Questions for Ki Savo

1.  How do you know that borei pri haadama is a proper bracha on grapes?

2.  In the standard Hagada of Pesach, the Ben Rasha is condemned for saying אשר ציווה אתכם, that you were commanded, separating himself from the rest of the Jewish People. In a different Hagada (a Not-On-Pesach Hagada, but it is the source of almost everything in the Pesach Hagada) we see that while a person is doing a mitzvah there is nothing wrong with saying “Your God.”

3.  Our parsha begins with two recitations involving agricultural mattanos. The first is called Mikra Bikkurim and the second Chazal call Viduy Maaser. The Gemara in Sotah says that one should be declaimed, loud and clear, and the other recited in a soft voice. Which and why.

4.  The Mishna in Sotah lists those recitations that can be in any language and those that must be in Hebrew. In our Parsha, we find the three such recitals: Mikra Bikurim, Viduy Maaser, and the national oration at Har Grizim and Har Eival. Chazal say that two of these must be said in Hebrew, and one can be said in any language.  This halacha is based purely on drashos. פשוטו של מקרא, the simple reading, does not show anything.  Can you suggest a סברא that would explain why two of these are different than the third? Bikkurim, Maaser, and Grizim v’Eival.

5.  The UAE, the United Arab Emirates, is so named for the seven emirates that formed a federation. An Emirate is synonymous with a Sheikdom, and refers to an area ruled by a Sheik, or an Emir. Where do we find this term used in our Parsha.

6.  The Gemara in Megilla says that a person who wears Kosher Tefillin with the right Kavana will cause fear in his enemies who see him.

תניא רבי אליעזר הגדול אומר אלו תפלין שבראש (מגילה טז:)

(This is only true where the person does the mitzva perfectly without exception, and that the tefillin and his head form one indivisible unit, such as was the case with the Vilner Gaon, and no one of our time can rely upon it.) Where do we see this idea in the parsha?

7.  An object mentioned four times in our parsha and nowhere else in Tanach. According to some, it is the same Gematria as the number of masechtos in Shas.

 

1.  How do you know that borei pri haadama is a proper bracha on grapes?

Because Bikkurim were brought from the Shivas Haminim, and you say (26:2)  מראשית כל פרי האדמה

 

2.  In the standard Hagada of Pesach, the Ben Rasha is condemned for saying אשר ציווה אתכם, that you were commanded, separating himself from the rest of the Jewish People. In a different Hagada (a Not-On-Pesach Hagada, but it is the source of almost everything in the Pesach Hagada) we see that while a person is doing a mitzvah there is nothing wrong with saying “Your God.”

26:3

ובאת אל הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם ואמרת אליו הגדתי היום לה' אלהיך כי באתי אל הארץ אשר נשבע ה' לאבתינו לתת לנו

 It is a hagada, and he says to the Kohen "Hashem Elokecha."

3.  Our parsha begins with two recitations involving agricultural mattanos. The first is called Mikra Bikkurim and the second Chazal call Viduy Maaser. The Gemara in Sotah says that one should be declaimed, loud and clear, and the other recited in a soft voice. Which and why.

26:5, Bikkurim, וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ, loud.

26:13, Maaser, וְאָמַרְתָּ, soft.

 

4.  The Mishna in Sotah lists those recitations that can be in any language and those that must be in Hebrew. In our Parsha, we find the three such recitals: Mikra Bikurim, Viduy Maaser, and the national oration at Har Grizim and Har Eival. Chazal say that two of these must be said in Hebrew, and one can be said in any language.  This halacha is based purely on drashos. פשוטו של מקרא, the simple reading, does not show anything.  Can you suggest a סברא that would explain why two of these are different than the third? Bikkurim, Maaser, and Grizim v’Eival.

Bikkurim and Har Grizim ve'Har Eival are davka in Hebrew. Maaser is in any language.

The simplest explanation is that Har Grizim ve'Har Eival is a national event, and Mikra Bikkurim is the Jewish People speaking through individuals in a recap of the nation's history. Viduy Maaser, on the other hand, is purely personal. לשון הקודש may not be the language of the individual, but when Klal Yisrael speaks, it speaks in Hebrew.

 

5.  The UAE, the United Arab Emirates, is so named for the seven emirates that formed a federation. An Emirate is synonymous with a Sheikdom, and refers to an area ruled by a Sheik, or an Emir. Where do we find this term used in our Parsha.

26:17-18

את ה' האמרת היום להיות לך לאלהים וללכת בדרכיו ולשמר חקיו ומצותיו ומשפטיו ולשמע בקלו

וה' האמירך היום להיות לו לעם סגלה כאשר דבר לך ולשמר כל מצותיו

 

6.  The Gemara in Megilla says that a person who wears Kosher Tefillin with the right Kavana will cause fear in his enemies who see him.

תניא רבי אליעזר הגדול אומר אלו תפלין שבראש (מגילה טז:)

(This is only true where the person does the mitzva perfectly without exception, and that the tefillin and his head form one indivisible unit, such as was the case with the Vilner Gaon, and no one of our time can rely upon it.) Where do we see this idea in the parsha?

28:9-10

יְקִימְךָ ה' לוֹ לְעַם קָדוֹשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לָךְ כִּי תִשְׁמֹר אֶת מִצְוֹת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו: וְרָאוּ כָּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם ה' נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ

Tosfos in Brachos 6a says this is the Shel Rosh and the letter Shin on it. The Maharshal says the letter is both a reference to the Sheim Shakkai and also the number of days in the year that we wear tefillin (If and only If you wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed.)

Story, as written by Ozer Alport in his Parsha Potpourri:

The Vilna Gaon was once lodging at an inn when he heard loud cries and screams for help coming from the innkeeper’s room. Although the Gaon was in the middle of the morning prayers, he quickly ran to the aid of a fellow Jew. He threw open the innkeeper’s door and discovered a non-Jew mercilessly beating him. The attacked looked up at the door, and upon seeing the Gaon wearing his tallis and tefillin, was overcome with terror and promptly fainted.

After pulling himself together and recovering from the shock of the incident, the innkeeper expressed his tremendous gratitude to the Gaon for coming to his rescue. He added that while he was certainly appreciative, he was also curious as to the Gaon’s “magic weapon” which had inspired such fear in the heart of his attacker. The Gaon replied by citing the aforementioned Gemora and explaining that the sight of him adorned in his tefillin had caused the non-Jew to faint. The innkeeper asked for clarification, as he himself had been wearing his tefillin prior to the attack, but they had clearly proven ineffective.

The Gaon pointed out that the Gemora uses a peculiar expression. It doesn’t interpret the verse as referring to the tefillin which are on one’s head but rather to the tefillin which are in one’s head. He explained that merely placing the tefillin on one’s body is insufficient. Rather, one must contemplate the message of the portions contained therein until they are internalized. While the innkeeper had not yet done so, the Vilna Gaon was clearly on such a level, and when the non-Jew perceived his spiritual loftiness, he was overcome with dread to the point of fainting – exactly as promised by the Gemora!

(Also- they say that Reb Chaim Brisker Rav Chaim said that the ability to know if tefillin are kosher by looking at them is easily attained and that he himself already possessed it at the age of 6 or 7.)

 

7.  An object mentioned four times in our parsha and nowhere else in Tanach. According to some, it is the same Gematria as the number of masechtos in Shas.

Teneh.  26:2 and 4 by Bikkurim, and 28:5 and 17 by the Brachos and Klalos.

Shas stands for ששה סדרי משנה. But the Ohr Hachaim in 26:5 uses it as a a remez for the original sixty masechtos in Shas, until they were redivided into 63, by separating the Bavos and separating Sanhedrin from Makkos. טנא בגימטריא ס.  

