~ Something to
Think About ~
פרשת תזריע
Parsha Stumpers
By: Daniel Listhaus
- (12:3) ”Rashi writes that just like man was
created after animals, so too were the halachos of birth commanded after
halachos of animals (kashrus).” Indeed sometimes the Torah instructs us
that the proper order of teaching and responding is A-B A-B: That when two
things are said the proper approach is to respond in the same order (See
also when Eliezer responded to Lavan/Besuel). However there are also
examples where the Torah orders in a A-B B-A format justifying that since
the last thing taught is still fresh on the mind we respond to that first.
(See Gemara Berachos 2a and Tosfos Bava Kamma 17a). What are the
guidelines when to respond in the order of things mentioned and when to
respond to the second item first?
- (13:14) Rashi writes that when a person thinks he
has tzara’as he must go to the kohen have it inspected. However, there are
two exceptions: A chossen (during sheva berachos) and
any person on a Yom Tov. How could we understand this? Why would the Torah
push aside a pressing matter for personal happiness? Clearly the person
deserves the tzara’as so why consider the fact that the afflicted
will suffer on his “personal days”? It’s his own fault!
- Tzara’as is a physical effect of something non-physical
(harmful speech). The truth is that all speech creates realities. Where is
that hinted to in the Hebrew word for “speech” and where do we hint to
this idea in davening?
~ Something to
Think About ~
פרשת מצורע
Parsha Stumpers
By: Daniel Listhaus
- Where is there an acronym
for Motzee Shem Ra in this week's parsha?
- (14:4) The Rambam writes (Mishna Torah and
Shemoneh Perakim) that one who has failed in a particular middah and
now wants to work on fixing it, should first balance it out by going to
the other extreme. So, for example, one who had become a big ba’al gaivah
and want to now work on suppressing his ego and becoming more humble, he
should do things on the opposite extreme of what he had been doing until
he is able to find the proper balance in the middle. If so, granted the
hyssop is very necessary as part of the metzora’s tahara as Rashi
explains, but why the cedarwood? Shouldn’t that specically be left out?
- Rabbah bar bar Shila says on
Daf Beis amud beis in Berachos that if in the passuk of “u'va ha'shemesh
v'taheir”, u'va hashemesh=beeas ohro and v'taheir=tahor gavra; then the
passuk should have used the word “vayitaheir” to illustrate the active
requirement to become tahor instead of the word “tahor” which is a more
passive sounding word (even without a kaparah).....Ask a question on this
from this week's parsha.
- (14:34) Why is tzara’as also
Hashem’s method of letting people know when there are treasures behind the
wall of a house?
