13
votes
Why did Ahron Hakohen not daven to be allowed to Enter E"Y?
Rashi explains in the beginng of פרשת ואתחנן, that Moshe only prayed to enter eretz yisroel after he entered the land of sichon, which was part of עבר הידרן that would be considered eretz yisroel. He ...
- 1,773
9
votes
Ramban and Shituf. What is his position?
R' Yaakov Kaminetzky discuses the opinion of Ramban in his Emes LiYaakov, parshas ViEschanan 4 19 on the verse
וראית את השמש ואת הירח גו׳ אשר חלק ה׳ אלקיך אתם לכל העמים תחת כל השמים.
He says there ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
Were the Jews so few in number?
The commentator Rashi explains that the reference is not to numbers, but to estimation:
you regard yourselves as small, as, e.g., Abraham did who said, (Genesis 18:27) “For I am dust and ashes", ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Accepted
What type of theft does Lo Signov refer to?
Rashi and Ramban hold (citing Rabbi Yoshiyah in Sanhedrin 86a) that "lo tignov" in Shemot 20:13 means that one should not kidnap another person. Rashi's reasoning is that those who break the ...
- 19.2k
5
votes
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 do not believe the Torah is putting forth a proof of its own truth. The passuk is telling us that we should consider these acts of God, which have not been claimed anywhere else, as a demonstration ...
- 1,887
5
votes
Moshe davening 515 times to enter Eretz Yisrael
This is found in the Midrash Aggada (ed. Buber) to Deuteronomy (3:23):
ואתחנן. תקט"ו תפלות עשה על זה הדבר כמנין ואתחנן אעפ"כ לא קבל הקדוש ברוך הוא תפלתו
Vaethanan: He prayed 515 prayers on ...
- 36k
5
votes
What type of theft does Lo Signov refer to?
Aside from the Seporno mentioned by Ezra, there a few other rishonim who also include monetary theft in Lo Signov.
R. Saadia Gaon writes:
לא תגנב לא תסרק
R. Avraham Ben Harambam writes:
פשטיה ...
- 50.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Rashi mention lo sechanem includes gifts
From R. Ovadya of Bertinoro's Amar N'ke commentary to Rashi here, it is apparent that Rashi did mention all three! He discusses why Rashi lists the three in the order that he does: favour, free gifts, ...
- 36k
4
votes
Accepted
Only arm tefillin are a sign?
In R' Samson Raphael Hirsch's commentary on Shemot 13:9, he distinguishes the functions of the two tefillin as:
לְאוֹת עַל יָדְךָ - "a guide for all your acts"
לְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ - ...
- 48.6k
3
votes
Sun, Moon, Stars and all the host of heaven are allotted to all the people
According to R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on this verse:
The first part of the verse enjoins us from falling into the trap of being so overcome by the number, size, and brilliance of ...
- 48.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Lo Sachmod Prat U'klal
You need to read the Mechilta:
"לא תחמוד בית רעך" - כלל. "ועבדו ואמתו ושורו וחמורו" - פרט. כלל ופרט - אין בכלל אלא מה שבפרט. וכשהוא אומר
Once the passuk says "anything that is to your friend,"...
- 23.1k
3
votes
Why did Moshe want to go into Eretz Yisroel
The Meshekh Hokhmah (Deuteronomy 11:31) answers that before the land was apportioned into tribes, the mitsvah of settling the land of Israel included Transjordan. Accordingly, Moshe already fulfilled ...
- 36k
3
votes
Source of the claim that Moshe's tefillah could change Hashem's mind
Refer to the Ohr HaChaim there which alludes to the point you make "that if Moshe had continued davening, Hashem would have had to have given in and let him into Eretz Yisrael".
עוד נראה ...
- 34.5k
3
votes
Why did Ahron Hakohen not daven to be allowed to Enter E"Y?
The Toldos Yitzchak (Rabbi Yitzchak Karo) offers two answers:
Moshe's purpose to enter E"Y was in order to fulfill the mitzvos התלויות בארץ.Because Ahron (being a Kohen) was to gain from those, ...
- 3,836
2
votes
Are there contradictory verses describing G-d's uniqueness?
I agree with DoubleAA, the traditional translation of your second verse is powers or judges.
