Simply Deep

In Parshas Behaalosecha (10:29), Moshe pleads with Yisro to join us in entering Eretz Yisrael. This episode analyzes Rashi to reveal the various facets of Moshe’s argument to Yisro.

Rashi explains many details of the process of the Sotah bringing a Mincha and drinking the water. Many of these involve degrading her in one way or another. This episode discusses these details, deriving pertinent lessons about how we view Sotah, znus, and taamei hamitzvah in general.

Why does the Torah in this week’s parsha (Naso) juxtapose giving gifts to the kohen and the parsha of Sotah? Rashi (Bamidbar 5:12) says that it’s teaching us that if a man withholds gifts of the kohen, he will eventually need to bring his unfaithful wife to the kohen to drink the Sotah waters.

How in the world does one lead to another? Is this a natural or supernatural correlation? This episode addresses these questions.

This episode attempts to gain some insight into the Torah’s perspective on Justice. It does so through analyzing various stories in the Torah through the lens of the Rishonim.

This episode discusses the role of gematria and at-bash in understanding the quantities involved in the Nesiim's donations to the Mishkan.

In perhaps the most dramatic part of the book (1:16-17), Rus tells Naomi that she wants to be with her in all facets of her life (and death). While the emphasis seems to be on the person of Naomi, Rashi presents a different picture - one focused on various facets of the Torah life. This episode tries to reconcile these apparently different perspectives on the conversion of Rus and of future converts to Judaism.

The Torah (Bamidbar 3:1) introduces the offspring of Moshe and Aharon but then only tells us about the children of Aharon. Rashi says that since Moshe taught them Torah, it’s as if he fathered them. This episode discusses the general theme of the comparison of a Rebbe to a father.

In Bechukosai (Vayikra 26:12), the Torah culminates the list of Brachos by saying HaShem will walk with us. Rashi explains that it means that He will stroll with us in Gan Eden like one of us. This episodes tries to explain the meaning of this very difficult metaphor.

In Parshas Behar (25:45), the Torah describes the halachos regarding a Jew who is sold to a nonjew. In passing, Rashi infers lessons about how nonjews often learn from Jews, and vice versa. This episode analyzes this tendency and the lessons we can learn from it.

This episode pieces together different pshatim in Rashi to build a picture of the Mekalel, his background, and his sin.