The Chumash (Five Books of Moses)
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Coveting and Controlling Our Thoughts
I don’t understand one of the 10 commandments. The one about coveting your neighbor. All of the other 9 are about actions, and these make sense. But how can G-d control our thoughts? How are we supposed to avoid thinking…
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Midianite Women and Deut 21:10-14
In the Torah Portion of Mattot Moses chastizes the soldiors for bringing the Midianite women home instead of killing them. Weren’t the soldiers justified in their actions as this appears to be a case of Yefat To’ar (Captive Woman see…
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Copper Snakes and Idol Worship
Moses puts up a copper serpent on a pole to prevent those bitten from dying (Numbers 21:4-9). Is this not idol worship? The serpent was certainly not idol worship. They were not told to pray to the serpent, just to…
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The “Original Sin”
If Adam is the one who did what G-d had forbade him to do, why then do we all have to suffer for what Adam did? Isn’t it true we are all accountable for our own “sins”? Answer: In fact,…
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Slavery and Selling Your Daughter
Can you please explain me Judaism’s stance on slavery? If the Torah stands for freedom and liberty why were laws regarding slavery given? I also want to know how were the slaves being treated? I know the native slaves were…
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Satan, Servant of G-d
If Jews do not believe in the devil, who was the serpent that tempted Eve with the fruit from the tree of knowledge? Most Christians accept the serpent as Satan. Hi! Interesting question. I don’t think it’s correct that we…
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Counting the Tribes, Multiples of 100
When the tribe’s population numbers are recorded, all but two of them are multiples of 100 (in the previous count all but one, I think). Is there a reason, a meaning or an interpretation for this particular fact?I have struggled…
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Exodus and Egyptian clothing
It says that there are three things that the Jews did not change in Egypt. and one of them is their clothing. if so how did they borrow the Egyptian’s clothing? Perhaps there were some clothes which the Egyptians had…
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Moses and Pharaoh
Why did Moses tell Pharaoh he only wanted to stay three days in the desert with the people, instead of telling him outright he would leave Egypt forever? Didn’t he have the full power and mandate of the Creator behind…