Entries tagged with parsha bits

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parsha bit: Eikev

During his final speech to the Israelites, Moshe tells the people "circumcise your hearts", an insruction that Jeremiah later repeats. The Rambam sees this as a warning against stubbornness and obstinacy, tendencies that can overwhelm our ability to make good decisions. To circumcise our hearts is to remain open to the teachings of torah, the anguish of others, the mistakes we will make, and the need to correct them. (Guide for the Perplexed 33)

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parsha bit: Matot-Mas'ei

This week's parsha gives the command to set up cities of refuge to which an accidental killer may flee. These are ordinary cities, not penal colonies. Rambam says that each city must be "marketable" -- in an attractive location and with sufficient water resources. The cities must be set up to attract settlement in their environments. (Mishneh Torah, "On Homicide", 8:8)

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parsha bit: Pinchas

In this week's parsha the daughters of Tzelofchad petition for an inheritance, noting that their father had no sons. Immediately following this God tells Moshe to ascend the mountain where he will die, and Moshe petitions God for a successor. Rashi connects the two: when God told him to grant the daughters' petition, Moshe thought that he might in turn be succeeded by one of his own sons. Instead God appointed Yehoshua, but consoled Moshe by having Yehoshua stand before Elazar, Moshe's nephew. Thus Moshe's honor did not leave his father's house, as Yehoshua would need Elazar to proceed. (Rashi on Num 27:21)

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parsha bit: Balak

This week's parsha tells of the gentile prophet Bilaam and his attempts to curse the Israelites. The rabbis tell another story about Bilaam. They say that when Paro was trying to decide what to do about the Hebrews that he feared would overrun Mitzrayim, he had three advisors. The first was Bilaam, who suggested that Paro kill the first-born males; for this Bilaam would later be killed by Israel. The second was Iyov (Job), who was silent and would later be afflicted as a result. The third was Yitro, who ran away from this evil and would be rewarded with great descendants. (Sh'mot Rabbah 1:9)

(The rabbis seem comfortable with moving notable people around through time and space. I don't know if they're positing reincarnation or physical movement.)

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parsha bit: Chukat

Parshat Chukat begins with instructions for an unusual purification ritual involving the ashes of a red heifer (parah adamah). Sforno points out that the priest takes cedar wood, which is a symbol of pride because the cedar stands tall, and hyssop, which is a symbol of humility because it grows low to the ground, and a red thread, which is identified with sinfulness, and throws all of them into the fire that consumes the parah adamah. The ashes pull one from pride back to humility and redeem one from sinfulness. (Commentary on Numbers 19:1-10)

(My secondary source doesn't say why a red thread is identified with sinfulness. The only red thread that immediately comes to mind from Tanach is the one in Joshua that the two spies tell the woman in Jericho to use to signal her house so she'll be spared in the invasion -- which suggests righteousness, not sin, in that case.)

(This is a place-holder for a commentary on reading meaning into mitzvot versus "because God said so".)

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parsha bit: Korach

This week's parsha begins by telling us that Korach led a rebellion, together with Datan, Aviram, and On ben Pelet. As the story unfolds, however, On drops out, while we know explicitly that Korach, Datan, and Aviram are punished. What happened to On? In the talmud Rav said that On was saved by his wife: knowing what he planned, she fed him wine until he passed out and then she sat at the entrance to their tent to prevent Korach from entering. (Sanhedrin 109b)

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parsha bit: B'ha'alot'cha

(Try saying that three times quickly. :-) )

In the second year after the Exodus the people begin their journey from Har Sinai, and soon they begin to complain about the lack of meat and fish like they had back in Mitzrayim. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch says that they do not complain out of nostalgia; rather, they are bored. All their needs are met with no effort on their part: manna and water are delivered daily, and they have the mishkan and divine protection. They feel, Hirsch says, as if they have no challenges. (Commentary on Num 11:1-11)

On a personal note, I have trouble understanding boredom. Yes, I've been in situations where I was bored and couldn't escape, but for the most part, I fill my days -- if not with activity, then at least with thinking. It can be a challenge sometimes to get my brain to shut up sometimes. I certainly remember the dull "are we there yet?" moments of my childhood, but I'm not sure Rabbi Hirsch isn't doing the Israelites a disservice with this interpretation. But on the other hand, they do act like whiny brats sometimes. :-)

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parsha bit: Naso

Parshat Naso describes the vow of the Nazarite. Our sages are divided on the value of this kind of vow. Rabbi Yitzchak, in the Jerusalem talmud, teaches that if you are present when someone is considering taking such a vow, you must shock him to his senses by asking: "Are not all the restrictions of torah enough for you? Why do you insist on restraining yourself from what the torah permits you to enjoy?" (Nedarim 9:1, Yerushalmi)

Relevant to chumrot (extra stringencies not commanded by halacha), perhaps?