After pointing out that the Torah is called ראשית, the Ohr HaChaim says

ואומרו ושמת בטנא. ירמוז שצריך כל מפעלות הטובות שעשה יהיו על פי דבריהם, כאומרו (לעיל י"ז י"א) על פי התורה אשר יורוך ועל המשפט וגו', והתורה והמשפטים ביארו אותם חכמים בס' מסכתות כמנין טנא, שזולת זה הגם שיעשה כל מצות שבעולם ישרף הוא והם.

Also 

מדרש שיר השירים רבה (וילנא) פרשה ו, ב ר' יצחק פתר קרייה בפרשיותיה של תורה, ששים המה מלכות, אלו ששים מסכתיות של הלכות

According to the Ohr HaChaim, the Torah is the true and the original cornucopia.

(I bought several of these prutos from Hendin.)

The cornucopia was a Hellenistic motif long before the Chashmonaim adopted it. But they didn't simply adopt it, they adapted it and infused it with Jewish meaning, particularly by placing the pomegranate between the two cornucopias.  To the Jewish people, it symbolized the mitzva and bracha of the Bikkurim and the Mikra Bikkurim of Jewish history. .

Questions for Ki Seitzei

1.  When Hagar and Yishmael were evicted from their home, Yishmael was dying of thirst, and Hashem was about to reveal water to Hagar so he would live. The malachim said, Ribono shel Olam, this person, Yishmael, will bring such death and suffering to your people, and you are saving him? Hashem answered that He judges him באשר הוא שם, as he is now, not what he will be in the future. We mention this on Yom Kippur as well, and ask that Hashem judge us as we are when we've done teshuva. In this parsha we see the exact opposite. Where do we see this, and how would you distinguish between the two. 

2. The word קדש means holy. We say נקדש את שמך בעולם, and אין דבר שבקדושה בפחות מעשרה. In this parsha, find this word used once in its usual sense, and twice meaning the exact opposite. 

3.  Simlah is not gender specific. Examples:  ואהב גר לתת לו לחם ושמלה   and  שמלתך לא בלתה מעליך ורגלך לא בצקה.  So why in 24:5 does it say לא יהיה כלי גבר על אשה ולא ילבש גבר שמלת אשה, a woman should not carry a man’s kli and a man should not wear a woman’s simlah? Aren’t they both words for clothing?

4.  Which mitzva can only happen inadvertently?

5.  In this parsha, four mitzvos of memory. . In two, remembering is a mitzva.   In one, not remembering is a mitzva. In another, remembering is a mitzva and forgetting is a lo saaseh.

6.  What type of object may one not take as collateral?

7.  Two neviim mentioned in the Parsha, a man and a woman.

8.  Three examples of the Torah’s discouragement of the mistreatment of animals, צער בעלי חיים.

9.  Three halachos that occur at sunset.

10.  The Shu”t Divrei Malkiel from the Lomzer Rov and others write that calling a child a name which is also used by the opposite gender violates the prohibition (22:5) of lo yilbash. Rav Chaim Kanievsky lists 79 names in Chazal and Tanach which are used for both men and women. (The one's who asser, I assume, are talking about cases where the name is used exclusively for one gender.)How many can you identify that are currently used for both genders? (Taima D’Kra)

11.  22:19 seems to mean that a woman can be married to a man who tried to have her murdered. 

וענשו אתו מאה כסף ונתנו לאבי הנערה כי הוציא שם רע על בתולת ישראל ולו תהיה לאשה לא יוכל לשלחה כל ימיו

Is this really true?

12.  What is the military consequence of indecency, pritzus.

13.  A part of the body found on men and women that is mentioned or even referred to only one time in Tanach, in our parsha.

14.  It is very important to pay attention to the Krias HaTorah. Why would the Irish Rebellion and the troubles that followed have never occurred if only Henry the Eighth had paid attention to the Krias Hatorah of Parshas Ki Seitzei.

1.  When Hagar and Yishmael were evicted from their home, Yishmael was  dying of thirst, and Hashem was about to reveal water to Hagar so he would live. The malachim said, Ribono shel Olam, this person, Yishmael, will bring such death and suffering to your people, and you are saving him? Hashem answered that He judges him באשר הוא שם, as he is now, not what he will be in the future. We mention this on Yom Kippur as well, and ask that Hashem judge us as we are when we've done teshuva. In this parsha we see the exact opposite. Where do we see this, and how would you distinguish between the two. 

Ben Sorer Umoreh, who is subject to capital punishment not for anything he has done, but for the crimes his inexorable trajectory will lead to. 

Why are they different? In my experience, people prefer explanations they come up with, and just don't like explanations they are told. So you're on your own. I, and my mother זכרונה לברכה, preferred the Mizrachi's explanation with a very important modification. Baasher hu sham is only for the בית דין של מעלה PLUS tefilla, Hagar's tears.

2. The word קדש means holy. We say נקדש את שמך בעולם, and אין דבר שבקדושה בפחות מעשרה. In this parsha, find this word used once in its usual sense, and twice meaning the exact opposite. 

23:15

כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ  בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ׃ 

22:9 

לֹא תִזְרַע כַּרְמְךָ כִּלְאָיִם פֶּן־תִּקְדַּשׁ הַמְלֵאָה הַזֶּרַע אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרָע וּתְבוּאַת הַכָּרֶם׃ 

23:18

לֹא תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

As Rashi says in 22:9, the word kodesh essentially means "designated for a use that renders it untouchable."

3.  Simlah is not gender specific. Examples:  ואהב גר לתת לו לחם ושמלה   and  שמלתך לא בלתה מעליך ורגלך לא בצקה.  So why in 24:5 does it say לא יהיה כלי גבר על אשה ולא ילבש גבר שמלת אשה, a woman should not carry a man’s kli and a man should not wear a woman’s simlah? Aren’t they both words for clothing?

Because men often carry or  wear non-clothing items that are associated with men only, such as a sword. Such items that are associated exclusively with women are carried in equal part for their decorative qualities, such as a purse, or a wrist watch, which includes them in in Simlah. (In other words, a woman will carry an empty purse and a wrist watch that is not working.) (taama dikra)

There are some who believe that wearing a tie is a problem for a man, because it is only decorative and non-functional. Some argue on the basis of the reference to men wearing earrings in the story of the Eigel:  Shemos 32:2-3,

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַהֲרֹן פָּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאׇזְנֵי נְשֵׁיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶם וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלָי׃

וַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כׇּל־הָעָם אֶת־נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאׇזְנֵיהֶם וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל־אַהֲרֹן׃.

