Questions tagged [pentateuch-chumash]
Questions about the Chumash (the Five Books of Moses).
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21 views
What was given on Mt. Sinai at each of the 40-day intervals
It's known that Moshe was on the mountain for 120 days and nights total, although I personally am not sure exactly what was given when.
(I'm aware of this question How is the story of the Torah being ...
5
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2answers
82 views
Was Esav originally destined to be the fourth of the Avos?
I think I heard that Esav and Yaakov were supposed to be like Yissachar and Zevulun; partnering together in Avodas HaShem. So then would both have become our Avos?
I'm interested in the earliest ...
16
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3answers
297 views
Why didn't Avraham argue with HaShem about sacrificing Yitzchak just like he argued with Him about destroying Sodom? [duplicate]
It's known that when Avraham found out that Hashem was going to destroy Sodom and the other cities, he fervently argued with Hashem to save them.
My question is: when Hashem told Avraham to sacrifice ...
0
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1answer
74 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
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1answer
66 views
Is “Roh-eh Hanoled” a classical expression?
In Maus from Art Spiegelman, a rabbi tells Vladek he's a "Roh-eh Hanoled", one that sees what the future holds. It is an invention of his or does it exist in any classical or sacred source ?
5
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1answer
755 views
Who was older, Miriam or Aaron?
Do we have any sources addressing which of Moshe Rabbeinu's older siblings, Miriam and Aaron, was older?
2
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2answers
202 views
Do the Torah codes offer scientific proof that the Torah is supernatural?
There was an experiment published in a journal called Statistical Science in 1994 that found that certain medieval Rabbis and their birth & yahrtzeit are referenced to in sefer Bereshit by running ...
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1answer
174 views
How the irrational number Pi can be derived from the Torah?
Some traditions say, based on the Gemmorah in Taanis 9a (also מדרש רבה נשא י' ו', זוהר פנחס רכ"א א, and more):
"ליכא מידי דלא רמיזא באורייתא" (Is there anything that is written in the Writings that ...
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0answers
17 views
What is special in “2000 ama” that it have the unique note [duplicate]
What is special in the words "2000 ama" in the verce numbers 35.5 that is has a conitasinal note that is unique in thw chumash (only found once)
Onther places in the bible that it is found
(במדבר לה ...
2
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1answer
66 views
One Volume Chumash with Rashi Menukad
I'm looking for a new Chumash for school.
I want it to be one volume, with Rashi menukad. Does anyone have a suggestion?
1
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0answers
24 views
Division of Parasha into seven Aliyos [duplicate]
Who is the author of the marks dividing Parashios into seven aliyos found today in almost all chumashim?
Notes: The halacha (Mishna in Megillah 21a, Shulchan Aruch OC 135) prescribes that 7 people ...
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2answers
82 views
Why arent the bartenura and the tur haaroch commentaries on chumash quoted/printed more? [closed]
I just recently discovered two interesting commentaries on the chumash on sefaria
Tur haaroch
Bartenura on the chumash
I guess my question is why havent I seen them before.
I have never seen either ...
5
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0answers
51 views
Why do most Chumashim mark the end of a Sidra with 3 parsha markings?
With the exception of the end of Vayigash, every Sidrah (Shabbat weekly Torah reading) ends at a parsha (paragraph end.)
When there is a parsha end in the middle of the sidrah, Chumashim use a single ...
6
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5answers
260 views
Who said that little Tzfardeaim jumped out of the big one's mouth?
Who said that little Tzfardeaim jumped out of the big one's mouth?
As far as I can tell, the gemara in Sanhedrin, as well as all of the mainstream medrashim, use a lashon of וישרצו, which, as Rashi ...
3
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1answer
138 views
The figure of “your enemy” in Exodus 23:4-5 according to Jewish Tradition
I am an Italian son of Noah.
How does the majority Jewish tradition interpret the figure of "your enemy" mentioned in Exodus 23:4-5?
"If you come upon your enemy's bull or his stray donkey, you ...
6
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1answer
166 views
Does Jewish tradition report a narrative on what happened to the original manuscript of the Pentateuch?
I'm an Italian gentile believer in HaShem, who commits himself to observe the Noahide Laws, as commanded by the Creator in the Torah.
If I'm not mistaken, according to Jewish sources, the Pentateuch ...
