Jewish Texts
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Rachel and the Idols
A few questions about Genesis, Chapter 31:19 and 31:34: Why did Rachel keep her father’s idols? Why didn’t she throw them away before or after Laban caught up with her family? Was her early death related to this, and the…
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Why Pray for Sodom and Not Isaac?
I just finished reading the Torah portion of Vayera, and I am left with a question about it. We learn that Abraham pleaded for the town of Sodom to great lengths; however, in regards to his own son Isaac, he…
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Lot’s Wife and Salt
Why was Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt? Why salt of all things? Answer: The classical Midrash commentary teaches that when Lot insisted on serving the visiting angels, his wife did not want to go along with it. She even…
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Why were the animals punished in The Flood?
I have some questions about the Flood. In Genesis 6:12 we read “God saw the earth…it had gone to ruin, for all flesh had ruined its way…” The usual interpretation is that humankind was to be punished for its iniquities.…
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Noah on the Ark for a Year
The rain lasted for 40 days. Why then did Noah remain with the animals for nearly a year? Answer: Very interesting question! I’ll give you my thoughts. The purpose of the flood was to give mankind a fresh start, to…
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Animals Banished from the Garden of Eden
Were the animals also banished from the Garden of Eden? If yes, why? For what sin? Answer: Man contains within him the sum total of all of creation. As man goes, the rest of creation goes. Thus, when man was…
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Difference Between Murder and Killing
The death penalty does not fit under the commandment “You shall not murder.” I have understood that murder and killing are two different words in Hebrew, with the word “murder” being used in instances such as Cain and Abel, and…
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Two Creation Narratives
The verse states in Genesis (1:27), “And G-d created Man in His image, in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them.” Then in chapter 2, verses 21-23, G-d creates woman with the rib of…
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Counting People and King David
In Chronicles 21:1-17 David conducts a census (against the will of G-d) G-d gives David three choices and sends a plague that kills 70,000 Israelites. Did G-d sentence the 70,000 to die because David failed? If counting was prohibited, who…