Parshas Vayeilech - Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

פרשת וילך

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. “Vayeilech Moshe...” Where did Moshe go?

2. The S'forno (31:1) and others explain that Moshe said to B'nei Yisroel, “ I am old 
   
   
   and no longer able to go and come back...and even if I was able to, still Hashem 
   
   
   
   
   said to me that I anyway cannot enter into Eretz Yisroel.” What was the point of 
   
   
   
   
   the first half of Moshe's statement? Let him just say that Hashem said he cannot 
   
   
   
   
   enter Eretz Yisroel?
   
   
   
   
3. What is significant about dying on the same day one is born?

4. There are many differences between what Hashem told Yeshoshua and what
   
   
    Moshe told Yehoshua. What are these differences? And why the differences?

5. Rashi (31:12) says that the men come to hakhel to learn, the women to hear, and 
   
   
   the children to give reward to those who brought them. What does this mean?

6. Rashi (31:29), in an answer to a question of his, writes that a rebbe considers his 
   
   
   
   
   talmid like himself. If so, how did Rashi answer his question? If Yehoshua was 
   
   
   
   
   considered to Moshe like Moshe himself, then it should follow that Yehoshua's 
   
   
   
   
   talmid was viewed by Yehoshua as Yehoshua himself. The “chain rule” should then 
   
   
   
   
   say that Moshe would consider even his talmid's talmid's talmid's talmid..... as 
   
   
   
   
   himself. If so, how did Rashi answer his question?
   
   
   
   

7. [For those who didn't read the d'var Torah:] The Gemara Sanhedrin brings a 
   
   
   proof from our parsha for techiyas hamaysim. What is it?
   
   
   
   
8. In the Haftorah for Shabbos Shuva we read, “Shuva Yisroel ad Hashem 
   
   
   elo'kecha” (Repent, Yisroel, until Hashem your G-d). The choice of word to say “ad 
   
   
   
   
   Hashem” instead of “l'Hashem” (to Hashem) seems a bit strange. What is hinted 
   
   
   
   
   to in the passuk by writing it this way?
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. The passuk (31:14) says “hein karvo yame'cha lamus”. The simple way to 
   
   
   understand the passuk is “Behold, your days are drawing near to die...” However, 
   
   
   
   
   as a remez, the word “hein” – represented by the letters hey and nun – could also
   
   
   
   
   actually refer to Moshe rabbeinu. How is this?

Parshas Nitzavim & Rosh Hashanah - Parsha and Rosh Hashnah Stumpers and Something to Think About...

פרשת נצבים

&

ראש השנה

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About...

1. At the end of parshas Nitzavim, Hashem tells us: הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ, הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה; וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה, אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ - “I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life....”

A few questions should immediately come to mind:

a. Chazal teach us that a “nesinah” (a “giving”) is shaveh perutah (value of a perutah coin). In order for there to be two equal things that Hashem is giving before us, it must therefore be that they are both “valuable” (at least in our eyes). Last time I checked, though, Death's & Cursing's popularity was quite down. How could we understand that it is a “nesinah”?

b. Also, if this is our big choice of bechirah, isn't it a bit unfair to word the choice as a choice between life and blessing versus death and curse? It seems pretty obvious which one to choose. Shouldn't a real bechirah be between two equal options?

c. Being that the choice seems so obvious and clear, why is Hashem telling us which one to choose, as He says, “and you shall choose life”? And if it is not so obvious, why is He 'cheating' – so to speak?

2. Rashi (30:19) writes that “Hashem tells us to look at the sun, which obeys Hashem command perfectly – it rises and sets every day at the right time, even though it will not receive any reward for doing so. Therefore, certainly we who will get reward for listening to Hashem should do so...” How cold we understand this Rashi? There is a very simple pircha with this kal v'chomer that the sun is an inanimate object with no ability to think or decide, nor does it have any nesyonos to stop it. So how could it be so obvious that we should be expected to obey Hashem as well as the sun?

3. We know that a person's parnasah is fixed on Rosh Hashanah. Which three expenses are not included in this equation?

3. Why is it that two days of Rosh Hashanah are kept even in Eretz Yisroel, whereas other yomim tovim are celebrated there for only one day?
   
4. At the end of every slichos in the Tefillah of Mi She'anah we say, “Mi she'anah l'avraham avinu b'har ha'moriyah hu ya'a'nei'nu” - "He Who answered Avraham our father on Har HaMoriyah, may He answer us.” What, though, was Avraham's tefillah on Har HaMoriah?

