Parshas Haazinu 5776

Many Generations

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 32:7):

Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations; Ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, Thine elders, and they will tell thee.

According to Rashi (ibid) these refer to:

• generations - the generation of Enosh, whom [God] inundated with the waters of the ocean, and the generation of the Flood
• father - these are the prophets
• elders - these are the Sages

According to the Vilna Gaon (Aderes Eliyahu ibid):

• the days of old - this is Moses
• many generations - this is Joshua and the Elders whose years were extended in the second generation
• father - these are the Prophets
• elders - these are the Elders that were before the Prophets

 Ohr haChaim (ibid) explains:

• the days of old - the six days of Creation
• many generations - the two generations - the one that went out of Egypt and the one that entered the Land
• father - these are the Prophets
• elders - there are the Sages of Israel

 (see also Ramban ibid)

Nations and Tribes

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 32:8):

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.

Rashi (ibid) explains:

• gave nations their lot - this is the generation of the Flood
• separated the sons of man - this is the generation of the Dispersion
• the number of the children of Israel - seventy nations according to the seventy descedents of Jacob who descended to Egypt

The Rashbam (ibid) explains:

• gave nations their lot - when He assigned them to their lands
• separated the sons of man - after the death of Noach and the time of Avraham
• the number of the children of Israel - twelve descendants of Canaan corresponding to the eventual 12 tribes of Israel - Canaan and his 11 sons amounted to twelve

(see also Daas Zkenim ibid)

Ohr haChayim (ibid) explains:

• gave nations their lot - when He assigned the nations to angels
• separated the sons of man - He did not give them to one angel, but separated them, each to a separate angel
• the number of the children of Israel - seventy angels according to the seventy souls that descended to Egypt

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Parshas Vayelech 5776

What is the Tent of Meeting?

The Torah writes (Deutoronomy 31:14):

And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Behold, thy days approach that thou must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge.’ And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.

The tent is first described earlier (Exodus 33:7):

Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought the LORD went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.

Rashi (ibid) explains the meaning of the term: 

And he would call it the tent of meeting. That is the meeting house of those seeking the Torah.

Later on, when the Tabernacle was built, the same term was used to refer to inner part of the Tabernacle covered with skins (Exodus 40:2):

’On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

Rashi explains (Exodus 33:11):

After He spoke with him, Moses would return to the camp and teach the elders what he had learned. Moses conducted himself in this way from Yom Kippur until the Mishkan was erected, but no more [than that] ... He [God] gave over to him the second tablets, and he [Moses] descended, and He [God] began commanding him concerning the work of the Mishkan. They constructed it until the first of Nissan, and once it was erected, He no longer spoke with him except from the Tent of Meeting. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 31, Seder Olam ch. 6]

Ha-emek Davar (Exodus 40:34) explains that this term refers normally to the Holy of Holies, but may occasionally refer to the entire part of the Tabernacle covered by the skins

The Torah also explains (Numbers 7:89) how G-d spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle:

And when Moses went into the tent of meeting that He might speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him.

Who was Joshua?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 31:23):

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said: ‘Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore unto them; and I will be with thee.’

He was a servant of Moses (Exodus 33:11):

And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent.

and (Numbers 11:28):

And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: ‘My lord Moses, shut them in.’

He was one of the spies (Numbers 13:16), and Moses changed his name:

These are the names of the men that Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.

He also fought with Amalek (Numbers 17:13):

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

He was picked by Moses to conquer the Land (Numbers 34:17):

’These are the names of the men that shall take possession of the land for you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

He was considered a king (Bereishit Rabbah 59:6)

He married Rachab (Talmud Megilah 14b) and only had daughters, but not sons:

That [Rahab] became a convert and she married Joshua. But did Joshua have any offspring And isn't it written (I Chronicles 7:27) "Nun his son, Joshua his son" He did not have sons, but he did have daughters.