3
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1answer
150 views
Ezra HaSofer and the text of the Pentateuch
I am an italian gentile believer in HaShem, who observes the precepts of Noah as taught by the Creator in the Holy Torah.
I ask for your response on the following question:
If I understand ...
3
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1answer
71 views
When did Eisav find out that Yaakov was still alive?
The pasuk in Bereishis 29:11 says:
וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְרָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃
Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears.
Rashi says on that pasuk:
...Another ...
4
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0answers
62 views
When did Bliha and Zilpah die?
I heard that Seder Olam Rabbah writes that both Rachel and Leah had already passed away by the time of twenty two years after Yaakov married them. We wanted to know if there are any sources when Bilha ...
3
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2answers
70 views
What was Rachel expecting to be her fate when she let Leah marry Yaakov?
From what I understand from The Midrash Says, Rachel knew she was in-line to marry Yaakov, and Leah was supposed to marry Esav. And that's why Leah cried a lot.
When Rachel allowed Leah to marry ...
1
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1answer
46 views
What does the phrase וַיִּשָּׂ֨א …אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו mean? [duplicate]
In parshas lech lecha, when lot's shepherds aren't getting along with Avraham's and is given the ultimatium of deciding where he wants to go, his decision is illustrated by the pasuk (יג:י).
...
2
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1answer
50 views
When was Yitzchok supposed to be born?
In Parshas Vayeira, there is the Besurah of the birth of Yitzchok in the coming year:
לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן
This means exactly one year later to the day, as ...
10
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1answer
571 views
First use of modern names for books of Torah
Today, it is common practice to use Bereshis, Shemos, Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim as the names of the five books of the Torah, but this was not always the case. As an example, the Talmud refers to ...
4
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1answer
114 views
Who killed Nimrod?
I used to think that Esav killed Nimrod and took the special garment that was originally Adam Harishon's. (Is this a Midrash?) But now I'm wondering if Avraham Avinu and Eliezer killed Nimrod during ...
0
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0answers
63 views
Can a non-Jew read the Torah book in English? [duplicate]
Can a non-Jew buy a Torah book in English and read it? Is it permitted in Judaism to allow a non-Jew to read the English translation of the Torah book? I mean the five books of Moses. I want my doubt ...
1
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1answer
81 views
The tribe and the stick
Is there a connection of definition between the two words used for "tribe" - מטה and שבט which both mean "stick" or "rod"? If so, why is the term "rod" used to refer to a tribe?
Examples:
שבט - ...
4
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2answers
153 views
Chumash that is numbered according to Petuchot and Setumot?
Traditionally, the Torah is divided into paragraphs and sub-paragraphs graphically and is seen as being meaningfully categorized as such. As the Rambam codifies, the validity of a Torah scroll is ...
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0answers
28 views
Expressing benefit in the Pentateuch
Regarding the prohibition of deriving benefit from a murderous animal (shor haniskal), the gemara (e.g. Bava Kamma 41a) suggests (in an initial interpretation) that, from the fact that the Torah uses ...
1
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1answer
52 views
How is “Between the Evenings” Interpreted in the Aramaic Targums?
Shemot 12:6, (Exodus) - והיה לכם למשמרת עד ארבעה עשר יום לחדש הזה ושחטו אתו כל קהל עדת־ישראל בין הערבים [Between the Evenings]׃
Could someone help provide references from the Targums, (Jonathan, ...
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1answer
167 views
Rashi's explanation of B'etzem Hayom Hazeh
In Devarim, 32:48, the pasuk uses the phrase בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (on that very day). Rashi there comments
בשלשה מקומות נאמר בעצם היום הזה,
(: Heb. בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. In three places ...
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0answers
129 views
Reading Mishnah Torah on Hoshana Rabba
There is a minhag that many have to read in shul from a Sefer Torah the entire Chumash of Davarim on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah. What is the first makor (source) for this minhag and what is the ...
4
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3answers
249 views
How should we understand the Torah’s comparison of a tree to a “man”? What message is the Torah trying to convey?
Deuteronomy 20:19
(19) When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. Because you will eat ...
0
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2answers
1k views
Why do the Jews not live strictly by Moses' law? [duplicate]
The books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy contain a very strict and specific set of laws. Why don't modern Jews live as strictly to the scriptures and the ancient Israelites did?