But the ibn Ezra there says this was a habit some picked up in Mitzrayim, not a Jewish behavior:

ויאמר פרקו. על משקל ברכו מהבנין הכבד הדגוש. מנהג מצרים היה לשום נזמים באזניהם. וככה כתוב במדינים כי ישמעאלים הם

and the Radal in Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer, where the Mishna (45:5) says 

רָאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ הַנָּשִׁים לִיתֵּן אֶת נִזְמֵיהֶן לְבַעֲלֵיהֶן, וְעַד אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הָיוּ הַנְּזָמִים בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְרִיִּים וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֲרָבִים, וּפָרְקוּ אֶת נִזְמֵיהֶם שֶׁבְּאָזְנֵיהֶם

says (45:23)

 כמעשה המצרים וכמעשה הערביים. ר"ל שהן קיבלו מנהג זה מן המצריים שהיו נוהגים כערביים שהן הישמעאלים שכתוב עליהן במקרא [שופטים ח] כי נזמי זהב להם כי ישמעאלים הם (אבל בשאר כל האומות אין נוהגים האנשים לשום נזמים באזניהם רק הנשים,

 

4.  Which unique mitzva can only happen inadvertently?

שכחה

Rashi says this clearly here:

למען יברכך. וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁבָּאת לְיָדוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בְמִתְכַּוֵּן, קַ"וָ לָעוֹשֶׂה בְמִתְכַּוֵּן. אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה נָפְלָה סֶלַע מִיָּדוֹ וּמְצָאָהּ עָנִי וְנִתְפַּרְנֵס בָּהּ — הֲרֵי הוּא מִתְבָּרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ (ספרי):

Some argue and say that the mitzva is really to leave it there after you remember. But that is not true. It says (24:19)

כִּי תִקְצֹר קְצִירְךָ בְשָׂדֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה לֹא תָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה יִהְיֶה לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ

As soon as you forgot it, it becomes the property of the poor. Not going back and stealing it is no reason for a bracha. It must be that the bracha and the mitzva is for forgetting it. (Reb Yaakov.)

Also, this is assumed by many meforshim. Examples:

Aruch Hashulchan H'asid Hilchos Peah 9:1

ומשונה מצוה זו מכל מצות שבתורה שכל מצות שבתורה אין באים אלא על ידי זכירה כדכתיב וזכרתם את כל מצות ד' ועשיתם אותם ואם נשכח לא נעשה המצוה ומצוה זו היא להיפך שא"א לקיים המצוה רק ע"י שכחה והקב"ה זיכהו במצוה זו

Tosefta Peiah 3:13

מעשה בחסיד אחד ששכח עומר בתוך שדהו, ואמר לבנו צא והקריב עלי פר לעולה ופר לשלמים. אמר לו אבא מה ראית לשמוח בשמחת מצוה זו [יותר] מכל מצות שבתורה? אמר לו כל מצות שבתורה נתן [להם המקום] לדעתנו, זו שלא לדעתנו. שאילו [עשינוהו ברצון לפני המקום לא באת מצוה זו לידינו. [אלא] הרי הוא אומר (דברים כד) כי תקצור וגו' קבע לו הכתוב ברכה. והלא דברים קל וחומר, מה אדם שלא נתכוין לזכות וזכה מעלין עליו כאילו זכה, המתכוין לזכות וזכה על אחת כו"כ.

It happened with a certain pious person that he forgot a sheaf in his field, and he said to his son, “Go and sacrifice in my name a bull for Korban Olah and a bull for Korban Shlamim.” He said to him, “Father! What have you seen in this commandment to rejoice more than all [other] commandments that are mentioned in the Torah?” He said to him “All commandments in the Torah have been given to us by God consciously.   [But] this unconsciously, because if we would have done it willingly in front of God, this commandment would not be counted for us.” He said [back] to him , “It says, ‘When you will harvest your harvest in your field and you will forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to take it. It shall be [left there] for the Non-Jewish resident, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that Hashem, your God, will bless you with all the deeds of your hand.’ (Devarim 24:19) The verse has granted him a blessing.  Is not it a Kal Vechomer? Just like someone who did not intend to do something good, but he [ended up] doing something good [anyway], the verse considers him as if he has done something good, so for sure someone who intended to do something good, and [ended up] doing something good how much more so?”

 

5.  In this parsha, four mitzvos of memory. . In two, remembering is a mitzva.   In one, not remembering is a mitzva. In another, remembering is a mitzva and forgetting is a lo saaseh.

The story of Miriam’s lashon hara, Miriam, 24:9.  That you were an eved in Mitzrayim, 24:18. Shikcha, 24:19 ; Amalek, 25:17.

 

6.  What type of object may one not take as collateral?

24:6 - Utensils used to process food, such as a flour mill.

לֹא יַחֲבֹל רֵחַיִם וָרָכֶב כִּי נֶפֶשׁ הוּא חֹבֵל

 

7.  Two neviim mentioned in the Parsha, a man and a woman.

23:5-6, Bilaam.  Lehavdil, 24:9, Miriam.

 

8.  Three examples of the Torah’s discouragement of the mistreatment of animals, צער בעלי חיים.

22:7, Shiluach Hakan.

22:10, Lo Sachrosh beshor vechamor yachdov.

25:4, Lo Sachsom shor bedisho.

 

9.  Three halachos that occur at sunset.

23:12, a person or an object that was tovel becomes fully tahor.

24:13, you have to return to the borrower his clothing you took as collateral.

24:15, you have to have paid your laborer his day’s wages (CM 339:3.)

 

10.  The Shu”t Divrei Malkiel from the Lomzer Rov and others write that calling a child a name which is also used by the opposite gender violates the prohibition (22:5) of lo yilbash. Rav Chaim Kanievsky lists 79 names in Chazal and Tanach which are used for both men and women. (The one's who asser, I assume, are talking about cases where the name is used exclusively for one gender.) How many can you identify that are currently used for both genders? (Taima D’Kra)

Yonah, Simcha, Zissel, Shimmy, Yoel, Michal, Micha, Seruya.

11.  22:19 seems to mean that a woman can be married to a man who tried to have her murdered. 

וענשו אתו מאה כסף ונתנו לאבי הנערה כי הוציא שם רע על בתולת ישראל ולו תהיה לאשה לא יוכל לשלחה כל ימיו

Is this really true?

No. אין אדם דר עם נחש בכפיפה אחת.   My assumption is that he, contemplating a miserable and expensive future, will pay her to accept a get- the present value of everything he'll have to spend to keep her, plus the benefit of not having her sneering at him and poisoning his home atmosphere for his whole life.

12.  What is the military consequence of indecency, pritzus.

23:15, Hashem abandoning us when we face our enemies.

כי ה' אלהיך מתהלך בקרב מחנך להצילך ולתת איביך לפניך והיה מחניך קדוש ולא יראה בך ערות דבר ושב מאחריך

13.  A part of the body found on men and women that is mentioned or even referred to only one time in Tanach, in our parsha.

צפרנים

It does say צפורן שמיר  in Yirmiahu 17:1,  חטאת יהודה כתובה בעט ברזל בצפרן שמיר חרושה על לוח לבם ולקרנות מזבחותיכם, but it doesn’t mean fingernail there. It means a sharp pointed inscribing instrument, like hammer and nails. So the צפרנים  in our parsha still counts as a one time word.

14.  It is very important to pay attention to the Krias HaTorah. Why would the Irish Rebellion and the troubles that followed have never occurred if only Henry the Eighth had paid attention to the Krias Hatorah of Parshas Ki Seitzei.

Henry wanted to marry his brother, Arthur's, widow, Catherine of Aragon, in 1509, but was told he could not because she had been married to his brother. They accepted the issur of a woman once married to a brother, but did not accept the mitzvah of Yibum that we find in this week's parsha. So he called up the Pope, and said "Pope, can you annul Catherine's marriage to Arthur? It was never consummated." And the Pope said, "ok, fine, I'll grant a dispensation."  Henry married her. Catherine didn't have male children and he wanted to get rid of her and formalize his relationship with his mistress, Anne Boleyn. The problem was that the Church did not allow divorce at all, even though it's in this week's parsha. He called the Pope again. He said "Good Yontif, Pontif. It's Henry. I'd like for you to annul the marriage to Catherine." The Pope said, "What are you talking about? I did that like twenty five years ago!" Henry said, "No, I mean the marriage between me and her."   The Pope said, "What, this also wasn't consummated? So where did Bloody Mary come from? Stop bothering me. No more dispensations, and forget about any annulments." So Henry went and created the Anglican church, his Archbishop annulled their marriage, and he married his paramour, Anne Boleyn. (This marriage was also sub-optimal.)

