12
votes
Accepted
A Headquarters During the 40 Years of Wandering
I believe the wording of "Israelites’ headquarters" does not mean that there was some central location that a 'stationary headquarters' stayed in while other 'pods' traveled about. I suspect ...
- 6,873
8
votes
A Headquarters During the 40 Years of Wandering
As calculated in Seder Olam Rabbah (Chapter Eight, in turn quoted by various commentaries) the Israelites camped at Kadesh Barnea for 19 years. This may be what is being referenced in the footnote.
- 49.8k
8
votes
Why translate Torah to 70 languages?
The gemara Sot. (35b) explains that the purpose was for other nations to know its meaning. See also Tosefta Sot. (8:5). In the Mekhilta on that part of Deut., which Dr. Solomon Schechter uncovered, ...
- 12.1k
8
votes
Where is exactly is שָֽׁם in the pasuk גַּם־בִּי֙ הִתְאַנַּ֣ף יְהוָ֔ה בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה לֹא־תָבֹ֥א שָֽׁם (Devarim 1:37)
שמה is not the feminine form of שם. Inasmuch as there is a difference in meaning, שמה may mean "to there" (as in מצרימה - "to Egypt" in, e.g., Genesis 12:11) whereas שם just means "there". See also, ...
- 17.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Why is "Yehoshua" spelled with a full Vav in Devarim 3:21?
Midrash Chaseiros VeYeseiros says it's written maleh in three places. Here it's because he acquired six crowns (the value of the letter vav): beauty, strength, wealth, wisdom, leadership and prophecy (...
- 20k
6
votes
Did Moshe say that he had punished Miriam?
As is clear from, e.g., the preceding passage in the Sifrei, on the preceding words in the verse, the Person speaking in the Medrash is G-d:
שוטים! כל עצמם של מלכים אין בוררים להם אלא לחם קל, שלא יהא ...
- 17.9k
6
votes
Sefer Devarim not part of the original Torah?
This supposed "later time" is that of King Yoshiyahu (Josiah). So a very straightforward piece of evidence against this notion is the following quotation in connection with King Amatziah, ...
- 10k
6
votes
Accepted
Why isn't borrowing from non-Jews forbidden because of Devarim 15:6?
This is not a command, it is a blessing that will occur as a result of following the halachos of Shmittah which preceded this verse. It is not that you will be forbidden to borrow, but that you will ...
- 43.4k
5
votes
Accepted
What sons of Noach are the nations disposed of by Edom, Ammon, and Moav descended from?
Chori: Shabbos 85a identifies the Chori with the Chivi, the nation listed in Bereishis 10:17 as being the son of Canaan, himself a son of Cham.
Moav and Amon: Bereishis 19:31-38 records that they ...
- 34.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Understanding an apparent conflict regarding Israel's Biblical eastern boundary
Bereishis Rabbah 44:23 notes that Avraham was promised 10 nations' territory in the succeeding Pesukim in Bereishis 15, but his children only got 7 nations' territory. The Midrash simply identifies ...
- 34.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Does the prohibition from Devarim 22:11 relate to קַ֔יִן Qayin and הֶ֨בֶל Hevel?
Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 21:6 says:
ר' יהושע בן קרחה אומר, אמר הקב"ה אל יתערבו מנחת קין והבל לעולם שמא חס ושלום יתערבו
בארג בגד, שנאמר לא תלבש שעטנז וגו', אפילו היא מרוככת לא תעלה עליך
Rabbi ...
- 140k
3
votes
Whatever happened to the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000?
I'm not sure where in the Torah you would expect to see them. As many mefarshim point out, once the Torah mentions something in one place, it does not need to detail it in any other places whatsoever....
- 21.2k
3
votes
Accepted
Moshe appointing leaders & judges - different accounts in Yitro & Devarim
Mefarshim here as usual:
Ibn Caspi to Devarim 1:9 says that the story in Devarim story took place after Yisro had suggested this idea to Moshe. This seems to also be the understanding of R"i Bechor ...
- 21.2k
3
votes
Inconsistent base-10 system of judges
Some say that the captains of thousands and hundreds were primarily military leaders (cf. Numbers 31:14), while the captains of fifties were primarily Torah teachers and elders (cf. Isaiah 3:3; ...
