Question: Was Korach amongst the Erev Rav? Answer: Korach was not part of the Erev Rav. The Erev Rav were gentiles that decided to become part of klal Yisroel when… Read more »
Category: Bible study questions – Tanach
Yehoshua bin Nun
Question: In the past weekly portion, Shelach, the names of the twelve scouts are mentioned by name + the names of their fathers. Only Yehoshua is termed “bin Nun”. Why… Read more »
Moshe Rabbeinu and Humility
Question: In last week’s Parasha, Moshe Rabbeinu is described as “Anav Me’od MeKol HaAdam” (Bamidbar 12:3)–Moshe was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. The… Read more »
Tavar magal
Question: Baba basra 121b Why wasn’t there a problem of bal tashchis? Answer: It doesn’t mean they actually broke them. It is just a term that they aren’t needed… Read more »
original Torah vs. counterfeit
Question: Shalom Rabbi, I have questions and concerns about how did the uncircumcised or non-Jew men get scriptures from Torah when making another book calling it, the Holy Bible? In… Read more »
Temple
Question: I hear things about the Third Temple, but because I am in America, I only hear it from the End Time Christian perspective. What is the Jewish perspective of… Read more »
Moshe’s reaction to golden calf
Question: Please see 32:26. How did Moshe have the authority to kill people without witnesses and a trial? Answer: The verse reads, That Moshe said, that he was instructed by… Read more »
Meaning of le-olam
Question: Please see 31:17. Ibn Ezra (short) says le-olam always means forever. What about Bemidbar 5:13 where the root means hidden? When and why did chazal start using it to… Read more »
Why was Aharon chosen to be Kohen Gadol?
Question: Please see 28:1. Why was Aharon chosen as Kohen Gadol? Ibn Ezra here and in Shemos 6:23 seems to say it’s because Moshe’s wife wasn’t jewish whereas Aharon’s wife… Read more »
Who was a greater Tzaddik
Question: Someone told me that Serach the daughter of Asher was more righteous than Moshe as she entered Gan Eden alive. Is the person right? Answer: While Moshe Rabeinu, didn’t… Read more »
Was silver used in the Mishkan
Question: Please see 25:3. Silver was one of the components of the Mishkan. Was it used? Rashi says the silver referred to here was not used. This verse refers to… Read more »
Where it is written in the Torah that Moshe said, “Do not listen to the false prophet!”
Question: Where it is written in the Torah that Moshe said, “Do not listen to the false prophet!” Answer: Deuteronomy 13-4.
Which Kaleiv?
Question: Please see 24:14. Rashi based on Gemoro Sanhedrin 69b says that Chur was the son of Miriam and Kaleiv ben Yefunneh. The Gemoro is based on Divrei Hayamim 1… Read more »
Ohr Hachaim to Shemos 21:5
Question: Please see 21:5. Ohr Hachaim tries to fit this idea to a jew wanting to serve G-d forever. It all works except for the bit where the slave is… Read more »
In megillat esther, why differing descriptions of betulah and naara…
Question: In Esther 2-3, Is maiden referring to age, marriage status, or virginity? Were the maidens in the first house also virgins? Were married women also taken to the king?… Read more »
Was it Geneivas Daas for Yocheved to take money from Bas Paroah?
Question: I have an interesting question on parshas shemos. How was Yocheved allowed to accept the offer of money from Bas Paroh to nurse her own child. It seems pretty… Read more »
Why didn’t Shofetim pursue Amalek
Question: See Shofetim 3:13 where Eglon and Amalek attack Israel. In Shofteim 7:12 we see Amalek helping Midian. In Shofetim 10:12 G-d mentions how He saved the jews from Amalek…. Read more »
Did the jews enter the desert willingly
Question: Rashi on 15:22 says Moshe made them travel into the desert against their will (Oznayim Latorah elaborates). What about Yirmiyahu 2:2 (kindness of your youth)? Answer: What Rashi is… Read more »
How Hashem speaks to Moshe – daber and omar
Question: Could one say that Hashem chose to speak to Moshe via a daber or omar mode of speech in response to Moshe’s state of mind? For example the Mitzvah… Read more »
Why is Reuven addressed in the 2nd person and Shimon and Leivi in the 3rd person?
Question: Please see Bereishis 49:4,5 Why is Reuven addressed in the 2nd person and Shimon and Leivi in the 3rd person? Answer: This is a good question. A possible answer… Read more »
Does Vehaya symbolise something good
Question: Please see Ber. 44:31. Isn’t the word vehaya supposed to mean something good (Ohr Hachaim to Devarim 11:13 quoting Midrash)? How can that apply here? Answer: This is a… Read more »
Why are Tefillin described as a chok
Question: 13:10 Why are Tefillin described as a chok when the reason has already been given (remembering exodus –see Ramban)? Ohr Hachaim to Vayikra 26:3 (25th reason) says it refers… Read more »
What did the enslaved Jews own?
