Questions tagged [vaeschanan]
The weekly Torah portion of Vaeschanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11)
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What was actually written on the two tablets?
The two versions of the 10 Commandments (one in Yitro and the 2nd in Va'etchanan) have different phrasing, most notably in commandments 4, 5 and 10.
What was actually written on the two tablets?
Some ...
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Why is the wording "הערים האל" used? (Deut 4:42)
Devarim 4:42:
לָנֻס שָׁמָּה רוֹצֵחַ אֲשֶׁר יִרְצַח אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בִּבְלִי דַעַת וְהוּא
לֹא שֹׂנֵא לוֹ מִתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם וְנָס אֶל אַחַת מִן הֶעָרִים
הָאֵל וָחָי
so that a murderer might ...
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Use of the singular word 'Mitzvah' in Devarim 7:11
The last verse in Parshas Vaeschanan (Devarim 7:11) says:
וְשָֽׁמַרְתָּ֨ אֶת־הַמִּצְוָ֜ה וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים
וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם
לַֽעֲשׂתָֽם:
You shall ...
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Why did Ahron Hakohen not daven to be allowed to Enter E"Y?
How come Ahron Hakohen didn't pray to enter E"Y like moshe did? Did he have less of a desire to enter?
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Source of the claim that Moshe's tefillah could change Hashem's mind
I heard once that what is meant in the passuk:
"ויתעבר יהוה בי למענכם ולא שמע אלי ויאמר יהוה אלי רב־לך אל־תוסף דבר אלי עוד בדבר הזה"
But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and ...
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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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Why does the wise son ask "eidus, chukim and {then} mishpatim"?
The wise son in the hagadah says "What are the eidus, chukim and mishpatim that Hashem, our G-d, commanded you {or "us" according to another version}?"
The question is:
It's known {...
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Choshech, Anan v'Araphel? What does this mean?
I have a question regards Devarim 4:11 which in Hebrew reads: "עַד-לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם חֹשֶׁךְ, עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל". Transliteration reads the words 'choshech, anan and araphel'. It seems to me that there ...
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HaShem Echad and not HaShem Hu Echad
Looking at the famous phrase of Deuteronomy 6:4 I noticed the verse doesn’t state: “HaShem Hu Echad”, but only “HaShem echad” why is this?
It sounds like Yom Echad (one day) or Am Echad (one nation). ...
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Mercy and Strict Judgment are both mercy
In Parsha In Pink on Parshas Va'eschanan, the author cites a Ramchal that gives a beautiful insight into the Passuk of Shema Yisrael (Devarim 6:4).
שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד
YKVK represents ...
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Moshe davening 515 times to enter Eretz Yisrael
I have recently heard that since the gematria of Va'etchanan is 515, Moshe davened 515 times to enter Eretz Yisrael before Hashem told him he couldn't daven anymore. The reason is that if he would ...
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שקר and שוא The difference between
What's the difference between these 'falses' (שקר and שוא?), how does one distinguish them from one another?
Exodus 20:16: עד שקר
Exodus 23:1: שמע שוא
Exodus 23:7: שקר
Deuteronomium 5:20: עד שוא
...
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Rashi's commentary on Deut. 4:19
I'm having trouble understanding how Rashi is reading Tehillim 36:3 in his commentary on Deut. 4:19.
In Rashi's commentary on Deut. 4:19, he puts forward two possible interpretations of "asher ...
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Were the Jews so few in number?
Please see Devarim 7:7. How can Moshe say the Jews were the fewest? There were 601730 men between 20 and 60. That’s quite a large population. For the Jews to be smaller than all the other nations ...
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Are Devarim 4:32-33 an argument from ignorance? If so, why are they often used as a rational basis that Judaism is true?
I have read/heard myriad Rabbis1 cite Devarim 4:32-33:
הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים מְדַבֵּר מִתּוֹךְ־הָאֵשׁ
כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַעְתָּ אַתָּה וַיֶּחִי׃
Has any people heard the voice of God ...
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How are the feasts of Purim and Hanukkah justified in light of Devarim 4:2 and 13:1? [duplicate]
According to Devarim 4:2 (and 13:1), there are to be no additions to the Torah ('Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give ...
