Category: Parshanut
Frog or Frogs?
Messianic Wars in Midrash – Parashat VaEra In Exodus 8:2 we read of the second plague of Egypt, frogs: ותעל הצפרדע ותכס את ארץ מצרים. The literal translation of these words is: The frog [singular] came up and covered the land of Egypt. The use of the singular form to describe many objects, animals, or people is quite common on the bible (see for example: Gen. 1:21; 3:1; 12:5; 32:6), but its application here has intrigued the commentators, perhaps because the Torah emphasizes the great number of frogs which will invade Egypt. The word frogs, in the plural, appears ten times, the frogs are described as swarming Egypt, and after they die, they are piled in huge heaps.
May 26, 2026 , Parshanut
Holy Romance
וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: Moses made the basin and its base from copper, from the mirrors of the gathering women, who gathered at the gate of the tent of meeting. (Ex. 38:8) This seemingly trivial detail, not included in God’s instructions to the builders of the tabernacle, but rather an extemporaneous decision of Moses, directs us towards a very serious problem in marital relationships, that of spouses who grow tired or bored of each other at a certain stage of their marriage.
May 26, 2026 , Parshanut
Miriam’s Song: Women’s Hidden Voice
Women’s Hidden Voice When the Israelites left Egypt, and God split the sea for them, the angels wanted to praise Him. He told them, let Moshe and Israelites sing first. And so it was, the Israelite men sang first, the angels sang last, and in between them, the women were singing.
May 26, 2026 , Parshanut
Selfish Sodom
Many believe that the sin of Sodom was Sodomy. That word was coined after the events described in Genesis (19:1-10): The messengers came to Sodom and were greeted by Lot, took them home and offered them food and shelter. As they were getting ready to sleep, the townspeople besieged the house and demanded that Lot hands the guests to them to know them, in the biblical sense. Lot wanted to protect his guests and offered instead his two daughters, but the people would not hear of it and they staged an attack, which was blocked by the guests.
May 26, 2026 , Parshanut
Trust Crisis
At the end of chapter ten of Numbers (verses 35-46), the following, very famous paragraph, is framed by two inverted נונים: וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה׀ יי וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ. וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יי רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל When the ark traveled, Moshe would say: “Rise, YHWH, let your enemies scatter and your adversaries flee You!” When it rested he would say: “Return, YHWH, the myriads of thousands of Israel!”
May 26, 2026 , Parshanut
Midrash on Matan Torah
He gave Moshe [the Tablets] when He concluded speaking with him. These words describe the transmission of knowledge from master to disciple, and it is only natural that they sparked a lively discussion in the Midrash.
May 25, 2026 , Parshanut