3. Why are we allowed to eat honey? Usually, if an animal/creature is not kosher, then its products are not either kosher. A bee is not kosher, so why is its' honey?

Parshas Ki Savo - Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

פרשת כי תבא

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. [For those who didn't read the d'var Torah:] Why is it that upon the time of 
   
   
   bringing bikkurim is the proper time to say the whole tefillah of history starting 
   
   
   
   
   from Lavan and Yaakov? What is the connection to bikkurim? And why must it be 
   
   
   
   
   said to the kohen as opposed to one saying it to himself in the field?
   
   
   
   
2. The Mishna in Bikkurim (1:4) states that a ger (convert) brings bikkurim but 
   
   
   
   
   cannot be korei (read) the paragraph which is recited because he is not able to 
   
   
   
   
   say “l'a'voseinu” since his ancestors were not Jewish. If so, why is it that a ger
   
   
   
   
   could say “elokeinu v'elokei avoseinu” in shemoneh esreh?
   
   

3. There is a passuk in this week's parsha with a remez to the five seforim of the 
   
   
   
   
   Torah. Which passuk is it? What are the remazim? And how do they hint to 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   their respective sefer they are hinting to?

4. In the passuk of “baruch ata b'vo'echa...” Rashi explains that just as one 
   
   
   
   
   enters the world pure and without sins, so too will one leave the world with 
   
   
   
   
   no sin. However, following this explanation, it should be that the meaning of 
   
   
   
   
   the passuk in the to'che'cha of “arur ata b'vo'echa...” should mean that just 
   
   
   
   
   as you were cursed coming into the world, so too will you be when you leave. 
   
   
   
   
   How could this be true, though? Certainly everyone comes into the world 
   
   
   
   
   pure?
   
   
   
   
5. The Gemara in Ta'anis (2a) says that there are three keys that Hashem has 
   
   
   
   
   which he doesn't give to a shli'ach. One is hinted to in this week's parsha.
   
   
   
   
6. Which is the one hinted to in this week's parsha? What are the other two?
   
   
   
   
    How could we resolve the fact that there are stories in tanach and gemara 
   
   
   
   
   about individuals who seem to have had control over one (or more) of these 
   
   
   
   
   keys?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Parshas Ki Seitzei - Parsha Stumpers/Something to Think About

פרשת כי תצא

Parsha Stumper

1. In this week's Parsha there is a mitzva, which many people do not know, pertaining to going out to battle:ויתד תהיה לך על אזנך …
   a. What is this mitzva ? [Hint: It shows the importance of כבוד הבריות even in extreme circumstances such as war.]

   b. Where is there a רמז in thisפסוק as to what a person should do when in danger of hearing a דבר שאינו הגון?

   
   
   
   
2. How could we understand the concept of eishes y'fas toar?
   
   
3. How could we understand the concept of ben sorer u'moreh? How could we punish him based on his future? Doesn't he have bechira?
   
   
4. The mishna in Berachos states that if one who declares, “Hashem's rachamim extends to the bird's nest” we quiet him.
   a. Where do we see in this week's parsha that Hashem's rachamim reaches the bird's nest?

                b. What is wrong with saying such a statement that we quiet one who says it?

5. In this week's parsha is an unbelievable example of the extent we must show hakaras hatov. What is it? Why?

6. Two of the six zechiros are in this week's parsha. What are they? What are the other four? And what makes them so fundamentally important that they are of the zechiros?

7. This week's parsha contains the basis for the minhag to start wearing a talis when one gets married. Where is it?

Good Luck and Have a great Shabbos!

Parshas Shoftim - Something to Think About

פרשת שופטים

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. The Medrash Rabbah says that Shlomo HaMelech's throne had 6 steps leading up to it. On each step 
   
   
   was one of six consecutiveלא תעשה found in this week's parsha. What are they and what is the 
   
   
   
   
   connection between them?
   
   
   
   
2. There are three important dinim pertaining to a melech. What are they and where is there a remez to
   
   
   them in the word כסא – as if to say that a king who keeps these three things will merit to stay on 
   
   
   
   
   theכסא ?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Rashi (16:22) explains that Hashem despises things which goyim use for avoda zarah. If this is so, 
   
   
   why are we allowed to have a mizbe'ach?
   
   
   
   
4. Rashi (17:6) writes that if three witnesses come to testify, they do not become eidim zomemin until all 
   
   
   
   
   three of them become zomemin. Why should this be true?

5. How could we even understand the din of eidim zomemin? They never even completed the evil they 
   
   
   
   
   intended to do!?

