Showing posts with label Parsha Questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parsha Questions. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2026

Questions for Pinchas

1. Three brothers; two notorious and one obscure.

2. Two granddaughters of Yaakov mentioned this week.

3. Which names in the Parsha were most popular at the time.

4.  An individual who was the first to identify as "they/them." If you wanted to talk to him about it, he would not hear a word you said.

5. Nine people whose deaths in the Midbar and the spiritual causes of their deaths are identified, and two who died in Kna’an, with no cause given.

6. People the Torah singles out to say they did not die.

7. Shevet Levi was always relatively small. Meforshim tell us that Levi was not miraculously fruitful in Mitzrayim because only those that were persecuted had the bracha of כאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה, and Levi was not subjugated. But why did they not increase proportionately after Yetzias Mitzrayim, in the Midbar? Many meforshim point out the relatively low birth rate. 26:62

ויהיו פקדיהם שלשה ועשרים אלף כל זכר מבן חדש ומעלה

Ibn Ezra

ויהיו פקודיהם. פקודי הלוים במספר הזה נוספו שבע מאות והתימה כי לא נוסף בהם רק שבע מאות והנה ישראל שמתו מי שהיה מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה היה מספרם בפעם האחרונה קרוב מהמספר הראשון

Chizkuni, same question. 

שלשה ועשרים אלף ענין זה מוכיח שהארון היה מכלה בהם שהרי הן נמנים מבן חדש ולא נוסף במנין ל״ח שנה רק אלף וישראל שמתו ושהיו מעשרים שנה ומעלה היה מספרם עכשיו קרוב למנין שבמדבר סיני.

I want a reason suggested in the words of the Torah. Why did Shevet Levi not increase at the same rate as the rest of Klal Yisrael.

8. Why does a child inherit a parent. Is it because of the child’s rights to the property or is it because of the father’s rights.

9. The words וידבר ה' אל משה לאמר appear 175 times in the Torah, but only once the other way around.

10.  The king and the Kohen Gadol. Who stands for whom?  Who stands by the door and says "No, after you."

11. Besides the basic communal obligation to make sure Korbanos Tzibur are brought,  what additional obligation is incumbent upon Klal Yisrael, not only Kohanim, regarding korbanos tzibbur.

12.  Proof that every Shabbos is the same, but every Rosh Chodesh is different- a different mazal, a different mood, a different character.

13. Proof that the Musaf of Shabbos is unlike other Musafim and more like a double Korban Tamid.

 


1. Three brothers; two notorious and one obscure.

 26:9, Nemuel, the brother of Dasan and Aviram, from the shevet Reuven.

 2. Two granddaughters of Yaakov mentioned this week.

Sarach bas Asher 26:26, and Yocheved bas Levi 26:59.

 3. Which names in the Parsha were most popular at the time.

These are the only names that are shared. There is a Nemuel of Reuven in 26:9  and a Nemuel of Shimon in 26:12.  There is a Zarach of Shimon in 26:13 and a Zarach of Yehuda in 26:20. There is a Gilad son of Machir son of Menashe in 26:29, and in that same passuk it says that Menashe also had a son he named Gilad.

However: The Netziv in 26:5 says that there was only one Gilad, and the plural and the repetition in the passuk just means that Machir had a son name Gilad, and although he had other son

4.  An individual who was the first to identify as "they/them." If you wanted to talk to him about it, he would not hear a word you said.

26:42, Shucham son of Dan, known in Breishis as Chushim.

אלה בני דן למשפחתם לשוחם משפחת השוחמי אלה משפחת דן למשפחתם

In Breishish 46:23, "ובני דן חושים." Chazal tell us he was deaf.

According to the Abarbanel in 32:39, Menashe only had one son, Machir, so Machir is also being referred to in the plural. But others say that Menashe had several sons- such as the Netziv in 26:5 mentioned above in question 3. And, as mentioned above, I think Menashe had two sons, Machir (who had a son Gilad Junior) and Gilad Senior.  All of this is very perplexing in light of the fact that in 32:1 we find a land named Gilad, probably the area of Gal Eid from Breishis 31:47, which Avraham called Galeid, which was later conquered by the sons of Machir.

5. Nine people whose deaths in the Midbar and the spiritual causes of their deaths are identified, and two who died in Kna’an, with no cause given.

In the Midbar, Zimri (Numbers 25:14), Dasan and Aviram (26:9-10), Korach (26:10), Nadav (26:61), Avihu (26:61) and Tzelafchad (27:1-3) all died in the desert on account of their sins. Moshe and Aharon died in the desert due to their actions at the "mei Meriva" – 27:13-14. .  In Kna’an, Er and Onan- 26:19.

 6.  People the Torah singles out to say they did not die.

The Torah states that "the sons of Korach did not die" (26:11). And Kalev and Yehoshua, 26:65.

 7. Shevet Levi was always relatively small. Chazal tell us that the numbers of Levi did not increase at the same rate as the other shevatim in Mitzrayim because only those that were persecuted had the bracha of כאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה, and Levi was not subjugated. But why did they not increase proportionately after Yetzias Mitzrayim, in the Midbar? 26:62

ויהיו פקדיהם שלשה ועשרים אלף כל זכר מבן חדש ומעלה

Ibn Ezra

ויהיו פקודיהם. פקודי הלוים במספר הזה נוספו שבע מאות והתימה כי לא נוסף בהם רק שבע מאות והנה ישראל שמתו מי שהיה מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה היה מספרם בפעם האחרונה קרוב מהמספר הראשון

Chizkuni, same question. 

שלשה ועשרים אלף ענין זה מוכיח שהארון היה מכלה בהם שהרי הן נמנים מבן חדש ולא נוסף במנין ל״ח שנה רק אלף וישראל שמתו ושהיו מעשרים שנה ומעלה היה מספרם עכשיו קרוב למנין שבמדבר סיני.

I want a reason suggested in the words of the Torah. Why did Shevet Levi not increase at the same rate as the rest of Klal Yisrael.