England became Anglican, Ireland remained Catholic, the Anglicans treated the Irish Catholics terribly, and this all led to the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the endless trouble that followed.

The point is, that if had done Yibum, he could have had Katherine without calling the Pope, and when he wanted to move on to Anne Boleyn, he could have simply divorced her.  There would have been no need to found the Anglican Church.  From here we see that you really should pay attention to the Krias HaTorah.

Questions for Shoftim

1.  Chazal tell us that our shuls and Batei Medrash are מקדש מעט, and have many of the dinim of the actual Beis HaMikdash. The halacha of מורא מקדש that we learn from the passuk in Kedoshim את שבתתי תשמרו ומקדשי תיראו אני ה applies to every shul and Beis Medrash, according to most Rishonim, midoraysa. Similarly, there is a din of כבוד וגדולה that we learn from ושמרו הלוים את משמרת משכן העדות that we should glorify them and make them beautiful. Many offices and conference rooms use potted plants to beautify their space and encourage a spirit of focus and calmness. They also help clean the air, which is why you rarely smell kishke and herring in your lawyer's office. Shouldn't we take a cue from them and beautify our Shuls and Batei Medrash with potted plants?

2. What aveira do you transgress if you bribe a judge.

- Alternative way of phrasing the question --

2. Find the passuk that prohibits bribing a judge.

3. The Gemara in Sanhedrin says that the Torah does not give the reasons for Mitzvos because people with excessive self-confidence might say the reason does not apply to them:

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִתְגַּלּוּ טַעֲמֵי תּוֹרָה? שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁתֵּי מִקְרָאוֹת נִתְגַּלּוּ טַעְמָן, וְנִכְשַׁל בָּהֶן גְּדוֹל הָעוֹלָם. כְּתִיב: ״לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים״. אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: ״אֲנִי אַרְבֶּה וְלֹא אָסוּר״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי לְעֵת זִקְנַת שְׁלֹמֹה נָשָׁיו הִטּוּ אֶת לְבָבוֹ״. וּכְתִיב: ״לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ סוּסִים״, וְאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: ״אֲנִי אַרְבֶּה וְלֹא אָשִׁיב״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ וְגוֹ׳

To illustrate this problem, the Torah gave reasons for two issurim, (the two lo yarbehs) and Shlomo HaMelech said, the Torah must have given the reasons so that people to whom the reasons do not apply have no restriction. He transgressed both and suffered the consequences.

If so, why does the Torah give the reason for prohibiting judges from taking gifts from litigants, that it will cause him to pervert justice. Isn't there a concern that a judge will say that he is immune from any such problem, so he can take shochad?

4. What were the three pre-requisites for establishing the first monarchy; what three conditions were necessary to trigger the mitzvah.

5.  17:16 ולֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ נָשִׁים וְלֹא יָסוּר לְבָבוֹ וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ מְאֹד    A king is not allowed to marry too many women or have too great a fortune. (Chazal define these terms: The king is allowed to accumulate only what is necessary to maintain his household and run the government, and he is allowed no more than eighteen consorts.) What if he had these things before being crowned. Does he have to divest and divorce in order to become king?

6. שום תשים עליך מלך  teaches us that a king is not allowed to show deference to any man. Unlike a parent, or a Kohen, or a talmid chacham, he is not allowed to forego his honor.    מלך שמחל על כבודו אין כבודו מחול. 

Is a king allowed to serve his parents? Is a king allowed to stand up for his parents?

7. Do you have to obey a Navi? What if he tells you to do something not because Hashem told him to convey the command, but because he has decided it is right, on the basis of his wisdom? (I am not talking about psak halacha. לא בשמים היא tells us that a navi has no special authority to pasken. That is in the purview of Sanhedrin, about whom the Torah says in 17:10

ועשית על פי הדבר אשר יגידו לך מן המקום ההוא אשר יבחר ה' ושמרת לעשות ככל אשר יורוך)

8. What is the punishment for not doing what the Navi tells you to do? Is there a difference between when he conveys Hashem’s command and when he gives personal instruction?

9.  Our passuk says that if a person claims to be a navi, and predicts the future, and his prophecy does not come to pass, his life is forfeit, ומת הנביא ההוא. The Rambam (10 Yesodei HaTorah 4) says this only applies when he foretold good things that do not come to pass, not when he foretells calamities that do not come to pass.  Where did the Rambam find this distinction in our parsha? 

10. If you personally witnessed a person commit a crime, or a sin, and you know for a fact that you are the only person who witnessed the act, should you go to Beis Din and let them know what you saw?

11.  You are allowed to cut down a non-fruit-bearing tree.  You are not allowed to cut down a fruit tree. If you see a tree and do not know what kind of tree it is, are you allowed to cut it down?

12.  If you do the Egla Arufa and then catch the killer, is he put on trial, or is the case closed?

13. What passuk lists the five duties of Kohanim.

14. In Shema Yisrael, the word Shema has many meanings. Listening to a parent, and listening to a spouse, and listening to music, are clearly distinct. Find places in this parsha where the word Shema can only mean hear, and where it can only mean focus or attention, and where it can only mean obey.  

11.  Chazal tell us that our shuls and Batei Medrash are מקדש מעט, and have many of the dinim of the actual Beis HaMikdash. The halacha of מורא מקדש that we learn from the passuk in Kedoshim את שבתתי תשמרו ומקדשי תיראו אני ה applies to every shul and Beis Medrash, according to most Rishonim, midoraysa. Similarly, there is a din of כבוד וגדולה that we learn from ושמרו הלוים את משמרת משכן העדות that we should glorify them and make them beautiful. Many offices and conference rooms use potted plants to beautify their space and encourage a spirit of focus and calmness. They also help clean the air, which is why you rarely smell kishke and herring in your lawyer's office. Shouldn't we take a cue from them and beautify our Shuls and Batei Medrash with potted plants?

Not a good idea.  See Reb Akiva Eiger, beginning of OC 150 who applies our passuk in 16:21  לא תטע לך אשרה כל עץ אצל מזבח ה' אלהיך אשר תעשה לך  to our shuls and prohibits planting trees even in the courtyard of the shul.  His words-

כ' הרמב"ם ספ"ו מהל' ע"ז הנוטע אילן אצל המזבח או בכל העזרה בין אילן סרק ובין אילן מאכל וכו' הרי זה לוקה וכו' וכ' הר"ד ערמאה בפירוש להרמב"ם דאפי' אצל ביהכנ"ס אסור מדרבנן:

2. What aveira do you transgress if you bribe a judge.

- Alternative way of phrasing the question --

2. Find the passuk that prohibits bribing a judge.

Lifnei Iver, and only Lifnei Iver. You gave the other person the opportunity to do an aveira. 

Judges are prohibited from accepting bribes, but there is no explicit prohibition against offering a bribe. 

לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט לֹא תַכִּיר פָּנִים וְלֹא תִקַּח שֹׁחַד כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם.

This is pointed out in Shulchan Aruch: Choshen Mishpat 9:1-

וכשם שהלוקחו עובר בלא תעשה כך הנותנו עובר בלפני עור לא תתן מכשול

(One nafka mina would be that for Lifnei Iver there is no malkos, but there is for taking Shochad. Also, it would affect the language for hasra'a.)

