Parshas Acharei Mos / Kedoshim

For the week ending 6 Iyar 5758 in Israel and 13 Iyar outside of Israel
1-2 May 1998 in Israel and 8-9 May outside of Israel

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Contents:

Parsha Questions

What's Bothering Rashi?

I Did Not Know That!

Recommended Reading List

What do you do with Parsha Q&A

Answers to Parsha Questions

Answer to "What's Bothering Rashi?"

Back issues of Parsha Q&A

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Parsha Questions

Answers | Contents

ACHAREI MOS

1. Why does the Torah emphasize that Parshas Acharei Mos was taught after the death of Aharon's sons?
2. How long did the first Beis Hamikdash stand?
3. What did the Kohen Gadol wear when he entered the Holy of Holies?
4. How many times did the Kohen Gadol change his clothing and immerse in the mikveh on Yom Kippur?
5. One of the goats that was chosen by lot went to Azazel. What is Azazel?
6. After the Yom Kippur service, what is done with the four linen garments worn by the Kohen Gadol?
7. What is the penalty of kares?
8. Which categories of animals must have their blood covered when they are slaughtered?
9. What is the difference between "mishpat" and "chok"?
10. May a man marry his wife's sister?

KEDOSHIM

1. Why was Parshas Kedoshim said in front of all the Jewish People?
2. Why does the Torah mention the duty to honor one's father before it mentions the duty to honor one's mother?
3. Why is the command to fear one's parents followed by the command to keep Shabbos?
4. The Torah obligates one to leave the "leket" for the poor. What is "leket"?
5. In Shemos 20:13, the Torah commands, "Do not steal." What does the Torah add when it commands in Vayikra 19:11, "Do not steal?"
6. In verse 19:13, the Torah commands, "Do not do wrong to your neighbor." To what "wrong" is the Torah referring?
7. When rebuking someone, what sin must one be careful to avoid?
8. How does one fulfill the command "v'hadarta p'nei zakein"?
9. What punishment will never come to the entire Jewish People?
10. When the Torah states a death penalty but doesn't define it precisely, to which type of death penalty is it referring?

Rashi never just comments; something in the text always impels him to do so. Rashi's comments are answers to unspoken questions and difficulties arising from a thoughtful reading of the Torah. Therefore, anyone who wants a true understanding of Rashi's classic Torah commentary must always ask

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Answer Contents

Rashi never just comments; something in the text always impels him to do so. Rashi’s comments are answers to unspoken questions and difficulties arising from a thoughtful reading of the Torah. Therefore, anyone who wants a true understanding of Rashi’s classic Torah commentary must always ask "What’s Bothering Rashi?"

"With this (b'zos) shall Aharon enter the Holy place: With a bull of the herd as a chatas offering and a ram as an olah offering." (Vayikrah 16:3) Rashi: "With this (b'zos)": This word b'zos has the numerical value of 410, hinting to the first Temple (which stood for 410 years). With this insight, Rashi gives us a glimpse into the Torah's fathomless depth and infinite layers of hidden and prophetic meaning. But why does Rashi suddenly choose to do so here? What's wrong with the simple meaning of the verse that forces Rashi to offer a Midrashic insight? What's bothering Rashi?

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I Did Not Know That!

"You shall be holy ... A man shall fear his mother and his father." (19:2-3)

Whenever Jews preserve the sanctity of family life, the children honor and obey their parents. Whenever the sanctity of family life declines, the honor the children show their parents also declines.

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Recommended Reading List

ACHAREI MOS Ramban 16:21 The Scapegoat 17:2 Meat in the Midbar 17:7 Demons 17:11 Prohibition Against Eating Blood Sefer Hachinuch 184 The Sanctity of the Mishkan 185 Yom Kippur 187 Covering the Blood Sforno 16:30 Repentance 17:7 Demons

KEDOSHIM Ramban 19:2 Be Holy 19:14 Who May Not Be Cursed 19:17 Love and Rebuke 19:18 Love Your Neighbor 19:30 Shabbos 19:32 Honoring the Elderly Sefer Hachinuch 227 Swearing Falsely 236 Tale Bearing 237 Standing Idly 238 Hatred 239 Rebuke

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What do you do with parsha Q&A?

TSgt Carl Vetter wrote: I'm the Lay Leader for over 100 military and civilian personnel here in Okinawa. I have an e-mail group comprised of most of the people in the community. I send the Ohr Somayach out as everyone's "weekly dose of Judaism." What do YOU do with Parsha Q&A? Fax, E-mail, post, even Fedex your responses - we'll share them with all the Q&A readers! E-Mail should be addressed to whatIdo@ohr.edu

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Answers to this Week's Questions

Questions | Contents

All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated

ACHAREI MOS

1. 16:1 - To strengthen the warning not to enter the Holy of Holies except on Yom Kippur.
2. 16:3 - 410 years.
3. 16:4 - Only the four linen garments worn by an ordinary kohen.
4. 16:4 - Five times.
5. 16:8 - A jagged cliff.
6. 16:23 - They must be put into geniza and not be used again.
7. 17:9 - The person's offspring die and the person's own life is shortened.
8. 17:13 - Non-domesticated species of kosher animals and all species of kosher birds.
9. 18:4 - A "mishpat" conforms to the human sense of justice. A "chok" is a law whose reason is not given to us and can only be understood as Hashem's decree.
10. 18:18 - Not during the lifetime of his wife.

KEDOSHIM

1. 19:2 - Because the fundamental teachings of the Torah are contained in this Parsha.
2. 19:3 - Since it is more natural to honor one's mother, the Torah stresses the obligation to honor one's father.
3. 19:3 - To teach that one must not violate Torah law even at the command of one's parents.
4. 19:9 - "Leket" is one or two stalks of grain that are accidentally dropped while harvesting.
5. 19:11 - The Torah in Vayikra prohibits monetary theft. In Shemos it prohibits kidnapping.
6. 19:13 - Withholding wages from a worker.
7. 19:17 - Causing embarrassment.
8. 19:32 - By not sitting in their seat nor contradicting their statements.
9. 20:3 - "Kares" - the entire Jewish People will never be "cut off."
10. 20:10 - Death by "chenek" (strangulation).

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Question Contents	Answer to "What’s Bothering Rashi?" Aharon was commanded to bring two separate offerings when entering the Holy Place, a bull and a ram. Therefore, one would expect the verse to say "with these" (b'ayleh), rather than "with this" (b'zos). This subtle departure from what would seem proper grammar prompts Rashi to search for a meaning beyond the simple one.
	Gur Aryeh (Concept based on Dr. Avigdor Bonchek's new book "What's Bothering Rashi?" Feldheim Publishers)

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Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane & Rabbi Reuven Subar
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Eli Ballon
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