7
votes
In Parshas Chukas, why is first mention of Parah Adumah "פָרָה" instead of "פָּרָה"?
Generally, when a word ends in a vowel sound, without a pausal cantillation note on that word, the first letter in the next word loses its dagesh. Usually, the rule is stated in terms of the previous ...
- 47.8k
6
votes
Accepted
How can we say "it would have been enough" when Bnei Yisrael were demanding it?
(Pseudo-)Malbim in Midrash Haggadah explains that Dayenu means, 'It would have been enough for us to be obligated in thanking Hashem'.
Although he doesn't address your specific question here, I think ...
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5
votes
Is the Ramban's observation of "images of young dog pups in urine" recorded by anyone else?
Saul Lieberman, with his unique erudition and knowledge of Greco-Roman literature, writes as follows (Hellenism In Jewish Palestine p. 190):
Nahmanides and Rabbenu Bahya in their commentaries on Num. ...
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5
votes
Why sprinkle on the third day?
R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his grand exposition of the symbolism in the red heifer procedure1, relates the third and seventh days of the procedure to the Third and Seventh Days of Creation and to ...
- 47.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Why was it so important that the Kohen preparing the Parah Adumah be a tevul yom?
I heard an explanation in the name of Rav Shimshon Pinkus ZTL, as to why the Chachamim (sages) chose the Para Adumah as one of the places to discredit the opinion of the Tzedokim.
Based on RASHI ...
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5
votes
Accepted
The Shemen ha-Tov on the red heifer
The reference is to Rabbi Dov Ze'ev Weinberger's Shemen Hatov, Parashat Chukat, pp. 286-287 (in Hebrew). Here's the quote:
"זאת חקת התורה אשר צוה ה' לאמר וכו'. ברש"י לפי שהשטן ואומות העולם ...
- 24.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Reconciling the merits of Moshe, Aharon & Miriam in the desert vs the merit of Avraham?
The sefer Zera Shimshon answers that because of Avraham, the Jews only would have merited those three things for a short while, but because of the three leaders, they merited them for the entire 40 ...
- 8,054
4
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of the Torah mentioning the parable in Bemidbar 21:27 - 30
Rashi says it was Bilaam and Beor. This cursing which Balak viewed as a success on the part of Bilaam was the reason Balak hired him to curse Klal Yisroel. We therefore find in these psukim the ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Why would it be disrespectful to G-d to say Miryam died "al pi Hashem"?
The way your question is phrased makes it seem like the fact that Moshe and Aharon died via "kiss" originates from the Talmud, while the fact that Miriam died via "kiss" and that it would be improper ...
- 49.1k
4
votes
Why sprinkle on the third day?
Some of the commentators seem to understand the two sprinklings as springing from the severity of the impurity, requiring a two step gradual process rather than reverting back to purity in one fell ...
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4
votes
The Klausenberger Rebbe: Parah Aduma and Torah study
I think he's reading it like this:
This is the purpose of Torah study - זאת חוקת התורה
That you should fulfill what Hashem has commanded - אשר צוה ה' לאמר
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3
votes
How can we say "it would have been enough" when Bnei Yisrael were demanding it?
I heard from a student of Rav Soloveitchik that he used to explain that "it would have been enough" means that even if Hashem had not gone the next step, we would have benefited from that step. Each ...
- 58.4k
3
votes
Why did Miriam die in the desert?
On the pasuk (Bamidbar 20:1) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל כָּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃: The Bnei ...
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3
votes
Why was it so important that the Kohen preparing the Parah Adumah be a tevul yom?
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains in his commentary to Chukas that this command was chosen for the discrediting because it was such a public ceremony. The kohen was defiled deliberately before the ...
- 73.5k
3
votes
Reconciling the merits of Moshe, Aharon & Miriam in the desert vs the merit of Avraham?
This article by "Parsha Ponders" (Shoftim 5777) has the same observation as you did. The article offers an explanation:
Even massive trees come from the tiniest of seeds. However, those
...
- 8,864
2
votes
What is the purpose of the Torah mentioning the parable in Bemidbar 21:27 - 30
Rav Hirsch says that this teaches the lesson that the events of history are designed by Hashem to ensure that the results on the world stage are under His control. In this case, Yisrael is forbidden ...
