Weekly Parsha Thoughts

The passuk tells us that Moshe spoke to the entire Bnei Yisrael בעבר הירדן במדבר…, across the Yarden in the desert. Rashi is bothered, didn’t Moshe speak to them in Arvos Moav across the Yarden, as it states at the end of... Read More

Hashem commanded Moshe, “נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים take the revenge of Bnei Yisrael from the people of Midyan,” which infers that this is the Bnei Yisrael’s revenge. However the following passuk states that Moshe commanded the nation, “Arm yourselves לתת... Read More

The passuk states “יפקד ה’ אלקי הרוחות לכל בשר איש על העדה.” Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu requested from Hashem who is the G-d of all spirits to appoint a person over the entire gathering. Why is Hashem described as “the G-d... Read More

The passuk states in Parshas V’zos Habracha, ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה אשר ידעו ה’ פנים אל פנים there was no prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu whom Hashem became known to him face to face. The Sifrei explains, a prophet will not... Read More

The passuk states זאת חקת התורה this is the chok of the Torah. What does חקת mean and what does it refer to? Onkelos often translates חוק as קים, statute; here he translates as גזירה, decree. Rashi explains that a חוק is... Read More

The passuk states that Moshe took out all the staffs from before Hashem, “ויראו ויקחו איש מטהו and they saw and a man took his staff.” Onkelos translates the word ויראו “and they recognized,” each man recognized his own staff. The Nefesh... Read More