Meshech Chochma-

כי לא נתן להם נחלה בתוך בני ישראל

The Torah is explaining that Hashem kept them small because they depended on matanos from the others and a larger shevet would be unsustainable.

ויהיו פקודיהם שלשה ועשרים אלף כל זכר מבן חדש ומעלה כי לא התפקדו בתוך ב"י כי לא נתן להם נחלה בתוך בנ"י. הקדמונים נתפלאו מדוע שבט לוי היה מעט במספרו נגד שארי השבטים. וראיתי שנותנים טעם שבת קול אמרה וכאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה וכן יפרוץ, והם לא היו בקושי השעבוד, לכן לא היו בכלל כן ירבה וכן יפרוץ. אבל מדוע לא נתרבו במדבר תמוה, כי במנין הראשון היו שנים ועשרים אלף. ורש"י הביא מן הירושלמי דיומא שנהרגו ממנו כמה משפחות. אולם לדעתי יתכן כי לו נתכנו עלילות, והיה צופה ומביט, כי שבט לוי, לגיון של מלך, לא ינחלו נחלה, רק ערי מגרש בתוך ב"י, ואם בני לוי יהיו רבים במספר, הלא יצעקו מדוע נגרע חלקם, וגם על בנ"י יהיה כבד הדבר לכלכל עם גדול כמוהו, וכאשר מצאנו בבני יוסף שצעקו, כי ד' ברכם בעם רב, והמקום צר להם לשבת, לכן היה מחכמת הבורא לבלי הרבות אותם ע"ד הנסיי, רק יהיה מספרם בדרך טבעי, והיו כ"ג אלף מבן חדש ומעלה. ויתכן לכלול זה בכוונת הפסוק ויהיו פקודיהם שלשה ועשרים אלף כל זכר מבן חדש ומעלה, לכן היה מנינם מבן חדש, כי לא התפקדו בתוך בנ"י, שמנינם היה מבן עשרים, ולמה היה מנינם פחות כ"כ רק כ"ג אלף במספר, כי לא נתן להם נחלה בתוך בנ"י לכן היו מעטים במספר ולא חלה עליהם הרבוי המופלג מברכת אלקי. ודו"ק.

  8.  Why does a child inherit a parent. Is it because of the child’s rights to the property or is it because of the father’s rights.

27:4

למה יגרע שם אבינו מתוך משפחתו כי אין לו בן תנה לנו אחזה בתוך אחי אבינו

I think this is why Moshe then asked that his sons inherit his position. If yerusha is because of the son deserving it more than others, they did not necessarily deserve it. But if yerusha is because of the father’s rights, then he wanted to assert that right by giving it to his children. Hashem told him that there is a difference between property and Torah leadership.

I have another proof. The Gemara in Kiddushin 17b-18a on yerusha by Akum brings from Reb Yochanan a raya from לבני לוט נתתי ער ירושה, and Rava is docheh because 

וְרָבָא, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אָמַר כְּרַב חִיָּיא בַּר אָבִין? מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹדוֹ דְּאַבְרָהָם שָׁאנֵי.

You see that the yesod of Yerusha is the logic of respecting the original owner's rights.

 

  9. The words  וידבר ה' אל משה לאמר appear 175 times in the Torah, but only once the other way around.

27:15

וידבר משה אל ה' לאמר

 10.  The king and the Kohen Gadol: Who stands for whom?  Who stands by the door and says "No, after you."

27:21, regarding Yehoshua- ולפני אלעזר הכהן יעמד

This is how the Rambam understands it in 2 Melachim 5-

אבל כהן גדול אינו בא לפני המלך אלא אם רצה. ואינו עומד לפניו אלא המלך עומד לפני כהן גדול. שנאמר (במדבר כז כא) "ולפני אלעזר הכהן יעמד". אף על פי כן מצוה על כהן גדול לכבד את המלך ולהושיבו ולעמד מפניו כשיבוא לו. ולא יעמד המלך לפניו אלא כשישאל לו במשפט האורים.

I know there will be nigglers who say “Ha, but the king has a Sefer Torah tied to his arm!” First of all, the Kohen Gadol has the Tzitz. Second, if it’s tied to his arm, it is invisible as far as Kibbud is concerned, as we find by הנכנס לבית מנוגע. 

11. Besides the basic communal obligation to make sure Korbanos Tzibur are brought,  what additional obligation is incumbent upon Klal Yisrael, not only Kohanim, regarding korbanos tzibbur.28:2

 צו את בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם:  את קרבני לחמי לאשי ריח ניחחי תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו

Rashi- this is the source of the Anshei Maamad. There must be representatives of Yisrael present when korbanos tzibur were brought.

תשמרו - שיהיו כהנים ולוים וישראלים עומדין על גביו. מכאן למדו ותקנו מעמדות

 12.  Proof that every Shabbos is the same, but every Rosh Chodesh is different- a different mazal, a different mood, a different character.

The Shabbasos of the year are referred to in the singular, “וביום השבת שני כבשים", but the Roshei Chodesh are referred to in plural, “ובראשי חדשיכם תקריבו"

Maybe (suggested by Harav Carlbach in חבצלת השרון)  because Shabbos is a recurring commemoration, but each Rosh Chodesh relates to the month it begins and has its particular character and mazal.


13. Proof that the Musaf of Shabbos is unlike other Musafim and more like a double Korban Tamid.

28:9
וּבְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת שְׁנֵי כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִם וּשְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים סֹלֶת מִנְחָה בְּלוּלָה בַשֶּׁמֶן וְנִסְכּוֹ׃ 
עֹלַת שַׁבַּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ עַל עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וְנִסְכָּהּ׃

The everyday Tamid is just a keves, a sheep. Most musafim are are sets of parim, eilim, and kevasim.  Shabbos is just two extra kevasim. Also, it says, on Shabbos alone, עלת שבת בשבתו על עלת התמיד ונסכה, that this is in addition to the everyday Tamid.