6. Rashi (17:8) writes that the Beis Hamikdash is higher than every other place in the world. How could 
   
   
   we understand this?

7. Rashi (17:11) comments on the passuk that we must listen to the chachomim even if he says right is 
   
   
   
   
   left and left is right. If I know that right is indeed not left, then why should I listen to the words of the
   
   
   
   
   
   
   chochom ?

8. The Orchos Tzadikkim writes that every middah could be used for good or for bad. What are some 
   
   
   examples in our parsha where the Torah warns not to use the middah of rachamim (mercy)
   
   
   
   incorrectly? 

Parshas Shelach

 פרשת שלח

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. Rashi (13:2) writes that the story of the Meraglim was placed in the Torah immedietly following the 
   
   
   episode of Miriam because they did not learn from Miriam about how one should speak. Miriam
   
   
   
   
    spoke lashon harah about her brother, Moshe Rabbeinu, while the Meraglim spoke about Eretz
   
   
   
   
    Yisroel – an inanimate object, not a person. There is nothing wrong with doing so. So what did the 
   
   
   
   
   Meraglim do wrong that they should have learned from the story of Miriam?

2. Calev and Yehoshua each had the help of a tefillah to stay away from the plot of the meraglim. Why was this necessary? Why not just stay away?

3. After the report of the Meraglim, the B'nei Yisroel cried out, “Why is Hashem bringing us to this land 
   
   
   to fall by the sword? Our wives and young will be taken captive! Is it not better that we return to
   
   
   
   
    Egypt?” What were the B'nei Yisroel thinking? How exactly were they thinking they would be treated 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   if they went back to Mitzrayim? Wouldn't this be what would happen regardless?

4. The Gemara in Berachos says that Hashem wanted to wipe out B'nei Yisroel in the desert and start 
   
   
   fresh with only the descendants of Moshe. Moshe responded, “If a chair with three legs (Avraham, 
   
   
   
   
   Yitzchak, and Yaakov) cannot stand, then certainly a chair with one leg (just Moshe) cannot stand.” 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   What was this argument?

5. Hashem told Moshe (Bamidbar 14:22) that since the B'nei Yisroel left Mitzrayim, they tested Hashem  
   
   
   10 times. What were these 10 times?

6. Rashi (14:33) explains that the generation of the meraglim all dies in the desert by age 60. This is why 
   
   
   the B'nei Yisroel had to remain there for 40 years – in order that the youngest (counted) ones among
   
   
   
   
    them, who were 20, would reach the age of 60. The Mefarshim explain that the reason for this was 
   
   
   
   
   because they were not guilty of meesa b'dei shamayim (death from heaven), which occurs at 60. If so, 
   
   
   
   
   what was Hashem's original thought to wipe them out immediately? And why didn't Moshe respond 
   
   
   
   
   with this argument?

7. When Moshe davened on behalg of B'nei Yisroel in this week's parsha, he used only about half of the 
   
   
   13 middos. Why?

8. There are 3 ways that the mission of the meraglim was described: 1. Hashem in our parsha calls it 
   
   
   “v'yasuru” 2. B'nei Yisroel call it “V'yachp'ru” (Devarim 1:22) and 3. The meraglim said “v'yarg'lu.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    What is the difference between these three expressions and perspectives?

Parshas Bamidbar and Shavuos

פרשת במדבר

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. Rashi (1:2) writes that the way Moshe counted B'nei Yisroel was through
   
   
    collecting a half-shekel per person. Why did he have count them like this?
   
   
   
   
2. What is the significance of a flag?
   
   
   
   
3. Rashi (3:1) notes that the passuk refers to Elazar and Isamar as the children 
   
   
   of Aharon and Moshe – Aharon because he was their biological father, and 
   
   
   
   
   Moshe because he was their rebbe. However, in the following passuk (3:2) it 
   
   
   
   
   repeats and only calls them the sons of Aharon.

• Why should being someone's rebbe make one considered his father?
  
  
• Why is the passuk switching in the next passuk to just call them the sons of 
  
  
  Aharon?

3. When it came to counting shevet Levi, Rashi (2:16) comments that Moshe did
   
   
   not know what to do. He said, “How can I enter the tents to know the 
   
   
   number of their nursing infants?” Hasem replied, “You go outside the tent 
   
   
   and I will let you know the number of who is in which tent.”

• If Hashem was going to tell him through a bas-kol how many were in each
  
  
  tent, why did Moshe have to go up to the tents to begin with?
  
  
  
  
• Why did this only first become an issue when it came to counting shevet
  
  
   Levi?

4. Why do we eat dairy on Shavuos?