I have these on a different blog, but I want to see if they belong here.
Many tribes are symbolized by an animal. Only two (which?) share a symbol. (what?) Although in one sense, they were diametrically opposed, (how?) individuals from those two tribes (who?) shared the lead in building a structure (what?) that shares the same motif (how?)
A young lion, Gur Aryeh. Yehuda, by Yaakov in Bereishis 49:9, Gur Aryeh. Dan, by Moshe in Devarim 33:22, the Mikdash called Ariel in Yeshaya 29:1, This is pointed out by Rabbeinu Bachay in 38:22. In the travels in the desert, Yehuda led the nation, and Dan was the last.
Another menagerie question: Our Parsha mentions the calf/Eigel. Name the four other animals mentioned in the parsha.
שור, כבש וחמור by Bechor in 34:19-20, and גדי in 34:26 by basar b'chalav.
Two people are introduced in this Parsha. Both of their fathers are mentioned (X son of Y), but only the grandfather of one (X son of Y son of Z.). Why.
Betzalel and Ahaliav. Because Chur died trying to prevent the Eigel, and his grandson built the kapara for the Eigel.
The Torah tells us that two things were described as having been done by "the finger of God," אצבע אלוקים. One is in our parsha.
There are three famous sins for which one must give up his life rather than transgress them, even under duress. All three carry the penalty of capital punishment for deliberate, willing, transgression. In our parsha, there is one commandment for which deliberate transgression incurs a capital penalty, but, oddly enough, one is permitted, even required, to transgress it where there is any risk of mortal danger.
Shabbos. See Reb Meir Simcha 31:14 for the reason.
Who wrote the Aseres HaDibros on the second Luchos?
Hashem. NOT Moshe. Shemos 34:1 ויאמר ה' אל משה פסל לך שני לוחות אבנים כראשונים וכתבתי על הלוחות את הדברים אשר היו על הלוחות הראשונים אשר שיברת and ואכתוב על הלחות את הדברים אשר היו על הלחת הראשונים אשר שברת Devarim 10:2. Don't get distracted by obscure Medrashim, or by the passuk in the end of the parsha that says (34:27) ויאמר יהוה אל־משה כתב־לך את־הדברים האלה כי על־פי הדברים האלה כרתי אתך ברית ואת־ישראל. That passuk is not referring to the Aseres HaDibros.
The Tiferes Yisrael in in Yevamos Perek 7 comment #7 suggests (somewhat tongue in cheek) several explanations of the Hebrew word for marriage, "Nisu'in." They are:
Gift (מתנה, כמו וישא משאות מאת פניו),
Burden (משא עליו),
Elevation (נס מתנוסס),
or Oath/promise (לא תשא את שם ה' אלוקיך לשוא).
Forms of the word "nassa" appear three times in our parsha. How is the word used here?
Extra credit: What do you think the word "Eirusin" (betrothal, the first stage of marriage,) comes from? (Hint: it's probably not related to eres/poison.)
Good luck. You're on your own with this one.
The answers are in the blog - they're under the questions in small letters and they're almost white. You can see them if you highlight them.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, אירוס is a trellis. Perhaps an erusin is the framework on which the marriage union of ענבי הגפן בענבי הגפן will rest.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it's related to ארשת, as kiddushin requires some level of speech.
I agree 100%. I had once written:
Deleteאירושין, which is spelled ארוסין in the literature, Eirusin, is easier. It's pretty obvious that Eirusin comes from the same shoresh as ארשת שפתיו, which means speech or words; so, eirusin means to give your word, to agree or to pledge to marry. The agreement is made binding through the kinyan, and the woman becomes prohibited to all other men, but the essence is the promise. The word is identical with the English 'Troth,' which means to promise or to pledge. Eirusin=betrothal.
I got a negative reaction blowback from my genius cousin at Bar Ilan, Eli Eisenberg, because even though we say it so many times on Rosh HaShannah, it is a hapax legomenon, you should pardon the expression, in other words, a word that appears only once in Tanach, and it's a shin yemanis, not smalis. My cousin said that you don't find shifting from one to the other.
Your idea of a trellis is interesting - I don't recall the word used that way. I checked Jastrow, and brings the Gemara on the last daf of Sotah, where the Eirus is an instrument that was used at weddings, a sort of drum or tambourine, a Tof. That might be a pshat, too - eirusin being the time that the families celebrate and play the eirus, like the Lechaim made in our time.
I saw in the Rav Hirsch chumash that for the etymology of the word eirusin one should look in The Collected Writings vol. 8 pg 33 (if I remember correctly). I dont have access to a copy of the Collected Writings now but I hope its helpful!
DeleteThat's interesting - I don't think I have one either, though. I'll check in shul.
DeleteMy library only has volumes 1 through 5.
Delete