3
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1answer
136 views
Is a vav before a verb in the Chumash always a tense changer?
I know that the vav before a noun can be a vav hachibur (cf http://www.torahmusings.com/2012/12/on-the-prefix-vav/) but in front of a verb it changes tense (past to future and vice versa) and may or ...
4
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2answers
183 views
Yocheved is the daughter of who?
So Yocheved, as it is known, is the wife of Amram,mother of Moshe Rabbeinu, Aharon HaCohen, and Miriam the prophetess, peace be on them. And Yocheved, like Amram, is from the Tribe of Levi.
Amram is ...
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0answers
45 views
How many Pesukim in the Tora warn against Idolatry?
A fellow teacher wishes to present to their class the severity of Idol Worship. They thought it may be impactful if they presented to the class how many Pesukim warn against Idol Worship. Perhaps ...
3
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1answer
165 views
Why did Shifrah give Moses back to Pharaoh's daughter?
Parashat Shemot, Chapter 2, states:
וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא
וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃ ג וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮
הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ ...
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5answers
2k views
Is it true that every 50th letter of the Hebrew Pentateuch text spells the word “Torah”?
According to some online sources, if you take every 50th letter of the first two books of the Torah, you'll end up with a repetition of the word "Torah". And the same applies but backwards for the 4th ...
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1answer
169 views
Abram's worship of El Elyon [closed]
In Genesis 14:18-20 Abram recognizes the deity El Elyon of the Jebusite monarch Melchizedek.
Some scholars have investigated into the meaning of this name El Elyon and propose that it actually ...
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1answer
91 views
Why the term “Lord God” in Genesis 2–4?
We sometimes see the term "YHVH Elohim", like in Genesis 2-4. I don't understand why it doesn't just say one or the other, like in many other places in the torah.
According to the Documentary ...
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0answers
39 views
Why does the Torah write the 3rd person fem. pronoun as הוא? [duplicate]
Other than it being Massoretic, is there a reason as to why, in most cases, (See Avot Derabbi Natan 42:5 for list of exceptions) the Torah chooses to write the word for the fem. 3rd person as הוא ...
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1answer
471 views
Verse, word and letter statistics for Genesis
I'm trying to find out correct verse, word and letter statistics for Genesis. Some sources say that Genesis should have:
1533 or 1534 verses
20614 words
76064 letters
I'm not totally aware where ...
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1answer
143 views
Did Judaism get the verse in the Torah that says man and man and woman and women should not lay with one another from the Vendidad [duplicate]
It says in the Vendidad : The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is a man that is a Daeva [demon]; this man is a worshipper of the Daevas, a male ...
5
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1answer
169 views
Chumash with Shoresh highlighted
I remember seeing a Chumash that showed the shoresh highlighted for every word, does anyone know what this Chumash is called (and where it can be purchased)?
4
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2answers
507 views
What word is in the middle of the Torah?
The Torah has 304,805 letters and different counts of words (such as 79,976 words). The first word is Bereshit and the last is Israel. I was just wondering (no real reason, just for curiosity): What ...
3
votes
3answers
350 views
What sources try to rectify the difference in the actual vs 600K letters in the Torah?
The New Zohar Shir Hashirim 658 זוהר חדש, שיר השירים, תרנ"ח is [seemingly] the first reference to the number of 600K (ס' רבוא) letters of the Torah corresponding to all the Jews (at least in the ...
1
vote
3answers
205 views
Where can I buy a Chumash with Rashi in English?
Does anyone know where I could get a complete Chumash with Rashi's commentary in English?
7
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3answers
287 views
Why do Jews believe the entire Torah, as opposed to parts or most, was given by God to Moses?
It is the Rambam's 8th Principle of Faith that the entire Torah (possibly except the last several verses) was dictated by God to Moses. Why do we believe that? Why, for example, can't we say that the ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
Why are Talmudical hermeneutics necessary to understand Torah Law? [duplicate]
Most books are written in such a way that everything that the author wants to communicate is spelled out clearly. The Torah is not such a book. Talmudical hermeneutics (for instance, the 13 rules of ...
0
votes
2answers
80 views
Why is תורה sometimes written תורת?
Why is Torah sometimes written in the Torah with a "ת" at the end instead of an "ה"?
