The Chumash (Five Books of Moses)
-
Light and the Luminaries
On the first day of creation, God created light — “And God said ‘Let there be light…’” (Genesis 1:3). However, on the fourth day (ibid, verses 14-19), God made the two great lights. Isn’t this contradictory? If light comes from…
-
Meat in the wilderness
The children of Israel, while in the wilderness, ask God for meat. Why did they do that when they had the animals they had brought with them from Egypt? Answer: Thank you for your excellent question. The preeminent commentator on…
-
Asnat and Divine Providence
How could Joseph marry Asnat [Hebrew for Asenoth] (Genesis 41:45) if she was an Egyptian? Answer: In truth, Asnat was the Jewish child of Joseph’s sister Dena, and she was adopted by… Potifar’s wife! (She was the woman who tried…
-
Did The Jews Trade Goods In The Desert?
If the route which we traveled through the desert was barren, then how did the livestock feed? Where did so much wood come from for the sacrifices in the Tabernacle? Was there some sort of trading going on? Answer: Thank…
-
Names, Soul-Mates, and the Nature of Marriage
Can I know if my wife is my soul-mate? Her first name is Denise and her mother’s first name is Rebbecca. My first name is Steve and my mother’s first name is Freida. Answer: First, a serious relationship like marriage…
-
The Preservation of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin
What were the merits of Benjamin, so that his tribe, in addition to Judah’s, was preserved into modern times? Answer: Thank you for your interesting question! I think it’s important to point out that all the tribes were preserved. The…
-
An Eye for an Eye – Part II
Could you please give me the true meaning of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc (see Exodus 21:23-25), as recorded in Jewish law and tradition? Answer: The Talmud (Bava Kama 83b – which offers a…
-
Census Discrepancies
In Exodus 30:11-16 there is a census taken, and the number of men over the age of 20 were counted at 603,550 (as specified ibid 38:26). Now, in Numbers 1:46 we see that another census was taken several months later,…
-
10 Commandments and References to all 613
How are the 613 commandments derived from the popular 10 commandments? Answer: Great question! Many commentaries, going back about a millennium, elaborate on this idea, which was first recorded, in written form, even a millennium before that (in Midrash Rabba,…