As the Daas Zkeinim says,
וביום השבת. איתא בשוחר טוב לכל המוספים לא תמצא מוסף מועט כשבת ועל דבר זה קראה שבת תגר לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא אמר לה הקב"ה הנה שזהו קרבן מוסף הראוי לך לפי שכל מעשיך כפולים שיר כפול שנא' מזמור שיר ליום השבת עונג כפול שנאמר וקראת לשבת עונג ולקדוש ה' מכובד עונשו כפול שנא' מחלליה מות יומת לחם כפול לחם משנה לפיכ' ראוי קרבן שלך להיות כפול וזהו שאנו אומרים במוסף של שבת להקריב בה קרבן מוסף שבת כראוי מה שלא נאמר בכל המוספין משל למלך שאמר לעבדיו הכינו סעודה לבני הכינו להם שני מיני מאכלים לאחר שסעדו צוה המלך להכין לו סעודתו אמרו לו עבדיו מה נכין לך אמר להם ולבני מה הכינותם אמרו לו כך וכך אמר להם ולי כמו כן אל תכינו יותר מבני כך הקב"ה נתן לבני ישראל לחם משנה ביום השבת לפיכ' צוה להקריב ג"כ לחם משנה וזהו וביום השבת שני כבשים.

 

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Questions for Chukas and Balak

Chukas 

 1.   Bring a raya from the words of the parsha that a Parah Adumah has to be 100% red, and rov is not good enough.

2.   What can a non-kohen do in the process of the Parah Adumah

3.   By all things that are Tamei, the Torah calls them Tamei. There is one exception the body of a dead person. The Torah never calls the body Tamei. It doesn’t say tamei hu, yihyeh tamei.  It just says that one who touches it is tamei.  How would you explain the difference?

4.   Where did they keep the Matteh of Mei Meriva when it was not being used. What does this imply about whose matteh it was.

5,   In Mitzrayim and at Krias Yam Suf, Moshe took the Matteh and used it. By the war with Amalek in Beshalach, Moshe took the Matteh but did not use it, he just raised his hands. For example, see Netziv there 17:9, where he says

אנכי נצב על ראש הגבעה ומטה האלהים בידי. באמת לא השתמש באותו מעשה במטה כלל.

According to the Netziv, taking the Matteh to the war with Amalek was in case the Jews were not משעבד לבם לאביהם שבשמים then Moshe would just do nissim with the matteh. Others say that it was taken as a sign of authority.

Where do we see in this parsha that Moshe was required to bring the Matteh but to not use it.

6.   The Gemara in Moed Kattan 15b says that an aveil cannot go into the Mikdash. Where do we see that restriction playing out in our parsha.

7    A source for the idea that departed ancestors share the emotions of the living.

8.    An example that people with impulse control problems should not rely on their resolutions.

9.    According to Rav Tarfon, for a neder to be binding, it can not involve any element of doubt.  Nedarim require Hafla'ah, clarity and certainty, and any neder that is based on an "if" is not a neder. Where do we see in our Parsha that a conditional neder is binding?  

10.    Is a kohen gadol allowed to be under the same roof as a dead person?

 

Balak  

1. Targum Yonasan and the Gemara in Sanhedrin 105a say that Bilaam was Lavan, or he was a gilgul of Lavan. Lavan had given Rivka a bracha וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת רִבְקָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ אֲחֹתֵנוּ אַתְּ הֲיִי לְאַלְפֵי רְבָבָה . How could a curse to destroy them be effective if he already gave them a bracha?

 2. Our parsha says that Balak was not interested in getting a bracha that he should be strong and great. He wanted a klala on the Jews. Are we misunderstanding something? Can it really be that an enemy of the Jews would be totally reject the option of becoming a great nation on their own and instead use all their strength and everything they have to try to destroy us.

3. Unless you are under examination in a courtroom, a question means that the speaker does not know the answer. Where do we find that Hashem asks a question and implies that He needed to hear the answer or that He wants to establish a fact. Extra credit: find three other such cases, all in Sefer Breishis.

 4. Who claps his hands even though he is not happy.

 5. When chasidus began, misnagdim believed that some chasidim had a faith in their rebbes that was close to idol worship. Tell me two of the most famous early leaders of Chasidus whose names begin with the name of an avoda zara. This is just a joke. 

 6. Name the six weapons that appear in the parsha.

7. Find a bird and a nest in the parsha.

 8. Chazal say that when the tzadikim of the generation saw what Zimri was doing, they were so shaken up that they gathered to say Krias Shema at the entrance of the Mishkan. How does this relate to the unusual name of Pinchas’ weapon, which appears only this one time in Chumash.

9. Chazal tell us that Bilaam knew the daily instant when Hashem invoked Middas Hadin and planned to use it for the klalah. In fact, the word he was going to use was כלם, kaleim, which are the first three letters after alef through yud, which represent the ten maamaros of brias haolam. To prevent this, Hashem rearranged the whole spiritual world and did not have that moment.  How does this relate to an otherwise inexplicable change in the behavior of Klal Yisrael that followed immediately after?  How did this show Bilaam’s brilliant strategy?

10. Pesachim 111a, do not walk between two women, nor allow a woman to walk between two men, probably because of Kishuf problems. If you have no choice, you should say a passuk that begins and ends with  אל or a passuk that begins with לא  and  stop with the second or third time it says לא in that passuk.

תנו רבנן: שלשה אין ממצעין ולא מתמצעין. ואלו הן: הכלב והדקל והאשה. ויש אומרים: אף החזיר, ויש אומרים: אף הנחש. ואי ממצעין מאי תקנתיה? אמר רב פפא: נפתח ב״אל״ ונפסיק ב״אל״. אי נמי, נפתח ב״לא״ ונפסיק ב״לא״. הני בי תרי דמצעא להו אשה נדה, אם תחלת נדתה היא — הורגת אחד מהן, אם סוף נדתה היא — מריבה עושה ביניהן. מאי תקנתיה? נפתח ב״אל״ ונפסיק ב״אל״.

