Questions tagged [vaeschanan]

The weekly Torah portion of Vaeschanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11)

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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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What is the difference between the following words referring to commandments?

What is the difference between the following words? Commandments Law Testimonies Precepts Judgements Statutes Ordinances Deut 26:16 - 19 reads 16: This day, the Lord, ...
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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 ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
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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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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 ...
Lee's user avatar
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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 ...
Ypnypn's user avatar
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11 votes
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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? ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
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1 answer
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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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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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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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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 ...
Echad-Ani-Yodeya's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
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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? ...
DanF's user avatar
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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. ...
רבות מחשבות's user avatar
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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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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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