This peculiarity was addressed by the Chavos Yair in 136-

כי לכאורה יש לתמוה למה לא הזהירה תורה גם לא תתן שוחד כמו דהזהירה גבי ריבית לא תשוך ולא תשיך ללוה ולמלוה

(The Chavos Yair answers that there is no immediate moral wrong if a falsely accused party bribes the judge to find him innocent. If Reuven the ganeff says the Shimon the tzadik owes him two hundred, and Reuven knows beyond any doubt that he only owes one hundred, but he is afraid that Reuven and the witnesses he purchased (my father zatzal said that in his town, there was a fellow everyone called "Totkeh der Eidus," because it was well known that if you had to go to court, you could pay him to say whatever you wanted,) and his lawyers are going to cause a miscarriage of justice, so he pays off the judge to protect himself and make sure that justice will be done, he did nothing wrong on a personal level. Of course society can not allow such behavior, but in this case, it would not be an inherent wrong, it would not be a "malum per se.") 

-- for alternative phrasing -- 

There is no such passuk. 

3.  The Gemara in Sanhedrin says that the Torah does not give the reasons for Mitzvos because people with excessive self-confidence might say the reason does not apply to them:

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִתְגַּלּוּ טַעֲמֵי תּוֹרָה? שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁתֵּי מִקְרָאוֹת נִתְגַּלּוּ טַעְמָן, וְנִכְשַׁל בָּהֶן גְּדוֹל הָעוֹלָם. כְּתִיב: ״לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים״. אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: ״אֲנִי אַרְבֶּה וְלֹא אָסוּר״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי לְעֵת זִקְנַת שְׁלֹמֹה נָשָׁיו הִטּוּ אֶת לְבָבוֹ״. וּכְתִיב: ״לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ סוּסִים״, וְאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: ״אֲנִי אַרְבֶּה וְלֹא אָשִׁיב״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ וְגוֹ׳

To illustrate this problem, the Torah gave reasons for two issurim, (the two lo yarbehs) and Shlomo HaMelech said, the Torah must have given the reasons so that people to whom the reasons do not apply have no restriction. He transgressed both and suffered the consequences.

If so, why does the Torah give the reason for prohibiting judges from taking gifts from litigants, that it will cause him to pervert justice. Isn't there a concern that a judge will say that he is immune from any such problem so he can take shochad?

16:19.

ולא תקח שחד כי השחד יעור עיני חכמים ויסלף דברי צדיקם

The Torah says explicitly that no matter how how righteous and wise you are, it will blind you to the truth. So there is no possibility that someone will say it does not apply to him because he is so righteous and wise. (Rav Yosef Shaul Nathanson, in the Shoel Umeishiv.)

 

4. What were the three pre-requisites for establishing the first monarchy- what three conditions were necessary to trigger the mitzvah.

כִּי תָבֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּה בָּהּ וְאָמַרְתָּ אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָי׃

שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ

The Mitzva only applies (1) after the conquest (2) and settling of the land. 

כִּי־תָבֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּה בָּהּ ....שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ

More interesting, the mitzva is only triggered (3) by a plebiscite, when the people makes formal request that a monarchy be established. Until then, there was no mitzva to establish a monarchy. See Netziv in Haamek Davar in 17:14, 15

The Netziv says that from the fact that for the four hundred forty years of Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, and Givon, there was no king, we see that the prerequisite for the mitzva is the national decision to have a king.

ונראה דמשום דהנהגת המדינה משתנה אם מתנהג עפ״י דעת מלוכה או עפ״י דעת העם ונבחריהם. ויש מדינה שאינה יכולה לסבול דעת מלוכה. ויש מדינה שבלא מלך הרי היא כספינה בלי קברניט. ודבר זה א״א לעשות עפ״י הכרח מ״ע. שהרי בענין השייך להנהגת הכלל נוגע לסכ״נ שדוחה מ״ע מש״ה לא אפשר לצוות בהחלט למנות מלך כ״ז שלא עלה בהסכמת העם לסבול עול מלך עפ״י שרואים מדינות אשר סביבותיהם מתנהגים בסדר יותר נכון. או אז מ״ע לסנהדרין למנות מלך.

Also the Maharil Diskin al haTorah here:

והעיקר שהמצוה אינה חלה כ"א דוקא בעת שישאלו מלך

 Reb Nochum Stone sent in something akin to but different than the Netziv by the government issue (which I described as a chimera of Hobbes and Locke,) and expanded it to the Beis Olamim. He said:

very much reminds me of ramban on 16 bamidbar 21 where he suggests that the people were at fault for not demanding  a beit olamim and  thus suffered david's plague

also malbim on l'shichno tidrishu  - that the navi will receive the proper inspiration to reveal the makom asher yivchar only when the people demand it of him

5.  17:16 ולֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ נָשִׁים וְלֹא יָסוּר לְבָבוֹ וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ מְאֹד    A king is not allowed to marry too many women or have too great a fortune. (Chazal define these terms: The king is allowed to accumulate only what is necessary to maintain his household and run the government, and he is allowed no more than eighteen consorts.) What if he had these things before being crowned. Does he have to divest and divorce in order to become king?

Chafetz Chaim in Likutei Halachos San (note 90 on page 22) in Ein Mishpat says no, just like Kohen Gadol who was married to an almanah before his appointment to be Kohen Gadol. Rav Chaim Kanievsky  is not sure.

 

6. שום תשים עליך מלך  teaches us that a king is not allowed to show deference to any man. Unlike a parent, or a Kohen, or a talmid chacham, he has not allowed to forego his honor.    מלך שמחל על כבודו אין כבודו מחול. 

Is a king allowed to serve his parents? Is a king allowed to stand up for his parents?

R Chaim Kanievsky says that in Melachim I  2:19 we are told that Shlomo stood up for his mother, so it must be allowed.

ותבא בת שבע אל המלך שלמה לדבר לו על אדניהו ויקם המלך לקראתה וישתחו לה וישב על כסאו וישם כסא לאם המלך ותשב לימינו

(Clear proof, yes, but we can only speculate as to why this is so. I think the answer is that when Shlomo stood up for Bas Sheva, or according to some it was for Rus herself, he was honoring his own malchus. Bas Sheva ensured that he become king during the Adoniyahu problem, and obviously Rus was the אם המלכות and brought qualities to the house of Dovid that made his family the eternal Malchus of Klal YIsrael. Shlomo was standing up for his own malchus.) 

 

7. Do you have to obey a Navi? What if he tells you to do something not because Hashem told him to convey the command, but because he has decided it is right, on the basis of his wisdom? (I am not talking about psak halacha. לא בשמים היא tells us that a navi has no special authority to pasken. That is in the purview of Sanhedrin, about whom the Torah says in 17:10

ועשית על פי הדבר אשר יגידו לך מן המקום ההוא אשר יבחר ה' ושמרת לעשות ככל אשר יורוך)

18:15 says that you must do what a Navi commands.

נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ כָּמֹנִי יָקִים לְךָ יה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן

This passuk indicates that you have to obey the Navi, and it doesn’t matter whether he is telling you what to do because Hashem told him or because he decided it needs to be done.

8. What is the punishment for not doing what the Navi tells you to do? Is there a difference between when he conveys Hashem’s command and when he gives personal instruction?

18:19 tells us the punishment for not doing what the Navi commands.

וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִשְׁמַע אֶל דְּבָרַי אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמִי אָנֹכִי אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵעִמּוֹ׃

 אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵעִמּוֹ is not clear, but it is a serious warning.  Chazal say it means מיתה בידי שמים.

But notice that in 15, where it tells you to listen to the Navi, it just says אליו תשמעון, a mitzvas assei.  Here, by the punishment, it adds אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמִי.  Even if you must listen to a Navi’s personal instruction, it is clear that the punishment of אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵעִמּוֹ is only when he instructed in the name of Hashem.