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parsha bit: B'midbar

Parshat B'midbar enumerates the heads of the tribes of Israel and then goes on to give other lineages. The torah tells us "these are the generations of Aharon and Moshe", and then proceeds to list Aharon's sons, as if they were also Moshe's sons. How can this be? Rashi explains that one who teaches torah to someone is like a father. It is from this that the talmud derives its laws about the respect owed to one's teacher. (Rashi on Num 3:1)

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parsha bit: Behar - Bechukotai

Parshat Behar gives the laws for the sabbatical year for the land. Abraham ibn Ezra compares this to creation. Just as God worked for six days, we are to work the land for six years. The seasons parallel the mornings and evenings of the six days. Just as God rested from the act of creation on the seventh day, we are to rest from working the land in the seventh year. (Commentary on Leviticus 25)

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parsha bit: Emor

This week's parsha repeats the law (first given in Mishpatim) about compensation for injuries: eye for eye, hand for hand, foot for foot. The rabbis interpreted this as financial compensation, not literally. How was the amount of money computed? There were five factors: depreciation in value if the victim were to be sold as a slave, pain, the cost of medical treatment, lost earnings while recovering, and "degradation", which was based on the station of the victim and the offender. (Bava Kamma 83b, mishna to chapter 8)

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parsha bit: Acharei Mot - Kedoshim

Parshat Acharei Mot describes the ritual of the scapegoat for Yom Kippur. The high priest takes two identical goats and casts lots between them; one becomes an offering to God, and on the other he symbolically places the sins of Israel before casting the goat into the wilderness. Abravanel writes that the two goats remind us of Yaakov and Esav. Esav, like the second goat, wandered into the wilderness, away from his people and God's laws. Yaakov, like the first goat, served God. The ritual of the scapegoat reminds us that we, unlike the goats, can choose which path to follow. (Commentary on Leviticus 16)

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parsha bit: Tazria-Metzora

This week's parsha tells us that a man afflicted with tzara'at, or leprosy, must cry out "unclean, unclean". One obvious reason for this is to advise others to keep away from him, but the talmud notes the repetition of the word and offers a second reason: that he should make his distress known so that others will pray for his recovery. The point is not to embarrass him but to help him recover and rejoin the community. (Mo'ed Katan 5a)

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parsha bit: Sh'mini

In this week's portion two of Aharon's sons, Nadav and Avihu, bring an alien offering (eish zarah) to God and are killed. The rabbis offer many explanations. Rabbi Levi said that they were killed for their arrogance. According to him, they refused to marry and publicly proclaimed "our father's brother is a king, our mother's brother is a prince, our father is high priest, and we are deputy high priests. What women are good enough for us?" Because they arrogantly demeaned others, they were punished. (Leviticus Rabbah 20:10)

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parsha bit: Tzav

This week's parsha describes four types of korbanot (sacrifices) to be brought to the temple. One, the olah, is the burnt offering. Rabbi Levi taught that the word "olah" can also be read "alah", one who behaves boastfully. Therefore, he taught, the torah passage "this is the law of the olah: it shall go up on its burning place on the altar" can be understood to mean "this is the law of the alah, the boastful person: he shall be destroyed by fire". (Leviticus Rabbah 7:6)

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parsha bit: Vayikra

When the temple was destroyed it was no longer possible to bring the korbanot (offerings) mandated in the book of Vayikra, and the rabbis instittuted prayer as a substitute. Some of the rabbis said that prayer was not just equivalent but superior to korbanot: prayer could be offered anywhere and at any time, unlike the korbanot, and could take the form of meditation or words spoken from the heart. (Tanchuma, Vayera, 31b)

(Actually, even before the temple was destroyed there were synagogues where people prayed instead of journeying to Yerushalayim.)

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parsha bit: Vayakhel-Pekudei

This week's double parsha contains a precise and public accounting of all donations made by the people to build the mishkan. While Moshe was trustworthy, nonetheless it was important to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing. The rabbis taught that one who enters the Temple treasury must do so barefoot and wearing clothes that have no pockets, because if he becomes rich the people will say he stole from the treasury. It is not enough for a man to be morally clean before God; he must also be free of suspicion among his fellows. (Exodus Rabbah 51:2)

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parsha bit: Ki Tisa

In this week's parsha the Israelites build the golden calf and God chastises Moshe for what "his" people are doing. Rabbi Berechiah, quoting Rabbi Levi, compares this situation to a king who rented out his vinyard to a grower. When the wine was good the king proclaimed "look what my vinyard produced", but when it was poor he said to the grower "look what terrible wine you produce". The grower protested that the king cannot have it both ways, saying "the vinyard is yours whether it produces good or bad wine". So too did Moshe protest God's statement, saying "the people belong to both of us, and neither of us can abandon them". (Pesikta d'Rav Kahana 16)

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parsha bit: T'tzaveh

This week's parsha continues the instructions for building the mishkan, including the ner tamid, the eternal light. The rabbis understand the ner tamid as a symbol to remind the Jew of the mitzvot, as it is written "the mitzvah is a lamp, and the torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). Every mitzvah we observe brightens the world with God's light. (Genesis Rabbah 36:3)

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parsha bit: T'rumah

Parshat T'rumah begins the description of how to build the mishkan, the portable sanctuary. The ark is topped by two cheruvim, facing each other. Why do they face each other? The rabbis say that the cheruvim represent the torah itself, which was given on two tablets -- one describing how we relate to God, and the other describing how we relate to each other. The cheruvim face each other to remind us that we have to do both, and that our relationships with other people have to mirror our relationship with God. (attributed to the Malbim)