Parshas Devarim - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת דברים

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. (1:3) Rashi offers four reasons why Moshe rabbeinu waited until right before his death to rebuke klal yisroel. Yet in the very next Rashi, Rashi writes that the reason Moshe waited was because he needed to prove to them first that he did something for them – leading them to battle and winning.

a.    How can we reconcile this with the previous Rashi?

b.    How could we understand this? Didn’t Moshe already lead them in a war against Amalek and defeat them? Also, there were many things that Moshe rabbeinu did for B’nei Yisroel in the midbar, in fact there was pretty much nothing he didn’t do. So why was entering and winning a battle necessary for Moshe to become “ood enough” to rebuke B’nei Yisroel? 

Parshas Mattos-Masei - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

מטות  פרשת 

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1.    (31:3) If Hashem didn’t command to fulfill right away, why was it mutar for Moshe to do so?

2.    (31:7) Why did the tzitz specifically stop Billam and the kings of Midian from being able to fly?

3.    (31:7) How could witchcraft allow people to fly if in order to do kishuf one needs to be standing on the ground? (See Rashi Genara Sanhedrin 44b)

Parshas Pinchas - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

 פנחספרשת 

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. (Rashi 26:46) Why did Sarach merit such a long life?
2. (Rashi 27:22) Why did b’nos Telafchad wait so long to ask?
3. (27:15) Rashi explains that Moshe demanded an answer/response from Hashem. Similarly, Rashi explains in Bamidbar 12:13 regarding Miriam. How could we understand Moshe’s more aggressive behavior at these particular points?
4. (27:18) Hashem told Moshe that he should put his hand on Yehoshua and lean on him to give him s'meecha. However, the Torah accounts that Moshe leaned on Yehoshua with both his hands. How could Moshe add to the commandment of Hashem? Isn't that bal toseif?      

Parshas Balak - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

בלק   פרשת

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. (22:22) Why does the Torah describe Balak as “seeing” what B’nei Yisroel did as whereas by Yisro the Torah refers to Yisro’s “hearing”? What is the difference?

2. (22:4) The Torah relates that Moav said to the elders of Midian that B’nei Yisroel will chew up their surroundings like an ox chews up its food. What was the point of this simile and why does the Torah feel the need to write it?

3. (22:21) Why did Billam ride a donkey and not a horse?

4. (22:28) Billam’s hit his donkey three times. When Hashem opened the donkey’s mouth, the first thing its first words to Billam was asking him, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”  Rashi writes that besides for giving Billam mussar, the donkey was also hinting to him that he will not be able to succeed in trying to uproot a nation which keeps the shalosh regalim. What is it about the shalosh regalim specifically which should be singled out as the best argument to Billam to convince him that he will fail?

5. (Rashi 23:24) The Gemara in Berachos (14a) says that whoever says k'riyas shema without tefillin is like testifying false testimony on himself. With this is mind, there is a difficulty with a Rashi in this week's parsha. What is it? How could it be resolved?