(The above is based on the Minchas Chinuch in 516.)

 

9.  Our passuk says that if a person claims to be a navi, and predicts the future, and his prophecy does not come to pass, his life is forfeit, ומת הנביא ההוא. The Rambam (10 Yesodei HaTorah 4) says this only applies when he foretold good things that do not come to pass, not when he foretells calamities that do not come to pass.  Where did the Rambam find this distinction in our parsha? 

18:22

אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר הַנָּבִיא בְּשֵׁם ה' וְלֹא ִיהְיֶה הַדָּבָר וְלֹא יָבֹא הוּא הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא דִבְּרוֹ ה' בְּזָדוֹן דִּבְּרוֹ הַנָּבִיא לֹא תָגוּר מִמֶּנּוּ

This is only when he prophesies בְּשֵׁם ה', Rachamim; not בשם אלוקים, Din. A prophecy of good always comes true. A prophecy of doom can always be averted with teshuva, as it was in Ninveh.

 

10. If you personally witnessed a person commit a crime, or a sin, and you know for a fact that you are the only person who witnessed the act, should you go to Beis Din and let them know what you saw?

If you do so, you transgress an issur deoraysa in 19:15,

לא יקום עד אחד באיש לכל עון ולכל חטאת בכל חטא אשר יחטא

as explained in Pesachim 113. See Chafetz Chaim in the Pesicha/Lavin #10,

ואם קם והעיד עליו לפני בית דין בדבר אסור ביחידי, כיון שאין יכול לבוא מזה שום תועלת לענין ממון ושבועה ולא לענין לפסל את האיש הזה מחזקת כשרותו, כיון שהוא עד אחד בדבר, אם כן שם ביש בעלמא הוא דקא מפיק עליו, ועובר על ידי זה גם כן על לאו (דברים י"ט ט"ו) ד"לא יקום עד אחד באיש לכל עון ולכל חטאת", וצריכין בית דין להלקותו עבור זה הדבר.

The Smag (213) and the Yereim (244) say that לא יקום is an issur deoraysa beyond regular lashon hara.

11.  You are allowed to cut down a non-fruit-bearing tree.  You are not allowed to cut down a fruit tree. If you see a tree and do not know what kind of tree it is, are you allowed to cut it down?

No. You are only allowed to cut down a tree when you know that it is a non-fruit-bearing tree.  20:20

רַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע כִּי לֹא עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא אֹתוֹ תַשְׁחִית וְכָרָתָּ

The Malbim says that this is source for how most rishonim learn ספק דאורייתא לחומרא.  Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Taama d’Kra) says it has zero shaichus to that question. 

12.  If you do the Egla Arufa and then catch the killer, is he put on trial, or is the case closed?

He is subject to capital punishment.  After the parsha of Egla Arufa, it says in 21:9

וְאַתָּה תְּבַעֵר הַדָּם הַנָּקִי מִקִּרְבֶּךָ כִּי־תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה'

The passuk is saying that the Egla Arufa process is only a temporary measure, like an Asham Taluy, until the killer is caught. Once he is caught, regular dinei nefashos apply

 

13. What passuk lists the five duties of Kohanim.

21:5

וְנִגְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי כִּי בָם בָּחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בְּשֵׁם ה' וְעַל פִּיהֶם יִהְיֶה כׇּל רִיב וְכׇל נָגַע׃

1. V'Nigshu haKohanim means they have to participate in the Egla Arufa ceremony.

2. L’sharso is to do the avodah.

3. Levareich is duchening.

4. Kol riv is that is is a mitzva that Sanhedrin should include Kohanim. (See Rambam 2 San : 2

וּמִצְוָה לִהְיוֹת בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין גְּדוֹלָה כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ט) "וּבָאתָ אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם". וְאִם לֹא מָצְאוּ אֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ כֻּלָּם יִשְׂרְאֵלִים הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר:)

5. Kol nega is the examination of Tzaraas. 

14. In Shema Yisrael, the word Shema has many meanings. Listening to a parent, and listening to a spouse, and listening to music, are clearly distinct. Find places in this parsha where the word Shema can only mean hear, and where it can only mean focus or attention, and where it can only mean obey.  

Hear

18:16

כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתָּ מֵעִם ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּחֹרֵב בְּיוֹם הַקָּהָל לֵאמֹר לֹא אֹסֵף לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת קוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי וְאֶת הָאֵשׁ הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת לֹא אֶרְאֶה עוֹד וְלֹא אָמוּת.

Focus or Attention

17:4

וְהֻגַּד לְךָ וְשָׁמָעְתָּ וְדָרַשְׁתָּ הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

17:13

וְכָל הָעָם יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ וְלֹא יְזִידוּן עוֹד.

19:20

וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ וְלֹא יֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה בְּקִרְבֶּךָ.

20:3

וְאָמַר אֲלֵהֶם שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם קְרֵבִים הַיּוֹם לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֵיכֶם אַל יֵרַךְ לְבַבְכֶם אַל תִּירְאוּ וְאַל תַּחְפְּזוּ וְאַל תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם.

Obey

17:12

וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ אֶל הַכֹּהֵן הָעֹמֵד לְשָׁרֶת שָׁם אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹ אֶל הַשֹּׁפֵט וּמֵת הָאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

18:14

כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם אֶל מְעֹנְנִים וְאֶל קֹסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ וְאַתָּה לֹא כֵן נָתַן לְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

18:15

נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ כָּמֹנִי יָקִים לְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן

18:19

וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע אֶל דְּבָרַי אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמִי אָנֹכִי אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵעִמּוֹ.

Questions for Re'ay

1.  Chazal say (Kid 40a) that a decision to do good is rewarded as if you had done it, while the intention to do a sin is not punished. The same is true for Brachos and Klalos. Where do we see this in the first few pesukim in the parsha?

 2.  The Torah talks about three harim/mountains in this parsha (besides the general location of idol worship.) Two are identified by name, while the third is left unidentified.

3. We are told many times that Hashem rewards a person who does a mitzvah. Where do we find that Hashem rewards a person who refrains from doing an Aveira.

 4.  What part of Krias Shema is the formula for overcoming the fear of a person with supernatural abilities who tells you that Hashem has changed His Torah.

5.  Who executes the person found guilty of sedition against the Torah?

6.  A common animal that you would think is mentioned more often but is actually only mentioned four times in the Torah, all in this week’s parsha. The name is also used in Akdamos and elsewhere in Tanach as an adjective meaning desire or beauty.

7.  Is there a mitzva of Aliyah laregel on Shmini Atzeres.

8.  Was there a mitzva of Aliyah LaRegel to the Mishkan, or only to the Beis HaMikdash?

9.  Among Ashkenazim, women make a bracha on mitzvos they do not have to do, such as Lulav and Shofar and Tzitzis. (Sefardim do not, following the Rambam, because וציוונו is really not applicable.) If there was a bracha on Aliya LaRegel, would Ashkenazi women make a bracha on that mitzvah?

10.  Which laws in this parsha refer to the number seven? (5 answers)

 1.  Chazal say (Kid 40a) that a decision to do good is rewarded as if you had done it, while the intention to do a sin is not punished. The same is true for Brachos and Klalos. Where do we see this in the first few pesukim in the parsha?

11:26-28

רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃

אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ ה’ אלקיכם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ ה’ אלקיכם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃

For Bracha, Tishme'u is enough. For klalah, only Lo tishme'u plus vesartem.

 

2.  The Torah talks about three harim/mountains in this parsha (besides the general location of idol worship.) Two are identified by name, while the third is left unidentified.

11:29, Gerizim and Eival.

12:11 , the Har Habayis. It is not named, but it is referred to.

 והיה המקום אשר יבחר ה’ אלקיכם בו לשכן שמו שם שמה תביאו את כל אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם

3. We are told many times that Hashem rewards a person who does a mitzvah. Where do we find that Hashem rewards a person who refrains from doing an Aveira.

12:23-25

רק חזק לבלתי אכל הדם כי הדם הוא הנפש ולא־תאכל הנפש עם־הבשר 

לא תאכלנו על־הארץ תשפכנו כמים 

לא תאכלנו למען ייטב לך ולבניך אחריך כי־תעשה הישר בעיני יהוה

Rashi brings part of the Gemara in Makkos 23b that says

״אשר יעשה אתם האדם וחי בהם״.(הקדמת התורה לפרשת עריות)  הא היושב ולא עבר עבירה נותנין לו שכר כעושה מצוה. רבי שמעון בר רבי אומר: הרי הוא אומר ״רק חזק לבלתי אכל (את) הדם כי הדם הוא הנפש וגו׳״ ומה אם הדם, שנפשו של האדם קצה ממנו – הפורש ממנו מקבל שכר, גזל ועריות, שנפשו של אדם מתאוה להן ומחמדתן – הפורש מהן על אחת כמה וכמה שיזכה לו ולדורותיו ולדורות דורותיו עד סוף כל הדורות.

On the other hand, there is the Gemara in Kiddushin 39b that says that the schar is only when the opportunity and desire presented themselves and he overcame them:

 רמי רב טובי בר רב קיסנא לרבא: תנן כל העושה מצוה אחת מטיבין לו: עשה – אין, לא עשה – לא. ורמינהי: ישב ולא עבר עבירה – נותנים לו שכר כעושה מצוה! אמר ליה: התם, כגון שבא דבר עבירה לידו וניצול הימנה.

Rabbeinu Yona (Sh'T 3:9 says that even in that case, it's really not the avoidance of the issur, it is the kiyum of the mitzvas assei of yir'as Hashem.

מדרגה השניה – חמר מצוות עשה: יסוד השכר ושרש הגמול חלף העבודה בקיום מצוות עשה. כמו שנאמר (משלי י"ג:י"ג) וירא מצוה הוא ישלם. ונאמר (מלאכי ג':י"ח) ושבתם וראיתם בין עבד אלהים לאשר לא עבדו. והעבודה היא במצות התלויות במעשה. בין שאין בהם זולתי מצות עשה בין יש עמהן לא תעשה. כגון שנאמר (דברים ט"ו:ז') לא תאמץ את לבבך וגו'. ומצות העבודה תתבאר בשער העבודה בעז"ה. אולם ימצא דרך בשכר הנזהר מעבור על מצות לא תעשה. אשר השג ישיג לשכר עושה מצוה כגון אם הזדמן דבר עברה ליד האיש. והתאוה תאוה לדבר ערוה וכבש יצרו כי זה מעקרי יראת הש"י. וכן מי שהזדמן לידו להתעשר באונאה ותרמית ואין ראה ואין יודע. והתהלך בתמו ובר כפיו. שכרו על זה כזורע לצדקה וטורח במצוה. וכן כתוב (תהלים קי"ט:ג') אף לא פעלו עולה בדרכיו הלכו. ואמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה כיון שלא פעלו עולה בדרכיו הלכו. וכבר הקדמנו לך פרוש המקרא הזה. וכן אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה ישב ולא עבר עברה נותנין לו שכר כעושה מצוה כגון שבא דבר עברה לידו ונצול ממנו. ועוד אמרו (מלאכי ג':ט"ז) ליראי ה' ולחשבי שמו זה הבא דבר עברה לידו ונצול ממנו. גם השכר הזה עקרו ויסודו מצות עשה שכבש יצרו ביראת אלקים כמו שנאמר (דברים י':כ') את ה' אלהיך תירא. 

 4.  What part of Krias Shema is the formula for overcoming the fear of a person with supernatural abilities who tells you that Hashem has changed His Torah.

ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך

The passuk (13:4) says that if  you withstand the navi sheker, it is only because of that great Ahava and nothing else.

לֹ֣א תִשְׁמַ֗ע אֶל־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַנָּבִ֣יא הַה֔וּא א֛וֹ אֶל־חוֹלֵ֥ם הַחֲל֖וֹם הַה֑וּא כִּ֣י מְנַסֶּ֞ה ה’ אלקיכם אֶתְכֶ֔ם לָדַ֗עַת הֲיִשְׁכֶ֤ם אֹֽהֲבִים֙ אֶת ה’ אלקיכם בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם

 

5.  Who executes the person found guilty of sedition against the Torah?

The person he attempted to seduce.

13:10

כִּ֤י הָרֹג֙ תַּֽהַרְגֶ֔נּוּ יָ֥דְךָ֛ תִּֽהְיֶה בּ֥וֹ בָרִֽאשׁוֹנָ֖ה לַהֲמִית֑וֹ וְיַ֥ד כׇּל הָעָ֖ם בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃

 

6.  A common animal that you would think is mentioned more often but is actually only mentioned four times in the Torah, all in this week’s parsha. The name is also used in Akdamos and elsewhere in Tanach as an adjective meaning desire or beauty.

Tzvi.

12:15 וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ יֹאכְלֶ֔נּוּ כַּצְּבִ֖י וְכָאַיָּֽל׃

12:22   יֵאָכֵ֤ל אֶֽת הַצְּבִי֙ וְאֶת הָ֣אַיָּ֔ל

14:5  אַיָּ֥ל וּצְבִ֖י וְיַחְמ֑וּר וְאַקּ֥וֹ

15:22 וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו כַּצְּבִ֖י וְכָאַיָּֽל׃

Akdamos- צְבִי וְאִתְרָעִי בָן וּמְסַר לָן אוֹרָיְתָא

(also, in the same pesukim, Ayal.)

 

7.  Is there a mitzva of Aliyah laregel on Shmini Atzeres.

No. It is not mentioned in the end of our parsha, because unlike Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos, there is no mitzva of Aliyah LaRegel on Shmini Atzeres.

 

8.  Was there a mitzva of Aliyah LaRegel to the Mishkan, or only to the Beis HaMikdash?

There is no mitzvah until the Beis Hamikdash was built; By each of the Regalim, and in the final passuk, it says במקום אשר יבחר השם, and that means the Har HaBayis. See Ramban 16:11.

וְהִזְכִּיר כָּאן בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם, וְכֵן אָמַר (דברים ט"ז:ט"ז) שָׁלוֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָל זְכוּרְךָ וְגוֹ' בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר, וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם לוֹמַר כִּי לְאַחַר שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא נֵאָסֵף לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹת הָרְגָלִים אֶלָּא בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה', כַּטַּעַם שֶׁיֹּאמַר (דברים ט"ז:ה') לֹא תוּכַל לִזְבֹּחַ אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אוֹ שֶׁיְּבָאֵר כָּאן שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַיְּבוּ לַעֲלוֹת לָרֶגֶל עַד אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הַשֵּׁם מָקוֹם לְשִׁכְנוֹ שָׁם:

 However, Shilo was an exception, as is clear in Chagiga 6a from the story of Elkana and Chana. See Ramban Devarim 26:2,

ובספרי (תבוא ב), והלכת אל המקום אשר יבחר ה' אלקיך לשכן שמו שם, זה שילה ובית עולמים, 

 Note: This is a big mevucha. Here's a quick intro I found.

חילוק הפנים יפות בין שילה לנוב וגבעון שרק בשילה היתה עליה לרגל

בסוף פרשת פנחס כתיב (במדבר כט לט): "אלה תעשו לה' במועדיכם, לבד מנדריכם ונדבותיכם לעולותיכם ולמנחותיכם ולנסכיכם ולשלמיכם". ופירש רש"י: אם באתם לדור קרבנות ברגל... או נדרים או נדבות שנדרתם כל השנה - הקריבום ברגל, שמא יקשה לו לחזור ולעלות לירושלים ולהקריב נדריו ונמצא עובר בבל תאחר.

והקשה הפנים יפות, מדוע הוצרך רש"י לתת טעם 'שמא יקשה לו' וכו', הרי בלאו הכי אם לא יקריב הקרבן ברגל, יעבור עכ"פ על עשה, וכמבואר בגמרא בראש השנה (ו.) שאף שבל תאחר אינו עובר אלא אחר ג' רגלים, מכל מקום כיון שעבר רגל אחד עובר בעשה. ונו"נ בשאלה זו ולבסוף הסיק שאפשר לומר שפסוק זה עוסק גם בי"ד שנים של ירושה וישיבה מיד עם כניסתם של בני ישראל אל הארץ, וכן בנוב וגבעון, שבזמנים אלו כיון שלא היה הארון קבוע - לא היה חיוב לעלות לרגל. 

ואמנם מסייג הפנים יפות את דבריו, שכל זה אינו אלא ביחס לאותם השנים, אך בזמן שהיה המשכן בשילה, שם נראה שנחלקו המפרשים אם היה חיוב עלייה לרגל. שכן בפסוק בשמואל (שמואל א' א ג) נאמר על אלקנה: "ועלה האיש ההוא מעירו מימים ימימה להתשחוות ולזבוח לה' צבקות בשילה", ונחלקו המפרשים בביאור זמן זה 'מימים ימימה', אימתי היה אלקנה בא למשכן שילה. הרד"ק מפרש, מימים ימימה - משנה לשנה, וכמו שנאמר )פסוק ז( : "וכן יעשה שנה בשנה מדי עלותה בבית ה'". אמנם התרגום יונתן תירגם: מזמן מועד למועד. ובעקבותיו פירש רש"י: היה עולה מזמן מועד למועד לשילה. ]והאברבנאל שם הסתפק בזה וכתב, מימים ימימה, פירוש שנה בשנה, והיה עולה בחג האסיף שהוא זמן השמחה. או יהיה פירושו, ממועד למועד ומרגל לרגל, שהיה הולך לשילה שלש רגלים בשנה. ומכל מקום הסיק שהפירוש הראשון יותר נכון, מכח המבואר בהמשך הפסוקים "וכן יעשה שנה בשנה"[.

וביאר הפנים יפות שנחלקו בנידון זה האם היתה חובת עלייה לרגל במשכן שילה, והטעם שלא לחייב בעלייה לרגל, אף שמשכן שילה היה הארון קבוע שם. משום שבמצוות עלייה לרגל נאמר )דברים טז טז(: "שלוש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך את פני ה' אלקיך במקום אשר יבחר" וגו', ו'מקום אשר יבחר' הוא בית הבחירה, דהיינו בית עולמים דוקא.

וכן דקדק בספר שלמי חגיגה )חגיגה ו.( מדברי רש"י )דברים יב ה( על הפסוק "כי אם אל המקום אשר יבחר ה' לשכן שמו שם לשכנו תדרשו ובאת שמה", פירש ש'לשכנו תדרשו' - זה משכן שילה. ואם כן רש"י לשיטתו ס"ל שאף משכן שילה הוא בכלל מקום אשר יבחר ה' לשכן שמו שם, והוא הדין שיהיה חיוב עלייה לרגל במשכן שילה.  

and later

ראיות האמרי אמת והגרי"ז לעלייה לרגל באהל מועד ובמשכן שילה

ובמאסף ישורון )ח"ט עמוד שכה( הובא בשם מרן הגרי"ז, שהוכיח כצד זה שיש חובת עליה לרגל גם במשכן שילה, מהכתוב בתהילים )קכב ג( "ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו", ופירש רש"י: ירושלים הבנויה, כשיבנה שלמה בנו בית המקדש כו', כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו כשילה. והרי בפסוק שם מוזכר גם "שם עלו שבטים שבטי קה", וביאר הגרי"ז שכוונת רש"י שירושלים תהיה דומה בזה לשילה, שיהיה בה מצות עליה לרגל כמו בשילה ולא כפי שהיה עד עתה בנוב וגבעון.

and for me, a really big problem is that if מקום אשר יבחר' הוא בית הבחירה, דהיינו בית עולמים דוקא, then how does that shtim with the undisputed fact that they were makriv the Korban Pesach in Gilgal, Nov, and Gilgal. And by the Pesach it also says מקום אשר יבחר. So I'm at sea on this.

9.  Among Ashkenazim, women make a bracha on mitzvos they do not have to do, such as Lulav and Shofar and Tzitzis. (Sefardim do not, following the Rambam, because וציוונו is really not applicable.) If there was a bracha on Aliya LaRegel, would Ashkenazi women make a bracha on that mitzvah?

No. Because it says זכורך (16:16). 

שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ה’ אלקיך בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר

Unlike other mitzvos which are general but women are excused because of Zman Grama, this mitzva was only given to men. Women are not in the parsha of the mitzva at all.

(Based on R Chaim Kanievsky’s טעמא דקרא  at the end of the parsha.)

Important to know: Reb Chaim's postulate that when the mitzva is directed only to men, a woman who does the mitzva gets no schar at all, should be examined in light of the Rambam who seems to say that even a non-Jew who does mitzvos is rewarded. 

י' שופטים י'

בן נח שרצה לעשות מצוה משאר מצות התורה כדי לקבל שכר. אין מונעין אותו לעשות כהלכתה.

פיה"מ תרומות (פ"ג משנה ט') "הנכרי והכותי שתרמו תרומתן תרומה" וכתב הרמב"ם "הנכרים אע"פ שאינן חייבין במצוות אם עשו מהם שום דבר יש להם קצת שכר וזהו מן העיקר שלנו, וכיון שהן משתתפין עמנו בשכר, מעשיהן במצוות קיימין"

On the other hand, Reb Moshe (YD II:7) strongly disagrees with this interpretation of the Rambam. Also the Ohr Hachaim in Yisro (19:10) and the Chazon Ish (YD 65:6)  state absolutely that a non-Jew who does mitzvos achieves absolutely nothing.

And my grandson Moshe Lawrence pointed out that even if you read the Rambam differently than Reb Moshe, even the Rambam would not say that a non-Jew who does mitzvos can make a bracha on doing them. Whatever schar he may have is too tenuous to justify a bracha.  Furthermore, it is theoretically possible that a mitzva done by non-Jew has more meaning than Aliyah LaRegel by a woman; before mattan Torah, the mitzvos were universal, as we see in the Avos doing the mitzvos. But a mitzva that is inherently directed towards women was never given to them.

 

10.  Which laws in this parsha refer to the number seven? (5 answers)

Shmittah occurs every seventh year (15:1). 

An Eved Ivri or Amah Ivriyah go free on the seventh year, after working for six years (15:12). 

Seven days of Pesach (16:3, 4, 8). 

Seven weeks of counting the Omer (16:9). 

Seven days of Sukkos (16:13, 15).