 מאי תקנתיה אמר רב פפא נפתח באל ונפסיק באל אי נמי נפתח בלא ונפסיק בלא

Using the pesukim is definitely better than what happened in the Hesed Le’Avraham shul in 2023, when a poor yungerman was arrested on charges of child abduction because he was trying to get out after a bris, and the hallway was full of women, and he tried to get the boy to be mafsik, and the mother was sure he was kidnapping him.

Both are in our parsha,  the first with Lo, and the second starts with Eil and the third ends with Eil.

 

 

CHUKAS


1.   Bring a raya from the words of the parsha that a Parah Adumah has to be 100% red, and rov is not good enough.

The word “temimah” in 19:2

ויקחו אליך פרה אדמה תמימה אשר אין בה מום

It says in the end of the passuk that it has to be free of blemish. So what does it mean when it says temimah? It must mean that it adumah temimah, completely red. 

ספרי פיסקא קכ"ג  

פרה. שומע אני שחורה או לבנה – תלמוד לומר תמימה. תמימה באדמות או תמימה במומים? כשהוא אומר אשר אין בה מום אשר לא עלה עליה עול – הרי מומים אמורים; הא מה תלמוד לומר תמימה – שתהא תמימה באדמות.

There is a halacha l’Moshe miSinai that two black hairs make it passul. People think the halacha halacha l’Moshe miSinai is coming to be machmir, that it is passul even if it has only two. I think that it is coming to be meikil; that without the halacha halacha l’Moshe miSinai, even one hair would make it passul, because temimah means completely red, there's no din rov.

2.   What can a non-kohen do in the process of the Parah Adumah

A non-Cohen can gather the ash, because it says “Ish Tahor”, meaning there are no other qualifications other than that. (Yoma 43)

The same is true for the mixing of the ash into water and the actual sprinkling on the tamei.

There is a machlokes Rav and Shmuel whether he can do the shechita.

3.   By all things that are Tamei, the Torah calls them Tamei. There is one exception the body of a dead person. The Torah never calls the body Tamei. It doesn’t say tamei hu, yihyeh tamei.  It just says that one who touches it is tamei.  How would you explain the difference?

ספרי זוטא (חקת פי"ט י"א הובא בילקוט רמז תשס"א) הנוגע במת, נוגע במת טמא אין מת עצמו טמא נוגע במת טמא אין בנה של שונמית טמא אמרו בנה של שונמית כשמת כל שהיה עמו בבית טמא היה טומאת שבעה וכשחיה היה טהור לקודש חזרו ונגעו בו טמאוהו הם ה"ז אומר מטמאיך לא טמאוני ואתה טימאתני,

The Sifri says that unlike all other things that are tamei, the body of a dead person is not tamei. It just causes tumah in others. When the child of the Shunamis was revived, he was not tamei.

This is not unique. There are other tumos that are caused by objects that are not tamei, such as a נבילת עוף טהור, which causes tuma to one who eats it (מטמא בגדים בבית הבליעה), but not to one who touches it. But see Reb Chaim Avos HaTuma 3:1 who says it is a tumah of maga, not maaseh, but it is only metamei maga in a particular place.

 4.   Where did they keep the Matteh of Mei Meriva when it was not being used. What does this imply about whose matteh it was.

20:9, 

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמַּטֶּה מִלִּפְנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ.

Milifnei Hashem sounds like it was Aharon’s matteh, because that's the only matteh we know was kept in the Mishkan. 

The Chizkuni in 20:8 says this as well- it was the matteh with Aharon's name on it that was kept in the Kodesh Kodashim.

קח את המטה זה המטה של אהרן דהא כתיב כאן ויקח משה את המטה מלפני ה׳‎ וזהו מקלו של אהרן כדכתיב בפרשת קרח (17:25) השב את מטה אהרן לפני העדות למשמרת לאות לבני מרי, ועוד דמקלו של אהרן היה אות לבני מרי והיינו דאמר משה שמעו נא המורים וכבר טעה משה שאמר לו הקב״‎ה קח את המטה סבר משה להכות בסלע והקב״‎ה לא אמר קח את המטה אלא לפי שלא היה לאות לבני מרי.

But I have a hard time visualizing Moshe hitting the rock with a matteh that had flowers on it.

5,   In Mitzrayim and at Krias Yam Suf, Moshe took the Matteh and used it. By the war with Amalek in Beshalach, Moshe took the Matteh but did not use it, he just raised his hands. For example, see Netziv there 17:9, where he says

אנכי נצב על ראש הגבעה ומטה האלהים בידי. באמת לא השתמש באותו מעשה במטה כלל.

According to the Netziv, taking the Matteh to the war with Amalek was in case the Jews were not משעבד לבם לאביהם שבשמים then Moshe would just do nissim with the matteh. Others say that it was taken as a sign of authority.

Where do we see in this parsha that Moshe was required to bring the Matteh but to not use it.

By Mei Meriva, where Hashem told him (20:80)

קח את המטה והקהל את העדה אתה ואהרן אחיך ודברתם אל הסלע לעיניהם ונתן מימיו

6.   The Gemara in Moed Kattan 15b says that an aveil cannot go into the Mikdash. Where do we see that restriction playing out in our parsha.

In 20:6, which was right after Miriam died, it says that Moshe and Aharon only went to the entrance of the Ohel Moed to daven.

ויבא משה ואהרן מפני הקהל אל פתח אהל מועד ויפלו על פניהם

Whereas after the story of Korach, when the people complained, (17:8) it says they went into the Ohel Moed.

ויבא משה ואהרן אל פני אהל מועד 

7.    A source for the idea that departed ancestors share the emotions of the living.

20:15 

וַיֵּרְדוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ מִצְרַיְמָה וַנֵּשֶׁב בְּמִצְרַיִם יָמִים רַבִּים וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ מִצְרַיִם וְלַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.

