע֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר דֶּ֥רֶךְ יַם־סֽוּף׃
...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
Yitroh's advice - why Moses does not mention Yitroh to the Dor Ha'Aretz?
In Shmot 18 Yitroh gives Moses an advice to appoint chiefs/judges for the entire nation.
However, when Moses recalls this event to the Dor Ha'Aretz in Chumash Dvorim 1,11 he takes all the credit and ...
-1
votes
1answer
37 views
Why is meat eating sanctioned by G-d if it's potentially bad for us? [duplicate]
In parsha Noach, G-d ALLOWS man to eat meat but there is no literal commandment to do so. Later, when the Mishkan and then ultimately the Beis Hamikdash are built, there are commandments for the ...
