11
votes
Accepted
Did Yosef's children inherit any of the riches that Yosef accumulated as a Vizier of Egypt?
The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains:
"he brought all money into Pharaoh’s house and did not accumulate for
himself treasures of money and secret hiding places for wealth in the
land of Egypt, or ...
- 5,592
10
votes
Accepted
Why wasn't Aharon punished with Tzraas?
Some say Aharon was punished. Others say that because Aharon wasn't the instigator here, Hashem merely got angry at him, but didn't punish him.
Verse 9 says:
וַיִּֽחַר אַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּ֖ם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃
...
- 22.9k
9
votes
Why wasn't Aharon punished with Tzraas?
Avot DeRav Natan 9:2 explains:
מתוך שעמדו שניהם ודברו בצדיק, בא עליהם את הפורענות. שנאמר: (שם) "ויחר
אף ה' בם וילך". מה תלמוד לומר 'וילך'? מלמד שנסתלק מאהרן ודבק במרים,
מפני שלא היה אהרן ...
- 69.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Why are we repeating the Torah portion this week?
If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls out on Monday or Tuesday (as it did this year):
Nitzavim alone is read on the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah.
Vayeilech is read between Rosh Hashanah and Yom ...
- 33.8k
8
votes
Accepted
What does the act of cursing one's parents entail?
He says "may G-d strike you" or the like, using one of the 7 names that cannot be cancelled, as below.
(following Mishna 7.5) (1)
Mishna Sanhedrin 7:8
המקלל אביו ואמו, אינו חייב עד שיקללם ...
- 22.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Joseph's Technicolor Dream Coat - Hand me down?
Pirkei Drebbi Eliezer (end of chapter 24) writes that Yaakov buried the coat after receiving the blessing from his father, in order to prevent it from returning to the hands of Eisav. I would assume ...
- 6,414
6
votes
Accepted
Parshas Chukas: Hitting the rock vs. Talking to the rock
Rav Hirsch states that Moshe is to take the mateh in order to show that he is acting as the messenger of Hashem. However, hitting the rock with the mateh would imply that this is a special ...
- 42.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a volume in English that explicates the relationship between each haftarah and its parsha?
Kol Dodi on the Haftaros, by Rabbi David Feinstein.
According to the publisher:
In this masterpiece, the Rosh Yeshivah introduces each Haftarah, explains its historical context where necessary, ...
- 138k
4
votes
Accepted
What were the approximate ages of the heads of house(niseim) in parshat bamidbar. Above or below 60 years old
Elishama ben Amihud was Yehoshua's grandfather (Divrei Hayamim 1:7:26-27), and Yehoshua was 58 years old at the time(*). So at least one nasi was over 60.
(*) Yehoshua lived 110 years (Yehoshua 24:...
- 9,037
4
votes
Accepted
Why do Torah scrolls not have vowels or Trope?
The vowels and cantillations are part of the Oral Torah, and were thus to be memorized and transmitted from generation to generation. Only when we (relatively recently) began writing down the Oral ...
- 6,596
4
votes
What is the official name for the "additional readings" on special torah-reading days?
I have never heard of a name that refers specifically to the category of "maftir readings that are not from the weekly sedra," and I do not believe that such a name exists. In my experience, such a ...
- 24.5k
4
votes
One to announce to Sarah
As various commentaries point out, the guests asked where Sarah was precisely because they needed to deliver the message to her. According to this it's not that she happened to overhear them speaking ...
- 48.7k
3
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "Cursed be..."?
The word ariri in Hebrew means solitary, left alone, without posterity.
The gemara in Shevuot 36a explains that arur (cursed) has an element of ostracism (being out of the community), one of a curse ...
- 44.6k
3
votes
How do we get Parshot and Sefarim within the Chumash?
There is scarce mention in the Talmud of specific Parshas as we know them. The only Parshiyos named are Tetzaveh, Ki Sisa, and Vayakhel (Megillah 29b-30a). Other than that, there is mention of ...
