(Numbers 25:1-27:20)

1. [25:8] “…and I will live among them.” How does a central place of holiness cause God to dwell “among” or “between” the people?  What does it mean to “dwell among” the people?

2. [25:15] What is the purpose of never removing the poles with which one carries the Ark? If they are only used for carrying, why must they always be in place?

3. We are told that both the broken tablets of the ten commandments and the unbroken ones were in the Ark. What is the purpose of also keeping the broken ones?

4. [25:8]  “Make for Me a tabernacle…”  Many of our commentaries tell us symbolic meanings of the furniture and the utensils of the mikdash.  There are, in fact, many fascinating symbolic meanings to many of the commandments. If a person doesn’t think of any symbolic meaning, but just does the commandment with awareness, but in a simple way, how much is he or she losing, or how much is he or she gaining?

5. If the Temple were to move between the tribes of Israel, it would give the message that God is everywhere.  What purpose is served by having the Temple fixed in Jerusalem?

Commentary

[25:2] “…and they should take a contribution for me.”

This pasuk should say, “They will give a contribution to me”. Why does it say “take” in the pasuk?

When a person gives to God with pure motivation, he or she is really giving to themselves. God doesn’t need anything, so the person is really giving for his or her own good. The giving to God is really a taking for oneself.

–Sfas Emes, Rebbe Yehudah Leib Alter, (1847-1905), Ger, Poland

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Numbers 21:1-24:18)

(Haftara: Jeremiah 34:8-22, 33:25,26)

1. [21:16] “Someone who steals a person and sells him…must be put to death.” Someone who steals property must repay the value of the property or pay double if he is convicted in court , and does not confess. However, someone who steals a person—kidnaps—gets the death penalty. Why does a kidnapper get such a severe penalty?

2. [21:37] “…(the thief) will pay 5 cows for stealing a cow, and 4 sheep for stealing a sheep.”  Rashi quotes R. Yochanan in the Talmud who says that God has mercy on a sheep thief because he humiliated himself by having to carry the sheep on his shoulders. A cow thief just walks out with the cow and there is no humiliation. The thief did not respect the owner of the sheep so why should the Torah worry about the thief’s honour?

3. [22:2]  The punishment for stealing property is that the thief must pay double. However, if someone kills a night burglar he is not punished. A burglar is not subject to the death penalty. Why is one permitted to kill a night burglar?

4. [22:17] “Don’t allow a witch to live”.  A witch tries to manipulate forces so that desirable things will happen in the world. We try to persuade God in prayer to make desirable things happen. We understand that what a witch does is a negative thing, but why is his or her punishment so severe?

5. [24:11]  “…and they saw God and they ate and drank.” Why would they eat and drink after seeing God?

Commentary

[24:17] “And the vision of the glory of God was like a consuming fire…”

If a person wants to know if he is serving God properly, he should check if he feels an excitement and a “fire” in serving God.

–Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, 1740-1810.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

And  to the memory of Sarah Bella bat Yitzchak Kummer, Chaim Yosef Yechiel ben Eliyahu Kummer and Eliyahu and Margaret Kummer

(Exodus 18:1-20:23)

(Haftara: Isaiah 6:1-7:6, 9:5,6)

1. [18:18]  “You will certainly wear yourself out…”  Moshe was the only judge for a few million people. He must have known that the job was too big for one person.  What was he thinking that would have caused him to continue being the only judge for all the people?

2. [18:9] “And Yitro rejoiced for all the good that God had done for Israel…”  Yitro identified with the people of Israel, and was joyful for them. Why did he return to Midian instead of staying with Israel?

3. [19:5] “…you will be my own treasure from among all the nations…”  On the one hand, we are told that we are God’s special nation.  On the other hand we are commanded to be humble and not feel superior to people.  How can we resolve this contradiction?

4. [20:12] “Honour your father and your mother…”   We are commanded to “love your neighbour as yourself”.  Doesn’t that include honouring? Are there limits on honouring someone other than one’s parents? Why is there a special commandment to honour one’s parents?

5. [Haftara: Yeshayahu 6:9]  “…you hear but you don’t understand. You see, but you don’t really know.”  If they already see and hear, but don’t really understand,  what can a prophet do for them? Don’t they need a leader to re-educate them, rather than a prophet to again tell them that they are doing wrong? What can a prophet do for them?