Rashi

ולאבתינו. מִכָּאן שֶׁהָאָבוֹת מִצְטַעֲרִים בַּקֶּבֶר כְּשֶׁפֻּרְעָנוּת בָּאָה עַל יִשְֹרָאֵל (עי' תנחומא י'ב):

Tanchuma

 שֶׁל אָבוֹת כָּאן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ מִצְרִים וְלַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ. לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בַּצָּרָה, אַף הֵם בַּצָּרָה

It's not only to suffer. The Mekubalim tell us that the souls of the departed come to the wedding of their children and grandchildren (see Zohar Pinchas, Shu”t Maharash Engel vol. 7 page 119, and Yesod Veshoresh Haovodah Shaar Hakolel 15)

8.    An example that people with impulse control problems should not rely on their resolutions.

20:18   וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱד֔וֹם לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר בִּ֑י פֶּן־בַּחֶ֖רֶב אֵצֵ֥א לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ׃

The word “pen” indicates that they would agree to allow Bnei Yisrael safe passage, but they knew they were children of Eisav, and it was impossible to know what might trigger a violent reaction.  They were saying, even if we sign an agreement, we can not trust ourselves to keep our word. If we lose our temper, agreements mean nothing. 

 9.    According to Rav Tarfon, for a neder to be binding, it can not involve any element of doubt.  Nedarim require Hafla'ah, clarity and certainty, and any neder that is based on an "if" is not a neder. Where do we see in our Parsha that a conditional neder is binding?  

In our parsha (21:2-3) the nation said 

וידר ישראל נדר לה' ויאמר אם נתן תתן את העם הזה בידי והחרמתי את עריהם 

וישמע ה' בקול ישראל ויתן את הכנעני ויחרם אתהם ואת עריהם ויקרא שם המקום חרמה

We see that a conditional neder is binding. This seems to be contrary to Rav Tarfon who said that certainty at the time a neder is made is essential, and the neder is not binding without it. Nedarim 21a, where two people made conditional nedarim - one said "If he is X, I am a nazir," and the other said "If he is NOT X, I am a nazir."

ר' יהודה היא, דאמר משום רבי טרפון: לעולם אין אחד מהן נזיר, לפי שלא ניתנה נזירות אלא להפלאה

Ran there- 

לפי שלא ניתנה נזירות אלא להפלאה – וה"ה לנדרים דאיתקש לנזירות דלא חייל אלא א"כ יקבל בלא תנאי הלכך מוכר ולוקח שתלו נדרם בתנאי אף על פי שעברו על תנאם לא חיילי נדרייהו".

The Keren Orah asks from our Parsha and says it could be that the great danger they faced makes even an uncertain neder binding.

מאן תנא ארבעה נדרים, ר"י משום ר"ט היא, דאמר לעולם אין אחד מהן נזיר, שלא ניתנה נזירות אלא להפלאה. ופי' ז"ל דבין בנזירות ובין בנדרים לר"ט לא הוי נדר ונזיר אם תלה באיזה תנאי, דבעינן שיהא הדבר מפורש בלי שום תנאי. ויש לדקדק מראשון לנודרים יעקב אבינו ע"ה (בראשית כ"ח, כ' – כ"ב) אם יהיה אלהים עמדי כו', וכל אשר תתן לי כו', ונענש על איחור נדרו (ב"ר פ"א, ב'). ולר"ט הא לא חל הנדר כלל, כיון שתלה בתנאי. וכן נאמר מפורש (במדבר כ"א, ב') וידר ישראל נדר אם כו' והחרמתי את עריהם כו', משמע דהוי נדר אפילו אם תלאו בתנאי. וכן חנה ויפתח כולם נדרו בתנאי. ובסנהדרין פרק זה בורר (כ"ה ע"א) אמרינן דהא דמשחקי בקוביא הוי אסמכתא הוא משום דר"י משום ר"ט. ופי' ז"ל דאי אסמכתא קניא אם כן ניתן להפלאה, ולמה ממעט ליה מכי יפליא. אלא ודאי שמע מינה דאסמכתא לא קניא משום דלא סמכא דעתיה, ומשום הכי לאו נדר הוא. ור' יהודה אליביה דנפשיה פליג התם וסבירא ליה דמשחק בקוביא לאו אסמכתא הוא. אבל גם הוא מודה דאיכא גוונא דאית ביה אסמכתא. כגון אם תלה בתנאי שהוא בידו. וכמו שכתבו התוס' ז"ל שם בסנהדרין (כ"ד ע"ב ד"ה כל כי האי) ובעירובין (פ"ב ע"א ד"ה אמר). ואם כן לדידיה נמי איכא למידרש דרשא דכי יפליא להאי גוונא, כגון שתלה בתנאי שבידו. וכן משמע בריש מכילתין (ה' ע"ב) דסתמא דגמרא דריש מה נזירות בהפלאה אף נדרים בהפלאה, עיין שם בדברי הר"ן ז"ל. אבל בחגיגה סוף פ"ק (דף י' ע"א) משמע דלרבנן דר"ט לא דרשינן כי יפליא להאי דרשא ע"ש. ומכל מקום צריך עיון בכל הני תנאים שהוזכרו אצל נזירות ונדרים והקדש אי שייך בהן אסמכתא. ואמאי פליג ר"ט בכולהו. ונדרים האמורים בכתובים יש לומר דנודר בעת צרה שאני, דגמר ומשעבד נפשיה, וגם ר"ט מודה, וצ"ע בזה

 

I never saw this as a problem. I do not think it has to be binding for it to be meaningful. It was a resolution, a promise, a statement of intent about what they would do if they won the war. For some reason, many achronim assume the opposite, that since it says "neder," that word means "a legally recognized neder," and that includes being enforceable. I do not know why that is true.

10.    Is a kohen gadol allowed to be under the same roof as a dead person?

Eliezer became kohen gadol upon Aharon’s death, and he was in the cave with him.

Was this an exception to the rule?

Rav Shteinman (Ayeles HaShachar) brings the Baal HaTurim that implies that Elazar didn't become the Kohen Gadol until after he was anointed, in which case he was still a kohen hedyot and permitted to be present at Aharon's death. This is difficult, because that seems to be the whole point of Moshe dressing him in Aharon’s bigdei kohen gadol.