- 57.9k
3
votes
Why does the verb PaGA (פגע) mean both to intercede and to arrive?
There is a common source put forth for both arrival and intercession, and it is the concept of contact (=נגיעה). The word appears in parallel to a number of other terms of entreaty in Yirmiyahu 7:16. ...
- 23.5k
3
votes
Accepted
How old was Lavan?
I'm not a rabbi or even Jewish so I can't bring out any tradition on this but perhaps I can be of help in providing an estimate of sorts based on the following:
Laban first appears in the account of ...
- 184
2
votes
Accepted
How are parshas dealt with during the leap year's leap month? Also on haftorahs?
Your question seems to be premised on the idea that the same Torah section ("parasha") is read on or about the same calendar date each year. This is not completely correct: rather, the sections are ...
- 73.6k
2
votes
Is there a volume in English that explicates the relationship between each haftarah and its parsha?
I think the Hertz Chumash does a good job.
Keep in mind, though, that not every Haftarah has a direct relationship to the Torah parsha or even a special occasion occurring on that day. For example, ...
- 69.6k
2
votes
What is the earliest known reference to a Torah portion by name?
See Megillah 30a for a reference to 2 specific parshiot - Ve'ata Tetzaveh and Ki Tissa.
The names of the parshiot frequently aren't exactly the same as we currently call them. But, clearly, the names ...
- 69.6k
2
votes
Is the punishment for loshan hara death or tzaraas?
I think the answer can come from a fundamental appreciation of the genre of the Talmudic derasha. The purpose was homiletic, to exhort the masses and inspire them, rather than to be a valid kal ...
- 20.3k
2
votes
Rabbi Matis Blum Torah Lodaas Sheets Online?
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FoEUNgaLhIqLJVdDOArLJG
Rabbi Blums sefer torah lodaas is learnt 2x a week on this chat
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Aharon sacrifice his life to avoid making the Golden Calf?
Essentially, all prohibitions are pushed aside when threatened with death, except for three notable exceptions: Idolatry, Adultery, and Murder.
Here are some possible suggestions why it would be ...
- 7,619
2
votes
Accepted
Why did Yehudah say "we will all be slaves" when Yosef's guy said that only the person who has the Goblet will be a slave?
They had offered to be slaves beforehand. 44:8. Yosef responded that would be the fitting punishment but he won't give it 44:9.
Rashi and other Rishonim say from the Medrash Rabbah that the reason ...
- 4,342
2
votes
Collections of insights on the weekly Parasha
You can try the Toras Avigdor website which has a weekly parsha booklet from the teachings of Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt"l as well as also having an archive of past editions.
I am also a big fan of ...
- 25.3k
1
vote
Torah reading cycle, skipped portions
The basic law (Megillah 31b) is to read the Torah sequentially, but occasionally the sequence is interrupted (such as on Yom Tov) and then resumed. All other breaking points are entirely customary.
...
- 96.3k
1
vote
Accepted
Tzlofachad's reason of death?
I always understood that "he died by his own sin" is opposed to "died because he question Moshe and Aharon (Korach and his group)"
1
vote
Tzlofachad's reason of death?
It says "he died by his own sin." The various groups were killed in the desert by plague or fire as punishment for their collective failure -- and to teach the rest of the people a lesson -- ...
- 129k
1
vote
Rabbi Matis Blum Torah Lodaas Sheets Online?
Hello my name is Lazer Hoffmann
While going thru old stuff from my father z"l I found a collection of almost all the Torah Ladaas weekly publications from the years 1989 - 2000. I have no need ...
1
vote
Why is Parsha Naso (and Bamidbor) all mixed up?
If I could, I'd rather phrase the question differently. To me, most of the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar is not intertwined: it is a detailed discussion of how Israel was arranged around the Mishkan. ...
- 3,093
1
vote
Yaacov's refusal to use Yitzhak's wealth
The medrash (cited by Rashi on Genesis 29:11 s.v. "ויבך") that says that Eliphaz stole his wealth, also says he did it at Yaakov's behest in order to justify lying to Esau that he had ...
- 17.5k
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