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Why are there two different versions of the Decalogue?
Why are there two different versions of the Shabbat commandment in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5? In Exodus 20 the Shabbat recalls the cosmogony in six days, but in Deuteronomy 5 the Shabbat ...
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Only arm tefillin are a sign?
The four parshas of tefillin appear slightly differently each time when the Torah describes the mitzvah.
Shemos 13:9
וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן ...
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Our I, Our Self leading us to separation and idolatry
Looking at the words:
"Anochi HaShem Eloheichem - אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ " (Shemot 20:2 & 20:5, Devarim 5:6 & 5:9)" I noticed that on the one hand HaShem emphasizes that we should serve ...
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Esnachta in taam elyon
Except in Tehillim, Mishlei, and most of Iyov, the esnachta indicates the biggest break in a pasuk. In the taam elyon in both Yisro and Vaetchanan, the second dibra is one pasuk, with the esnachta ...
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Sun, Moon, Stars and all the host of heaven are allotted to all the people
"פֶן-תִּשָּׂא עֵינֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה, וְרָאִיתָ אֶת-הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת-הַיָּרֵחַ וְאֶת-הַכּוֹכָבִים כֹּל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם, וַעֲבַדְתָּם--אֲשֶׁר חָלַק ה' ...
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Swear by His Name, what the real meaning of this command?
Could someone explain to me the meaning of the phrase: וּבִשְׁמוֹ, תִּשָּׁבֵעַ in Devarim 6:13? It seems to be the positive command of the prohebition mentioned in Vayikra 19:12...
I know that the ...
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What type of theft does Lo Signov refer to?
One of the Aseres Hadevarim (more commonly referred to as "Dibros") is "לא תגנוב". I can think of different types of theft / Geneivah such as stealing money/possesions, Geneivas Daas, and kidnapping. ...
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Why are some sons' answers different from what's written in the Torah?
In the Hagada, the 4 sons ask questions (except, of course, for the son who doesn't know how to ask…), and they get answers.
In most cases, both the questions and the answers are put in the form of ...
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How far do I have to go to take care of myself?
The mitzvah of V'nishmartem (Devarim 4:15) requires a person to take care of their health (Shulchan Aruch C.M. 427:8, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 32:1). How far does this go? Do I have to exercise daily? ...
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Why didn't Rashi mention lo sechanem includes gifts
Devarim 7:2 says:
וּנְתָנָ֞ם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ לְפָנֶ֖יךָ וְהִכִּיתָ֑ם הַחֲרֵ֤ם תַּחֲרִים֙ אֹתָ֔ם לֹא־תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם בְּרִ֖ית וְלֹ֥א תְחָנֵּֽם׃
and the LORD your God delivers them to you and ...
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Ramban and Shituf. What is his position?
The Ramban on Devarim 7:6 says:
בך בחר ה' אלהיך להיות לו לעם סגלה שאין לך קצין שוטר ומושל בכל מלאכי מעלה אבל אתה סגולת ה' תחת ידו ולכך לא תטעה לעבוד ע"ז מאלהי העמים וכבר הזכרתי זה פעמים רבות
...
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How tall was Chava?
Rashi here brings a Midrash that Adam Harishon's height was from earth until the Heavens. Based on the Midrash, was Chava that tall as well? Otherwise it would have been quite difficult to be married ...
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Repetition of 10 commandments
The 10 commandments first appear in Shemos Chapter 20. In Devarim Chapter 5 they make a second appearance, this time with slight changes.
What is the purpose for the repetition? Is it just for the ...
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Why do we lein past sheini during the week of Parshas Vaeschanan? [duplicate]
There was a Takanah instituted by Moshe Rabbeinu to read from the Torah on
Monday & Thursday from that week's Parshah. See SA סימן קלה for more details on these halachos.
On almost all weeks this ...
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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 ...
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Are there contradictory verses describing G-d's uniqueness?
My own translation of verses.
Devarim (Deut.) 4:39 - "You should now, today, and return it to your heart that the Lord is G-d in the heavens and the earth below. There is no other"
Devarim (Deut.) 10:...
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Does the Torah ever allude to Earth being a spherical celestial body in space?
