* PARSHA Q&A * In-Depth Questions on the Parsha and Rashi's commentary. Parshas Pinchas For the week ending 17 Tamuz 5755 (24 Tamuz 5755)* 14 & 15 July 1995 (21 & 22 July 1995)* *week ending dates for locations outside of Israel =========================================================================== Announcing the Ohr Somayach Home Page on the World Wide Web! just point to "http://www.jer1.co.il/orgs/ohr/intro.html" =========================================================================== Parsha Questions 1. Why was Pinchas not originally a Kohen? 2. Why does the Torah identify Kozbi bas Tzur? 3. Why was Moav spared the fate of Midian? 4. Why did Hashem attach two letters of His name to the name of each family? 5. The Torah states the Korach and his congregation became a sign. What do they signify? 6. Why did Korach's children survive? 7. In Bereshis 35:18, Rachel named her younger son Ben Oni (my unfortunate son). How was her prophecy fulfilled? 8. When the Torah enumerated the families of Asher, why was Serach bas Asher mentioned? 9. How long did it take to conquer and divide the Land? 10. How was the Land divided? 11. Where was Yoceved, the mother of Moshe, born? 12. Why did the decree to die in the midbar not apply to the women? 13. The Torah states that the daughters of Tzlofchad were from the Tribe of Menashe. Why does the Torah also state that they were descendants of Yosef? 14. Why does the Torah change the order of the names of the daughters of Tzlofchad in different places? 15. Tzlofchad died because of his own sin. What was it? 16. Why didn't Moshe know what to answer the daughters of Tzlofchad? 17. When asking Hashem to appoint a successor, why did Moshe address Him as, "Hashem of the Spirits of all Flesh"? 18. Moshe "put some of his glory" upon Yehoshua. What does this mean? 19. Where were the daily offerings slaughtered? 20. When the Jewish People offer the daily tamid offering, what `satisfaction' does Hashem receive? 21. Goats are brought as musaf sin-offerings. For what sin do they atone? 22. Why is Shavuos called Yom HaBikkurim (the day of the first fruits)? 23. What is the symbolic meaning of the 70 bullocks offered on Succos? 24. Why does the number of the bullock offerings decrease daily? 25. To whom did the lambs offered on Succos allude? Bonus QUESTION: "And three esronim (7.5 liters) of flour...for one bull...and half a hin (4.1 liters) of wine for a bull (27:12-14)." What do these verses teach us about how we should conduct our daily lives? I Did Not Know That! "Pinchas was zealous on behalf of his G-d" (25:13). Pinchas could have said, "If Moshe and Aaron take no action why should I be more zealous than they. But Pinchas acted as if it was his duty alone to defend the honor of Hashem. Homas Esh =========================================================================== Answers to this Week's Questions All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated 1. 25:13 - The Kehuna was given to Aaron and his sons, and to their descendants who were born after they were anointed. Pinchas was born prior to the anointing. 2. 25:15 - To show the hatred of the Midianites for the Jewish People; that they disgraced their princess in order to cause them to sin. 3. 25:18 - For the sake of Ruth, a future descendent of Moav. 4. 26:5 - To testify that they were of pure descent. 5. 26:10 - They are a reminder that the Kehuna was given forever to Aaron and his descendants and that no non Kohen should ever dispute this right. 6. 26:11 - Although they originally participated in the plot against Moshe, they repented and were spared. 7. 26:24 - Binyamin had ten sons, only five of whose descendants entered Eretz Yisrael. Also, in Sefer Shoftim 20:35, nearly the entire Tribe of Binyamin was destroyed in the incident of Pilegesh b'Givah. 8. 26:46 - Because she was still living. 9. 26:53 - Seven years to conquer and seven years to divide. 10. 26:54 - By lot and by the Urim and Tummin. 11. 26:59 - Between the walls at the entrance into Egypt. 12. 26:64 - In the incident of the meraglim only the men wished to return to Egypt. The women wanted to enter Eretz Yisrael. 13. 27:1 - To show that the Land was dear to these women, just like it was to Yosef. 14. 27:1 - To teach that they were equal in greatness. 15. 27:3 - Rabbi Akiva said that he was the one who gathered sticks on Shabbos. Rabbi Shimon said that he was among those who attempted to enter Eretz Yisrael after the sin of the meraglim. 16. 27:5 - Moshe was being punished for speaking haughtily and saying to the judges, "A case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me (Devarim 1:17)." Also, because the daughters of Tzlofchad merited that a portion of the Torah should be written because of them. 17. 27:16 - He was asking Hashem, who understands the multitude of dispositions among the Jewish People, to appoint a leader who can deal with each person according to that person's nature. 18. 27:20 - That Yehoshua's skin also shone. Moshe's face beamed like the sun, Yehoshua's face beamed like the moon. 19. 28:3 - At a spot opposite the sun. The morning offering was slaughtered on the western side of the slaughtering area, and the evening offering on the eastern side. 20. 28:8 - The satisfaction that the Jewish People obey His command. 21. 28:15 - For ritual defilement of the Sanctuary or its vessels, of which no one is cognizant. 22. 28:26 - Two loaves of bread were brought as an offering on Shavuos. They were the first of the wheat-offerings brought from the new grain. 23. 29:18 - They allude to the 70 nations of the world. 24. 29:18 - To allude to the fact that just as the offerings decrease daily, so too these nations will gradually become extinct. 25. 29:18 - To the Jewish People. Bonus ANSWER: The Torah is teaching that at a meal it is proper for a person to eat more than he drinks. Rashi -- Megilla 12a =========================================================================== SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter judaismo - Spanish-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism. 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