Weekly Parsha Thoughts

Pinchas

The passuk states “יפקד ה’ אלקי הרוחות לכל בשר איש על העדה.” Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu requested from Hashem who is the G-d of all spirits to appoint a person over the entire gathering. Why is Hashem described as “the G-d...
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Balak

The passuk states in Parshas V’zos Habracha, ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה אשר ידעו ה’ פנים אל פנים there was no prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu whom Hashem became known to him face to face. The Sifrei explains, a prophet will not...
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Chukas

The passuk states זאת חקת התורה this is the chok of the Torah. What does חקת mean and what does it refer to? Onkelos often translates חוק as קים, statute; here he translates as גזירה, decree. Rashi explains that a חוק is...
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Korach

The passuk states that Moshe took out all the staffs from before Hashem, “ויראו ויקחו איש מטהו and they saw and a man took his staff.” Onkelos translates the word ויראו “and they recognized,” each man recognized his own staff. The Nefesh...
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Shelach

The Ramban understands that there are two independent mitzvos with challah. One is to separate challah, as it statesראשית עריסותיכם חלה תרימו תרומה  the first of your doughs raise up a terumah. This separation removes the issur tevel, making the rest of...
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Beha’aloscha

The passuk states concerning the seventy elders, “ואצלתי מן הרוח אשר עליך ושמתי עליהם” which Onkelos and Rashi explain, “and I will increase from the spirit which is upon you and I will place upon them.” Here Onkelos translates the lashon of...
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