Taken at face value, the instances in which the Heavens and Earth are mentioned in the Torah, it is the Heavens above and Earth below. From what I gather, many secular scholars take from this that the ...
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Lo Sachmod Prat U'klal
Don't covet your friend's house. Don't covet the wife of your friend, nor his slave, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is to your friend (Shemos 20:14).
Once the ...
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How do we know where the Dibros start and end?
Each of the Aseres HaDibros, generally speaking, begin and end at consecutive Parshah breaks. Nevertheless, the first and second are combined into one parshah, while the last one is split into two. ...
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Pesuchah and Setumah between Third and Fourth Dibros [duplicate]
In Parshas Yisro, between the third and fourth commandments (20:7-8), there is a pesuchah, not found anywhere else in the Aseres HaDibros.
In Parshas Va'Eschanan, in fact, this Pesuchah is a Setumah,...
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Where was Moses standing when he spoke the Shema?
Having a visual sometimes helps.
When reading scripture I like to visualize it.
I would like to be as accurate as possible.
If we went back in time to the moment Moses said "Hear O Israel", and ...
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What do commentaries say about the different version of "Honor Thy Parents"?
Regarding the mitzva of Honor Thy Father and Mother, the reading of the Aseret Hadibrot in V'etchanan is slightly different than the previous reading in Yitro.
The words "because God has commanded ...
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Different words for "desire"
In the (second presentation of the) tenth commandment (Deut 5:17), why does the Torah use two different words in Hebrew (תחמד and תתאוה) that mean almost the same thing is English ("covet" or "desire")...
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Love HaShem with lev, nefesh en me'od, why not something else or just lev and nefesh
Why does the command to love HaShem tells us to love him with all our lev, with all our nefesh and with all our me'od? Why doesn't the verse says or add something like, with all you neshama or with ...
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Why does it say to love HaShem meodecha
The verse of Devarim 6:5 reads: Love HaShem your G'd, with all your heart bechol levav'cha, with all your being uvechol nafshecha, and uvechol ... meodecha.
If I'm correct it's the only place in the ...
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Onkelos on Deut. 4:19
In Devarim 4:19, Onkelos translates ונדחת as ותטעי and והשתחוית as ותסגוד.
First, what exactly is he trying to convey with ותטעי? I think of טעות as "whoops", and hopefully there's no serious damage, ...
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In Devarim 5:5 why does Moshe connect the people's fear with not going up Mt. Sinai?
In Devarim 5:5 Moshe says:
"Because you were afraid of the fire and you didn't go up the mountain..."
It seems that Moshe is saying that the fear of the fire coming from the mountain was why B'nai ...
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Discrepancy in number of Pesukim in Va'eschanan
At the end of Parshas Va'eschanan all the Chumashim I have seen (example 1) (example 2) (example 3) mention that there are 118 verses - Uziel Siman - as Uziel = 118. Artscroll Chumash has the same ...
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Why does the weekday Torah reading for Va'etchanan end in the middle of the Shabbat's 2nd aliyah?
While reading Va'etchanan last Thursday, I notice that the weekday reading ends in the middle of an aliyah (spec. the Sheni aliyah.)
I am unaware of any minhag that ends the reading of Va'etchanan at ...
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River flowing from the southern end of the Dead Sea?
A footnote on page 966 of the Artscroll chumash (this week's reading) has a map that includes the dead sea. The map shows a river flowing from the southern tip of the sea. According to a Duke U site:
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How to understand Gd eating? [closed]
How does our tradition understand the mention in Devarim 4:28 of our Gd eating? In what respects does Gd "eat"?
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן
אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־...
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Channukah and Bal Tosif
There are questions on the site which deal with saying Hallel on Channukah but my question seeks a more fundamental insight:
The Ramban writes on Devarim 4:2 that a violation of Bal Tosif is creating ...
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Significance of "Shema Yisrael"
The verse Shema Yisrael (Devarim 6:4) is highly significant. It is Biblically required to be recited twice daily, it is to be said at the end of one's life, and appears in the liturgy at the end of ...
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How does the oral Torah not contradict Dvarim 4:2?
If God intended there to be an oral Torah, why would He say not to add anything? Shouldn't He have at least mention this exception in the Torah, so we know the Talmud is divine?
Devarim 4:2
ב לֹא ...
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