Question: Please see 10:9. How could they have so many possessions if they had been slaves? Answer: You are bringing up an interesting point. The Jews were slaves to Pharoh,… Read more »
Did Yaakov bless Dinah
Question: Did Yaakov bless Dinah? If not, why not? Even if Yosef’s wife was Dinah’s daughter, it’s not the same as blessing Dinah herself. If she died before Yaakov then… Read more »
Talmud Question
Question: Hello, Could you explain something in Nazir 32b for me? This is cited: R. Joseph said: Had I been there, I would have said to them: “Is it not… Read more »
Moshe and Yehoshua removing their shoes
Question: Shemos 3:5 Why does it not say that Moshe removed his shoe as opposed to Yehoshua where it does (Yehoshua 5:15)? Answer: Perhaps because by Yehoshua it was only… Read more »
Torah’s translation into greek
Question: Bs’d Why is the so called Septuagint called “the translation of the seventy” (targum ha-shivi’im) and not “the translation of the seventy two” since 72 (shivi’im ve-shtayim) and not… Read more »
Did Yosef forgive his brothers?
Question: Please see Bereishis 50:21. I heard it said that Yosef never actually forgave them with the word Mochel. His words appear to show that no ill feeling remained inside… Read more »
Souls of a tzaddik and a rasha bound together
Question: Please see 44:30. Alshich says the soul of a righteous person would not be bound up with the soul of a wicked person. What about Avraham and Yishmael; Yitzchak… Read more »
Explaining the first verse in the torah.
Question: Please can you explain the first verse of chapter one from Genesis, and I’m a student in comparative religion I want to know if we really believe that the… Read more »
mammar chazel hamoker
Question: מה הוא המקור של המאמר הפותח פתח לחברו את נפשו הוא חייב לא Answer: מדרש רבה שמות ד’-ב’, וכן מדרש תנחומא שמות אות ט”ז
I would like to know how the procedure for choosing King Saul
Question: In the following verses: 20 And Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. כוַיַּקְרֵב שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כָּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּלָּכֵד שֵׁבֶט… Read more »
The Torah’s use of verbs seeing and hearing
Question: Please see Ibn Ezra to Bereishis 42:1. Is he saying seeing, hearing and smelling are all the same thing and the Torah chooses which verb to use arbitrarily? What… Read more »
Could Pharaoh speak Hebrew
Question: See Bereishis 41:45. Ramban suggests here and in Bereishis 45:12 that Pharaoh knew Hebrew. Rashi to Bereishis 50:6 (quoting Gemoro Sotah 36b) says that Pharaoh made Yosef swear he… Read more »
Difference between Beged, Simlah and Salmah
Question: I was looking at Ber. 28:20 and Devarim 10:18. What’s the difference between Beged, Simlah and Salmah? Answer: Ibn Ezra Shemos 22 says that the differance between simlah and… Read more »
Why is Binyamin sometimes spelled with two yuds and sometimes only one?
Question: Why does Binyamain’s name sometimes have 2 yuds and sometimes 1? Answer: See Rashi Bereishis 35-18 that Binyomin was called Ben –yomin, to signify that he was born in… Read more »
Rashi and Rabbeinu Bachya on Bereishis 34:31
Question: What does Rabbeinu Bachya find so difficult with Rashi’s comment? Answer: He wants to know what is bothering Rashi and in what way is he helping us by telling… Read more »
Do we accept the view of the Abarbanel?
Question: I recently learned that Abarbanel (Bereishis 1-27) said that women are not created in the image of G-d. Yet it seems all discussions with contemporary rabbis nowadays consider women… Read more »
Rivka age 3 on marriage
Question: 1. Please can you tell me where it says in Rashi that Rivka was 3 years old when she married Yitzchak. What pasuk and chapter? 2. How can a… Read more »
Meaning of the word Satan
Question: I would like to know what the word satan means as a verb and noun and how it determines the role of one who is a satan or the… Read more »
Quality of King David’s justice
Question: I’m looking at Shmuel 2. On 15:2 Alshich and Malbim say that Avshalom said that David tends to favour people from one of the cities in his own tribe… Read more »
Would G-d destroy the righteous
Question: 18:23 Here and in 20:4,5 G-d is asked about causing the righteous to suffer. Here G-d acknowledges Avraham and finds further proof. On 20;4,5 G-d seems to back down… Read more »
HaSatan
Question: There are 27 instances of the word satan; in five distinct inflections, occuring in 23 verses of the Tenach. There is also the word sitnah which occurs as a… Read more »
Ramban to Bereishis 18:15
Question: Ramban says that laughter of the heart is never associated with simcha (only laughter of the mouth). What about Mishle 31:25 (Vatischak leyom acharon)? Answer: Maybe she will laugh… Read more »
Rambam on the Akeidah
Question: Rambam says Avraham was to be an example to the world. How does Rambam deal with the fact that no one was with Avraham and Yitzchak when Avraham bound… Read more »
What happened to Avraham and Yaakov’s converts
Question: Why didn’t any of these converts or their descendants accompany Yaakov to Egypt? It can’t have simply been because he was outside Israel (see Alshich to chapter 12) since… Read more »
Noach’s Drunkenness
Question: Why didn’t Shem and Yefes stay outside and let Noach sleep it off? Answer: The issue wasn’t that he was drunk, that they couldn’t help. The issue was that… Read more »
Redak to Bereishis 4:8
Question: If the Torah doesn’t tell us what was said, why do the rabbis present so many opinions. Redak on this verse, asks this question. What is his answer? Answer:… Read more »
King David’s choice of punishment
Question: Why was King David given a choice of punishments in Divrei Hayamim 1 21:9? Do we find anyone else being given such a choice? Answer: The Malbim explains that… Read more »
Rabbeinu Bachya on 32:10
Question: Please see Devarim 32:10. What does Rabbeinu Bachya mean when he says the pupil of the eye contains something that resembles a man? Answer: When you look into someone’s… Read more »