The Chumash (Five Books of Moses)
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Plague of darkness
why does the Ibn Ezra (A classic Torah commentator) tell us that he experienced a similar kind of darkness as described in the plage- darkness. What lesson does this reinforce? From the wording of the Ibn Ezra (and from the…
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Plague of the First Born
Why is the Plague of the First Born males referred to as “makas b’choros” (i.e. feminine form) since it was the first born Egyptian MALES who were killed? Everywhere in the Torah and I think in Tanach, the plural of…
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Pharaoh’s survival
I have heard that Pharaoh was also a first born. Why was he not killed along with the other first-born Egyptians as the tenth plague? God kept him alive so that the leading figure of the world’s most advanced civilization…
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In the “image of G-d”
Does a Nazi fall into the category of “tzelem elokim” (status of being created in the image of G-d) or has he lost that part of his being that would allow that category to apply to him? The question you…
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What accompanied the sacrifices?
When aminals were sacrificed, either prior to the Golden Calf incident, when performed privately by persons such as Noah or Abraham, or for that matter, during the temple period, what kinds of prayers or incantations accompanied the sacrifices? There were…
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The Struggle in Rivkah’s Womb
Why are the babies struggling inside Rivkah? The sages teach that a battle of cosmic forces was going on in the womb. It was representative of the eternal battle between morality and justice on one side, represented by Jacob, and…
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The Ark and the Levites
It is my understanding that: – The Ark lid weighed over a ton, notwithstanding the cherubim or the coffer itself, which was double-plated inside and out with gold. – The Ark was transported by four men (Levites) How four men…
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Exodus 6:14-26 – abbreviated lineage
What happened to the other 9 sons of Jacob? Why weren’t their children listed? Why only the sons of Korach? What happened to his brothers, Nepheg and Zechir and their families? It seems as if this whole section was added…
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Lilith and the King James Bible
I was also wondering is there a difference in the old testament in the King James Bible and the Torah? For example I have heard the story of Lilith as Adam’s first wife but that story is not mentioned in…