Sfas Emes (Kerisos5) says that Elazar did not need an additional anointing to become Kohen Gadol, since he had already been anointed during the seven days of the consecration of the Mishkan. 

But the question can be answered with the Ramban in 19:2 who says that those who die through Neshikah, without the involvement of the malach hamaves, have no tumah and impart no tumah.  Aharon died בנשיקה.

כִּי הַנִּפְטָרִים בִּנְשִׁיקָה לֹא יְטַמְּאוּ מִן הַדִּין, וְהוּא שֶׁאָמְרוּ: ״צַדִּיקִים אֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין״.

Also the Recanati in Chukas 5.

הנוגע במת לכל נפש אדם וטמא שבעת ימים כבר כתבנו כי סבת טומאת המת הוא מצד מלאך המות שהטיל בו זוהמא והמטמא בו צריך טהרה. אמנם מי שמת בנשיקה מת על פי יי' כפי הדבקה בשכינה ואין רוח הטומאה שולט במיתתן לפיכך אין האויר נפסד לפי ששמרו נשמתן ולא נתפתו ביצר הרע ונשארו טהורות ולבנות כמו שנופחו מפי יי' יתברך ועל כן יציאתם גם כן היא על פי יי' יתברך ושם נדבקין

I am not sure if this is compatible with the Sifri Zuta I brought above.

 

 

 BALAK

1. Targum Yonasan and the Gemara in Sanhedrin 105a say that Bilaam was Lavan, or he was a gilgul of Lavan. Lavan gave Rivka a bracha אֲחֹתֵ֕נוּ אַ֥תְּ הֲיִ֖י לְאַלְפֵ֣י רְבָבָ֑ה. How could a curse to destroy them be effective if he already gave them a bracha?

The bracha to Rivka could be fulfilled through Eisav. All the havtachos to Avraham and to Yitzchak could have been fulfilled through Eisav. That's why it says in the Hagada that there was a Gzeira on Avraham's descendants at the BBhB, and  ואתן לעשו את הר שעיר ויעקב ובניו ירדו מצרים.  It could have gone the other way.

In fact, many meforshim say that this is what Lavan meant in the bracha- You are our sister, and children take after their uncles. Achoseinu aht! May your children be like me, all little Lavans, not tzadikim like you and your husband. That is why we use the same nusach by a wedding- because when we say achoseinu aht, we mean that they should be like us, Shomrei Torah Umitzvos. So cursing them just meant that he wanted to make sure that his bracha should be fulfilled as he meant it.

Alternatively, that the klalah was only to scare them and chase them away, not to kill them.  22:6-

ועתה לכה נא ארה לי את העם הזה כי עצום הוא ממני אולי אוכל נכה בו ואגרשנו מן הארץ

But that was just Balak. Bilaam wanted kilayon annihilation. So it's not a good answer.

  2. Our parsha says that Balak was not interested in getting a bracha that he should be strong and great. He wanted a klala on the Jews. Are we misunderstanding something? Can it really be that an enemy of the Jews would be totally reject the option of becoming a great nation on their own and instead use all their strength and everything they have to try to destroy us.

No, that’s the mesorah of the Arabs, all the way down to the Arabs in Gaza. They could have built a magnificent country, extending through Sinai, if they had focused on personal success instead of murdering Jews.

 3. Unless you are under examination in a courtroom, a question means that the speaker does not know the answer. Where do we find that Hashem asks a question and implies that He needed to hear the answer or that He wants to establish a fact. Extra credit: find three other such cases, all in Sefer Breishis.

22:9, מי האנשים האלה עמך

Breishis    3:9, אייכה.     4:9, אי הבל אחיך      18:13, למה זה צחקה שרה

 4. Who clapped his hands even though he was not happy.

24:10   ויחר־אף בלק אל־בלעם ויספק את־כפיו 

  5. When chasidus began, misnagdim believed that some chasidim had faith in their rebbes that was close to worship. Tell me two early leaders of Chasidus whose names begin with the name of an avoda zara. This is a joke. 

Baal. The Baal Shem Tov and the Baal HaTanya.

 6. Name the six weapons that appear in the parsha.

Sword, Cherev twice, once Bilaam telling his donkey he would kill him if he had a sword, and once in the hand of the Malach.      

Arrows in 24:8,  וחיציו ימחץ.  

A staff, makel and sheivet, twice:  22:26, Bilaam hit the asson with a מקל, and 25:17  וקם שבט מישראל ומחץ פאתי מואב וקרקר כל בני שת.  

and Pinchas’ spear, romach.

 7. Find a bird and a nest in the parsha.

Ben Tzipor,

and 24:21,וַיַּרְא אֶת הַקֵּינִי וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר אֵיתָן מוֹשָׁבֶךָ וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע קִנֶּךָ.

 8. Chazal say that when the tzadikim of the generation saw what Zimri was doing, they were so shaken up that they gathered to say Krias Shema at the entrance of the Mishkan. How does this relate to the unusual name of Pinchas’ weapon, which appears only this one time in Chumash.

 וַיַּרְא פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וַיָּקׇם מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ. 25:7

Romach appears only here in Chumash, but several times in Neviim.

 Romach totals 248, the number of words in Krias Shema. The gedolim said Krias Shema, Pinchas took the lesson of mesiras nefesh of Krias Shema in his hands and did something about it.

9. Chazal tell us that Bilaam knew the daily instant when Hashem invoked Middas Hadin and planned to use it for the klalah. In fact, the word he was going to use was כלם, kaleim, which are the first three letters after alef through yud, which represent the ten maamaros of brias haolam. To prevent this, Hashem rearranged the whole spiritual world and did not have that moment.  How does this relate to an otherwise inexplicable change in the behavior of Klal Yisrael that followed immediately after?  How did this show Bilaam’s brilliant strategy?

