Parsha Points To Ponder

1)Why does the Torah have to mention that there are times when the Jews will encamp for longer and ON THE WORD OF G-D THE ENCAMPED AND ON THE WORD OF G-D THEY TRAVELED? (9:20) Why wouldn’t the longer encampments be based on G-D’s word just like the shorter ones?

2)Why does the Torah repeat the names of the Nasi leading the tribe as they traveled (beginning with 10:14)? This was already taught in Chapter One.

3)Why did G-D first call Aharon, Miriam, and Moshe to the Ohel Mo’ed (12:4) when the plan was to only call Aharon and Miriam to come out for their rebuke? (12:5)

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1)Why does the Torah use the language of TZAV, a term reserved for mitzvot which require extra alacrity and focus, for the command to send impure people from the camp? (5:2)

2)Why did two tribal leaders share one calf instead of each one bringing their own as part of the consecration of the Mishkan? (7:3)

3)Why does the Torah simply relate that Nachshon was OF THE TRIBE OF YEHUDA (7:12) instead of identifying him as NASI of the tribe of Yehuda as it does regarding the leaders of each of the other tribes? (see for example 7:18and 24) (more…)

1)Why is the census of all tribes other than Levi referred to as LIFT UP THE HEAD (SÍU ET ROSH) while the census of Levi did not include that terminology?  (see 1:2 and 3:15)
2)The describes how the Jews camped, with 2 tribes traveling under the banner of a third tribe in all four directions. Why does the Torah introduce every one of these secondary tribes with the letter VAV meaning AND with the exception of Zevulun (2:7)?
3)Why20does the Torah emphasize that the Leviim were separated FROM AMIDST THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL? (see 3:9 and 3:12) What would be lacking without those words? (more…)

1)Why does the Torah specifically mention that YOU WILL GATHER ITS CROPS after teaching that we should work the fields for the first six years of the shmita cycle? (25:3)

2)Why does the Torah have to teach that not only are we are allowed to eat the crops which grow on their own during shmita but our slaves and maidservants can eat them as well? (25:6) Why would we have thought otherwise?

3)Why was a shofar sounded on Yom Kippur of the jubilee year to signal that all slaves were to be freed? (see 25:9) Slaves being freed did not relate to repentance in any way so what role did the shofar play? (more…)

1)Why does the Torah explain the reasons for the names of Moshe’s sons upon their trip to join the Jewish people? What relevance does this have to the story?

2)Why does the Torah command that SIX DAYS YOU SHOULD WORK? (20:9) The command is to rest on Shabbat but not to work the other six days!

3)What is the connection between the command not to make gods of gold and silver and the command to make the altar out of dirt which follows right after? (20:20-21) (more…)

QUESTIONS

1)Why does the Torah use the repetitive language of NOT WITH YOU ALONE DO I MAKE THIS PACT (29:13) and FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY (29:14)? The second statement alone should have sufficed!

2)Why does the Torah say that we are responsible to listen to all that G-D teaches TODAY? (30:2)
3)Why does the Torah say FROM YOU (MIMCHA) when relating that the mitzvot are NOT HIDDEN FROM YOU (LO NIFLEIT HI)but it does not say FOR YOU when teaching that mitzvot are NOT FAR (LO RECHOKA) from us? (30:11) (more…)

QUESTIONS

1)Why does the Torah use the word V’HAYA (AND IT WILL BE) when introducing our entrance into the Land of Israel? (26:1) Why didn’t it simply say WHEN YOU ENTER THE LAND without the V’HAYA?

2)Why does the Torah suddenly include the Kohanim and Leviim together with Moshe when describing his speaking to the Jewish people about listening to the commands of the Torah? (27:9)

3)Why were the curses at the end of the Book of Vayikra taught in plural while the curses in this week’s parsha (begins with 28:15) are taught in singular? (more…)

QUESTIONS

1)Why does the Torah say the seeming extra word FOR YOU when it describes the soldier taking the yefat toar as a wife? (21:11) Of course if he marries her it will be FOR HIM!

2)Why, when choosing an example of a non animal in the command to return loss objects does the Torah choose a shirt (simlah)? (22:3)

3)Why does the Torah call the person who deserves lashes BIN HAKOT instead of BEN which is usually used to describe a person? (25:2) (more…)

QUESTIONS
1)What is the connection between the command to appoint local judges and policemen at the beginning of this Parsha with the laws of the festivals which were taught at the end of last week’s Parsha?

2)Why is the Kohein’s portion of the sacrifices specifically the arm, the jaw, and the stomach? (18:3)

3)Why does the Torah teach the laws of not breaching into someone else’s land amidst the laws of murder? (19:14) (more…)

QUESTIONS

1)Why does the Torah teach that IT WILL BE GOOD FOR YOUR CHILDREN specifically with regards to the command not to eat blood? (12:25)

2)Why does the Torah say OBSERVE AND LISTEN to all of its commands? (12:28) Shouldn’t the order be the other way around since first a person hears the commands and then one observes them?

3)How can the Torah state that the fulfillment of the Pesach laws is to enable us to remember the day we left Egypt ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIVES? (16:3) After all, these commands will insure that we remember that great day on Pesach, itself, when we perform these laws but not the rest of year! (more…)