The Chumash (Five Books of Moses)
-
No Death Sentence for Cain
Since God required from the beginning that life be taken for life why wasn’t Cain given the same sentence? He was merely exiled – a punishment totally inconsistent with the rest of the Torah. Why? Thank you very much for…
-
Moses’ Cushite Wife
Does it say somewhere in the Torah that Moses’ wife was black? The answer to your question is found in Bamidbar (Numbers) 12:1, which tells us of the “Cushite” woman that Moses married. Cush is the area we call Ethiopia…
-
Lot’s Wife and Salt
Why was Lot’s wife turned to salt (Genesis 19:26), of all things? According to the Midrash (Beraishis Rabba on that verse), as soon as the 3 Angels entered Lot’s house, his wife left the house and went around to all…
-
Miriam’s Daughter
I wanted to find the name of Miriam’s daughter. I found that she was married to Caleb. Caleb had a daughter Achsah. Somewhere I read that Achsah was a child of Miriam and Caleb. Although our Sages teach us that…
-
The Merit of Abraham’s Father
What did Abraham’s father, an idol worshiper, do to deserve to have a son like Abraham? Hi! I have been giving your question a lot of thought, and consulting with some of my own teachers. Still, the following is no…
-
Wells
What is the significance of Wells in the Torah? Wells are symbolic of something hidden beneath the surface, often internal. Therefore, when the Torah describes our Forefathers as digging wells, aside from the simple meaning, it is also an allegory…
-
Biblical History, Post-Biblical History, The Chumash (Five Books of Moses), The Prophets and Writings
Dinah and Tamar
I recently came across the story of Tamar, the daughter of David, who was raped by her brother, Amnon. This reminded me of the story of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, who was raped–though not incestuously. I can’t seem to find Torah…
-
The Numbers in the Torah’s Census
I was looking into the census of the Jews in the Torah. It seems somewhat strange (and statistically unlikely) that every single tribe had a “round” number — all but one rounded to hundreds, and only one (Gad) showing a…
-
Census of the Jewish Encampment
I am trying to help my daughter understand the portion that discusses Moses taking a census of all the head of the tribes. I am having trouble relating this to us/my daughter and her life today. I was hoping for…