In Mitzrayim, we lived for two hundred ten years with absolute tzniyus and chastity and total rejection of marrying a non-Jew. Now, after Yetzias Mitzrayim, and Mattan Torah, and forty years of eating lechem abirim, suddenly the men shamelessly start chasing shiksas???  The only explanation is that there was the sudden change in middas hadin, the absence of Zaam, caused a drop in yiras shamayim. That is why Pinchas is described as בקנאו את קנאתי, the Kinah Hashem would normally have had. 

Bilaam’s plan from day one was either Hashem would have that moment of anger and he would exploit it with a curse; or if Hashem would avoid that moment, then Klal Yisrael would be more likely to sin, and he would send in the Bnos Moav. 

I wonder if Bnos Moav was his main plan from the first moment. He knew that the RBSO was less likely to interfere with bechira, so all he had to do was weaken their yiras shamayim.

10. Pesachim 111a, do not walk between two women, nor allow a woman to walk between two men, probably because of Kishuf problems. If you have no choice, you should say a passuk that begins and ends with  אל or a passuk that begins with לא  and  stop with the second or third time it says לא in that passuk.

תנו רבנן: שלשה אין ממצעין ולא מתמצעין. ואלו הן: הכלב והדקל והאשה. ויש אומרים: אף החזיר, ויש אומרים: אף הנחש. ואי ממצעין מאי תקנתיה? אמר רב פפא: נפתח ב״אל״ ונפסיק ב״אל״. אי נמי, נפתח ב״לא״ ונפסיק ב״לא״. הני בי תרי דמצעא להו אשה נדה, אם תחלת נדתה היא — הורגת אחד מהן, אם סוף נדתה היא — מריבה עושה ביניהן. מאי תקנתיה? נפתח ב״אל״ ונפסיק ב״אל״.

 מאי תקנתיה אמר רב פפא נפתח באל ונפסיק באל אי נמי נפתח בלא ונפסיק בלא

Using the pesukim is definitely better than what happened in the Hesed Le’Avraham shul in 2023, when a poor yungerman was arrested on charges of child abduction because he was trying to get out after a bris, and the hallway was full of women, and he tried to get the boy to be mafsik, and the mother was sure he was kidnapping him.

Both are in our parsha,  the first with Lo, and the second starts with Eil and the third ends with Eil.

23:19 

לא איש אל ויכזב ובן אדם ויתנחם ההוא אמר ולא יעשה ודבר ולא יקימנה

23:22-23

אל מוציאם ממצרים כתועפת ראם לו   כי לא נחש ביעקב ולא קסם בישראל כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל אל

 

 

 


Friday, June 19, 2026

Questions for Korach

1.   What country was called Zavas Chalav Udevash.

2.   In Hebrew, Samim means drugs. Where do you see that taking medicine without a prescription is deadly?

3.  Where do we see that it is not a middas chasidus for a leader of a community to refuse a stipend, payment for his essential needs.

4.   If you are fighting with someone wicked, and you are both davening to the Ribono shel Olam, and you know that you are the tzadik and the other person is the rasha, should you just rely on the Ribono shel Olam to ignore your wicked opponent’s prayers, or do you have to do something else.

5.   It has been said that one out of forty of Klal Yisrael died as a consequence of the rebellion of Korach. That would be 603,550 divided by forty, 15,088. But the numbers we have are: 

in the immediate punishment of Korach and his men, 250 plus Korach and Dasan and Aviram, 253; in the subsequent plague,14,700.

The total is 14,953, which is 135 fewer than 15,088.  Find the simple gematria that shows how the 135 were saved from imminent death. 

6.   The general rule is that while a Talmid Chacham and a father can be mochel on their kavod, a king can not be mochel. Where do we find that Moshe was mochel on his kavod. For extra credit, suggest why the rule does not apply in this case.

7.    In many languages, ‘oily’ is used to describe a villain who uses a slippery or slick or unctuous manner to trick you into doing something destructive out of his self interest. This is also the etymology of 'smarmy.'

  • Spanish: Empalagoso (sweet, cloying) or Untuoso
  • French: Mielleux (honeyed) or Onctueux
  • German: Schmierig (slimy) or Ölig
  • Italian: Untuoso or Sdolcinato (cloyingly sweet) 
  • Portuguese: Untuoso 
  • It’s just a coincidence, but where do we see such a term associated with a wicked person.

    8.  Where do we see that the rebels deserved to die even if it were true that Moshe was not a Shaliach of the Ribono shel Olam, simply because they were fomenting rebellion with insufficient cause.

    9.  What bracha would you make on the almonds from Aharon's staff?

    10.   The Gemara in Kiddushin 22b says that washing someone is a particularly personal type of service. We all know that our minhag is that Leviim wash the hands of Kohanim before duchening, and the Beis Yosef says that the only basis for this that he knows is the Zohar. Show me a possible source for this minhag in our parsha.  (Torah Temimah)



    1.   What country was called Zavas Chalav Udevash.

    Mitzrayim. 16:13,

    הַמְעַט כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי־תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ גַּם־הִשְׂתָּרֵר׃ 

    אַף לֹא אֶל־אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הֲבִיאֹתָנוּ וַתִּתֶּן־לָנוּ נַחֲלַת שָׂדֶה וָכָרֶם הַעֵינֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם תְּנַקֵּר לֹא נַעֲלֶה׃

    2.   In Hebrew, Samim means drugs. Where do you see that taking medicine without a prescription is deadly?

    From the Ketores haSamim. It killed Korach and his people, but it protected the people from the plague when Aharon brought it out.

    3.  Where do we see that it is not a middas chasidus for a leader of a community to refuse a stipend, payment for his essential needs.

    16:15,

    וַיִּחַר לְמֹשֶׁה מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל יְהֹוָה אַל תֵּפֶן אֶל מִנְחָתָם לֹא חֲמוֹר אֶחָד מֵהֶם נָשָׂאתִי 

    Netziv- a Chamor not, but he did get a stipend for his basic needs, for food and lodging.  Otherwise, his work to support his family would have been at the expense of the nation that needed him.

    4.   If you are fighting with someone wicked, and you are both davening to the Ribono shel Olam, and you know that you are the tzadik and the other person is the rasha, should you just rely on the Ribono shel Olam to ignore your wicked opponent’s prayers, or do you have to do something else.

    You should ask Hashem to not listen to his prayers. 16:15

    וַיִּחַר לְמֹשֶׁה מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל ה' אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־מִנְחָתָם 

    The Ohr HaChaim says that a completely blameless Tzadik who is attacked can ask the Ribono shel Olam to not reward the good deeds of his enemy.

     דע כי הצדיקים יש כח בהם להפקיע זכות הנמצאת לרשעים כשיראו שהם מוחלטים ברע, 

    5.  It has been said that one out of forty of Klal Yisrael died as a consequence of the rebellion of Korach. That would be 603,550 divided by forty, 15,088. But the numbers we have are:

    in the immediate punishment of Korach and his men, 250 plus Korach and Dasan and Aviram, 253; In the subsequent plague,14,700.

    The total is 14,953, which is 135 fewer than 15,088.

    Find the simple gematria that shows how the 135 were saved from imminent death. 

    17:12,   הַקָּהָל. Kahal equals 135.  Aharon's tefilla and ketores saved the Kahal, that is, the 135 who were about to die.

    וַיִּקַּח אַהֲרֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר  דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה וַיָּרׇץ אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַקָּהָל וְהִנֵּה הֵחֵל הַנֶּגֶף בָּעָם וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַקְּטֹרֶת וַיְכַפֵּר עַל־הָעָם׃

    (based on Maharil Diskin.)

    6.   The general rule is that while a Talmid Chacham and a father can be mochel on their kavod, a king can not be mochel. Where do we find that Moshe was mochel on his kavod. For extra credit, suggest why the rule does not apply in this case.

    16:12, where Moshe asked Dasan and Aviram to make peace.

    Reasons that he was allowed to do this-

    San 19b, for the purpose of a Mitzva, such as Chalitzah.

    גבי מלך דתנן לא חולץ ולא חולצין לאשתו רבי יהודה אומר אם רצה לחלוץ וליבם זכור לטוב איני והאמר רב אשי וכו' ומשני מצוה שאני 

    Or: שום תשים, which is the source for not being able to forego, did not apply to Moshe, who was not chosen by the people. (Reb Chaim Kanievsky in his Shekel HaKodesh and the Mikneh in Kiddushin 42b.) This also explains how Moshe could serve Yisro.

    Or: He was mochel in order to preserve his malchus.

    7.    In many languages, ‘oily’ is used to describe a villain who uses a slippery or slick or unctuous manner to trick you into doing something destructive out of his self interest. This is also the etymology of 'smarmy.'

  • Spanish: Empalagoso (sweet, cloying) or Untuoso
  • French: Mielleux (honeyed) or Onctueux
  • German: Schmierig (slimy) or Ölig
  • Italian: Untuoso or Sdolcinato
  • Portuguese: Untuoso or Insincero 
  • It’s just a coincidence, but where do we see such a term associated with a wicked person.

    16:1, Korach ben Yitzhar.  יִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן־יִצְהָר

     Yitzhar is oil.  18:12, the mitzva of Teruma, Yitzhareicha, your oil.   כֹּל חֵלֶב יִצְהָר וְכׇל־חֵלֶב תִּירוֹשׁ וְדָגָן 

    8.  Where do we see that the rebels deserved to die even if it were true that Moshe was not a Shaliach of the Ribono shel Olam, simply because they were fomenting rebellion with insufficient cause.

    16:29-30

    אִם כְּמוֹת כׇּל הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת כׇּל הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא ה' שְׁלָחָנִי.

    וְאִם בְּרִיאָה יִבְרָא ה' וּפָצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת פִּיהָ וּבָלְעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת כׇּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת  ה'.

    The first passuk says that if they die natural deaths, even immediately, then you can fairly claim that Hashem did not send me. But if Hashem did not send him, why would they die at all? Evidently, even if Hashem hadn't sent him, they deserved to die for the unjustified social upheaval. 

    9.  What bracha would you make if you ate the almonds from Aharon's staff?

    Borei pri ha'etz. The miracle was that they grew from the staff, not that they were just miraculously created there. So they were pri ha'etz. This is assuming that you make ha'eitz on hydroponic tree fruit, as Reb Moshe and the Chazon Ish hold, and contrary to the Chayei Adam and Reb Aharon Kotler.

    17:23

     והנה פרח מטה אהרן לבית לוי ויצא פרח ויצץ ציץ ויגמל שקדים.

    10.   The Gemara in Kiddushin 22b says that washing someone is a particularly personal type of service. We all know that our minhag is that Leviim wash the hands of Kohanim before duchening, and the Beis Yosef says that the only basis for this that he knows is the Zohar. Show me a possible source for this minhag in our parsha.  (Torah Temimah)

    18:2,  וְגַם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ, personal service. We find no other prescribed personal service by the Leviim. 

    Not in this parsha, but the Baal Haturim in Eikev sees a remez to the minhag that the Kohanim wash their hands. Devarim 10:8-9, and even though he doesn't say it, it would seem to also be merameiz that it is the Leviim who should do it.

    מִשָּׁ֥ם נָסְע֖וּ הַגֻּדְגֹּ֑דָה וּמִן־הַגֻּדְגֹּ֣דָה יׇטְבָ֔תָה אֶ֖רֶץ נַ֥חֲלֵי מָֽיִם׃ 

    בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗וא הִבְדִּ֤יל יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣בֶט הַלֵּוִ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָ֑ה לַעֲמֹד֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה לְשָֽׁרְתוֹ֙ וּלְבָרֵ֣ךְ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

    Baal Haturim:
    בעת ההיא הבדיל ה' את שבט הלוי סמך כאן לומר שהלוים החזירו את ישראל: סמך מים ללשאת את הארון ולברך לומר שצריך ליטול ידיו כדי לישא כפיו: