Weekly Parsha Thoughts

Matos-Masei

The passuk states והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה… לרשת אותה which the Ramban explains is the mitzvas asei of ישוב הארץ, settling in Eretz Yisrael. Hashem told Moshe that Bnei Yisrael should not think about going to conquer the land of Shinur,...
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Bein HaMitzarim

In the haftorah on Tisha B’av it states, “מי האיש החכם ויבן את זאת…על מה אבדה הארץ who is the wise person that can understand this… for what reason was the land destroyed?” The Gemara explains the wise people and the prophets...
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Balak

The pessukim mention a few things which Bilam tried to do to curse Yisrael, yet he was not successful. Balak requested that Bilam should curse Yisrael to which Bilam responded, “return to your land כי מאן ה’ לתתי להלך עמכם” which Onkelos...
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Chukas

The passuk states, “עשה לך שרף ושים אותו על נס והיה כל הנשוך וראה אותו וחי, make for yourself a serpent and place it on the pole, and it will be whoever was bitten will see it and live.” The Mishnah asks,...
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Korach

The passuk states ויקח קרח… and Korach took… and Dasan and Avirom, Eliav’s sons, and Ohn Ben Peles, Reuven’s sons. What did Korach take? Rashi explains Korach convinced two hundred and fifty heads of Sanhedrin with words to join him. Then he...
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Shelach

The passuk states “the Bnei Yisrael were in the desert and they found a man being מקושש עצים on Shabbos.” Onkelos translates מקושש as “when he was collecting wood” which is the melacha of me’amer. The Gemara brings that they warned him...
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