You can find a similar example in Bereishis 14:20 and 14:22, where Hashem is referred to as אל עליון, ...
- 3,149
2
votes
What was actually written on the two tablets?
Ibn Ezra (Exodus 20, 1) brings from "the Gaon" that the first set of tablets had the version of Yitro while the second set had the version of Va'etchanan, but he himself thinks that both had Yitro's ...
- 247
2
votes
Repetition of 10 commandments
All those who had been born in the past forty years had not been at Har Sinai. As a result, Moshe Rabbeinu needed them to hear and understand the עשרת הדברות and understand that all of them whether ...
- 43.5k
2
votes
Why are there two different versions of the Decalogue?
You can read in detail about the issue in this great article. To keep it short, Shevuot 20b mentions that the two versions were said in a single utterance, which is beyond human comprehension:
כדתניא ...
- 8,117
2
votes
Swear by His Name, what the real meaning of this command?
The Rambam, Sefer HaMitzvos Aseh #7 understands it as a command to swear in Hashem's name when it is necessary to swear in someone/something's name. This is to preclude other deities. This is like ...
- 20.2k
1
vote
Mercy and Strict Judgment are both mercy
While not the Ramchal, Rebbe Nachman does discuss this concept throughout Torah 4 in the Likutei Moharan (particularly here and here):
כְּשֶׁאָדָם יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁכָּל מְאֹרְעוֹתָיו הֵם לְטוֹבָתוֹ, זֹאת ...
- 2,312
1
vote
Use of the singular word 'Mitzvah' in Devarim 7:11
According to the Rambam (this is not the only interpretation) Makkos 3,16 The Passuk could be referring to doing all of one Mitzva the result of which one will attain Olam Haba (see Rashi who says on ...
- 11.6k
1
vote
Why did G-d get angry with Moses' prayers?
The Likutei Besser Lekutei (ad. loc.) brings (among other sources) the following: The jewish people was about to enter the land. The LBL then brings a Gemara in berachot saying that if a person pleads ...
- 7,084
1
vote
Accepted
Rashi's commentary on Deut. 4:19
Rashi to Tehillim 36:3 seems to write the way you understand it (ie Hashem causes the rasha to slip/err):
כי החליק. הפשע על הרשע בחלקלקות בעיניו כדי שימצא הקב"ה את עונו לשנוא אותו:
Hashem has ...
- 12.2k
1
vote
Why are there two different versions of the Decalogue?
Here's an explanation you might find satisfactory:
The first difference between the 2 versions is who said it - the first was said by G-d and the second by Moses and as indirect prophecy (it wasn't ...
- 28k
1
vote
Choshech, Anan v'Araphel? What does this mean?
I think this excerpt from Part III Chapter IX of Rambam's Moreh Nevuchim should clarify the phrase that you mentioned as well as explain the general concept of how G-d reveals himself to man:
Thus ...
- 71.5k
1
vote
Moshe davening 515 times to enter Eretz Yisrael
In answer to your 2nd question, the following is taken from the Weekly Parsha
titled "From the Orchards of Jerusalem" by Daneal Weiner:
When would have been the most appropriate time for ...
- 7,084
1
vote
Are there contradictory verses describing G-d's uniqueness?
Elohim has multiple translations [angels, judges, etc], yet the main consideration is one: all power, life, etc comes from the one God in whom there is no division and whom no person can aptly ...
- 11
1
vote
Are there contradictory verses describing G-d's uniqueness?
The first citation:
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒ כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃
You will know today and will ...
- 16.7k
1
vote
Lo Sachmod Prat U'klal
See rabajnu bechaya there.
It seems he says that the details are brought to exclude thing you can get without the knowledge of the owner (that you are permitted and sometimes preferable to want) for ...
- 7,614
1
vote
Accepted
What do commentaries say about the different version of "Honor Thy Parents"?
Regarding both phrases, R. Isaac Abravanel (Parashat Vaethanan ch. 5) writes:
והנה אמר בדבור הזה כאשר צוך ה' אלהיך מה שלא אמר בשאר הדברות מפני שראה אדונינו משה להוסיף ולבאר בדבר הזה על מה שבא ...
- 36k
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