Commentary

Faith is pure when it is full of inner feelings without self-deception and without ulterior motives…Someone who is intelligent will not be content without rational thinking.  For him, a genuine faith will not be real unless it is illuminated by reason.

–R. Avraham Y. H. Kuk, 1865-1935, Lithuania and Israel.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And this study page is also dedicated to the memory cof Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Exodus 13:17-17:16)

(Haftara: Shoftim 4:4-5:31)

)Shabbat Shira)

(Tu B’shvat)

1. [14:12-14] The Israelites are brought to a situation of  great fear and stress before God saves them. God could have just done a miracle and saved them. What is gained by bringing the Israelites to such a crisis?

2. [14:28] The midrash tells us that when the Egyptian soldiers were drowning, the angels were singing joyfully. God told them to stop because “my creations are drowning”. Why did God allow the Israelites to sing joyfully?

3.  [15:1] “Then Moshe and the Israelites sang this song to God…”   It seems that they sang spontaneously. If we hadn’t been exposed to music from early childhood, would music come naturally to us?  Why is it that music has the power to express our emotions better than words?

4. [15:2] “…this is my God and I will make him beautiful (ve’anvayhu)…”  “Neve” in Hebrew also means home.Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch understands the word “ve’anvayhu”  as the idea that my body should be a suitable place for God–God should have a home in one’s life and one’s body. How can one make one’s body and one’s life a suitable place for God?

5. [Tu B’Shvat] When we make blessings before eating  fruit and other foods, we make the blessing which is specific to that family of food. There is one blessing, however, that could apply to every food—”Blessed are You..that everything exists through His word.  If one blessing is acceptable for every food, why do we try so hard to make the specific blessing?

Commentary

This is the mystery of the oneness of God. Wherever I take hold of a little bit of it, I take hold of all of it. And since the Torah and all the commandments are radiations of His Being, so whoever does a commandment with sincerity and love, and takes hold of a tiny bit of the oneness of God, has really taken hold of all of it.

–The Ba’al Shem Tov, 1698-1760, Ukraine.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya KornbergAnd to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Numbers 6:2-9:35)

(Haftara: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21)

1. [6:6,7, 8] “…I took you out, I saved you…”  Our tradition speaks about 4 terms for redemption: “I took you out (of Egypt)… I saved you…I redeemed you (also spiritually) and I took you (to myself as a nation). The Torah is eternal and speaks on both a physical and a spiritual level. How do these terms apply to every redemption and how do they apply on a spiritual-psychological level?

2. [6:12] “…the children of Israel didn’t listen to me, so why would Pharoah listen to me…”   The Riva (12^th century, France) explains the logic in the following way: The children of Israel didn’t listen to me , even though I came for their good, so why would Pharoah listen to me when I’m telling him something that’s not good for him?  Some commentators say that this is faulty logic. What might be faulty about the logic here?

3. [6:30] Moshe does not want to be the leader of the Israelites, but God insists that he is the man for the job. What qualities does Moshe have that make him a proper leader? How are these qualities different from the qualities that we usually associate with leadership?

4. [Haftara: Yechezkel 28:26] “…they will live safely on it…and plant vineyards…”  There are many plants that farmers plant. Why is planting vineyards a sign that one is living safely in the land?

5. [Haftara: Ezekiel 29:2] God addresses Ezekiel and other prophets as “son of man”. Ezekiel is a prophet and a spiritual leader of the people. Why is “son of man” a suitable title for a prophet of God and a spiritual leader?

Commentary

If a person, despite all efforts, does not succeed in concentrating on his prayer, he can resort to supplication, asking God to have compassion on him, like a father who takes pity on his children. For we are a part of God as children can be said to be a part of their parents. It is, in a sense the last argument: “O, Lord, even if we are not worthy of your glory or grace, at least for your own sake, since we are a part of You, a spark of Your holiness, come to our aid.”

–R. Adin Steinsaltz, born in 1937, Israel.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Exodus 1:1 – 5:23) / (Haftara: Isaiah 27:6- 28:13, 29:22,23)

 1. [1:10] “…and make war with us and leave the land.”   It seems that Pharoah did not want the Israelites in Egypt, but also didn’t want them to leave. What did he want? How do you understand this pasuk?

2. [2:10] “…because I pulled him out of the water.”  What quality did Pharoah’s daughter show by pulling him out of the water, and how might this choice of name have affected the development of Moshe’s personality?

