Parsha Q&A - Bechukosai « Ohr Somayach

Parshas Bechukosai

For the week ending 27 Iyar 5758 / 22-23 May 1998

Contents:

Parsha Questions

Sherlox Holmes

I Did Not Know That!

Parsha Questions

Answers | Contents

To what do the words "bechukosai telechu" (walk in My statutes) refer?
When is rain "in its season?"
What is the blessing of "v'achaltem lachmechem l'sova" (and you shall eat your bread to satisfaction)?
What is meant by the verse "and a sword will not pass through your land?"
Mathematically, if five Jewish soldiers can defeat 100 enemy soldiers, how many enemy soldiers should 100 Jewish soldiers be able to defeat?
How much is 'revava'?
Which "progression" of seven transgressions are taught in Chapter 26, and why in that particular order?
What is one benefit which the Jewish People derive from the Land of Israel's state of ruin?
What was the duration of the Babylonian exile and why that particular number?
How many years after entering the Land were the northern tribes exiled?
In verse 26:42, the name Yaakov is written with an extra "vav". From whom did Yaakov receive this extra letter and why?
What positive element is implied by the words "and I will bring them into the land of their enemies?"
In verse 26:42, why is the word "remember" not used in connection with the name of Yitzchak?
Why does the Torah say in 26:46 "Toros" (plural) and not "Torah" (singular)?
What happens when a poor person dedicates the value of a man to the Beis Hamikdash and doesn't have sufficient funds to fulfill his vow?
If a person says "The leg of this animal shall be an olah offering" the animal is sold and sacrificed as an olah offering. What is the status of the money received for the animal?
If a person dedicates his ancestral field to the Beis Hamikdash and fails to redeem it before Yovel what happens to the field?
Where must "Ma'aser Sheini" be eaten?
When a person redeems "Ma'aser Sheini" what happens to the food? What happens to the redemption money?
How does a person tithe his animals?

Sherlox Holmes

Contents

World famous detextive Sherlox Holmes looked up at the clear blue sky. "Walk a bit faster, won't you, Dr. Watstein?" he said. "It's about to rain and I've no umbrella. My new hat will be ruined!"

"How do you know it's going to rain?" asked Watstein.

"Simple observation," said Sherlox. "Notice the smoke rising flat from that chimney there. That indicates low pressure and impending precipitation. Furthermore, I'm wearing my new hat and I've forgotten my umbrella. It always rains under those circumstances."

"Speaking of rain," said Watstein, "perhaps you could explain the following: The verse says 'I will provide your rains in their time' (Vayikra 26:4). Rashi explains 'In their time' to mean 'In the time when people usually don't go out, such as Shabbos night'."

"Sounds like a good time to me," said Sherlox.

"But every farmer knows that late rain can be as bad as no rain. Based on the context, a description of agricultural bounty, the simplest explanation would be "in the time when the crops need the rain, not too early and not too late!"

"Tell me, Watstein, who owns the rain?"

"No one, I suppose. What a strange question!"

"Let's hurry inside and I'll explain it to you. I feel drops."

Answer

I Did Not Know That!

"And five of you will pursue a hundred [enemy soldiers]." (26:8)

This refers to our weakest soldiers; our weakest soldier will be able to defeat twenty enemies. Our strongest soldier will be able to defeat a thousand or more.

(Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh, based on Toras Kohanim)

Answers to this Week's Questions

Questions | Contents

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

26 - 3 Laboring in Torah learning.
26:4 - At times when people are not outside (e.g., Shabbos nights).
26:5 - You will only require a little bread to be completely satisfied.
26:6 - No foreign army will travel through your land on their way to a different country.
26:8 - Two Thousand.
26:8 - Ten Thousand.
26:14,15 - Not studying Torah, not observing mitzvos, rejecting those who observe mitzvos, hating Sages, preventing others from observing mitzvos, denying that Hashem gave the mitzvos, denying the existence of Hashem. They are listed in this order because each transgression leads to the next.
26:32 - No enemy nation will be able to settle in the Land of Israel.
26:35 - 70 years. Because the Jewish People violated 70 Shemita and Yovel years.
26:35 - 390 years.
26:42 - In five places in the Torah Yaakov's name is written with an extra "vav" and in five places the name Eliyahu is missing a "vav." Yaakov took these vavs as a pledge that Eliyahu will one day come and announce the redemption of Yaakov's children.
26:41 - Hashem Himself, so to speak, will bring them into their enemies' land. This means that even when the Jews are in exile, Hashem will supply them with leaders who inspire them to keep the Torah. This guards the Jews from assimilating into the host culture.
26:42 - Because the image of Yitzchak's ashes (who was prepared to be brought as an offering) upon the altar is always before Hashem.
26:46 - To teach that both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moshe on Har Sinai
27:8 - The person whose value was donated goes before the kohen, who sets the obligation according to the poor person's ability to pay.
27:9 - The money is 'chullin,' meaning it does not have 'holy' status, except for the value of the animal's leg which does have 'holy' status.
27:16 - It becomes the property of the kohanim who are on rotation at the beginning of Yovel.
27:30 - In Jerusalem.
27:31 - The food becomes permissible to him outside of Jerusalem. The redemption money must be brought to Jerusalem and used to purchase food to be eaten there.
27:32 - He passes them through a door individually and every tenth animal he marks with a rod smeared with red dye.

Sherlox Holmes

Question
Contents

"The verse uses the term 'your rains.' Does anybody own the rains?" asked Sherlox.

"Well, I suppose 'your rains' means, 'the rains that are necessary for you,' the rain that you need."

"Exactly," said Sherlox. "And what rain do we need? The proper amount of rain in the proper season. That's what we need."

"I see, so the phrase 'in its time' is really redundant. It must refer to some other positive aspect of the rain's timing. Hence, at a time when people are inside."

"The fog is lifting, dear Watstein."

Based on the Malbim
Recommended Reading "What's Bothering Rashi?" by Dr. Avigdor Bonchek, Feldheim Publishers

Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane & Rabbi Reuven Subar
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Eli Ballon
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Parsha Q&A - Bechukosai

Parshas Bechukosai

Parsha Questions

Sherlox Holmes

I Did Not Know That!

Recommended Reading List

Answers to this Week's Questions

Sherlox Holmes