~ Something to Think About ~
פרשת קדושים
Parsha Stumpers
By: Daniel Listhaus
- What does it mean to be kedoshim? The
Gemara in kiddushin describes that the rabbanan termed the hebrew word for
engagement as “Kiddushin” because essentially by marrying a wife you are
making her “assur to everyone else just like hekdesh”. What is the root of
what it means to be a kadosh?
- Parshas Kedoshim contains many mitzvos – within
these the eseres hadibros are present. Some of them are
straight out and some of them are alluded to. Where?
- The passuk (19:17) says tjhat there is a mitzva
to give others mussar...'and you should not bear a sin because of him'.
What does this mean?
- Why is 'v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha' a 'zeh k'lal
gadol ba'Torah?
- The passuk (20:3), when describing prohibition of giving children over to
molech (a certain form of avodah zarrah), says that Hashem
will direct his face upon them and cut them off from their people. Rashi
explains further that Hashem will turn aside, so to speak, from all his
other concerns to deal with this person...
a. Why does the Torah use this expression here more than
other times in chumash?
b. The passuk in Acharei Mos 17:10 uses the same
expression regarding eating blood and
Rashi explains it the same way? What is the connection?
- Rashi (19:4) comes to explain that not
only is one forbidden to make his own idols, one is also forbidden to
worship the idols that someone else gives him. What is Rashi adding? If I
can't make my own idols then why would I think someone else could give me
idols and that would be fine for me to worship? Furthermore, our parsha
contains two concepts which would counter such a mistake anyway: that of lifnei
iver and divrei harav v'divrei hatalmud l'divrei mi shomim (see
rashi by kibud av v'eim)?
- A similar question as the one above
could also be asked regarding molech. Rashi (20:3) comments that
one might think that even though one cannot offer his child to molech
avodah zarah, but perhaps one would think it is permitted to give over
a grandchild. Why would someone
make such a drastic mistake to think that? Would someone really think that
although one cannot sacrifice a child for avodah zarrah that it
would be permitted to sacrifice a grandchild?
- The passuk (19:14) says that one
may not curse a deaf person. Rashi is bothered why the passuk limits this
to only cursing deaf people and goes on to say that there is a different
source to teach us not to curse anyone (based on shemos 22:27). Why isn't
this a kal v'chomeir, though? After all, if one is not
allowed to curse someone who cannot hear them, then certainly if that
person could hear you which would cause even more conflict and strife?
- The passuk (19:15) commands us to
judge our friends favorably, yet there is another concept of v'hiyisem
n'kiyim – that each individual has the responsibility to be “clean” in
the eyes if his peers. Where does the line get drawn between these two
ideas? Also, how far, in general, must one go when it comes to
being dan l'kaf zechus?
- The passuk (19:26) states the issur of
practicing divination and believing in “lucky times”. Where does the line
get drawn between not making up superstitions versus listening to the
messages that Hashem is trying to communicate to us?
- Rashi (19:32) describes that displaying honor to an elder is
accomplished by not sitting in his place, not speaking in his place, and
not contradicting him. Interestingly, these were the same examples Rashi
(19:3) used regarding acting towards one parents – but there Rashi
gave them as the examples of fear of ones parents as opposed to the other
examples chosen to illustrate honor to one's parents. Why the difference?