- 673
3
votes
Why translate Torah to 70 languages?
The answer by SimchasTorah is depressing. "Hey Moshe, why are translating the Torah before we settle the land?"
"Oh because you're going to get kicked out, scattered all over the world, and lose ...
- 1,314
3
votes
Getting close to G-d by studying sefer Devarim
The ultimate source is Yevamos 4a: "Even according to the one who does not generally derive homiletic interpretations from juxtaposed verses [semuchim], he does derive them from Devarim." ...
- 3,811
3
votes
Locating this Rokeach on sefer Devarim
It's from the Rokeach's book Sodei Razei Smuchim (link).
He seems to be clarifying a statement in the gemara regarding learning ideas via juxtaposition of certain words and verses (smichut) in the ...
- 26.8k
2
votes
How do we understand Moshe's rebuke
To answer point 1. It seems from the listing that Rashi's ordering is in order of intensity or severity, from least to most severe.
To answer point 2. The 'rebuke' is achieved through a subtle ...
- 152
2
votes
Og's bed made of iron
Dr. Zvi Ron opines that iron was considered a precious metal in those times and thus Og's bed may have been a decorative treasure item.
[This is now my own conjecture] Therefore the Torah may be ...
- 14.7k
2
votes
Was the Golden Calf associated with a particular deity?
According to Rabbi Deutsch's "Let My Nation Serve Me," one explanation given for why specifically a calf is because it represents Taurus. They previously were in Mitzraim, land of the sheep (Aries). ...
- 34.6k
2
votes
Did the Moabites give water and food to B'nai Yisra'el or not? Contradictory verses?
Ibn Ezra on Devarim 2:29 offers two possible explanations:
as the children of Es̀av did for me Some commentators relate this
phrase to “you will sell me food for money” [: 28], but if this be so,
...
- 71.1k
2
votes
Respect the stranger?
See רבינו בחיי who explains that the Hebrew word for a stranger, "גר," is derived from "גרגיר," which refers to an isolated berry at the far end of a solitary branch, illustrating ...
- 3,351
2
votes
Why is meat eating sanctioned by G-d if it's potentially bad for us?
In moderation meat isn't bad for you.
In this article on the issue, the bottom line is:
Unprocessed and properly cooked meat has many nutrients and may have some health benefits. If you enjoy eating ...
- 747
2
votes
How am I to understand this passage "13: He made them ride upon the high places of the earth"
As can be seen the highest point on earth depends on how you define high.
Mount Everest's peak is the highest altitude above mean sea level at 29,029 feet [8,848 meters].
Mount Chimborazo's peak is ...
- 2,080
2
votes
Circling Har Seir for many days - what is the deeper meaning?
The question can probably be answered by similarity with another reference to har Seir. In parashas Vayishlach Yaakov parts ways with Eisav indicating that he will go in the direction of har Seir (...
- 2,425
1
vote
What is the mountain of the Amorite?
Perhaps by way of introduction one should first refer to Bamidbar 13:29 where it writes:
עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר ...
- 33.8k
1
vote
Whatever happened to the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000?
Moshe Aharon Nadav and Avihu and The 70 sages already were appointed on the people, yet Yisro told them it as still way too much for all 74 of them to bear as stated in Mechilta Shemos 18,17:
ר' ...
- 11.5k
1
vote
Sefer Devarim not part of the original Torah?
I strongly recommend you the 11th chapter of Judah David Eisenstein's Commentary on the Torah which deals with sefer Devarim and brings various (textual and logical) evidences to defend that it was ...
- 7,054
1
vote
וקמת ועלית - how did they measure Jerusalem's highest point?
I don't know how they did measure mountains, but here is one way known to Tana'im that that was available to "them".
See רע"ב's last comment on Eruvin 5:4 for a method of measuring straight distances ...
- 23.9k
1
vote
Intermarriage in the written Torah
In this particular case she is a nonJewish slave owned by two Jewish masters. One of the masters sets her free, but the other master does not. As a slave, she is allowed to be given to a Jewish or non-...
- 43.4k
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