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Questions for Preparation and Self Study
Questions for Preparation -Word format
Shiur #1: Did Moshe Really Sin?
Shiur #2: When Did the Mei Meriva Incident Take Place?
Shiur #3: Parah Aduma: What's a Chok?
| Remember that feeling of "it's just not fair" after the first time you read the story of Mei Meriva? Whatever it may have been that Moshe did wrong - his punishment seems much too harsh. In this week's shiur, we attempt to tackle this complicated "sugya" by viewing it from a broader perspective. |
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When Did the Mei Meriva Incident Take Place?
| Just about everyone takes for granted that the Mei Meriva incident takes place in the 40th year. The reason for this is quite simple - Mei Meriva takes place immediately after the death of Miriam, and Miriam died in the first month of the fortieth year - didn't she? Let's double check this assumption by taking a closer look at that pasuk: "And Bnei Yisrael [the entire congregation] arrived at Midbar Tzin on the first month, and the people settled down in Kadesh; there Miriam died and was buried." Note, that we are only told that this took place on the first month, but there is no mention of the year at all! So why does everyone assume that it is year forty? |
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| What does "Chukat HaTorah" mean? In this introductory phrase of Parshat Chukat, the word "torah" is usually understood as 'the entire Chumash,' while "chok" is usually understood as a 'law that doesn't make sense' (or at least has no obvious reason). In the following shiur we suggest an alternate definition of the words "chok" and "torah" that will help us better understand the details of Parshat Parah. (Part II of the shiur focuses on Parshat Parah's Haftara, where the navi Yechezkel finds special meaning in this concept of "tahara" from "tum'ah" as it becomes an important stage in the redemption process.) |
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