- 42.9k
2
votes
What if you miss the time of the sprinkling?
if you miss days 3 and 7 ... are you tamei forever?
No. you need to count 3 days 3 to begin, the rule is to begin when you go to Cohen. this may by at day day 4, 5...
So day(2nd sprinkling) >= day(...
- 22.7k
2
votes
Moshe doubts G-d in Numbers 20:8
In his commentary to that Numbers (20:8), Rav Sa'adyah Gaon renders "אל הסלע" as "על הסלע". (according to R. Yosef Qafih's Hebrew translation of R. Sa'adyah's Arabic.) In his notes there, R. Yosef ...
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2
votes
What were Moshe and Aharon supposed to say to the rock?
Yalkut Shimoni (763) says Moshe was told to learn a perek (mishnah) and the rock would give water. See Alshich for explanation
- 21
2
votes
Why was Aharon punished at Mei Meriva?
Aharon was punished because he did not act in conformity with his defining middah of Oheiv Shalom V'Rodeif Shalom by restraining Moshe's anger and ensuring that the dispute over the water shortage ...
- 21
2
votes
Why was Aharon punished at Mei Meriva?
The Midrash Tanchuma ask the question:
See Midrash Tanchuma (see here paragraph 10 (Yod)):
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי. לָמָּה נֶעֱנַשׁ אַהֲרֹן.
The ...
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2
votes
How tall was Moshe Rabbeinu?
Guide for the Perplexed 2:47
What Scripture says about Og, "Behold, his bedstead was an iron
bedstead, nine cubits its length," etc. (Deut.), does not belong to
this class of figures, for the ...
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2
votes
Speaking to the Rock. Why bring the staff?
According to the Chizkuni,
“take the staff!” G-d referred to Aaron’s staff. This is clear from what the Torah writes: Moses took the staff that had been in the presence of the Lord, i.e. in the ...
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2
votes
Accepted
Is there a connection between the serpent in Eden and the brass serpent in the wilderness?
See Rashi, Numbers 21:6 (citing earlier Midrashim):
Let the snake, which was smitten for speaking evil [to Eve], come and punish those who spread slander [about the manna]. Let the snake, for which ...
- 7,781
1
vote
Parah Adumah water: different names used in the Torah ("mei niddah") and Chazal ("mei chatas")
Rashi Bamidbar 19.9
"למי נדה" - למי הזייה כמו (איכה ג) וידו אבן בי (זכריה ב) לידות את קרנות הגוים לשון זריקה
"חטאת הוא" - לשון חטוי כפשוטו ולפי הלכותיו קראה הכתוב חטאת לומר שהיא כקדשים להאסר ...
- 22.7k
1
vote
The amount of Parah Adumah ashes and water ("mei chatas") required to purify a person
Some say that there is a minimum amount something must be sprinkled (Zevachim 80a), but even they would agree that this applies to vessels, not people (Yoma 14a, Nidah 9a).
Parah 12:5
כַּמָּה יְהֵא ...
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1
vote
Is the Ramban's observation of "images of young dog pups in urine" recorded by anyone else?
The Rabbainu Be'chay במדבר כא/ט writes that this is referred to in the Gemorah יומא פד.
דנכית ליה ... תריסר ירחי שתא כי שתי מיא לא לישתי אלא בגובתא דנחשא דילמא חזי בבואה דשידא וליסתכן
The Gemara ...
- 6,123
1
vote
Nehushtan destroyed
SOURCE of Copied text:
וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵהוּ עַל הַנֵּס וְהָיָה אִם נָשַׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ אֶת אִישׁ וְהִבִּיט אֶל נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וָחָי: (במדבר כא ט.
Moses made a copper ...
- 6,919
1
vote
Accepted
Serpants (snakes) or Seraphim (heavenly beings of some sort)?
Chukas 21:6 is translated as
The Lord sent against the people the venomous snakes, and they bit the
people, and many people of Israel died.
Rashi explains that these are
the venomous ...
- 42.9k
1
vote
Why is there a difference in who sent messengers to the King of Edom vs. Sihon
Rash"i on Bemidbar 21:21 says that they are essentially conveying the same idea and one "supplements the other". I.e., the leader of a generation is considered as if he were the entire generation.
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