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Leaders and Hewers (Parshas Nitzavim 5775)

Who Are the Heads of the Tribes?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 29:9)

Ye are standing this day all of you before the LORD your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel

Rashi (ibid) and Ibn Ezra learns they are the heads of the tribes:

"your heads, your tribes" - these are the heads of the tribes

The Ramban (ibid) writes:

But according to my understanding, the Torah generalizes and then gets more specific. The general is "the heads and all the tribes", and then it goes back and explains in detail - "your elders and your officers" - they are your heads for an elder and a leader is considered a head ... And they are the heads for the Jews but not all of them, and the Torah goes back and says "even all the men of Israel" - for those are the tribes...

The Sforno (ibid) explains that these are the princes:

ראשיכם שבטיכם זקניכם ושוטריכם, the people Moses describes as ראשיכם, are those who are heads of their tribes, elsewhere referred to as נשיאים, "princes". The term ראש always includes the people who wield authority. זקניכם, your judges. ושוטריכם, the law enforcers empowered by the judges to enforce their judgements.

Targum Jonathan (ibid) explains that these are heads of the Sanhedrin and their enforcers

Sefer Shaarei Aharon also cites the Vilna Gaon that explains that this refers to the leaders of thousands and hundreds.

(see also Josh Waxman's parshablog and Sefer Shaarei Aharon)

Who are the Hewers and Drawers?

The Torah continues (Deuteronomy 29:10):

your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in the midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water;

Daas Zkenim says this refers to slaves (ibid):

 “from the hewers of your wood for kindling,” i.e. male slaves; “to the ones drawing your water, i.e. the female slaves.”

Rashi says these were Canaanites that came to convert (ibid):

This teaches us that in the days of Moses, Canaanites came to convert, just as the Gibeonites came in the days of Joshua. This is the meaning of the verse regarding the Gibeonites, “And they also acted cunningly…” (Josh. 9:4)

(see Midrash Tanchuma and the Talmud [Yebomot 79a), who says that these were the same Gibeonites who tried to deceive Joshua, see also Josh Waxman's post in the parshablog)
 
The Ramban (ibid) writes that these were Erev Rav:

And the hewers of wood and the drawers of the water were from the mixed multitudes (Erev Rav)

(see also Sefer Shaarei Aharon for explanation what is bothering the various opinions listed here)

Which Idols Does the Torah Refer To?

The Torah writes (Deutronomy 29:16):

and ye have seen their detestable things, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were with them

Rashi (ibid) writes:

You saw those made of wood and stone out in the open, because the owners did not fear that they would be stolen. However, those of “silver and gold,” they “were with them,” in their treasure chambers, because [their owners] were afraid that these might be stolen.

The Vilna Gaon (Sefer Aderes Eliyahu ibid) explains:

"detestable things" - that is the detestable thing of Amon; "and their idols" - that is the idol of Moab which is Baal Peor; "wood and stone" - those are the idols of Esau and Ishmael; "silver and gold" - those are the idols of Sihon and Og

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Parshas Ki Savo 5775

Who is the Aramean Referred to in the Torah?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 26:5):

And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

The Passover Hagaddah (see here) learns that this was Laban (see also Rashi here):

Go out and learn what what Lavan the Aramean sought to do to Ya'akov, our father; since Pharaoh only decreed [the death sentence] on the males but Lavan sought to uproot the whole [people]. As it is stated (Deuteronomy 26:5), "An Aramean was destroying my father and he went down to Egypt, and he resided there with a small number and he became there a nation, great, powerful and numerous."

The Rashbam (ibid) learns that this refers to Abraham:

ארמי אובד אבי, as if the Torah had written” my father Avraham was an Aramite, lost, and exiled from his birthplace Aram.” G’d had told him in Genesis 12,1 “go forth for yourself from your homeland, etc.” Later on, Avraham himself relates to Avimelech the king of the Philistines, (Genesis 20,13) that G’d had made him wander, away from his father’s house, etc. The meaning of the word אובד here is similar to תועה, the root Avraham used to describe wandering without specific objective, almost like walking because one is lost.

The Sforno (ibid) learns that this refers to Jacob:

ארמי אובד אבי, my father, i.e. Yaakov, who was for a while a wandering lost person without a home of his own, was not at the time able to establish a nation deserving or fit to inherit this land.

[see also Josh Waxman's parshablog which discusses grammatical reasons for why this cannot be Laban. Also see Sefer Shaarei Aharon here for further discussion]

Who is the king in the Tochacha?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy  28:36):

The LORD will bring thee, and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation that thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

The Ramban (Leviticus 26:16) learns that this refers to King Agrippa II:

And furthermore a proof from what it says "And G-d will bring you, and the king whom you shall set over you to a nation which you have not known; you and your forefathers" - for King Agrippa travelled to Rome in the end of the period of the Second Temple, and from that journey the Temple was destroyed. It does not say "the king which rules over you" but "your king which you placed" - G-d hints to us that he was not fit for kingship and it was forbidden for him to rule over the Jews according to Torah law. Nevertheless, he was set to rule - he and his ancestors, against the law, as it is explained in Sotah (41b)

He adds later on (Deuteronomy 28:42) that this may also refer to King Aristobulus II:

It also makes sense that this verse hints to another king before Agrippa and that would be Aristobulus who was captured by a Roman general and brought to Rome in chains

The Talmud (Yomah 52b) cites King Josiah who thought this verse referred to him:

Who hid it (i.e. the Ark)? [King] Josiah hid it. What was his reason? He saw the verse: "The LORD will bring thee, and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee"

(Rashi [ibid] explains this based on the Jerusalem Talmud [Shekalim] that he was afraid he would go to exile in Babylon and this verse was referring to him)

(It is possible that the phrase "that you set over you" refers to Josiah because he was appointed by the people after they assassinated his father)

Midrash Lekach Tov / Pesikta Zutrasi (Ki Savo) says:

These are kings Jeconiah, Zedekiah and Jehoiakim

(The phrase "that you set over you" may refer to these kings because they were appointed by outside sources - Pharaoh Necho and Nebuchadnezzar)

Related Posts

Where did the Levites Live? (Parshas Shoftim 5775)

Who are the Elders? (Parshas Vaeschanan 5775)

Placement of Levites during the blessings and curses (Parshas Reeh 5775)

Who was Sihon, Og and Other Giants (Parshas Devarim 5775) 

Location of Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim (Parshas Reeh 5775)

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Many Nations (Parshas Ki Teitzei 5775)

Are Ammonite and Moabite Converts Accepted?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 23:4, 23:8-9):

An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter into the assembly of the LORD for ever ... Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land. The children of the third generation that are born unto them may enter into the assembly of the LORD.

Sefer HaChinukh (561) writes that this no longer applies:

And this prohibition was applicable before Sennacherib the king of Assyria went up against Jerusalem and exiled the Jews, and also confused all the nations and mixed them, for he ruled over the whole world. After Sennacherib mixed up the world, and the Ammonites and Moabites got mixed with other nations, all are permitted to marry after they convert. [We assume] that they came from the majority that is other nations as opposed to the Ammonites and Moabites. The same principle applies to Egyptians and Edomites.

When Did Amalek Attack the Jews?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 25:17-19):

Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were enfeebled in thy rear, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget.

The Torah mentions one instance in Rephidim (Exodus 17:8):

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim

According to Rashi, they were attacked by Amalek a second time after Aaron died:

"And the Canaanite, king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that the Jews came through Atharim, and he fought them, and captured some captive" (Numbers 21:1)

Rashi (ibid):

This was Amalek, as it says "Amalek lived in the land of the south" (Numbers 13:29)

Rashi's source appears to be a Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 19:20 and Tanchuma 4:6, see also my previous post here)

The Baal HaTurim (Deuteronomy 26:1) adds:

Amalek told the King of Egypt that the Jews have fled and he also told Laban that Jacob fled, and this is why the passage of the first fruits is placed here [after the commandment to destroy Amalek], for it mentions that "the Aramean wanted to destroy me"

Midrash Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah 27:6) mentions that Amalek was an advisor to Pharoh:

Amalek and Jethro plotted together with Pharaoh [to kill the Jewish boys]. When Jethro saw that G-d destroyed Amalek from This World and the World to come, he went and repented

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Levite Cities (Parshas Shoftim 5775)

Where did the Levites Live?

The Torah writes (Deutoronomy 18:1-2):

The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His inheritance. And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He hath spoken unto them.

The Torah explains earlier that Levites only got cities and open areas around them (Numbers 35:2-3):

’Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites. And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their open land shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

Parts of the open areas were not allowed to be used at all as explained by the Talmud (Arachin 33b, as cited by Rashi [Numbers 35:2]):

Empty belts of land surrounding each city, so as to beautify the city. It was forbidden to build a house, plant a vineyard or sow seed there.

They were given 6 cities of refuge and 42 additional cities (ibid 35:6). The Rambam (Shmita 13:1) adds that all cities of refuge in the future will also belong to them. The Rambam (Rotzeah 8:8-9) also explains that all 48 cities of the Levites acted as a place of refugee for a murderer but there were differences between them and the 6 designated cities.

The houses and fields in Levite cities could not be sold forever and the Levites always retained the right of redemption (see Leviticus 25:32-34). 

The Levites were not allowed to be buried in the cities or their surrounding areas as the Talmud (Makoth 12a) explains:

Rav Avahu said: These cities were not given for burial as it is says: "And their open fields should be for their animals and possessions and all living" - for the living and not for burial

The Rambam (Shmita 13:3) explains that Levites were granted additional land outside their cities and open areas to be used for burial purposes only (see also Meiri on Makkoth 12a).

They were also not allowed to share in the spoils of war as explained by the Rambam (Shmita 13:10) but only in the land of Israel, with other lands allowed.

Which cities were given to the Levites?

The cities were allocated by the Jewish people under the guidance of Joshua and Elazar as described later on (Joshua 21 and I Chronicles 6). They were allocated to each of the Levite families by lots as follows, 48 cities in total including all the cities of refuge:

• Kohath - Kohanim - 13 cities
• Judah and Simeon - 9 cities - Hebron (city of refuge); Libnah, Jattir, Estemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth-shemesh
• Benjamin - 4 cities - Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon
• Kohath - non-Kohanim - 10 cities
• Ephraim - 4 cities - Schechem (city of refuge), Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth-horon
• Dan - 4 cities - Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath-rimmon
• Manasseh on the west bank - 2 cities - Taanach and Gath-rimmon
• Gershon - 13 cities
• Manasseh on the east bank - 2 cities - Golan in Bashan (city of refuge), Beeshterah
• Issachar - 4 cities - Kishion, Dobrath, Jarmuth and En-gannin
• Asher - 4 cities - Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob
• Naphtali - 3 cities - Kedesh in the Galilee (city of refuge), Hammoth-dor and Kartan
• Merari - 12 cities
• Zebulun - 4 cities -  Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah and Nahalal
• Reuben - 4 cities - Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath
• Gad - 4 cities - Ramoth in Gilead (city of refuge), Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer

The cities were allocated to the specific families of Levites and not all of them (see Metzudas David [Joshua 21:7]). All cities were given with the open land around them (as per Numbers 35:1-8), except Hebron, where the open land was given to Caleb (see Joshua 21:12). The six cities of refugee were all given to Levites  - 1 to Kohanim - Hebron, and 5 to the rest.

 [From Wikipedia Commons, licensed under CC-BY-SA, User:Agbad]

There are several questions:

• How was the open land around Hebron allowed to be given to Caleb if the Torah requires all the open land around the Levite cities to go to the Levites?
• Why is Bezer, which is a city of refugee, not mentioned that way?
• According to some versions, there is no mention of the cities given by Reuben (Joshua 21:36-37) in Joshua while they are mentioned in Chronicles. Why?
• Why are the cities listed in Chronicles slightly different than in Joshua?
• How was Ephraim allowed to give the city of Shechem to Levites, if Jacob gave this to Joseph specifically (see Joshua 24:32)?
• Why did Kohanim get 13 cities (over 25%)?
• If Shechem was a Levite city, why do we find it later to be a city of Ephraim (see Judges 8 and 9, and I Chronicles 7:28), and a city of King Jeroboam (see I Kings 12:25)?
• Why is Nob, the city of Kohanim (see I Samuel 22:19), is not mentioned in this list?
• Is Geba here the same as the Geba in the story of the concubine of Geba (see Joshua 19)? If so, if this was a Levite city, why was Benjamin punished?

I would like to suggest that perhaps these cities were not fully occupied by the Levites, since Tanach only tells us that these cities were given to the Levites, but it never mentions that they were occupied by them.

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]

Blessings and Curses (Parshas Reeh 5775)

Where were the Levites during the Blessings and Curses?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 11:29):

And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.

The Torah writes later (Deuteronomy 27:12-13) and mentions that the Levites were on Mt. Ebal:

’These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin; and these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Later on we find that Levites were not on the mountain (Joshua 8:33):

And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger as the home-born; half of them in front of mount Gerizim and half of them in front of mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

The Talmud (Sotah 37a) provides several answers:

We learned that Rabbi Eliezer son of Jacob said: It is impossible to say that the Levites were below for it already said "above". And it is impossible to say "above" for it already said "below". How did it happen?

The elders of the priests and the Levites below, and the rest [of the tribe] were above

Rabi Yoshia said: All that were fit [to carry the Ark - Rashi] were below [near the Ark - Rashi], the rest were above. 

Rabbi said: Those and those [Levites and the Jews] were all standing below, and they turned towards Mt. Gerizim and said the blessings, and turned towards Mt. Ebal and said the curses.

Tosfos (ibid) provides another answer in the name of the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 7:4):

"Simon and Levi", just like Simon was entirely above, so Levi was entirely above. How do we satisfy the verse "against the priests and the Levites""? Like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said - in twenty four places the priests are also called Levites and this is one of such places

Where were Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal Located?

The Torah writes (Deuteronomy 11:30):

Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the terebinths of Moreh?

The Mishnah (Sotah 7:5) explains this was near Shechem [as cited by Rashi (ibid), also see Talmud (Sotah 33b)]:

The blessings and curses: How so?  Once Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal which are in Samaria, next to Shechem which is next to the terebinths of Moreh, as it is said, “Are they not the other side of the Jordan, [beyond the west road that is in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah—near Gilgal, by the terebinths of Moreh] (Deut. 11:30), and elsewhere it says, “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem unto the terebinth of Moreh” (Genesis 12:6)—just as the terebinth of Moreh mentioned in this latter verse is Shechem, so the terebinth of Moreh mentioned in the former verse is Shechem. 

The Daat Mikra Atlas (pp. 130-13) explains that these two mountains were located on each side of Shechem - Mt. Gerizim south of the city, and Mt. Ebal north of the city.

Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim with the city of Nablus / Shechem in between (from Wikipedia Commons)

This as also where Jacob buried the foreign gods brought with his family (Genesis 35:4):

And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth which was by Shechem.

Tosfos (Chullin 6a) says that this terebinth tree was on Mt. Gerizim:

"Rav Nachman bar Yitzhak said: They [i.e. the Samaritans] found an image of a dove on top of Mt. Gerizim and they worshipped it" - in the Midrash it says that these were the idols that Jacob hid under the oak on the mountain in Shechem

The Rashbam (Genesis 49:10) explains that this tree was famous:

There was open space at Shechem around the famous oak located near Shechem. At that location a mass rally could be held easily. The people would pay homage to the Sanctuary in Shiloh from that vantage point, as it was in their line of vision.

(see also Joshua 24:25-26 and Judges 9:6 which discuss possibly the same tree near Shechem in regards to Joshua and Abimelech; see also Ibn Ezra [Genesis 12:6] that connects this tree with Mamre, a friend of Abraham)

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]