Questions

1. Why must a captured woman mourn her family for a month in her captor's house?
2. What fraction of the inheritance does a first-born receive if he has a) one brother? b) two brothers?
3. What will become of a ben sorer u'moreh if his parents don't bring him to court?
4. Why is it a degradation to G-d to hang a criminal's body on the gallows overnight?
5. What do you do if you find a lost object that costs money to maintain?
6. Why does the Torah forbid wearing the clothing of the opposite gender?
7. Why does the Torah link the mitzvah of sending away the mother-bird with the mitzvah of making a railing on the roof of your house?
8. When is it permitted to wear wool and linen?
9. What three things happen to a man who falsely slanders his bride?
10. Although the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish People, the Torah allows marriage with their third-generation converts. Why?
11. Why is causing someone to sin worse than killing him?
12. If one charges interest to his fellow Jew, how many commandments has he transgressed?
13. What is the groom's special obligation to his bride during their first year together?
14. When is a groom required to fight in a non-obligatory war?
15. What type of object may one not take as collateral?

I Did Not Know That!

Honoring parents and sending away the mother bird are two commandments which the Torah equates regarding their reward: "In order that He will bestow good upon you, and long life...." (Devarim 22:6) Why should sending away a bird, a simple act, share the status of a very difficult mitzvah, honoring parents? What is the connection between these two mitzvot?

When a person approaches a bird's nest to take the young, the mother bird could easily fly to safety. But instead, she stays by the nest in order to protect her young, putting herself in danger. To capture her in this position would be to take advantage of her self-sacrifice for her young, and the Torah forbids this. Surely, then, we must honor our parents, who sacrifice so much for us.

• Based on Oznaim L'Torah

Answers

1. Why must a captured woman mourn her family for a month in her captor's house?
   21:13 - So her captor will find her unattractive.
2. What fraction of the inheritance does a first-born receive if he has a) one brother? b) two brothers?
   21:17 - a) 2/3 b) 1/2
3. What will become of a ben sorer u'moreh if his parents don't bring him to court?
   21:22 - He will eventually rob and kill to support his physical indulgences.
4. Why is it a degradation to G-d to hang a criminal's body on the gallows overnight?
   21:23 - Because humans are made in G-d's image; and because the Jewish People are G-d's children.
5. What do you do if you find a lost object that costs money to maintain?
   22:2 - Sell it and save the money for the owner.
6. Why does the Torah forbid wearing the clothing of the opposite gender?
   22:5 - It leads to immorality.
7. Why does the Torah link the mitzvah of sending away the mother-bird with the mitzvah of making a railing on the roof of your house?
   22:8 - To teach that one mitzvah leads to another, and to prosperity.
8. When is it permitted to wear wool and linen?
   22:12 - Wool tzitzit on a linen garment.
9. What three things happen to a man who falsely slanders his bride?
   22:18 - He receives lashes, pays a fine of 100 silver selah, and may never divorce her against her will.
10. Although the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish People, the Torah allows marriage with their third-generation converts. Why?
    23:8 - Because they hosted Yaakov and his family during the famine.
11. Why is causing someone to sin worse than killing him?
    23:9 - Murder takes away life in this world, while causing someone to sin takes away his life in the World to Come.
12. If one charges interest to his fellow Jew, how many commandments has he transgressed?
    23:21 - Three; two negative commandments and a positive commandment.
13. What is the groom's special obligation to his bride during their first year together?
    24:5 - To gladden her.
14. When is a groom required to fight in a non-obligatory war?
    24:5 - When he remarries his ex-wife.
15. What type of object may one not take as collateral?
    24:6 - Utensils used to prepare food.

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