3. [2:23] When the Israelites screamed, God heard them and the redemption started. The Torah does not say that they screamed to God, but only that they screamed. The Torah speaks both on the physical and the spiritual level. On an individual spiritual level, when a person screams out of his or her pain, why is that the beginning of their redemption?

 4. [4:10] Moshe says that he is not fit for the mission of taking the Israelites out of Egypt because he has some kind of speech impediment. Later his speech seems to be fine and we are never told how he improved. What might have caused the improvement in Moshe’s speech?

5. (Haftara: Isaiah 27:12) When Isaiah speaks of the final redemption, he says that we will be “gathered one by one”. Why not in groups? What does this phrase tell us about the final redemption?

Commentary

[2:10]  “…and she called his name Moshe, and she said, “Because I pulled him out of the water”.

From here you can understand how great is the reward for those who do acts of kindness. Although Moshe had many names, the name by which he is known throughout the Torah is the one which Batyah, the daughter of Pharaoh, called him, and even God called him by the same name.

–Midrash Rabbah

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Genesis-47:28-50:26)

(Haftara: Kings I  2:1-12)

1. [48:15]   “…God, whom my fathers walked in front of…”   Ya’akov says that his forefathers walked in front of God.  Noach, however, walked with God [6:9].  What is the difference between walking “in front of God”, and walking “with God”?

2. [48:19 ]   “And his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know…”  There are rabbis who say that this speech of Ya’akov’s shows a new self-confidence.  Throughout his life, he was much less sure of himself, and here he reaches a final maturity.  Do you agree that this sentence is so important?

3. [48:22]  “…I saved them from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow”.    The Aramaic translation of Onkelos translates “my sword and my bow” as “my prayer and my request”.  Why is prayer compared to a sword and a bow? 

4. [50:10] “…and they mourned there a very great and very heavy mourning.”  The mourning for Ya’akov lasted about 3 months and was very intense.  The mourning for the other forefathers and mothers was not nearly as intense.  Why was the mourning for Ya’akov’s death so severe?

5. [Haftara: Melachim I, 2:7 ] “Show kindness for the sons of Barzilai the Gileadite and let them be among those that eat at your table…”   King David could have told Shlomo, his son, to make sure that Barzilai’s children are always financially stable, or that they are always protected.  Why is the greatest kindness expressed by the fact that they will eat at Shlomo’s table?

Commentary

In this concluding sedrah of Genesis, we see the sunset of Jacob’s career…Esau, Dinah, Joseph—what a world of strife and suffering and anguish did each of these tragedies bring him—and yet he dies blessing…he possesses the rare art of extracting good from every buffeting of Destiny.  He errs and he stumbles, but he ever rises again; and on the anvil of affliction his soul is forged.

—-R. Yosef Tzvi Hertz, 1872-1946, England.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Genesis-44:18-47:27) / (Haftara: Ezekiel 37:15-28)

1. [45:3] After Yehudah’s speech, Yosef suddenly tells his brothers that he is Yosef.  What did Yehudah say that convinced Yosef to reveal his identity after all this time?

• [45:14]  “…and he cried and Binyamin cried on his neck.” Rashi says that they cried over the Temples that would be destroyed in the future—each in the other’s territory.  Each of the brothers had a deep love and compassion for the other in relation to eternal matters. Other commentators say that they cried because they had been separated for so long. What might motivate Rashi to explain the brothers’ deep emotion in such an impersonal way?

•  [47:9] When Yosef introduces Ya’akov, his father, to Pharoah,  Pharoah asks Ya’akov how old he is. Ya’akov answers, and then continues to say that his life has been bad. This is unusual. Why did Ya’akov  tell Pharoah that he has had a bad life, even though he had not been asked about his life?

• [48:16] In the next parsha Ya’akov blesses Yosef’s children. He begins by saying, “The angel who redeemed me from all evil…” In other words, my life was good. This contradicts what Ya’akov said previously. Was his life really bad or was it really good? How can this contradiction be explained?

• [Haftara: Yechezkel 37:22] The prophet tells us how in the messianic era, there will be no divisions among the Jews. If that is the ideal, then why was the division into tribes encouraged and reinforced earlier in our history?

Commentary

[Yechezkel 37:24] “And my servant David will be king over them…”

In the messianic future, all the Jews will return to God, and will repent totally for all their sins of the past. However, there will be many who will be embarrassed because they have so many sins. For these people, King David will be their inspiring example. From David’s life they will understand that “tshuvah” helps for everything—even the most severe sins– and one’s relationship with God and with the world can always be repaired.

—Ahavat Yehonatan, Yonatan Eibeschitz,  (1690-1764), Prague

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya KornbergAnd this study page is also dedicated to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Genesis-41:1-44:17)

(Haftara: Kings I 3:15-4:1)

                                                            (Chanukah)

1. [40:23] Yosef asked Pharoah’s minister to remember him and mention him to Pharoah in order to get him out of prison. Rashi quotes a midrash that says that Yosef was punished with 2 extra years in prison because he asked the minister to intervene and didn’t trust God.  We are, however, taught elsewhere that one should not rely on miracles, but rather put effort into getting out of difficult situations. Is Rashi’s explanation incompatible with the fact that one should not rely on miracles, or can Rashi be explained in a different way?

2. [Chanukah] We are told that the miracle of Chanukah is that there was enough pure oil to last 1 day, and the oil lasted 8 days. But really the first day was not a miracle. There was enough oil for 1 day. So we should celebrate 7 days to mark the miracle rather than 8 days. Why do we celebrate 8 days? (There are many answers to this question. Try to create a scenario for the miracle different from the accepted one.)

3. [Chanukah] We have a rule that if all the people are impure, then pure oil is not needed for the menorah in the Temple. Therefore, the search for pure oil was unnecessary.  In addition to this, even though 1 candle per household is enough, the Jews light an extra candle every night. What is so special about Chanukah (which is a rabbinic mitvah) that  would prompt us to go so far beyond the minimum requirements for the commandment?

4. [Chanukah] With the lighting of the Chanukah candles, we celebrate the miracle of the oil. But in the “Al Hanissim”—an addition to the Amidah prayer and the blessings after a meal– we mention only the miracle of the war.  Which is the real miracle—the oil or the war?

5. The Rambam (Maimonides, (1135-1204, Spain and Egypt) says that the lighting of the Chanukah candles is a very precious commandment. He says this only about Chanukah and not about the other festivals.  What makes Chanukah more special than other festivals.

Commentary

In the Talmud, we are told that Hillel says that on the first night of Chanukah, we light 1 candle and we add a candle each night, so that we light 8 candles on the last night. Shammai says that we start with 8 candles on the first night and take a candle away each successive night. Hillel’s reason is that we always try to go higher in holiness and not lower.  This rule is applied to all possible situations—especially to social and spiritual issues. We always try to go higher in holiness.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And this study page is also dedicated to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

(Genesis-32:3-36:43)

(Haftara: Ovadia 1:1-21)

1. [32:29]  “…Your name will no longer be called Ya’akov, but rather Yisrael…”  The fact that Ya’akov became Yisrael is considered a big spiritual change. Maimonides understands that this wrestling was a dream. Can a person undergo a real spiritual change as a result of a dream?

2. [32:31]  “…I have seen God face to face and my life was saved.”  Ya’akov wrestled with

a man or with an angel or with his imaginary image of Esav. When or how did he see “God face to face”?

3. [35:10] Ya’akov’s name is changed from Ya’akov –manipulator– to Yisrael –he who wrestled with God (or with angels). His name was changed to something much more desirable.  In which ways is wrestling with God so much more desirable than being a manipulator?

4.  [Ovadiah 1:15] “…as you have done, it shall be done unto you…” The wicked should receive for themselves whatever bad they did to others.  Is this the ultimate form of justice, or is it educational, or is it a punishment?

5. [Ovadiah 3:21]  “And saviours shall rise up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav, and the kingdom will be God’s”.   Other enemies of Israel will be destroyed, but Esav (Edom) will be judged. Does that make Edom an enemy. How should we relate to Esav (Edom)?

Commentary

The future approaches, it comes closer to us. Let us raise ourselves a little, let us cleanse our feelings and our minds, and we are near it…Happy nis he who has filled his heart with life’s hope, and with the anticipation of redemption. He can already see the light of deliverance, as it sends out its rays.

–R. Avraham Y. H. Kuk, 1865-1935, Lithuania and Israel.

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Rivkah Rochel bat Ya’akov haLevi and Chaya Kornberg, and Yechiel Eliezer ben Yitzchok Meir and Rochel Laya Kornberg

And this study page is also dedicated to the memory cof Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker